Wednesday, August 17, 2011

CONVENT OLD GIRLS ASSOCIATION (COGA) MEETING: AUGUST 2011

DATE: Saturday August 13, 2011
TIME:   5:00pm – 7:00 pm
VENUE:  St. Joseph’s Secondary School Makeni

AGENDA
      1.  Opening Prayers
      2.  Introduction of members
      3.  Chairperson’s Opening statement
      4.  Matters arising from past meeting
 5.  Financial update
 6.  Future projects for the school
 7.  Golden Jubilee Celebrations ( Dates, planned activities)
 8.  ACTION POINTS
 9.  AOB
10. Thanks & appreciations.
11. Adjournment and Closure

COGAM Members Present at the Meeting



















MINUTES
The meeting was called to order at about 5:30 pm, by Sunkarie Kabba Kamara

Present at the meeting
1.   Madam Sunkarie Kabba Kamara - Focal person
2.   Beatrice Koroma -Secretary for the meeting
3.   Suard H Koroma
4.   Haja I Suma
5.   Aminata P Koroma
6.   Patricia Thoronka
7.   Agnes A Kanu
8.   Martina B Bangura
9.   Bridget O Kamara
10. Mary Yabonet Conteh

Absent with Apologies
1.  Manjula B Bayoh
2.  Aminata Jalloh
3.  Rugiatu Koroma-nee Bangura

1.   Opening Prayers
Individual silent prayers were observed by all.

2.   Introduction of members
Individual introduction was made by all attendees.

3.   Chairperson’s Opening statement
In her opening statement, the focal person and chairwoman of the meeting, Madam Sunkarie Kabba welcomed all present at the meeting and made emphasis on the importance for attending these kinds of meetings. She went further to spur up old girls to put their interest into the association. She said as a school with good merits in the region and even the nation as a whole, St Joseph Secondary School Makeni has made great contributions in the lives of many. As such, Old Girls should also act strongly to lift the school up as it is time to give back what the school had invested in her pupils because she contributed to make what each Old Girl is today.

4.   Matters arising from past meeting
An overview of what was discussed during the last meeting in December meeting was given as follows:

Registration of members:  All members were to pay a registration fee of twenty thousand Leones (Le 20, 000) and a monthly contribution of ten thousand Leones (Le 10, 000). The said amounts were to be paid to either Sunkarie or Suard H Koroma.

Fabrication of school sign post:  A new school sign post has being fabricated and erected at the school gate by COGAM. This idea came from some old girls in the Diaspora who were dissatisfied with the status of the old sign post at the school gate. The idea was supported by all in that meeting which led to the fabrication and erection of a new signpost for the school.

Page post in Facebook:  A COGAM Group Page has been created on Facebook and all are invited to join the group.

5.   Financial update
The financial position of the association in the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank, Makeni branch as of the 19th November, 2010 was read as follows:
·   Total money received Le, 3,668, 000
·   Expenditure Le, 800, 000
·   Bank Deduction Le, 10, 000
·   Balance as at 12/08/11 Le, 2, 858,000
The financial statement was accepted and suggestions for the payment of contributions on time were made.

6.   Future projects for the school
The following proposed projects are suggested by members present to be undertaken by COGAM:
·   Fabrication of a school gate to march with the new fence and the signpost
·   Increase the height of the school fence with razor wires to reduce the high rate of thieves in the school compound
·   Re-building the old school security post
·   Equipping the home economics lab for the Senior School
Note: These are identified based on institutional needs.

7.   Golden Jubilee Celebrations ( Dates, planned activities)
The following activities were agreed on for the Golden Jubilee celebration:
·   Launching of the Golden Jubilee- Dinner (tentative date is 1st October 2011, venue WUSUM HOTEL to be confirmed)
·   Celebration of the foundation day 2nd October 2011
·   COGAM hour ( Radio discussion weekly)
·   Production of Golden Jubilee T-Shirts and caps ( task to be done by Diaspora)
·   L&D S/ Symposiums for school children
·   May festival celebration
·   Re- Union Night ( date to be determined)
·   Football gala
The list continues……!!

8.   Action Points
      Sunkarie to contact Sr. Amalia for the school logo and to also get an ICT person to design the  membership card

      Mrs. Agnes Adama Kanu to contact the Old Girls in Freetown to get the constitution
    
      Sunkarie Kabba, Suad Koroma, Beatrice Koroma & Aminata Koroma to make a courtesy call on    Mr. Vincent Kanu, proprietor of the Wusum’s hotel for the use of the Wusum’s conference hall for the fund raising dinner and launching of the golden jubilee in October 2011

9.   Project Proposal for funding: A suggestion was made to develop a viable project proposal for the school and submit to multi-national companies like African Minerals for possible sponsoring as part of their Corporate Social Responsibilities.

10. Thanks & Appreciations
All attendees were appreciated for making it to the meeting. Special thanks were extended to Bridget O Kamara and Patricia Thoronka for taking the bold step to travel from Kabala and Freetown respectively to attend the meeting.

11. Adjournment and Closure
The meeting was adjourned to the 27th. August 2011. The meeting ended with silent individual prayers and the school song climaxed it all.

 The minutes were compiled and submitted by:  Beatrice M. E. M. Korom

New Sign Post Erected in August 2011 by COGAM

COGAM Members after the Meeting
  
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