General Membership Meeting - November 22nd, 2009
11/27/2009 04:13Date: November 22, 2009
Medium: Teleconference
Length: Over 2 hours
Participants
Saidou Jallow
Ousman Kamara
Bakary Jallow
Alhaji Mballow
Wuyeh Yorro Sanyang
Cherno Baba Jallow
Jimo Kijera
Amadou Baila Jallow
Pa Joof
Mutarr Bah
Alhaji Sey
Pa Samba Johm
Ousainou Krubally
MB Krubally
Alhaji Jabbie
Haruna Farage
Majidi Jallow
Bubacarr Bukusu Jallow
Chairman: MB Krubally
Secretary: Cherno Baba Jallow
Agenda
1. Formal Adoption of the Basse Association constitution
2. Update from Ousainou Krubally on Basse trip and first project initiative
3. Membership Drive
4. Nominations and Elections
5. A.O.B.
Details
Adopting the Constitution
Wuyeh Sanyang thanked everyone for calling into the conference. He said we were on the right track. He asked for continued dedication, and prayed for the success of the Basse Association (BA). On collaborative ventures between the BA and the other sister organizations in The Gambia, Wuyeh said the issues needed debating. "We should discuss the issues," he urged.
MB Krubally acknowledged Haruna Farage's contributions to the BA's constitution. He thanked Haruna for his dedication to the BA. MB asked the participants if they had any comments/suggestions/objections on the constitution, logo and motto. None replied. The constitution was then formally adopted by the general membership.
Alhaji Mballow said he was delighted about the objectives of the BA. "We should do all we can to work for our people," he implored.
Ousainou Krubally's Basse Trip
Ousainou updated the meeting on his recent talks with the Basse mosque committee. He reported that repairs works on the mosque had been finished. The mosque now has a new outlook, with new carpets. He said the elders had lamented about some leaking of a certain part of the mosque's roof. They needed some help in this regard. Ousainou also said that the women's section within the mosque's premises left a lot to be desired. Their building had no carpets, tiles; the walls weren't painted either.
Cherno Baba Jallow and Pa Samba Johm were tasked to find out the costs of the roof repairs. Suggestions were made to talk to some carpenters and masons in Basse. Names like Bokarr Njie, Lamin Jaiteh were floated. Alhaji Mballow also suggested getting in touch with Salma Njie, the son of the late Alhaji Momodou Musa Njie, who greatly financed the construction of the Basse central mosque over 25 years ago. Salma was reported to be the bill payee for the mosque. Bubacarr Jallow told the meeting that he was going to talk to some professional mason in The Gambia who might be of help in assessing the roof leakage and the costs involved in fixing the problem.
Jimo Kijera said the mosque project was a good idea, and it was a good one for the BA to start with. To find the right people who can do an efficient job on the mosque, Jimo suggested we liaised with the people on the ground in Basse. "We should have people on the ground who should help us," he said.
Alhaji Sey asked if the BA was going to fund the labor costs. Wuyeh replied that we should. He, however, thought the problem needed identifying first before committing resources. Jimo suggested donations from each member to complement whatever the BA has in its coffers. Bakary Jallow cautioned against giving the job to unqualified people. "We should find the right person who can do the job right so that we don't have a haphazard job," he stressed.
Pa Joof asked for a time frame for the findings on the price quotations. It was agreed that both Cherno and Pa Samba report to the Steering Committee within two weeks of the last meeting. They were to talk to the BA representative in Basse, Dawda Sankareh, and get some feelers about the price tag for a roof-leak work on the mosque.
Ousainou also briefed the meeting on the on-going football crisis in Basse. He explained the current division between the old Sub Zonal committee and a newly-formed football association. It was agreed that the details were too sketchy and murky to wade into the matter. It was resolved that the matter needed resolving by those on the ground.
MB reported that currently there were 51 members in the BA. He asked what could be done to bring more members on board. It was agreed that the outreach efforts should continue. Also, to enhance networking efforts, it was agreed that a database of Basserians with their phone numbers be created. It was stressed, however, that members' consent be sought first before collating their phone numbers into a data bank. Alhaji Sey would research on Basserians in the tri-county area of Maryland, Washington, D.C and Virgina and report to the Steering Committee.
MB asked if we had enough members to take up positions in the forthcoming BA executive body. It was the general conclusion of the meeting that they were enough members to fill all the slots earmarked for a new executive following elections. Cherno Baba Jallow suggested we start the nomination process now to allow enough time for the elections. Haruna Farage concurred, adding that we should have presiding officers in place to run the election process. He, Wuyeh Sanyang and Ousman Kamara were nominated into an Election Committee. They would start the nomination process shortly.
Bakary Jallow raised the issue of Nasir Ahmadiyya Muslim High School's falling grades. He asked what could be done to improve the falling standards at the school. He suggested a team comprising himself, Alhaji Jabbi, Pa Samba Johm, Amadou Baila Jallow, Muhammed Sabally, and Bubacarr Jallow to look into the situation. But Majidi Jallow wondered what holistic measures there were since Nasir's problem wasn't restricted to the school alone, but rather reflective of national trends, starting from the elementary level and higher up. Alhaji Jabbi retorted that Nasir had a specific problem in its "foundation class" and in deciding for students what areas to specialize in. Bakary replied that something could still be done, if not holistically but specifically. There has to be a starting point somewhere, he said.
Cherno Baba thought it was a good idea to interview the principal of Nasir on this matter.
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The town is a major trading center.
The main highway into town.
School kids playing at the newly established SOS Children's Village
Basse Car Park