RE: May 2003 GSAS Board Meeting Minutes - Preliminary Publication for Review

["Hess, Clay A" <clay.a.hess@boeing.com>]

I am sorry that some feel so strongly about this situation that they are 
letting this drive them to leave the Board.  Something to think about, the way 
to fix something is not to run away from it, but, to stay and work to correct 
it.  As I have noted previously I will not be President next year and will not 
be on the Board either.......so, the opportunity arrises to correct what others 
feel is wrong as my vote will be missing from the meetings.  

To be honest, I think one of the things we are missing in our Club is some 
guidelines as I noted from the first day we started hunting for the ByLaws.  
Some may call these "rules", however, I believe they are guidelines to keep our 
Club out of trouble.  The type of trouble I am alluding to is of the lawsuit 
type.  I have seen a number of very good groups that have Boards that have had 
to deal with lawsuits due to an upset employee or member.  The results can be 
very ugly if the Board does not have evidence that it is running properly and 
doing what the State requires of it.  Part of showing our Board is doing what 
is required by the State is to vote to remove any "rules" that we have voted to 
instate.  It may seem inefficient, and likely is, but, what are the options?  

Our society is based upon a list of "rules" and I do not see that changing 
anytime soon.  However, we are able to change these "rules" through proper 
procedure.  That is the luxury we have for living in a Free Society.  And, yes, 
the price of Freedom is very high.  But, is it worth it, I certainly think so. 
So, with all this said, let's work together to make our Club the best it can be!


Clay



-----Original Message-----
From: Erik Olson [mailto:erik@thekrib.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2003 6:50 AM
To: 'GSAS Board'
Subject: Re: May 2003 GSAS Board Meeting Minutes - Preliminary
Publication for Review


> Absent                                                                        
>         
>
> Erik Olson (1)
...
"1. Attendance (and other?) requirements for Board Members ? Various
points of view were reiterated and further explained by the board members
in attendance.  After some discussion, it was moved and seconded that the
current policy which assumes the resignation of a board member upon
his/her having not attended the third, consecutive, regularly scheduled
board meeting, be rescinded.  The vote was two in favor of the motion, and
two opposed.  Absent a majority in favor, the motion was defeated"

Well, it's so comforting to see that "strike" by my name, and know that no
matter what the consequences, the current administration of GSAS will do
everything "by the book".  So nice to receive this the morning I'm doing a
presentation too.  So nice to know that if we'd done things by the book at
the previous board meeting that this rule would have been defeated 3-1 due
to Clay's absence.  But instead we decided (informally, and without a vote
I may add) it would be "nice" to wait to let him chime in before voting.  
You *all* know how I would vote on this issue.  Now we get to drag it out
another meeting, waste more of our time discussing it.  Clay himself even
said "this is clearly a policy that's causing damage."  But NOOOOOOO, we
have to be like the US Senate here and have another full vote to get it
out.  What's next, a 2/3 majority required because it's a referendum?  
President with veto power?

I my whole time as president, we NEVER had an issue that split the board
like this.  The worst we had was one dissenter, and often that was in
jest.  With all the clubs and people Kathy & I talk to, the biggest
problems and reasons for people losing participation on the boards are
caused by over-reliance on rules.  I will not be re-running for the board 
next year.

Unrelated: Kathy says Rusty is out for October.  You need to find another
speaker, and reschedule the room for its normal night (it's currently
rescheduled for a special day).

  - Erik

-- 
Erik Olson
erik at thekrib dot com

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