On Saturday September 22, Linda and Domingo Handal generously hosted the new Bethlehem Association Executive Committee at their home in Totowa, NJ.  New President Muna Handal Dayeh and Joseph Dibsy, Convention Chair flew over from California.  New Treasurer Yvonne Neno Ulrich and Scholarship Committee Chair, Edward & Joan Hazbun drove over from Pennsylvania.  Webmaster and temporary Secretary Joseph Hazboun attended as did outgoing President David Handal.  Vice President William Shahin was all set to come but last minute weather storms upset his flight from Santa Maria, CA.

 Here is a summary of the issues covered:

• Yvonne Ulrich will confirm registration of new officers with the state of Pennsylvania – the official registration location of the Association.
• Switch all accounts to one national bank to facilitate oversight by the Treasurer.
• Credit card facility for receiving payments was retained despite slight cost.
• The Association tax return July 2006 – June 2007 as a non profit organization is due November 15 and all the financial records must be put together especially the accounting from the 2006 convention and California.
• Muna Dayeh is going to follow up on employing new secretarial help in San Diego.   
• Five Board members have retired so new ones need to be enlisted or nominated preferably to represent different regions.
• A new Association brochure needs to be composed and printed.
• The 2008 Summer Convention will be held in Southern California near Los Angeles. Keep this in mind!
• Muna, Yvonne, and Joe Dibsy all recounted different aspects of the Association Reunion in Bethlehem in July.  The hospitality was wonderful and they got to visit the municipality and the all the charities that the Association has helped.  About eighty members traveled to Bethlehem and enjoyed sightseeing in Bethlehem and also in Jerusalem and elsewhere.  They felt reinvigorated on seeing how much people appreciated their coming to Bethlehem and also by the great needs they saw everywhere as a result of the closing up of Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour by checkpoints and the Wall. Muna showed everyone a delightful video of a welcome reception and entertainment of the members in Bethlehem organized by Maha Saca. We all would like to see a full report with photos on our website. But time is running out.

This meeting would not have happened without the urging of Linda and Domingo Handal and their tremendous kindness and efforts to keep the Association on track and everyone too well fed with delectable dishes and warm hospitality. 

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