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Goddard Chinese American Club

The Goddard Chinese American Club provides professional, social, and cultural activities among the club members and in the GSFC community.

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The Goddard Chinese American Club (GCAC) was founded in 1987. The primary objective of the club is to promote and provide professional, social, and cultural activities among the club members and in the GSFC community.

The club organizes Goddard-wide luncheons three times a year: in Jan-Feb for the Chinese New Year Celebration, in May for the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebration, and in September for the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival Celebration. We have a feature presentation regarding Chinese American Culture at every luncheon. Past luncheon speakers and performers include former Secretary Norman Mineta, former Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch, TV cook Martin Yan, the Alice Gu Zheng Ensemble, Tai Chi Instructor Dr. Jianping Mao, and Radio Talk Show host Dr. Tom Roselle.

The main function of the club is to share Chinese culture at Goddard in terms of gourmet, language learning, and healthy exercises such as Qigong and Tai Chi. Meanwhile, there is also a social aspect to the club among the active club members. There are more than 300 club members. If you are interested in joining in the club or if you have any questions, you may contact the club president.

Upcoming Events

No upcoming events listed.

View past activities

Memberships & Benefits

Membership Fee (Effective August 1, 2017):

  • $5 for one year
  • $10 for three years
  • $15 for five years
  • $50 for 15 years

Discounts

As a member of GCAC, you will enjoy many benefits, including:

Past Activities

Please contact the club president for photos and flyers from these past activities.

  • May 1 2024: Taste of Asian and the Pacific Islands
  • Feb 15 2024: Chinese New Year Luncheon
  • Oct 3 2023: Mid-Autumn Festival Luncheon
  • May 2 2023: Taste of Asia and Pacific Islands
  • Jan 26 2023: Chinese New Year Party Luncheon
  • Feb 15 2022: Chinese New Year Party, virtual event via teams
  • Sep 26 2021: Mid-Autumns Festival BBQ Gathering
  • Feb 17 2021: Chinese New Year Party, virtual event via teams
  • Oct 1 2020: Mid-Autumns Festival, virtual event via teams
  • Jan 29 2020: Chinese New Year Luncheon
  • Oct 01 2019: Mid-Autumn Festival Luncheon with presentation pdf from Dr. Kan
  • May 21 2019: Taste of Asia and Pacific Islands (TAPI)
  • Feb 28 2019: Chinese New Year Luncheon
  • Sep. 26, 2018: Mid-Autumn Festival Luncheon
  • May 2, 2018: Taste of Asia and the Pacific Islands
  • Feb 22, 2018: Chinese New Year Luncheon
  • Sept. 26, 2017: Mid-Autumn Festival Luncheon
  • May 01, 2017: Taste of Asia and the Pacific Islands
  • Feb. 02, 2017: Chinese New Year Luncheon
  • Sept. 19, 2016: Mid-Autumn Festival Luncheon
  • May 3, 2016: Taste of Asia and the Pacific Islands
  • Feb. 17, 2016: Chinese New Year Luncheon
  • May 7, 2015: Taste of Asia and the Pacific Islands
  • Feb. 26, 2015: Chinese New Year Luncheon
  • Aug. 29, 2014: Mid Autumn Festival Luncheon
  • May 20, 2014: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
  • May 6, 2014: Taste of Asia and the Pacific Islands
  • Feb 4, 2014: Chinese New Year Luncheon
  • May 29, 2013: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Luncheon
  • May 18, 2013: 2013 North America Taiwanese Cultural Performance
  • May 2, 2013: Taste of Asia and the Pacific Islands (2013)
  • May, 2013: 2013 APAHM Calendar of Events
  • Sept. 24, 2012: Mid-Autumn Festival Luncheon
  • June 6, 2012: Photos from 2012 APAHM
  • May 31, 2012: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Luncheon
  • May 18, 2012: Photos from 2012 TAPI
  • Sept. 14, 2011: Mid-Autumn Festival Luncheon
  • Sept. 5, 2011: Photos at 2011 Goddard Day
  • Sept. 5, 2011: Photos at 2011 Taste of Asia event
  • May 18, 2011: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Luncheon
  • Jan. 12, 2011: 2011 Chinese New Year Luncheon

Newsletters

Please email the club president for copies of past GCAC newsletters from 2010 through 2018.

Officials

2025 GCAC Officials

Role Details
President: Minlin H Chang
Code 610
Phone: (301)614-6915
Email: Minlin.H.Chang@nasa.gov
Vice President: Hui Li
Code 551
Phone: (301)286-0292
Email: hui.li-1@nasa.gov
Secretary: Jason D. Lou
Code 173
Phone: (301)286-0792
Email: jason.d.lou@nasa.gov
Treasurer: Jennifer Wei
Code 619
Phone: (301)614-6558
Email: jennifer.c.wei@nasa.gov
Publicity: Xiaoyi Li
Code 552
Phone: (301)286-4550
Email: Xiaoyi.Li-1@nasa.gov
Web Master: Suhung Shen
Code 619
Phone: (301)614-5088
Email: suhung.shen@nasa.gov
Executive Board Members: Kenneth C Anderson
Code 448, Phone: (301)614-7054
Email: kenneth.c.anderson@nasa.gov
  Jason Lou
Code 210H, Phone: (301)286-0792
Email: jason.d.lou@nasa.gov
  Liang Liao
Code 612, Phone: (301)614-5718
Email: liang.liao-1@nasa.gov
  Dean Chai
Code 599, Phone: (301)286-2629
Email: dean.j.chai@nasa.gov
  Zhining Tao
Code 614, Phone: (301)614-5324
Email: zhining.tao@nasa.gov
  Mei Han
Code 612, Phone: (301)614-6336
Email: mei.han-1@nasa.gov
  Yihua Zheng
Code 674, Phone: (301)286-0111
Email: yihua.zheng@nasa.gov
  Jane Liu
Phone: (301)318-8146
Email: loyingliu@gmail.com
Lifetime At Large: None listed

Officer Responsibilities

Revised on: 02/27/2018

PRESIDENT:

  • Preside at meetings
  • Represent the club
  • Vote only in case of a tie
  • Appoint committee chairpersons subject to the approval of the Executive Committee
  • Serve as an ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating committee
  • Perform such other duties as ordinarily pertain to this office
  • Invite guest speakers and VIPs
  • Initiate and chair board meetings
  • Liaison to GEWA and other Goddard organizations
  • In charge of all e-mails, announcements and newsletters to all members

VICE PRESIDENT:

  • Preside in the absence of the President
  • Escort the VIP’s
  • Coordinate event

TREASURER:

  • Receive all funds and process Request for Payment, Deposit Slip, and Officer Signature Forms
  • Keep an itemized account of all receipts and expenditures and make reports as directed
  • Reserve event location
  • Organize ticket sales
  • Make membership cards
  • Maintain a current roster of membership

SECRETARY:

  • Record the minutes of all meetings
  • Keep a file of the club’s records
  • Issue notices of meetings and conduct the general correspondence of the club
  • Create event flyers
  • Prepare Certificates of Appreciation
  • Prepare Newsletters & Announcements
  • Contact Goddard Dateline for announcements
  • Update member email list

WEB MASTER:

  • Maintain and update GCAC website
  • Maintain and update GCAC member mailing list

PUBLICIST:

  • Coordinate with Public Affairs, APAAC and EEO office
  • Coordinate with other GEWA clubs and other organizations

AT LARGE:

  • Cover during other officer’s absence
  • Support and coordinate events

Past Officials

Please contact the club president for rosters of past club officials from 1987 through 2020.

Bylaws

CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
OF
GODDARD CHINESE AMERICAN CLUB
AT
NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER


Adopted July 24, 1987
Revised July 15, 2003
Revised December 18, 2020

ARTICLE I

NAME

The name of this organization shall be THE GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER CHINESE AMERICAN CLUB (GCAC), and shall be located at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, Maryland.

ARTICLE II

OBJECTIVE

SECTION 1

The organization shall be a nonprofit organization with capital stock.

SECTION 2

The objective of this organization is to promote and provide professional, social and cultural activities among the club members and in the GSFC community.

SECTION 3

The organization seeks to provide knowledge and understanding of Chinese culture and history to all members of the GSFC community through meetings, events and other outreach activities, both within and outside of Goddard, and, in so doing, to promote a more inclusive workplace for all employees.

SECTION 4

The organization actively supports the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, advisory committees, and Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) activities and celebrations within Goddard.

ARTICLE III

MEMBERS

SECTION 1

The membership of this club shall be limited to the civil service and contractor employees at the GSFC, including visiting scholars and resident research associates, and shall be governed in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of this club. The “contractor” term shall include employees from corporate agreement, visiting scholars and resident research associates. Retired and Emeritus employees of GSFC shall also be eligible for membership.

SECTION 2

“Active member” is defined as an individual who has joined the club and is current on any dues that may be assessed.

ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS

SECTION 1

The executive officers of this club shall consist, as a minimum, of a president, a vice president, a secretary, and a treasurer. At least one of the officers shall be a civil service employee. The terms of office of these officers shall be two years. Only active members shall be eligible for election as executive officers. In addition, the member shall have volunteered for at least one club event within the year prior to election.

SECTION 2

In addition to the standard requirements of Section 1 above, the president shall have served as an executive officer prior to election.

SECTION 3

In addition to the standard requirements of Section 1 above, the president shall have served as an executive officer prior to election.

SECTION 4

The primary duties of the executive officers are:

  • President: the president is the senior board member, and shall chair all official club meetings and other events.

  • Vice President: the vice president assists the president in administering club functions, and shall chair all official club meetings and events in the absence of the president.

  • Treasurer: the treasurer shall maintain records of all club income and expenditures, and verify that all such expenditures are consistent with any approved budget.

  • Secretary: the secretary shall maintain records of all official meetings, including any actions approved or assigned at such meetings.

SECTION 5

At the discretion of the executive officers, additional officers may be appointed to fulfill specific duties as required. Examples of such potential positions include publicist for advertising club events or a webmaster for maintaining the club website. Any such additional officers shall not require election by the membership. The term of office for any such officers shall be as specified by the executive officers, but shall not exceed two years. The duties of such officers shall be defined by the executive officers prior to appointment.

SECTION 6

At the discretion of the executive officers, special committees may be appointed to fulfill specific needs, such as planning club events or soliciting nominations for election as executive officers. Members of such committees shall not require election by the membership. The term of office shall be only what is necessary for the specific function but shall not exceed two years.

SECTION 7

Elections shall be held every two years, typically in the fall, with the new terms of office beginning on January 1.

SECTION 8

In the event an executive officer cannot complete their term, the executive committee shall have the power to appoint a replacement for the remainder of said term. This appointment does not require election by the membership, and is an exception to the rules of Section 1.

SECTION 9

If at the time of adoption of these by-laws other officers shall be in place, or if their terms will extend beyond the period for the normal election, these officers shall at their discretion continue in their present positions to the end of their existing terms.

SECTION 10

Officers shall serve without compensation.

ARTICLE V

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

SECTION 1

At least one General Membership meeting shall be held each year. This meeting may be held in conjunction with some other organization event, such as a Mid-Autumn Festival or Chinese New Year celebration.

SECTION 2

To conduct formal business, a General Membership meeting shall require the presence of at least 20 active members, not including any executive committee members.

ARTICLE VI

BUDGET AND FEES

SECTION 1

An annual budget shall be approved by the executive committee. At the discretion of the executive committee, chairs of any special committees created may also be included in the budget approval process. This budget shall be available for review by any organization member following approval.

SECTION 2

The budget may include a discretionary fund for use for special occasions such as retirement or special recognition for members. Expenditures from this discretionary fund of $100 or less shall require only approval of the president and treasurer. Expenditures of greater than this amount shall require approval by the full executive committee, plus any special committee chairs who voted on the original budget.

SECTION 3

Annual membership dues may be assessed by the executive committee.

ARTICLE VII

VOTING

A majority vote of the club members voting is required for electing the club’s executive officers.

ARTICLE VIII

AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

Revisions to these by-laws shall be subject to review by the club membership. This review may be conducted by in-person review or electronic review. The membership shall have at least 7 days to review and comment on any by-laws changes before a vote on approval is taken. These Constitution and Bylaws may be amended by a two-third (2/3) vote attending, providing that the amendment is recommended by the executive committee or has been submitted to the executive committee in writing with more than ten club members’ signatures. A minimum of 25% of the active membership shall have participated in the voting in order for the amendment to be approved.