IFHE-US Annual Report 2005- 2006
Mary Andrews, President
The officers of IFHE-US during the year of 2005-2006 consisted of Mary Andrews, President; Juanita Mendenhall, Past President; Joanne Pearson, Director of Professional Development and Programs; Kitty Decker, Recorder; Nancy Billings, Director of Finance; Nancy St. John Director of Communications, Sharon McManus, Director of the IFHE-US Development Fund, Ruth Norman, Chair UN Liaison Committee; Alberta Hill, Chair Nominating Committee; Jenny Schroeder and Sharon Christie, Subcommittee on History, Archives and Documentation; Janett Gibbs, Liaison to History Committee; and Carol Makela, AAFCS International Division Chair.
This annual report of activities of
IFHE-US is organized according to the Plan of Work for 2005-2006 developed at
the beginning of the program cycle in 2004 and presented in the fall 2004
IFHE-US Connection. Accomplishments relative to those goals are as follows:
1. Strengthen communications
and networks.
¨ Publication of two newsletters
per year occurred to keep the membership informed of critical activities and
opportunities. Newsletters were sent in the fall of 2005 and spring of 2006 by
regular mail and posted on the IFHE-US webpage. Approximately 350 copies are
distributed per issue. Included among the multiple articles in each issue were updates
on developments in
¨ A call for nominations and elections were held
for three positions of leadership in the IFHE-
¨ New Officers of IFHE-US to
take responsibilities in July 2006 include: Nancy Billings who remains for a second
term of office as Director of Finance; Jan Scholl (PA) who will replace Nancy
St. John as Director of Communications; and Tahira Hira (IA) who will replace
Joanne Pearson as Director of Professional Development and Programs.
¨ Leadership at the Region of
the
¨ Conference calls were made
involving all members of the Board on Sept 9 and Dec1. These contacts were in addition to the
regularly scheduled Board meeting at AAFCS Annual Convention.
¨ A Policies and Procedures
Manual was drafted and presented at the June 2006 annual meeting. Alberta Hill
organized the materials and developed the manual. It will assist the officers
in interpreting the constitution and general operating procedures. It will be
posted on the website.
¨ Hosted an internationally
oriented networking event at AAFCS annual meeting. The focus was on the Hmong
people living in MN, with a speaker and display and sale of traditional Hmong
crafts. In 2006 the International Cultural Event will focus on Women in the
Military and on culture in the American South and in
¨ A call for delegates to the
IFHE Council Meetings in
¨ The history project is well
underway. Jenny Schroeder and Sharon Christie have developed a draft of the
IFHE-US History. Similar efforts are underway at the international level and in
each region or country. In addition to
the official history in print, members have been requested to send documents
and photos in support of a DVD project. Once collected reports, narratives, and
photos will be complied on a DVD to document the past 100 years. These
materials will be presented during the 100th anniversary
celebrations in
¨ Based on the Treasurer’s
Report of June 2006, a balance of $12,778. remains in
the treasurer.
2. Provide educational services
and support for international involvement of members.
¨ Articles appeared in the
fall and spring issues of the IFHE-US Connection encouraging members to become
actively involved in the organization by joining an IFHE committee, attending
the IFHE Leadership Meeting in February, and making plans to attend the 2006
IFHE Council Meeting in
¨ A major opportunity for
service wound down during the current year. In response to a devastating hurricane that swept through the
¨ Although Hurricane Katrina
created another opportunity for service, the Board decided to encourage
individual members to contribute independently as many organizations are
available in the
¨ A total of 9 IFHE-US members
are serving on programme and council committees of IFHE. Most participate as
active members, but several serve as “corresponding” members. Six IFHE-US
members attended the Leadership Meeting in
¨ One educational session was
developed and presented at AAFCS Annual Meeting in 2005. The title of the
program was “The Changing Face of Malnutrition Worldwide”. The moderator and
speakers were Janett Gibbs, Mary Andrews and Bruce Humphrys, Executive Director
of Compatible Technology International.
¨ Project Identify and Recognize will host an awards ceremony and reception during
the 2006 International Cultural Event in
¨ Our IFHE and AAFCS
representatives at the UN continue to participate in a number of key
committees, work on commissions and participate in briefings and conferences in
our behalf. The Board considered the possibility of applying for UN observer
status directly as the IFHE-US organization. Ruth Norman, the IFHE-US Liaison
to the UN is exploring this option.
3. Contribute to the IFHE Development Fund.
¨ A letter requesting
contributions to the IFHE-US Development Fund was included in the fall and
spring issues of the IFHE-US Connection. The current value of the investments
of the Fund as of March 2006 was $76,565. An estimated 92 people contributed in
this program year.
¨ An educational fundraising
event was held at the AAFCS Annual Meeting at the
4. Develop long-range plans for
meeting the professional development needs of
members.
¨ Because interest in projects
to be carried out internationally had been expressed in the interest survey
conducted in 2004, a grant proposal with The Technical University of Moldova
was developed. This proposal, co-sponsored by IFHE-US and IFHE (CEEC Outreach
Committee), was submitted to and funded by the Monsanto Fund. The title of the
project is “Improving Nutritional Health with