YAC FEDEX Time: What and Why YAC, Yearly Projects

Saturday, August 28: YAC FEDEX TIME, 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Lunch at Hideaway Pizza, Dessert: Target Stores, Volunteer Ice Cream


Participants: Christine (Walk the World: UN WFP,School Feeding;Food Bank:Food-4-Kids Backpacks program), Sody(Wants to participate more and help, Interested in Habitat for Humanity Project). Christine and Sody came for 1/2 the time. Andrew (Project Ignition), Christine (Art Auction Project: Online fundraising project benefiting all Casady Projects, Shiva (Seed of Peace Project), Adam (Food Bank: September 11 Interfaith Service Connection, and source of possible items for Silent Auction-Fundraising for YAC and Service-Learning,)and Mrs. Clay (Peace at the Heart of Service: Six Billion Paths to Peace, What is Yours?)

10:00-11:30: What is YAC? Why YAC?

Students stated what they are interested in doing. Then we started the discussion of Service Saturdays by viewing the calendar.

1. Service Saturdays: We will work every other Saturday at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and Habitat for Humanity. We will start at the Food Bank on September 11.

Food Bank, September 11: Family Volunteering; interfaith, peace at the heart of service. Adam will ask Mercy School if they wish to volunteer with us. Christine will ask friends from Crossings, Mrs. Clay will contact HH, Catholic and Jewish Schools. The intention is to have an interfaith youth effort where we can see our faiths commonalities of peace at the heart of servicing the needs of another fellow human being. Update: Mercy School Assistant Principal said that he will try to have Mercy students at Food Bank on September 11

Andrew stated that he will not be able to attend because that is the first OU important football game. There is also an ACT and a cross country meet. Mr. Pena cannot be a driver for that reason.

Habitat for Humanity September 18th: We will start work at Habitat for Humanity exisiting housing in an interfaith, intergeneratinal and multi-ethic effort. The fundraiser on behalf of Habitat is being brainstormed by STUCO and YAC. Sody's family is connected to Habitat Volunteering and she will be proactive in this project, but has not decided exactly what she wants to do.

Board of Trustee, Dr. Sumeeta Nanda visited YAC FEDEX Time. She heard about the projects students wanted to do and shared her experience at the Shinnyo-en Six Billion Paths to Peace Retreat in San Francisco. Dr. Nanda attended the retreat with Mrs. Crossno, Mrs. Clay, Dr. Clydia Forehand from Tulsa, Josh,who will not be continuing with YAC to focus exclusively on this path to Peace "Recycling and leading the Environmental Club," Sasha (YAC leader of Six Billion Paths to Peace Project.)

Since our appointment with Sweatmoney was taken by Dr. Nanda's un-expected but welcome visit, Mrs. Clay contacted SweatMonkey and re-scheduled our webinar with them for the third YAC meeting. We will have the meeting in the Computer Lab. We need to make sure sound is working. Since it was close to lunch time, Mrs. Clay suggested to visit the website to find out how YAC was described by YAC leaders of the past before entering the two areas participants wanted to accomplish with the remaining time; Clubs Fair, decisions for Fall Fest Fundraiser, and focusing on Shiva's and Christine projects. Christine F. left the group after lunch.

Following a suggestion made by Dr. Nanda, Mrs. Clay had the group view the Six Billion Paths to Peace video. Adam stated that the video was inspirational and should be viewed at Chapel.

The group decided not to go to Mercy Hospital to see what a Labyrinth looks like nor to see the movie Pay it Forward. Instead they were going to work on Clubs Fair, FallFest, and Shiva's Project.

WORKING LUNCH: The group chose Hidaway. During lunch we discussed "bribe" ideas to get more students interested in checking YAC out. Christine L. suggested "Positive Peer Pressure" with the freshma. In the morning, Sody had suggested making the service days fun, like what she experience when the coaches made everyone volunteer for MLK Day. She loved it. She also suggested to having high profile YAC kids motivating other to volunteer some names mentioned were Cecil, Chandler, and Nicole. Sody said some freshmen will respond to whom they wil be hanging out with.

Another topic touched during lunch was how we could make the Service Saturdays more relevant so kids would want to attend. Connecting the Food Bank packing with meeting some of the kids who get the food with fun activities like arts, mentoring, etc, could be one way, Sody stated earlier. Mrs. Clay had asked for help motivating the high school students to make Pinwheels for Peace. One avenue could be going to Kids Cafes of the Food Bank like Boys and Girls Club, time agreable with administration and sports. For example, we could bring materials and teach the kids at Food Bank Kids Cafes how to make pinwheels for peace. We could also encourage them to attend the September 19 celebration of Pinwheels for Peace. Mrs. Clay has to talk to the volunteer coordinator of the Kids Cafe Monday to make sure that possibility is explored.

Mrs. Clay made an appoitment to talk to the Human Resource person at Target about a collaboration and posible discounted price to sell Volunteer Ice Cream at Fallfest, if it is not freezing cold. Andrew wants back Japanese Drinks for Sale as a YAC Fundraiser. All participants want the PIE A YAC member back as Fallfest fundraiser. Mrs. Clay has a dfficult time with this fundraiser because it promotes violence and we are suppose to be promoting kindness. YAC members need to go back to the drawing board on this. The pie on the face is also a waste of food supplies.

After lunch, the group went to Target to select "allure" for Clubs Fair. They selected "Smarties" over the more expensive "volunteer ice cream." Students decided that ice cream should be for people who are actually involved and working in YAC, not for perspective members who might only come for the "treat." The preferred flavor was the Chocolate Do Gooder over the Berry Volunteery, Ben and Jerry's target exclusive ice cream.

Clubs Fair: Christine improved the YAC link at thewebsite, created a YAC logo, and helped the group making the poster for the Clubs Fair. Christine, Adam, Shiva and Mrs. Clay will manpower the YAC table.
We did not have time for the Blog, Facebook, or Twitter. The new YAC leadership now knows that their headquarters is at the Community Center and meetings are on F days during Activities,

11:30-12:00 SweatMonkey Webinar Postponed until third YAC meeting. Activities, Lab 1: Webinar needs sound and big projection. We mmight need SKYPE availability.

Projects: We did not have time to properly work on Shiva's project. We will meet on Monday to follow-up and help Shiva create a process for his amazing idea. Adam and Christine will come to help. GO FRESMAN POWER!!!!
Seed of Peace: Pay it Forward
This project has very strong connections to Six Billion Paths to Peace. When Mrs. Clay asked Why 6bptp for Casady and how, Mrs. Crossno stated, "It is natural. It is authentic. It is the ideal model. It makes sense. Illuminates the smalles and greatest acts. It focuses on small genuine connections."


Dr. Nanda stated, "-It is a way to create community. We talk about it, we want it. 6bptp can help us create it linking all aspects of the school, focusing on our commonalities: Gales, Service, Theatre, Football. Peace and Kindness are expressed in different ways, but the ideas evolve naturally. It is obvious and natural."