September 4, 2007

1. Dave's Corner

Hello everyone! I trust everything is going well for all of you, especially those who have gone back to school. I would like to share with you on a weekly basis a leadership insight that I have studied in my past and presence. For this week, the highlight is an emphasis on the human side of leadership: Reaching out and viewing yourself as insignificant. Perhaps, a paragraph taken from taken from the Servant As Leader published by Robert Greenleaf in 1970 would illustrate the point:

“The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. He or she is sharply different from the person who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions. For such it will be a later choice to serve – after leadership is established. The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.”

I am particularly intrigued by the last phrase of the quote. Your comments and additional insights are welcome and appreciated.

On a different note, if you are interested in doing a weekly newsletter on any particular week, please let us know your name and date of the week.


2. Action Plan

Qi Li, Bao Nguyen and Kendra Nguyen have prepared the action plan as set forth in this link:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df23bkj3_15g7fnf9
For those who have volunteered, please strategize and plan ahead for the resources and a completion date. Please comment to this weekly news or email aas board your initial plan at your earliest convenience. Below are updates of most if not all of the relevant activities in AASuccess.

3. Two Online Meetings:
The meetings were held on 9/2/07 and 9/3/07 among the project leads and current council members. For more information, please click on the following link, which is only accessible to active members of AAS:
http://docs.google.com/a/aasuccess.org/Doc?id=df23bkj3_17f5f2t7
Please use your AAS email account for access, or check your email for instruction. Your comments are needed and appreciated.

4. Board Structure: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df23bkj3_11gdhm94 (approved by majority)

5. Council of Advisors:
Student Council has been proposed to be replaced by Council of Advisors, and its proposed structure can be reviewed at http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df23bkj3_12d8749h
During the online meeting on 9/2/07, the majority of attendees are receptive to the proposed change.
Please comment and provide inputs regarding the proposed structure of the council. As good governance is the key to the success of any organization, we truly hope the above structures (board and council) serve as a tool on daily basis to keep us focuses on our mission and goals.

6. Proposed Student's Project Initiative Form:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df23bkj3_16crdnxg
The content of this form is open for comments.

7. Proposed Guidelines on how to be a project lead/Proposed self-evaluation form
http://docs.google.com/a/aasuccess.org/Doc?id=df23bkj3_18gtgpdg
This link is available only for AAS members. Please use your AAS email account for access, or check your email for instruction. Your comments are needed and appreciated.

8. Instruction for access to online meeting and web seminar
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df23bkj3_19hcxxbz

9. Website Development Internship:
Application is posted on http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df23bkj3_14f2k99m
Deadline: 9/7/07 If you possess computer skills and would like to help AAS as a member, please apply. Thank you.


11. Dell C. initiated requests to lead projects inquired by WHA (http://www.whausa.org/)
Laotian Dance Project: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df23bkj3_20gwm28t
Power Point Presentation-Lao and its culture:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df23bkj3_21dzdqq4

12. "Trung Thu" Project requested by community based organizations:
Date and time needed: 9/23/07, 11AM-4PM
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df23bkj3_22cxqk2h
Action Needed: 1) Board/Council: If objected, please email aasteam@aasuccess.org
2) 6 student volunteers or less needed: any lead person (?)

13. New AAS Members:

We are glad to introduce the following student who accepted our membership offers. We also would like to extend our thanks to Nguyen Nguyen (Johns Hokpins University)
Please drop a welcoming note to our AAS active student members.
DATE JOINED: September, 2007: Click on the following link for more detail:
Description of New Members:http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df23bkj3_23f6js4t

14. Current AAS Student Directory
http://spreadsheets.google.com/a/aasuccess.org/pub?key=pRHeLDNa9DviNL0W_ozTtFg
This link is available only for AAS members. Please use your AAS email account for access, or check your email for instruction.

15. Please drop us a comment if you would like to have a monthly meeting on 9/7/07 or 9/14/07.

16. Keeping in touch:

Minh Ha:
Hi everyone,I have come back to school this week and things are getting hectic!!! I hope everyone is going to have a nice 3-day long weekend. I have been busy with school, so probably I won't enjoy much. I just want to share with you all that I have asked my friend to help us finish our website. He's my colleague. So, I hope our website will be done soon.Besides all those, nothing is really important except my birthday is coming soon. Sep 12, I'm going to turn 20.I encourage each and everyone of AAS, please spend a little time to build our newsletter more exciting and interesting.
posted by AASblog at 12:42 PM on Aug 31, 2007

AASblog said...
Hey this is Kendra! THanks for the first update chi Ha. Happy early birthday! lol. :) Indeed im sure that everyone is very busy due to school, including myself. I have been idle for a bit and am trying to get active again. I hope everyone would try to do the same. We all know that everyone is busy, but all that is needed is a quick 2 mins blog if possible!My update: School started and its been HECTIC! I have to solve some school issues asap and have tons of work to get done already. But Im trying to get use to the flow of things again. Hope everyone is doing good!xoxoKendra
September 2, 2007 9:10 PM

AASblog said...
hey minh ha!! happy early b-day! i hope things will go well for u at school!! :]
September 2, 2007 9:20 PM

AASblog said...
happppy early birthdayyyyy minh ha!!!!! it's been awhile since I came back to tech 2 weeks ago, and yups, same with the others, class works start to pick up its pace =/ but yea, we just had a football game against ECU, and we won by 17 - 7, the only thing is i didn't get a ticket to watch it in the stadium, but it's okays, there will be other chances =) but yea, keep up the good works!!! and good luck in ur classes!!! ~Qi
September 2, 2007 9:21 PM

AASblog said...
oo that was Elizabeth btw..hah sorry :D
September 2, 2007 9:22 PM

AASblog said...
Hey, this is Dan,Just wanting to wish a you a early Happy Birthday Ha`! Hope everything's going alright with you at GMU.At Vtech, we don't get labor day off, so I actually have to wake up in 6 hours or so. -_- I've been busy trying to settle in lately and get acquainted with the people and area here. I'm most likely joining the VSA (Vietnamese Student Association) and the CAS (Chinese American Society). Qi mentioned to me about the service fraternity too, so I could get involved in that for the spring semester. There's lots of things, so I'll see.How's everyone else doing?- Dan
September 2, 2007 9:41 PM


16. Volunteers who contributed to this past week's activities:

Blog: Monique Huynh (JMU), Minh Ha Do (GMU), Dan Huynh (VA Tech), Kendra Nguyen (Northwood HS), Elizabeth Do (Falls Church HS), Robert Yang, Qi Li (VA Tech)

Online Meetings: Nguyen Nguyen (JHU, left out due to a glitch), Lauren Lin (Woodson HS), Jacky Ta (GMU), Nam Nguyen (VA Tech), Mai Nguyen (Falls Church HS), Robert Yang (Delaware U), Kathy Nguyen (Jeb Stuart), Elizabeth Do (Falls Church HS), Jay Pham (UVA), Bao Nguyen (GMU), Dell C. (Jeb Stuart HS), Nicole Poltash (UVA, left out due to Dave's fault)

Organization and Brainstorming: Mai Nguyen (Falls Church HS), Kendra Nguyen (Northwood), Minh Ha Do (GM U), Nguyen Nguyen (JHU), Tam Tran (Professional), Jim Alstrum, Erik Giblin, Minh Hai (Professional/New Member)

Communications Via Emails: James Wu (VA Tech), Nam Nguyen (VA Tech), Nicole Poltash (UVA), Dell C, Elizabeth Do, Nguyen Nguyen, Jacky Ta, Minh Ha Do, Bao Nguyen, Phu Nguyen, Kelly Li, Jim Alstrum

WHA based Projects: Dell C


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AASuccess Weekly News is designed to communicate items of interest to student members and professionals. You will find announcements about upcoming events, student organizations, individual accomplishments, project news, and activities to enhance bonding and and team spirit. Feedback and Suggestions are welcome. Please submit your news by September 9, 2007.

Have a great week!