OSFCI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Meeting Minutes

September 23, 2002

Present: Board and officers: Linda Pilcher, Mark Wells, David Levine, Melanie Schaber, David Schaber, Lacey Axmaker, Patty Wells, Lea Rush, Aaron Curtis, Jim Fiscus, Sam Justice, Stuart Axmaker, Jean Stump, and John Williamson.

The meeting was called to order at 7:34 pm by Linda Pilcher.

Minutes:

The following correction needed to be made: Correct spelling of endeavour on page 3.

Motion to accept minutes with change passed

Treasurer's Report:

We have added $3000 (from Orycon) and paid out $550. Jean is to send a report to Paul and Debbie via U.S. Mail (by request). It is time to start the process for renewing insurance. Someone needs to collect the bill for storage, so Jean can pay it. Melanie volunteered.

Jean also asked if she could get a new folder for the checks. Sam stated he might have one…he will look.

Jean also requested a financial report filled out by the head of each convention for record keeping. Everyone thought this was a good idea. Jean will create the form for each convention.

Convention Reports:

Orycon 23:

The books are all but closed. Gave OSFCI a $3000 check. Still have to solve a problem with the bank, they are still charging for the credit card machines (that were returned in November). Linda suggested we close the books and let OSFCI take care of the bank.

Orycon 24:

Memberships are still a little low. Sitting at 970 members (with guests).

Internet café is having problems with WantWeb (the web service) and may not be able to get a web connection this year. Lacey asked Orycon should give up on Icafe and hand the room over to programming. Linda suggested early October.

Writers Workshop still has received no manuscripts, so there may be no writer’s workshop this year.

Orycon 25:

People are volunteering already. Things are going well. We have a web page created for David to add to the website.

Game Storm 2002:

The books are ready to close. Just need to write check to OSFCI.

Game Storm 2003:

We are having a problem getting a GOH. There is a trade show within a week of the convention and many potential GOH’s attend that show. There was some discussion about alternatives to having a GOH and possible GOH’s. Consensus was keep trying to get a GOH until January.

Left Coast Crime:

No report.

Funds and Awards:

Susan C. Petrey Clarion Scholarship Fund:

No report.

Clayton Memorial Medical Fund:

Have received no applications for assistance. There was some discussion of researching insurance for those who cannot afford it.

Endeavour Award:

We have received 14 books so far. Sending out letters to publishers for more books. We have received more books then usual this early.

Setting up a fundraiser. Waiting on authorization to do so (from Barnes and Noble). If so, we should have it going by the end of the year.

Continuing Business:

Subcommittee reports:

Cookbook:

John Bartley stated that the process would be slow going for awhile, due to life getting in the way.

Banning Policy:

No report.

Corporate Credit Card:

Won’t have time for research until after Orycon.

Other continuing business:

None.

New Business:

Game Storm is considering moving the annual date for the convention from March to May to avoid conflict with the Trade Show.

Motion was made to have Aaron Curtis initiate negotiations with the hotel for May 2004.

James Fiscus asked OSFCI for suggestions about a plan to influence newspapers and media to support Sci-Fi books.

Many suggestions were made (like panels at Orycon) to recruit people to this cause.

OSFCI can lend support (setting up a P.O. Box, etc) if anything gets organized,

Lea Rush suggested that the minutes be corrected, accepted, and posted to the website within a couple weeks of the meetings. David S. (in his role as Secretary) said it wouldn’t be a problem. The rest of the BOD agreed to a vote of acceptance by mail.

Lacey A. asked about developing a logo for Orycon. Many suggestions were made (including a contest). She will approach the board if a suitable logo is developed.

From John Bartley:

I suggest the OSFCI board consider an amendment to its Standing Rules to provide for an Executive Session.

PURPOSE:

In order to allow the Board to conduct its business, on occasion there's a benefit to privacy in its deliberations. Since the Board frequently meets in a public establishment, it appears to be meeting publicly, and there's no good firewall between matters which may be freely repeated and matters which should not.

This lack of understanding that Guest matters are best held private led me to discuss the guest candidates for Orycon 25, which may have interfered

with the Orycon 25 Chair's process for selection. For that, and any hurt

feelings generated by that, I have and will again apologize.

I'd also like to clean up my mess, and therefore, I suggest the Board consider instituting a new custom, the Executive Session, and to document it in the Standing Rules. This will help the Board maintain the privacy it needs, while helping non-Board members understand when privacy of discussion is needed.

Here is a proposal which I suggest may be a valuable starting point in this discussion.

PROSE:

Add a new section X to the OSFCI Standing Rules, renaming the AMENDMENTS section to become section XI.

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X. EXECUTIVE SESSIONS

The Board may in any meeting, at the request of the current presiding officer and with the consent of the majority of the directors, temporarily adjourn to meet in Executive Session. During an Executive Session, sensitive matters (including but not limited to convention guests, litigation, selection or removal of convention executives) may be discussed. Those discussions will be private and privileged. They will not be recorded by anyone present (including but not limited to the person recording official minutes), and matters discussed in that session will be held as confidential. Members of OSFCI who are invited to remain in that Executive Session and who fail to keep those matters confidential may be subject to sanctions by two-thirds vote of the OSFCI directors, including removal from convention committees and from other OSFCI responsibilities.

After much discussion, the BOD felt that since the Executive session was covered by Robert’s Rules, there was no need to add this to the standing orders.

There was a motion the board to meet in executive session to discuss the OSFCI Awards. Passed.

The board returned from Executive Session.

Motion to adjourn: passed

Meeting ends at 10:12 pm