Date and place of conference
WHERE AND WHEN WILL THE CONFERENCE BE?
The 16th Annual Reunion Conference of GUMMSAA will be Virtual Conference by Zoom from August 7 to August 8 2020.
The conference Speaker
I
Daniel Blayasiwah Mahn
Mr. Blayasiwah Mahn was born to a union of Honorable Clan Chief Harry Blayasiwah Mahn (who had passed on) and Mrs. Wrato Gartaye Bigg Mahn in 1958 in Toweh Town, Boa and Quilla Chiefdom, Lower Nimba County, Liberia.
He grew up in Graie Town where he obtained his elementary education. He attended St. Francis Catholic Junior High school in Tappeta, and completed his secondary education at Lott Carey Baptist Mission School In Brewerville , Montserrado County in 1978. In 1979, He matriculated at Cuttington University College in Suakkoko, Bong County where he studied Mathematics with a minor in Physics. While at Cuttington University, Having been inspired by His late Uncle, Dr. Arthur Siaway of Tuskegee University in Alabama, he decided to pursue dual programs in both Mathematics and Economics.
The terms of this interdisciplinary unrelated programs were not workable. Mr. Mahn then graduated in 1984. In July, 1984, as the first LEC sponsored student on Cuttington. Upon graduation, he took employment as Chief Statistician within Corporate Planning Department at LEC in Monrovia. While at LEC, In fall of 1986, he received a scholarship through USAID ( US Agency for International Development) to pursue Master Of Science in Mathematical Statistics at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. He later transferred to Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio where he graduated in May, 1990. The department of Mathematics at Wright State University hired Mr. Mahn as an adjunct faculty. He also taught at Wittenburgh University and Sinclair community College in the Dayton area in Ohio.
In 1992 he relocated to the Washington DC Metro area where he taught as an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community college, Montgomery College, Prince Georges County Community college and University of the District of Columbia. In 1995, He was hired as a full time faculty at Montgomery college until 1997. He then joined Prince Georges County Public school system as a Secondary Mathematics Teacher. He holds an Advanced Professional Certification from the State of Maryland and to his credit he does have over 55 post-graduate credits from George Mason University, Trinity University among others.
From 2008 to 2018 he served as a full time Mathematics teacher at Northwestern High School, Prince Georges County Public school. He currently served as a full time Mathematics teacher at Paul L Dunbar High school in Washington DC and an adjunct professor at Montgomery College, Silver Spring, Maryland for 27 years. Mr. Blayasiwah Mahn is a District Of Columbia Mathematics Fellow. Professionally, Mr. Mahn has won several awards including WHOSE WHO AMONG AMERICAN TEACHERS.
For over ten years, he served on the Board of Directors of Kwaplah-International, a procurement firm based in Corvallis, Oregon. He has always been involved in our community. He served on many community organization boards and he is the current chairman of the Executive Committee for Friends of PYJ (Hon. Prince Y Johnson) Organization in the diaspora (USA). Professor D. Blayasiwah Mahn is married with two children, Cyrus and Naunwon.
DEtail Agenda, daily Schedules of events will appear below
GO LIONS
The Modalities for the Daily Order of Events at the Conference are being worked out.
16TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF GUMMSAA ONLINE
SCHEDULE OR CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR THE CONFERENCE
Friday August 7
GANTA UNITED METHODIST MISSION SCHOOL
Alumni Association USA Inc.
16th ANNUAL National Reunion Conference
THEME:
- “Education Beyond Professional and Career Achievements”: “ Strategies of Increasing Membership”
- Zoom Virtual Conferencing
- FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2020
I. Registration ---------------------------------------------Financial Committee
II. Remarks ………………………………………….Dr. Nya Kwiawon Taryor, St
III. Glee Club, Fun Time, Cheering the Lions ………8pm – 10Pm
Led by Mrs. Marian Webba and music by Dr. Nya K. Taryor, Sr
IV. Other …………………………………………………………………
**********************************************************************
- SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2020
- (Business Session 10AM- 4PM)
- AGENDA
Remarks about the Zoom Program---Mr. Prince Toweh,
Vice President
i. Call to Order & Welcome Remarks……Dr. Nya K. Taryor, Sr.
ii. Prayer………………....................................Mrs. Yah Emma King
iii. Liberian National Anthem --------------Led by Mrs. Marian Webba
Dr. Ny K. Taryor, Sr. Organist
iv. Approval of Proposed Agenda ……….......... Dr. Taryor, President
v. Roll Call and Reading of Minutes of the 15th NRC…Gertrude Kehley, Secretary
vi. Adoption of Minutes …………………………………................. The Body
Recess (break) 5 minutes
vii. REPORTS
BY Regional Coordinators
i. Southern Region-----------------------------------------Mr. Alpha Laluba
ii. New England Region-------------------Dr. Nya Kwiawon Taryor, Sr.
iii Southeastern Region-----------------------------------Mr. Zoe Quewon
iv. Northeast Region-------------------------------Mrs. Kau Dolopei Alpha
v.. Midwest. Region-----------------------------------------Mr. Henry Gaypia
b. Financial Report…Teewon Toweh, Treasurer & Abe Wrotto,
Financial. Secretary
c. Election or appointment of Board Chair Person
Recess (break) 5 minutes
d. State of the Association ………………………………….. The President
e. General Discussion ………………………………………….........The Body
f. Report on the 501(c)3 ---------Mr. Frank Mellish or Dr. Taryor
g. Conference Resolutions
h. School Ode ..................................Led by Mrs. Marian Webba
i. Adjournment
*****************************************************************
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2020
Night Session- 8- 11:59PM)
AGENDA
I. Prayer ………………………………………………............Mrs. Yah Emma King
II. Master of Ceremonies ……………………………Dr. Richardson Paye,
Member, Planning Comittee
Singing of "Gratitude, Challenge and a Call to Christian Service"
Led by Mrs. Marian Webba
III. Introduction of Keynote Speaker ………........Mr. Prince Toweh
V. Keynote Address ………………………… Professor Daniel B. Mahn
Recess (break) 5 minutes
VI. Report of the Generational Contest of the Decades
Generation of:
a. 1929- 1969 (Sennie Suah Goosby and Marie Davies)
b. 1970- 1979 (Abe Wrotto, Annie Dennis, Ellen Miller, Fatu Kear, Kau Alpha)
c. 1980 – 1989 ( Richardson Paye, Alpha Lalugba, Samuel Wuo,)
d. 1990 – 2000 ( Rebecca Zigbuo- Gbaka)
VII. Announcement of Winner ………………………………………………………
VIII. Final Financial Report by Teewon Toweh and Abraham Wrotto
IX. Adjournment Remarks by the President
X . Vote of Thanks …………………Mrs. Kau Dolopei Alpha,
Second Vice President
A few words of thanks for a successful 16th Annual Reunion
My Thank you note
To the Officers and Members of GUMMSAA, I say Thank you very much for the successful Conference we just had virtually.
I am taking this time to express my deepest congratulations for the work well done. When the idea of a virtual conference was proposed, many people were hesitant and apprehensive about the idea. Nevertheless, we were willing to try it because that was the only viable option we had during this virus crisis.
The implementation of the virtual conference was marvelous. We could see one another, share jokes, attend to business and discuss critical issues relating to the work of the Association as thou we were physically congregating in one room. Maybe the virtual conference will be our new norm, the virtual reality. Maybe this is our new trend of operation, or our MO, (modus operandi). In other words, our new method of doing business and conducting our monthly meetings going forward from now until the virus scare is over. Mr Prince Toweh is our technician for this operation. We hope he will start the automatic telephone call to all members as he promised he will do.
Thank you to everyone that participated in our very successful 16th Annual Reunion Conference. While we celebrate this joyous occasion of a successful conference, one thing is missing. We did not have our Annual Journal published this year. The Annual Journal has been the publication in which we include our reports from the various regions, The state of the Association, our financial activities, list and pictures of members and officers, and other vital documents of the Association. However, many of our activities were recorded. If that is the case, we can probably attach that recording to our website so that anyone can view it at his or her convenience. Our website is our library and source of information relating to the Association. Please visit the site. www.gummsaa-usa.org.
We also missed the comradery (camaraderie), the fellowship, the eating and breaking of bread together, and the social evening, dance and celebration, and the award-giving celebration. Hopefully, life will come to partial normality when we can gather together again to do those things that truly bind us together. (The more we get together the happier we’ll be).
We are excited about the new individuals who did not attend our 2019 conference but were able to be present at our 2020 conference. Those individuals are:
Mr. Sam Wuo
Mrs. Yah Emma Gray-King
Mr. Milton Toweh
Sister Lynda Gardner
Mr. Saye Tukpuie
Welcome home.
Thanks to Dr. Richardson Paye who was instrumental in reaching out to some of these new people to bring them to the fold. We thank him as well as some of you who are putting efforts to recruit more former students of Ganta Mission School to join us in this Association. Thanks for your efforts. I was able to personally reach out to Yah Emma Gray-King to encourage her to join us. Her participation has not gone unnoticed. Sam Wuo’s involvement and leadership roles are very apparent as well.
The individuals who spearheaded the generational contest are to be commended and celebrated. They motivated us to give generously to the contest. We will eventually announce the total of how much we all donated to the contest.
In all, I say thank you for your cooperation, devotion, dedication, commitment, involvement and willingness to making GUMMSAA what we want it to be. Remember my statement in the state of the Association address about what JJ Wrotto taught us: “Good, Better, Best, never let it rest until your good is better and your better is best. We have transitioned from good to better, but the challenges are still with us to migrate from the better to OUR VERY BEST. https://gummsaa-usa.org/conference-speeches
My close advisors, Kau “Lukelay” Alpha, Marie “Kalélé” Davies and Gertrude “True True” Kehleay, continue to keep my feet on the ground and near the fire. Thank you for keeping me humble.
God Bless,
Nya Kwiawon Taryor, Sr
President of GUMMSAA