Hello Brigaders,

I hope the Winter quarter has been treating you all very well so far. Foothill College Medical Brigades had their first meeting last Wednesday and for those who were not able to make it, here's the scoop:

First off, I'm proud to introduce our new secretary for this quarter: Hong Nguyen 
Thank you, Hong! It's always great to see fellow brigaders wishing to step up and assume more responsibilities in the club.

Second, here are the topics that were voted upon concerning receiving and use of funds:

• $500 Special Events Fund provided by OBD (Organizations Board of Directors at Foothill College) to be utilized for funding Escape Fire screening
• $150 from club account to purchase Foothill College Medical Brigades banner for tabling events
• $150 from club account for general PR flyers
• $60 from club account to rent a table at the De Anza Flea Market

Third, Gabe has put together a beautiful canvassing flyer that brigaders should take advantage of when looking for possible sponsors. I will send out an email to all members with the link for the flyer attached. Be proactive and spend an afternoon handing these out to establishments in your local downtown area.


Next, some of our fundraising ideas are finally underway and committees have been formed! Gabe and I thought it to be most effective if a number of members each take the lead on a specific fundraiser. Here are the fundraisers, dates they are planned to be held, and members associated with them:

•  Valentine's Day Fundraiser (February 14th, 2013): Hana, Andy, Garrick. We will set up a table and sell balloon "animal" flowers made by a talented relative of Dr. Erickson. We need members to be able to man the table to help pump balloons, provide curious individuals information about our club/cause, handle sales, and find a table and chairs we can use for this fundraiser.
• De Anza Flea Market (March 2, 2013): Yasmin. De Anza College holds a flea market the first Saturday of every month. This means we need members to help set up, man the table, and provide/ask around for donations. It's a flea market, so when thinking of things to donate: anything goes!
• Escape Fire Movie Screening (March 8, 2013): Gabe, Berrah. Medical Brigades is planning on holding a movie screening of the documentary of Escape Fire in Appreciation Hall on campus. We're looking for members who are willing to act as ushers as well as look for a guest speaker to come and talk about preventive health. 
• Benefit Concert (March 23, 2013): Beniel, Andy, Hana. Dana Street Roasting Co. in downtown Mountain View has agreed to let us use their cafe as a venue for a benefit concert! Now, all we need is a band! We were thinking about a band that plays a genre of music that's enjoyable by a large and possibly older crowd. (A high school punk band would not be ideal.) If any members know any musicians or have equipment for a show (i.e. amps, mics, etc.), let us know!
• Doughnuts and Coffee Fundraiser (TBA): Medical Brigades thought it would be a great idea to set up a table on campus during the morning and sell doughnuts and coffee. What broke and overworked college student wouldn't go for cheap doughnuts and coffee in the morning? So, we need members to contact establishments (i.e. Krispy Kreme, Peet's Tea and Coffee, etc.) who might be willing to donate their products in exchange for either a cut of the profits or advertising their product on our campus. 

As you can see, we've got a busy few weeks ahead of us! With this being said, we really need the active participation of every member. Gabe and I really do appreciate the interest of individual members in our club/cause, but in order to make this experience a great success, every brigader needs to put in their fair share of efforts. Remember, Medical Brigades is not only about helping those less fortunate than us, it's about what we learn in the process of doing so. This meaning learning what it means to be a leader, working collaboratively with others, and striving for something much bigger than yourself.

Regards,
Hana Arumi