Meeting log for 2009-01-21

A few days later than usual because I've been having "fun" travelling.
Details appeared on identi.ca/mjray and may appear on my website soon.
Nothing SPI-related, really. Now, on with the log:-

HIGHLIGHTS

[item 1, Opening]
<Ganneff> Welcome to today's Software in the Public Interest board of
directors meeting, which is now called to order. Today's agenda and
details of pending resolutions can be found on the web at:
http://www.spi-inc.org/secretary/agenda/2009/2009-01-21.html

[item 2, Roll Call]

<Maulkin> Neil McGovern <Ganneff> Joerg Jaspert
<cdlu> David Graham <Hydroxide> Jimmy Kaplowitz
<linuxpoet> Joshua D. Drake <zobel> Martin Zobel-Helas
<luk> Luk Claes

Known regrets from Michael Schultheiss.
Tentative regrets from Bdale Garbee.

[item 3, President's Report]
<Ganneff> None

[item 4, Treasurer's Report]
<Ganneff> schultmc - not here, so nothing

[item 5, Secretary's report]
<Hydroxide> I put a secretary's report in the agenda with various
updates. any questions?

<Ganneff> the git repo is there now. nothing much more done besides that.

[item 6, Outstanding minutes]
<Hydroxide> Last meeting's minutes are not yet ready due to me being
sick - will have them for next meeting. We have three meeting minutes
from before my term as Secretary, generously prepared by zobel. Thank
you very much, Martin!

Current voting results for "Approve April/May 2008 minutes": Yes: 6,
No: 0, Abstain: 1, Missing: 0 ()

[item 7, Stuff for discussion]

Resolution 2009-01-09.jdd.1 - New affiliated project: Helios
Initiative (Joshua D. Drake)

<linuxpoet> I spoke with SFLC. I received the following: Sounds great,
but agree that there are certain considerations for handling these
kinds of donations that you need to be careful about. I'll need to do
a little bit of research to refresh my memory and could get back to
you Wednesday or Thursday. Is that soon enough? From Karen Sandler. I
have not heard as of yet.

<Hydroxide> sounds like we'll probably be able to approve them in the
end but might want to wait until February so we can hear from her?

<linuxpoet> I just hate to hold these guys off for another four weeks
if we find out tomorrow

<Hydroxide> guys, it's easiest to just have an earlier february meeting

[item 8, Next board meeting] Hydroxide moves to meet Feb 11th instead,
will send reminders.

20:20:56 <Ganneff> *GAVEL*

TIMED LOG

20:07:30 <Ganneff> *BANG*
20:07:30 <Ganneff> [item 1, Opening] Welcome to today's Software in the Public Interest board of directors meeting, which is now called to order. Today's agenda and details of pending resolutions can be found on the web at: http://www.spi-inc.org/secretary/agenda/2009/2009-01-21.html
20:07:30 <Ganneff> [item 2, Roll Call]
20:07:30 <Ganneff> Board members, please state your name for the record. As we have nine board members, quorum for today's meeting is six. Guests, please /msg your names to Hydroxide if you wish your attendance to be recorded in the minutes of this meeting.
20:07:30 <Ganneff> Hydroxide: please update us on known and tentative regrets.
20:07:32 <Maulkin> Neil McGovern
20:07:36 <Ganneff> Joerg Jaspert
20:07:36 <cdlu> David Graham
20:07:43 <Hydroxide> Jimmy Kaplowitz
20:07:43 <linuxpoet> Joshua D. Drake
20:07:50 <cdlu> 1 more for quorum
20:07:55 <Hydroxide> known regrets from Michael Schultheiss
20:07:59 <zobel> Martin Zobel-Helas
20:08:01 <Hydroxide> tentative regrets from Bdale Garbee
20:08:07 <cdlu> quorum
20:08:09 <Ganneff> damn you zobel. quorum
20:08:09 <luk> Luk Claes
20:08:17 <Ganneff> [item 3, President's Report]
20:08:17 <Ganneff> None, i think? and no bdale.
20:08:27 <Hydroxide> right.
20:08:37 <Ganneff> [item 4, Treasurer's Report]
20:08:37 <Ganneff> schultmc - not here, so nothing
20:08:48 <Ganneff> [item 5, Secretary's report]
20:08:49 <Ganneff> Hydroxide: your time
20:08:49 <Hydroxide> right.
20:09:02 <Hydroxide> I put a secretary's report in the agenda with various updates. any questions?
20:09:22 <Ganneff> the git repo is there now.
20:09:26 <Ganneff> nothing much more done besides that.
20:09:32 <Hydroxide> ok
20:09:40 <Ganneff> done?
20:09:46 <linuxpoet> done
20:09:52 <Hydroxide> cdlu: the 3/19 meeting minutes link works for me
20:10:00 <Hydroxide> cdlu: it goes to http://www.spi-inc.org/corporate/meeting-minutes/2008/meeting-minutes-2008-03-19.txt/view
20:10:05 <Hydroxide> cdlu: clear your cache maybe
20:10:05 <Ganneff> [item 6, Outstanding minutes]
20:10:06 <Ganneff> Again for Hydroxide.
20:10:31 <cdlu> it works now
20:10:33 <Hydroxide> Last meeting's minutes are not yet ready due to me being sick - will have them for next meeting. We have three meeting minutes from before my term as Secretary, generously prepared by zobel
20:10:37 <Hydroxide> thank you very much, Martin!
20:10:51 <Ganneff> lets vote. :)
20:10:52 <Hydroxide> one of them needs a few additional details to be added later, as per the agenda.
20:11:04 <Hydroxide> (that can be a separate vote, later, but we can approve what's there now)
20:11:18 <Hydroxide> we need three votes or one?
20:11:21 * Maulkin would suggest leaving one that isn't ready yet
20:11:30 <Hydroxide> I can do that too
20:11:33 <Maulkin> Just one? :)
20:11:46 <Hydroxide> the second and third are ready
20:11:54 <Ganneff> anyone against voting on both together?
20:12:00 <cdlu> anyone want to move for separation? :)
20:12:08 * cdlu is prepared to vote in bulk
20:12:11 <zobel> i will try to get the other three ready for next meeting, unless Maulkin will do it.
20:12:14 <linuxpoet> Considering I don't even remember the meeting, I am indifferent
20:12:24 <Ganneff> so lets do them together.
20:12:34 <luk> s/announced announced/announced/ for the May one
20:12:48 <Hydroxide> Voting started, 7 people (linuxpoet,luk,ganneff,hydroxide,maulkin,cdlu,zobel) allowed to vote on Approve April/May 2008 minutes. - You may vote yes/no/abstain only, type !vote $yourchoice now.
20:12:58 <zobel> linuxpoet: we could also move the vote and i will add the logs of those meetings to the minutes,
20:13:01 <Ganneff> !vote yes
20:13:02 <cdlu> !vote yes
20:13:06 <Hydroxide> !vote yes
20:13:13 <linuxpoet> !vote abstain
20:13:18 <Maulkin> !vote yes
20:13:31 <luk> !vote yes (though want the repetition removed ;-))
20:13:39 <zobel> !vote yes
20:13:40 <Ganneff> luk: only vote, comment seperately.
20:13:44 <Hydroxide> luk: try voting again
20:13:49 <Ganneff> dont confuse the script
20:13:49 <luk> !vote yes
20:13:52 <Hydroxide> luk: I'll fix the typo
20:14:00 <Hydroxide> Current voting results for "Approve April/May 2008 minutes": Yes: 6, No: 0, Abstain: 1, Missing: 0 ()
20:14:03 <Hydroxide> Voting for "Approve April/May 2008 minutes" closed.
20:14:04 <Hydroxide> good.
20:14:05 <Ganneff> good.
20:14:10 <Ganneff> thats all we have to vote on here, right?
20:14:18 <Hydroxide> as far as minutes, yes
20:14:26 <Hydroxide> next item is linuxpoet's resolution
20:14:29 <Ganneff> [item 7, Stuff for discussion]
20:14:29 <Ganneff> We seem to have 1 item here, "Resolution 2009-01-09.jdd.1 - New affiliated project: Helios Initiative (Joshua D. Drake)"
20:14:38 <linuxpoet> Right
20:14:43 <linuxpoet> I spoke with SFLC
20:14:45 <Hydroxide> lots of info in the agenda, previously sent to -private a while ago
20:14:52 <linuxpoet> I received the following:
20:15:00 <linuxpoet> Sounds great, but agree that there are certain considerations for handling these kinds of donations that you need to be careful about.
20:15:08 <linuxpoet> I'll need to do a little bit of research to refresh my memory and could get back to you Wednesday or Thursday. Is that soon enough?
20:15:13 <linuxpoet> From Karen Sandler
20:15:16 <linuxpoet> I have not heard as of yet
20:15:36 <Hydroxide> sounds like we'll probably be able to approve them in the end but might want to wait until February so we can hear from her?
20:15:36 <linuxpoet> I suggest we table voting until we have exact procedures required to ensure this will work appropriately
20:15:43 * Maulkin is unhappy on votingfor this without a legal brief
20:15:47 * Hydroxide agrees
20:15:55 <linuxpoet> Only question I have is, do we have to wait until Februrary?
20:15:57 * luk too
20:15:58 <Ganneff> same here.
20:16:06 <linuxpoet> If we get what we need in two days, can we hold an email vote?
20:16:09 <Ganneff> linuxpoet: well. we *can* do email votes, if really needed.
20:16:18 <Maulkin> But it'... interesting
20:16:18 <Hydroxide> linuxpoet: it's easiest. we may want clarifications, etc. and email votes are allowed but need 100% unanimity among all 9 board members under NY law
20:16:24 <Hydroxide> linuxpoet: (despite our bylaws)
20:16:34 <linuxpoet> Ahh so we need consent (same as Oregon law)
20:16:35 <cdlu> the procedure for email votes is arcane, we could always have a conditional vote now
20:16:53 * Hydroxide moves to wait until February on this resolution, pending legal advice from SFLC
20:16:55 <Maulkin> cdlu: wording?
20:16:58 <linuxpoet> I just hate to hold these guys off for another four weeks if we find out tomorrow
20:16:59 <cdlu> we approve helios contingent on nobody bringing up objections following our legal advice, or somesuch
20:17:06 * Ganneff moves for a vote under "its only valid if we get positive feedback from our lawyers"
20:17:26 <luk> linuxpoet: we could also agree to hold the February meeting earlier? :-)
20:17:34 <linuxpoet> True enough
20:17:35 * Hydroxide nods at luk
20:17:46 <linuxpoet> O.k. how about that?
20:17:55 * Hydroxide withdraws his motion
20:17:56 <cdlu> our by-laws allow a special meeting to be called
20:17:59 <cdlu> we could just do that
20:18:04 <linuxpoet> +1
20:18:14 <Maulkin> What notice is needed?
20:18:16 <cdlu> when we get the legal advice, president+secretary call the meeting and off we go.
20:18:19 <cdlu> 2 weeks, like any meeting.
20:18:23 <Hydroxide> guys, it's easiest to just have an earlier february meeting
20:18:26 <Maulkin> That's a while...
20:18:40 <Maulkin> *shrug*
20:18:42 <luk> Maulkin: in 10 days it's February already :-)
20:18:46 <linuxpoet> If we need two weeks, let's just have next meeting first week of Feb
20:18:47 <cdlu> I think conditional approval now is our fastest, easiest, and best bet.
20:18:50 <Ganneff> ok. so this point is done for now, i think? 2 weeks should be ok, and we can move a meeting if need be.
20:19:00 * Maulkin nods at cdlu
20:19:09 <Hydroxide> cdlu: there's also a defect in the resolution
20:19:18 <linuxpoet> There is?
20:19:20 <cdlu> ok, then defer it. I'm not partial. :)
20:19:29 <Hydroxide> cdlu: i.e. it doesn't include the backup liaison that the HeliOS's application email referred to
20:19:36 * Maulkin seconds Hydroxide to defer.
20:19:47 <Hydroxide> Ganneff: let's go on.
20:19:49 * cdlu thinks we have enough unvoted seconds to run us a whole hour
20:19:52 <Ganneff> [item 8, Next board meeting]
20:19:52 <Ganneff> Going with third Wed of months it should be on Wednesday, February 18th, 2009, 20:00 UTC. Unless we screw this later by mail.
20:19:53 <Maulkin> (we can recall it at a special if needed)
20:20:06 * Hydroxide moves to meet Feb 11th instead
20:20:09 <zobel> so no item up for discussion?! :)
20:20:10 <Hydroxide> and not worry about a special
20:20:26 <Hydroxide> any objection to the 11th?
20:20:29 <cdlu> long agenda, short meeting. foolproof. :)
20:20:30 <zobel> Hydroxide: no
20:20:32 <linuxpoet> 11th is beter for me
20:20:35 <cdlu> no objection here, but please send loud obnoxious reminders
20:20:38 <Maulkin> Apologies for me next month.
20:20:39 <Hydroxide> I will.
20:20:39 <linuxpoet> I travelling the week of the 18th
20:20:46 <Hydroxide> 11th going once...
20:20:47 <Ganneff> send reminders, twice. so its the 11th then.
20:20:49 <Hydroxide> twice...
20:20:50 <Hydroxide> good.
20:20:53 <Hydroxide> will send reminders.
20:20:56 <Ganneff> *GAVEL*

Hope that helps,
--
MJ Ray (slef)
Webmaster for hire, statistician and online shop builder for a small
worker cooperative http://www.ttllp.co.uk/ http://mjr.towers.org.uk/
(Notice http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html) tel:+44-844-4437-237