Oct 4, 2025 | J-KOA October 2025 National Board Meeting

Attendees: Koya, Danielle, Toni, Eric

Notes

• If you could ask a crystal ball any question, what would you ask?

  • Danielle: Powerball money

  • Toni: How to [redacted] shifty eye emoji

  • Koya: What day would I meet my future partner?

• Historian and Treasurer updates (10 minutes, 5 min/department)

  • Treasurer: no major updates, finishing moving into new space with work so able to move forward for next things

    • Amazon account

  • Historian: No real updates

    • Contacting Andrea and Oscar about updating the website with their board information before I leave for Australia!

    • PAC Recommendation: Add publications to the website (anything that mentions us)

  • Merch Updates - Looking into:

    • Badges - new for everyone

    • Shirts - 

    • Any other potential items?

• PAC Updates for Historian and Treasurer (10 min)

  • Abstract: submitted yesterday! 

  • Recommendation: Annual Report (Koya to-do)

  • Recommendation: going to different education conferences to promote J-KOA and our mentorship program

  • Recommendation: 

• Invited guest: Kia Tuala proposal (5 min for pitch, 5 min for questions)

  • Postponed for future meeting

• TEKS updates (5 min from VP)

  • Close to 13 mentors - 10 tier 1 mentors

  • 9/10 tier 1 mentors are returning mentors!

  • Recommendation: Tier 1 pair mentors (experienced mentor with new mentors)

• Branch updates (5 min)

  • Andrea: Bay Area KOA moving forward

  • Oscar: TEKS program getting launched

  • Eric: Been supporting TEKS from afar

• CUPS discussion (10 min)

  • Initial ask: TEKS program with CUPS students

    • Shift: increase in pay, but changing the curriculum

    • Shift: asking us to do curriculum we haven’t focused on

  • Volunteers made to feel uncomfortable by CUPS volunteers

  • Memo of understanding: we’re paid $1000/month 

    • We were supposed to get our first payments September 30; payment didn’t come

    • Now the anticipated payment will be October 31

  • MOU not feeling honored, relationship feels turbulent

  • Partnership feels like it’s hurting us more than it’s hurting them

  • Feels like CUPS is taking advantage of J-KOA, repeat negative interactions

  • Trust is not there from experience, from the beginning, the abuse has felt consistent

  • Does not feel like CUPS is proactive in handling challenges, more reactive than proactive

  • IF we were to do this again, some changes would need to be made (ideal situation):

    • Payment in advance

    • Set curriculum well in advance, changes need to be given at least 60 days notice

    • Payment straight to J-KOA instead of Koya and Oscar as “independent contractors” so that their taxes are not affected

• Vote for Operation: Evergreen budget

  • Goal to fundraise, but need to authorize $300 as a backup fund 

  • Fundraiser: Lei making

    • Cover donation recommendation, lei making, lei for sale, food, etc.

• Vote on CUPS collaboration

  • Terminating MOU: 4 yay, 0 nay

  • Official vote on the next session