HAITIAN FEDERATION OF THE WEST AND MIDWEST GENERAL ASSEMBLY 7/4/14-7/5/14

 

The Ad-Hoc Committee to form a Federation of Midwestern and West state under the Jurisdiction of the General Consulate of Chicago convened the General Assembly to formally form the Federation.  The General Assembly lasted two days as planned.

7/4/14

 

After registration and continental breakfast, Dr. Joel Augustin opened the General Assembly.  Dr. Marilys Ewa offered a prayer.  The Honorable Leslie Conde, our General Counsel led us in the singing of the Dessaliniennes and we proceeded to conduct business.  Dr. Joel Augustin thanked the participants for their commitment. He laid out the following goals of the General Assembly:

• Review and Adopt the By-Laws of the Federation;

• Determine the Type of Organization We Should Adopt;

• Determine the Composition of the Board of Directors;

• Elect such a Board of Directors;

• Elect the Executive Committee of Board/Officers of the Federation;

• Adopt and Form other committees

• Determine Our Relationship to the Haitian Government;

• Adopt the Internal Rules and Regulations of the Federation;

 

• The following individuals were present and they introduced themselves to the assembly:

 

Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti

Attorney Marie Lynn Toussaint, President/Chairperson,

Dr. Joël Augustin, MD,

Professor Max Gustave Joseph,
Alix Claude,

Viola D’Haïti

Maryse Moreau

Sonia Lundy

Immacula Dieudonne

Alex Viard

Vilio Bacette

Lionel Jean-Baptiste

 

• DuSable Heritage Association

• Dr. Marily Ewa, DDS

• Dr. Serge Pierre Louis, MD

 

• Min Kontre Organizasyon

 

• Mardochee Jean-Charles

 

• La Gonave Economic Help Organization

New Jerusalem Evangelic Church

Jasmine Armand

• The Haitian Community of Minnesota

• Mr. Jean Vernais

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• Washington State Haitian Society

• Engineer Roland Olivier

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• Groupe de Reflexion et d’Action  pour une Haïti Nouvelle (GRAHN)

• Dr. Ludovic Comeau, Jr. VP GRAHN Monde

• Mr. Lionel Chery, President of GRAHN-Chicago;

• Engineer Claude Jourdain

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• Association des Médecins Haïtiens a l’Etranger (AMHE)

• Dr. Serge Pierre-Louis, M.D

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• Haitian Outreach

• Yves  Lassere

 

• Chicago Community Members

Professor Leslie Balan-Gaubert

Anne Marie Fouchee

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• General Consulate of Chicago

• The Honorable Counsel General Leslie Conde

• Mr. Johnny Armand, Commercial Attaché

• Marie Casimir, Consultant

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After the introductions, Dr. Joel Augustin gave a history of the work leading to the formation of the Federation highlighting the previous face-to-face day-long meeting that was held to form the Ad Hoc Committee which set forth the next steps we needed to follow to form the Federation.  These next steps were all organized into specific task forces to advance the work.   Dr. Augustin then reported on the on-going consistent conference call meetings we have conducted whereby the task forces reported on their progress to arrive at the General Assembly.   He also reminded the audience of the collaboration with the Haitian Consulate of Chicago.

 

Next, the Honorable Haitian General Consul of Chicago, Leslie Conde made a presentation to the group.  

 

Afterwards, Judge Lionel Jean-Baptiste started the discussion on what type of organization the Federation should be. He distributed a comparison between 501 (c) 3, 501 © 4, 6 and 7.  Those assembled began the discussion.  However, the group motioned to tabled until participants reflected on the choices in the context of adoption of the By-Laws.

 

Judge Jean-Baptiste then conducted the discussion on the By-Laws. The By-Laws were read fully and verbatim and the discussions allowed us to cover more than half of the document.

The meeting adjourned at about 3.00 pm

 

•  

 

The second day session of the General Assembly started with a prayer by Ms. Immacula Dieudonne.

• A new agenda was modified and presented to the Assembly by Joel Augustin which approved it.

• Judge Jean-Baptiste resumed the discussion on the By-Laws. A consensus on the By-Laws was reached and the Assembly voted and approved them by unanimity. We also voted by unanimity that the name of the organization is: Haitian Federation of the West and Midwest.

• The General Assembly voted for the organization to be a Not-for-Profit 501 © 3.

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• The Assembly agreed that the Board of Directors is a transitional one to insure the continuity of the work.

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• The consensus was that each state represented by a not for profit organization will be represented on the Board and each Not-for-Profit Organizations from each represented state will be a Board Member.  In the final analysis, all not for profit organizations which have been active on whatever level in the formation of the Federation and organizations present at the GA constitute the board of directors.

• The election of the executive committee followed with:

• Joel  Augustin, chair

• Jean Benito Mercier, vice chair (Jean Benito Mercier 14 votes, Joseph Vernet 4 votes)

• Jasmine Armand, vice executive secretary

• Alix Claude, vice treasurer

The executive secretary and the treasurer positions are to be filled at the first Board of Directors meeting if possible.

• Judge Lionel Jean Baptiste offered to be the Executive Director (pro bono).  Such position is staff and has not voting authority.

• The Assembly agreed for the headquarters of the Federation to be in Chicago.

• We agreed the Federation is an independent entity that will work in collaboration with the Haitian Consulate of Chicago and any other governmental bodies.

• Tabled are the discussions on Internal Rules and Regulations and the formation of committees. We agreed the priority will be on having a committee to work on a strategic plan for the Federation. Such committee will be discussed at the first Board of Directors meeting.

The General Assembly ended at 1.00 pm.

 

The founding Board members are:

Illinois:

            Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti

            DuSable Heritage Association

            Operation S.O.S.

            Haitian American Professional Network

            Min Kontre Organizasyon

            La Gonave Economic Help Organization

            New Jerusalem Evangelic Church

 

Indiana:

            Haitian Association of Indiana

            National Association of Haitian Professionals

 

Minnesota:

            The Haitian Community of Minnesota

            Haitians In Common

 

Missouri:

            Haitian Community Center of the Midwest

 

Washington State:

            Washington State Haitian Society

 

 

The Executive Directors members are:

 

Joel Augustin: chair

Jean Benito Mercier: vice chair

Jasmine Armand: assistant se cretary

Alix Claude: vice treasurer 

 

The following organizations were present at the General Assembly and participated actively.  However, they are national and international organizations which did not have authorization to commit to being members.   They are Groupe de Reflexion et d’Action  pour une Haiti Nouvelle (GRAHN) represented by Professor Ludovic Comeau, Phd., VP GRAHN-Monde and Lionel Chery, President of GRAHN-Chicago; and Association des Medecins Haitiens a l’Etranger (AMHE), represented by Dr. Serge Pierre-Louis, M.D; and Haitian Outreach represented by Yves  Lassere.