Nov. 2006 Update

Texas Breastfeeding Coalition Update

Volume 1 November 2006

Summary of Temporary Executive Board Call - Oct. 30, 2006

In attendance: Jeannette Crenshaw, Judy Hopkinson, Julie Stagg, Kat Jackson, Kathy Parkes, Linda Jackson, Rani Garcia

Items discussed:

1. Logo contest voting - 27 votes received.

The Board decided to keep the voting going for 2 more weeks. Voting will end November 13 and the logo with the highest number of votes will win the contest.

2. Response to letter from the members from El Paso

The Board decided to:

Send a general letter to all members letting them know that the board co-chairs will be contacting the El Paso members to discuss their concerns.
Inviting each member coalition or organization to designate a representative to serve on the temporary executive board.
Send regular updates to members that includes a summary of board calls, a calendar, requests for input, and a Q/A section.

3. Request for membership applications

The Board decided that everyone who is a member of the Texas Breastfeeding Coalition should have a membership application on file - both individuals and organizations.

4. Progress on committee assignments - this issue was tabled until the next board call due to time constraints.

5. January meeting

The date of the meeting is January 30 in Austin.
The location of the meeting is undecided at the time. Under consideration is First United Methodist Church. It is within walking distance of the capitol, other groups have used it to hold meetings, and there is plenty of parking.
The meeting will include business items and presentations. The business items will cover the logo winner, membership, election of permanent board members, by-laws, and policies. The presentations proposed for the meeting include a presentation by a hospital administrator who is about to become baby friendly, a train-the-trainer session on the obesity/breastfeeding slide presentation, and a presentation by the Central Texas HMHB on advocacy efforts.
The meeting will be followed by an optional workshop in which HMHB legislative group members will help interested members visit their legislators.
Food for the meeting will be catered and everyone will pay for their own meal.

6. New business

The need for by-laws was discussed.
Decision: By-laws from various state breastfeeding task forces will be available at the January meeting for review and a committee to develop by-laws for the TXBC will be formed.
The need for a policy on accepting donations from for-profit groups was discussed. Decision: The USBC policy on donations will be sent to the Executive Board. The executive board will share this with the membership and ask for input to determine whether this policy can be adopted on an interim basis to allow use of donations to support the January meeting. At the January meeting, the membership will vote on whether to adopt this policy as a permanent policy of the TXBC.
The need for a policy on who can be an individual member and an organizational member was discussed.
Decision: This needs further discussion and review of other organizations’ policies.
The advantages of having a Yahoo list serve was discussed.
Decision: This issue needs further discussion and was put on the agenda for the next board call.

The next Board call will be before Thanksgiving - time and date to be decided by email.

TXBC Calendar:

January 30, 2007 - TXBC Meeting in Austin

Questions and Answers - Do you have a question about the Texas Breastfeeding Coalition, it’s goals, and activities? If so, please email Janet Rourke (janetrourke@sbcglobal.net) and Judy Hopkinson (judyh@bcm.tmc.edu ). We will publish your question and our answer in the next update.

Thank you for your membership in the Texas Breastfeeding Coalition. Together, we can improve breastfeeding rates in Texas!

This newsletter is a monthly update from the Texas Breastfeeding Coalition Temporary Executive Board. The next issue will be sent in early December.


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