James covered a broad spectrum of topics, including construction work, food, education, teamwork, and the use of radio. He also touched on current events such as protests in Nigeria, a genocide suspension in Mexico, and Australia's plan to allow non-services to serve in their military. James also discussed the ongoing legal case against President Biden's son, Hunter Biden, and its potential implications for the Biden administration's public perception, comparing it to the previous Trump administration. Lastly, he shared personal updates about his forthcoming travel and a strike by Canadian Border Guards.

Sebastian led discussions on various organizational matters including the potential use of Zoom for future meetings, the need for tutorials for Google Workspace, and issues with the website, notably the Exbo and Bios sections. There was also a review of the newsletter, with concerns raised about some trainers not receiving it and the need to make it more appealing to members. The team also discussed the importance of ratifying meeting minutes and the need for an updated list of delegates from the convention. Issues with email addresses in the delegate list were also noted for future attention.

Sebastian highlighted the complexities and inefficiencies of the current association fee system and proposed a simplified system where all associations in a country pay the same tiered fee. However, this change was not immediately agreed upon due to its potential impact on existing processes. There were discussions around issues with China's non-member status and the fee structure. The team also explored solutions for Thailand's association fee structure, including full country fee payment for every association, and considered the Greek model as a potential solution. The possibility of having an umbrella body for small associations in Malaysia was suggested, but the political nature of associations in Thailand was discussed as a potential obstacle.

Ivana, Sebastian, James, and Viola discussed updating their organization's policies and procedures, with a focus on membership and the use of thematic meetings. They agreed on the need for shorter meetings, softer training, and discussions of payment deadlines. There was also a discussion about the association's registration and bank account situation, as well as concerns raised by a letter from Yohnis about the association's political stance. As a result, the team decided against resuming ties with UN tourism due to potential political implications.

Sebastian and Ivana discussed the need for specific documents related to external partnerships at WFTA from Oluska and issues surrounding access to certain documents for former board member Viola. They also discussed the upcoming convention, including issues with budgeting, participant lists, and the lack of a contract with Pco and Alushka. There were concerns raised about Alushka's continued involvement in convention planning, with suggestions to clarify her role and for Japanese colleagues to be invited to Cyprus for training. The team also discussed the need for a joint letter outlining improvements for the next convention, the potential for a face-to-face meeting with Alushka, and the importance of addressing membership applications in a follow-up meeting.

AGIC and Sebastian discussed the challenges of association members returning after an extended absence and the need for a clear rejoining process. Sebastian proposed a simplified rejoining process for associations that hadn't used services for three years, but still needed to settle any outstanding debts. Concerns were raised about specific associations, including Iran and Bhutan, and the issue of a potential new member who had not yet received a letter and an invoice. There was confusion about payment terms for new members joining in the second half of the year, leading to a proposal to clarify the situation with a vote. Sonya announced she would upload the current membership list to the website for reference and requested responses to an email she hadn't received.

Sonya proposed a new method for invoicing new members, while James and AGIC suggested charging new members who joined from June onwards for half a year. The team also discussed the discrepancy between their financial and membership years, and agreed on the need to update their organization's policies and procedures. The team planned to start updating these policies, with Kapi emphasizing the importance of having all policies in one place. Lastly, the team decided to reconnect with the Bhutan Association to address their membership fees and training request.

The treasurer proposed that bank fees for federation payments should be covered by PayPal fees to avoid double charging members, a suggestion supported by Sebastian who recommended European associations use bank transfers to avoid fees, while other countries should use PayPal or credit cards. The team agreed on covering all fees by the federation and educating members on correct PayPal usage. Treasurer committed to updating the institutional document with this information, while James offered to assist with creating a guide on PayPal usage. The team stressed the importance of creating a budget for the year and monitoring it through monthly reports, with a detailed discussion planned for a future meeting.

Viola expressed her interest in joining a working group and was assigned to attend Monday expo meetings to understand their functioning. James and Sebastian planned a future discussion on event planning, and a board meeting followed by a financial committee meeting was agreed upon to streamline discussions. The team decided to review the monthly financial reports during the expo meetings to improve the organization's financial processes. The decision was made to contribute content for the "Member Monday" social media campaign, with James providing the required blurb. James also expressed his interest in the next area maps meeting and promoting trainers on LinkedIn, while Viola suggested discussing trainer promotion with the Training Committee.

The team deliberated on the location and logistics for their next convention. They considered various options including Germany, Cyprus, Portugal, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris, Istanbul, and Rome, with a focus on finding a location near a tier one airport to keep costs down. The team also discussed the budget, with James confirming the cost of flying from Portugal to Cyprus as €1,300. A decision was not made during this discussion, but Istanbul and Cyprus were identified as the most financially viable options, with the conference tentatively set for November or December. The team will finalize the dates in their next meeting.