Learner Development Special Interest Group Annual General Meeting
Japan Association for Language Teaching International Conference and Exhibition 2013

Kobe・Sunday, October 27th・Room 301・13:20-14:35
Minutes: Stephanie Corwin

Participants: Aiko Minematsu, Alison Stewart, Andy Barfield, Ann Flanagan, Brandon Kramer, Caroline Ross,Chris Fitzgerald, Colin Skeates, Fumiko Kurosawa, Fumiko Murase, Greg Rouault, Hugh Nicoll, Huw Davies,Ken Ikeda, Ian Hurrell, Jim Ronald, Martin Mullen, Masuko Miyahara, Rich Silver, Stacey Vye, StephanieCorwin, Steve Paydon, Tim Ashwell

1. Co-coordination
Andy Barfield opened the meeting by thanking everybody on the committee for their tremendous
achievements and teamwork over the last 12 months. While there may have been difficulties along the way,
it is in developing the quality of dialogue within teams and across the committee that lie the sustainable
personal and professional development that such a collective and collaborative approach aims to realise. On
behalf of Rich Sliver and himself, Andy wished everyone success in the coming year. He then handed overthe chair to Alison Stewart and Fumiko Murase, the new SIG co-coordinators. Alison thanked Andy and Richfor their accomplishment in transforming the SIG over the past year, in particular, creating a much clearer
team structure and greatly expanding the number of active officers. Fumiko and Alison pledged to continue
to support the SIG’s development in accordance with the needs and wishes of its membership.
Approved: Alison and Fumiko as co-coordinators
2. Treasury
Kay Irie submitted accounts and a draft budget for 2014. She will continue on as treasurer until May 2014
when the audit is completed. Mayumi Abe, Huw Davies, and Satomi Yoshimuta will form a new treasury
team that will take over from May. Mayumi will be in charge of banking, assisted by Huw, Huw will takecharge of emails and Officer Expense Accounts, assisted by Satomi, and Satomi will be responsible for grants,assisted by Mayumi.
The issue was raised of funds for get-togethers. Stacey Vye and Ken Ikeda mentioned that Otsuma Women’s
University charges around Y3000 for the use of a room for the get-togethers. These funds have been covered
up to now by voluntary contributions by the participants at the get-togethers. Other get-together groups inKansai and Hiroshima do not have regular costs. After discussion, it was agreed that Y25,000 would beallocated to Tokyo get-togethers for covering room costs over the next 12 months.
Approved: Mayumi, Huw and Satomi as treasury teamApproved: Draft budget for 2014
Approved Y25,000 for Tokyo get-togethers venue

3. Membership

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Gretchen Clark was unable to attend because she has just had a baby. The membership team wasrepresented at the AGM by Ann Flanagan, who is continuing to write welcome letters to new members, andby shadow membership chairs, Stephanie Corwin and Brandon Kramer.
Approved: Gretchen to remain as Membership Chair
Approved: Ann and Matt as renewal and welcome letter writers and liaisonsApproved: Membership chair shadows: Stephanie and Brandon

4. Grants
The grants team for 2012-13 has consisted of Martin Mullen, Kay Irie and Stacey Vye. Kay is stepping down
to be replaced by a new member from the treasury team. Stacey agreed, after some discussion, that she
would continue on in the role for the time being.
The proposed changes to grants this year are as follows:
5 LD SIG subscription grants and 5 LD SIG membership grants, both reduced from 10. In the past year, there
were not enough applicants to justify offering so many.
2 Pan SIG grants of 40,000 yen – up from 1 last year.
2 new outreach project grants of 20,000 yen each, with the aim of supporting new initiatives by teachers andstudents to connect with and support local communities
Other grants for 2014 include LD Research Grants x 2 @25,000 yen each and National Conference Grants x 2@40,000 yen. These are the same as in 2013.
Approved: Martin, Stacey and Satomi as grants team for 2013-14
Approved: 2 PanSIG grants of 40,000 yen each; 2 outreach project grants of 20,000 yen each; continuationof other grants from 2013

5. Publications
Masuko Miyahara is stepping down from the Publications chair to be replaced by Tim Ashwell. Tim will bejoining James as co-coordinator of Publications. James stepped into this role in the summer in order toensure continuity and coordination of Learning Learning, and Tim will be overseeing other publications.
There are two book projects in progress: Learner Development Working Papers, edited by Andy and Aiko
Minematsu and Collaborative Learning in Learner Development, edited by Tim, Masuko, Steve and Alison.
Learning Learning has a new working structure of issue editor(s) and editors of regular sections, Members’
Voices (Andy), Grant Awardees (Chris Fitzgerald) and NGO matters (Caroline Ross).
Proceedings of the LD SIG 20th Anniversary Conference will be published as a special issue of Learning
Learning, as a web-based publication, coordinated by Hugh Nicoll.
Approved: James and Tim as Publications Co-coordinators

6. Programmes
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In 2013, Forums were organized at PanSig by Jim Ronald and JALTCALL by Hugh Nicoll. A trip to Tohoku wascoordinated by Bill Mboutsiadis, previous Programme chair. Ian Hurrell organized the JALT Conference
Forum, having taken over from Bill in April when Bill moved back to Canada.
Approved: Programmes team consisting of Ian, Aiko Minematsu and Lee Arnold

7. Publicity
Rob Moreau has created new logos for the SIG and for the LD SIG conference. Together with Mayumi
Takizawa and Sayuri Hasegawa, Rob has submitted regular bilingual updates about the LD SIG to The
Language Teacher. Translators are therefore very necessary to support this position. Fumiko Kurosawa said
that she was interested in helping out, but has been suffering from a wrist injury in recent months, and socannot take on this commitment this year while she is still recovering.
Approved: Rob as publicity chair
Approved: Sayuri and Mayumi as Japanese translators and editors

8. Web maintenance and development
The main focus for the coming year will be a change from the current website to a new Wordpress site. Hughwill aim to have the changeover completed, with the assistance of Ken Ikeda, by March 2014. Moving toWordpress will allow for direct updating editing of the website by SIG officers, which will simplify the work of
the web team.
James and Mike have been responsible for the development of the LD conference website, and Steve, Hughand Mike have between them completed the task of digitizing and uploading all the chapters of Autonomy
You Ask! (originally published in 2003)
In the last year Alison and Chika Hayashi wrote regular monthly dialogues for the LD website, and Kay andRachelle Meilleur have agreed to take over this task for the coming 12 months.
Approved: Hugh, James and Mike to continue as Web Maintenance and Development teamApproved: Ken as web team assistant and shadow
Approved Kay and Rachelle as new web dialogue writers

9. Outreach Team
Caroline Ross reported on the NGO student ambassador scheme, which has been successful so far withstudents working for NGOs over the summer vacation and representing NGOs at the LD conference in a few
weeks time. She hopes that this scheme can be expanded over the coming year.
Alison relayed a request by SEELS in Sendai to LD SIG to support their campaign to open new Filipino-run
English schools in Tohoku by March 2014. In particular, they have asked if the SIG would like to organize
another promotional event, this time in Iwaki, Fukushima-ken, and if SIG members would like to be involvedin teacher training workshops. In addition, they have asked for permission to use the LD SIG logo. This wasdiscussed and it was decided to forward this question to the JALT Publicity Chair, Ted O’Neil.

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Andy reported briefly on the plans for the Tohoku Forum at the LD20 conference and explained that theforum was an opportunity to involve more people and extend & strengthen the LD Tohoku network. The
plan is also for the NGO and Tohoku Outreach groups to work under a common umbrella for 2014.

Approved: Caroline, Colin Rundle and Andy as coordinators of Outreach Team

10. Local Get-togethers
Kansai get-togethers are considering holding a joint event with Kobe Chapter in early 2014.
Approved:
Kansai get-together coordinators: Ellen Head and Brandon Kramer
Hiroshima get-together coordinators: Jim Ronald and Andrew Brady
Tokyo get-togethers: Stacey Vye, Ken Ikeda and Andy Barfield

11. Members-at-large
Approved: Bill Mboustiadis, Dexter da Silver, Ellen Head, Hiromi Furusawa, Jackie Suginaga, Kayo Ozawa &Martha Robertson

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