2022

I. Chapter President: Heather McCulloch

OVERVIEW

My local duties as chapter president were to help coordinate chapter roles, maintain group communication, and help out each officer whenever needed. JALT-wide duties were to attend Executive Board Meetings (EBMs) online in February and June. I will be attending the in-person EBM in Fukuoka in November 2022. Also connected with JALT-wide duties were to communicate urgent matters to our community whenever necessary and encourage our members to vote during the AGM in order to meet quorum for validation of meeting. I regularly stay up-to-date with all JALT news through the EBM Net and Basecamp.

LOOKING AHEAD

1. I’d like to do more collaborations with other chapters when doing online events.  This is a good time for us to work together, get to know other people and strengthen the community. 

2. I’d like to discuss the possibility of the return of the Summer Workshop.

3. I would like to consider and discuss the possibilities of having meeting at different times and different days.  

4. I would like to hear everyone’s opinion on ways we can further improve Gunma JALT.

5. I would like to continue to improve our website connected to the main JALT website.

6. I would like to go through our chapter constitution and see if there are possible changes that we could make to improve it.

II. Treasurer: Sylvain Bergeron

Beginning November 2021 until November 2022, the Gunma JALT Treasurer’s duties and responsibilities have included the following:

• This FY again due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, contacted invited speakers prior to online events to obtain bank account details for payment of honoraria by way of domestic and international electronic bank transfers 

• Finalized payment of honoraria and the filing of electronic bank transfer receipts for invited speakers following each chapter meeting

• Maintained an inventory of all JALT treasury-related stationery 

• Maintained monthly check and balance of chapter’s petty cash reserve

• Compiled and submitted a monthly revenue and expense report (MAS and OEC) to JALT Central Office (JCO) accounting section (due on 10th of each calendar month)

• Maintained regular (monthly) contact with JCO accounting section officer, Ms. Hideko Hayakawa and new pair-treasurer, Ms. Natsuho Mizuguchi (Gifu JALT) since the start of FY2022.

• Administered the deposits and withdrawals made via Gunma JALT’s chapter bank account

• Compiled, tabulated, and prepared the yearly 2021 End of Fiscal Year Examination Report (online and hard copy) in coordination with Gunma JALT chapter president and publicity chair (March 2021)

• May 20, 2022 - Gunma JALT informed of having successfully passed the End of Fiscal Year Examination Report FY2021 conducted by JCO 

III. Objectives for Academic/Fiscal Year 2023:

• Continue to administer the chapter’s finances as well as maintain, coordinate, and administer payment of honoraria to invited speakers via Gunma JALT’s bank account and its online bank transfer system.  

• In preparation for a future handover of my role as Chapter Treasurer in FY2024, it is hoped that a fellow Gunma JALT officer will be interested to take part in an initial period of training (and shadowing) throughout FY2023 for the purpose of learning how to fulfill the various administrative and bookkeeping tasks associated with this important role. 

IV. Program Chair: Raymond Hoogenboom & Joël Laurier

We had a very good year in programs.  Joël Laurier and Raymond Hoogenboom collaborated and received great support from all other officers. One of our events, on August 21, was a collaboration between our chapter and the Testing & Evaluation SIG (TEVAL). 

JALT GUNMA CHAPTER PROGRAMS (2022)

• 2022 February 6 Online

“Same Goals, New Tools” by Dorothy Zemach

• 2022 May 29 Online

“Extending Critical Thinking Past the Text: Strategies for Creating Supplemental Printouts That Focus on Students’ Needs” by James Dunn 

• 2022 June 19 Online

“Research That Inspires” by Chiyuki Yanase & Andy Boon

• 2022 July 17 Online

“Reexamining and Refining a University English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Curriculum for Global ELT Needs” by Catherine L. Oki & Floyd H. Graham III 

• 2022 August 21 Online [Co-sponsored with TEVAL]

“Successful Conversation Tests: Basic Principles & Techniques” by Jerry Talandis Jr. 

• 2022 October 16 Online

“Do Motivational Teaching Strategies Boost Learners’ Awareness to Communicate in EFL Classrooms?”  by Minaku Antoku

• 2022 November 6 Face-to-Face

“Gunma JALT 6th Annual MyShare and AGM” MyShare features Jeff Contreras, Matt Potter, David Garwood, Raymond Hoogenboom, & Heather McCulloch

AGM follows the MyShare.

• 2022 December ? [Date TBA] Face-to-Face

Chapter Year-End Get-Together

JALT Gunma Summer Workshop

We were unable to hold the summer workshop for a third year in a row but we are still looking forward to next year.

Looking Forward

• As we are likely no longer able to use the Maebashi Institute of Technology (MIT) facilities for our events, this might be the time for us to 1) find other venues in Gunma locations (not just Maebashi) and 2) hold meetings on days/evenings other than Sundays.

• I’m wondering if some of us are up for bringing the JALT International Conference to G Messe Gunma (Gunma Convention Center) in Takasaki.

V. Facilities Chair (No report): Lori Ann Desrosiers & Hideto Harashima 

VI. Recording Secretary (No report)

VII. Membership Chair: Duangsamorn Haruyama

Responsibilities

This year, all Gunma JALT events are held online through Zoom. Membership Chair takes attendance for all distance meetings, manages monthly membership by sending welcome, renewal notices as well as thankyou emails. 

Something New

Membership Chair attends regular meetings with other chapters/SIGs Membership Chairs.

Membership Report

Attendees for each meeting = 10-36 px (11-21 last year)

Total Gunma JALT members = 31 px (28 last year)

Local Membership = 1

VIII. Social Chair: Matt Potter

We had a pictionary quiz evening last December as our Christmas event. It was fun and I think all in attendance enjoyed

themselves. We also played a round of park golf at Yoshioka. Now that pandemic restrictions are being lifted and Gunma JALT are going back to in-person meetings it may be possible to do more social events if people are interested. 

IX. Publicity Chair: Matt Potter

The campaign software Mailchimp is used to send out notices to those who are subscribed to the mailing list. This year I have posted notices of our online events to our Gunma JALT facebook page and Joel and Ray have been sharing these on other SIGs and chapter FB pages. Outside of our group of chapter officers, most of the attendees to events have been from outside of Gunma JALT so this appears to be an effective strategy. Because our facebook page is not accessible for people who have not been approved to join it, we have been running a system whereby people who want to attend an event can email publicity regarding their interest and profession affiliation. I have then been maintaining contact with attendees, forwarding them access details and answering questions. I have also posted notices from JALT head office on the FB page relating to upcoming events. 

X. Speakeasy: John Larson

This year's issue of Speakeasy celebrates reading and literature. It features an article about a novel way to make English reading fun for students. It includes creative pieces, both fiction and non-, guaranteed to delight our readers. It starts a new section in which teachers review graded readers. And a lot more. Everyone is sure to find something for them in Speakeasy 33.