Diversity Committee Needs Volunteers  by Verona Forrest 

Many of us have been quite chagrined over the years by the lack of racial/social/ethnic diversity of US Servas and wonder why. Are we not welcoming to people of color? Do we project an air of LGBTQ intolerance? Are there cultural barriers that we project, or maybe we just don't publicize our organization to people who aren't already "in the circle?"

This year's board elections saw a good turnout with 95 host/traveler members casting votes. The slate of candidates was so exceptional that only fractions of a point separated the highest and lowest rated. We are glad our voting system worked so well so everyone could be represented and all votes made a difference. With that being said, electees for the two-year seats are Allison McCann and Effie Trihas. The three-year terms were awarded to Deirdre Araujo, Vena Rainwater, and Richard Wolfe.

Thank you, election team, for managing the elections, and a special welcome to our new board electees. We look forward to working with them in January.

by Bill Magargal

The US Servas election cycle is now in full swing. The Candidate Forum will be held via zoom on Wednesday, October 16, 5:00 pm Pacific Time (6 MT, 7 CT, 8 ET) Voting begins Friday, October 18, and ends Sunday, October 27. This year's election committee consists of Vicki Muse, Dennis Scarla, Debra Skomer, and Tys Sniffen (Board Liaison). The election committee will send out an email soon to all members with a link to the forum and bios for each candidate.

by Tys Sniffen

Are you ready to make a bigger impact in our Servas community? The upcoming US Servas Board elections are your chance to step up, lead, and help shape the future of our organization! We’re looking for passionate members like you to put your hat in the ring and bring fresh ideas, energy, and perspectives to our Board. Whether you've been with Servas for years or are relatively new, your unique voice and vision are exactly what we need.

Why Should You Consider Running?

• Make a Difference: Influence decisions that impact our members and help drive our mission forward.
• Strengthen Connections: Build deeper relationships with fellow members and global leaders in our community.
• Develop Leadership Skills: Enhance your leadership experience and make a lasting contribution to Servas.

Curious about what's involved? Join us for an online info session on Saturday, September 14, where we'll walk you through the role, responsibilities, and the rewarding experience of being a board member.

Don’t Miss This Chance to Lead!

If you're interested or even just curious, we’d love to see you at the meeting. This is your opportunity to help guide US Servas into the future and ensure our community continues to thrive. For more information about a board position visit the Run For the Board webpage. Ready to step up? RSVP for the info session and find out more about how you can make a difference!

RSVP:  email us at elections@usservas.org to let us know you are interested in attending. we will send you instructions and a link to the to the session.

Looking forward to seeing you on September 14!

In Servas Friendship,
US Servas Election Committee

US Servas is an all-volunteer organization, and as such, we have an ongoing need for volunteers. At any given moment we have about 35 active core volunteers working to keep the Servas wheels turning, doing things like finances, newsletters, renewing memberships, handling tech problems, etc. It also includes our board members and Peace Secretary.

The US Servas board has nine voting members, each serving a three-year term. The terms are staggered such that every year three new members are elected. This year we have two additional two-year vacancies to fill for board members who were unable to complete their full terms. That makes five!... SO, we really need you to run for a slot on the board.

If you are at all interested in joining the board, visit the US Servas Run for the Board webpage to learn more, and hopefully, submit an application. You must be logged in to US Servas to do this.

You all already know the benefits of Servas membership as a traveler and/or host but wait... there’s more! To ensure the continued success of Servas into the 21st century, the US Servas Board has issued a challenge to our members: we challenge each member to bring in one new member this year.

Besides knowing that this great organization will continue to thrive, those who succeed in meeting this recruitment goal will be entered into a raffle (prizes TBD). Make sure the new member gives your name to Membership when he or she joins Servas so you can be entered.

Starting now, think of friends, family, and members of other groups you belong to who might be a good fit with Servas. Remember, our dues are only $33 per year, and people can join as Friends before they decide if they want to host, or travel, or both!

The US Servas annual meeting was held via Zoom on June 8th with 114 people registered to attend. This was slightly more than the 2023 registration of 111 attendees. People joined and left the meeting throughout the entire meeting, so it is likely that most registrants participated in the event. Here is a link to watch a video of the meeting.

The event kicked off promptly at 10:00 AM Pacific time with about 75 people in attendance. We broke out into groups of 4 to 5 people for a five-minute "get to know one another" exercise. Upon return, board president Richard Weaver welcomed everyone and noted that 2024 is the 75th anniversary of Servas International. He reported that after three years as an all-volunteer organization, US Servas was in excellent shape both financially and that membership was up to nearly 1900 members.

After Richard's presentation the board liaisons for each US Servas branch gave a short update on their team's accomplishments during the previous year, and goals for the upcoming year. These included: Finance: Leena Desai, Member Services: Tim Sullivan, Technology: Shyla Esko Bare, Communications: Tys Sniffen & Bill Magargal, Peace: Karen Morian, and Governance: Richard Weaver.

Two motions were presented to the members for a vote, and both passed by large majorities. These included:

1. Should US Servas "merge" the old New York State corporation into our current Nevada corporation?
2. Rick Wolfe and Debra Skomer were approved to lead the 2024 Elections Committee

Be Part of It - Sat., June 8^th!!!  

US Servas will hold its third video-streamed Annual Meeting on Saturday, June 8^th, at 10am Pacific (11 MT, 12 CT, 1pm ET). Last year's meeting was very well received by the 87 members who attended (see article). We are hoping this year's meeting will be equally successful... a three-peat (is that a thing?). 

You should have already received the personal invitation via email from Dick Weaver, US Servas Board Chair. Consider this a reminder that the Board would like you to be updated on things that have been done during the past year and included in the conversation about what might lie ahead for US Servas. 

In addition to being informative and a good way to interact with other members, the annual meetings also offer you the opportunity to make meaningful changes to how US Servas operates: its direction and focus, and even specific actions you think it should take.  If you would like to do so, you can propose specific by-law changes, and/or offer motions for other actions you wish the board to take. Do this from the comfort of your home – no transportation or parking worries. 

A link to attend the meeting will be sent to all members a few days prior to the meeting, so be sure to check your mailbox.

In January the board appointed Vena Rainwater to an interim board position through December 31, 2024. Vena brings the vitality and ideas of a younger member (early 40s) to the board. She holds a BA in Community Development and Economics from Portland State University and works at Amazon as their Inclusion and Equity Program Manager, charged with identifying and eliminating barriers to employment for marginalized people.

When she was young her family were Servas hosts and travelers. She thought this was amazing and wanted to pursue the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and provide the same experience for her children. Vena joined Servas in 2023 as a Host and Traveler.  

US Servas will hold its second video-streamed Annual Meeting on Saturday, June 8^th, at 10am Pacific (11 MT, 12 CT, 1pm ET). Last year's meeting was very well received by the 87 members who attended. (see article)We are hoping this year's meeting will be equally successful... a two-peat (is that a thing?). 

In addition to being informative and a good way to interact with other members, the annual meeting also offers you the opportunity to make meaningful changes to how US Servas operates: its direction and focus, and even specific actions you think it should take.  If you would like to do so, you can propose specific by-law changes, and/or offer motions for other actions you wish the board to take. These must be submitted in writing to uss_admin@usservas.org on or before March 31, 2024.