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wore. What does this have with the DVPC Board meeting? About as much as 90% of our usual discussions do.
Old Business:
Network: March will be Build a Network Night, and there is a hint of nervousness in the air. Those Board members who will not actively participate in this urged at least a modest degree of planning and possibly even a rehearsal. Those who will be performing remained outwardly cool and calm, but did entertain the possibility of at least a meeting a day or two before to make certain all the required parts are available and will work together. An actual rehearsal was ruled out, as then the additional effort of dismantling prior to the general meeting would be incurred. Also, it was felt the demonstration would then lack that spontaneity that today's jaded audiences crave. This casual approach reminded me of my approach to my college education. Once I learned that I could think fast enough and write well enough to make my professors think I knew what I was talking about, I ceased reading assignments and studying for tests. (This attitude may have something to do with my transformation over 4 ½ years from an A- student to a C- student, but I doubt it.) Anyway, the March meeting will definitely be entertaining and probably educational, too.
Elections: (This should probably be under New Business because elections are in April, but I put it under Old Business this month because it was under New Business last month, so it is really Old Business this month.)
The April meeting will include the Board election. We discussed the number of positions opening up on the Board, and it was really beyond our ability to finalize the count.
Jessica will continue as Treasurer, but only for a few months. In the fall she will go away to college, where she will probably fall for a young man with five pounds of stainless steel hanging from various parts of his anatomy who is studying the social implications of diversity among the lower classes of Afghanistan. So we will need a new Treasurer. This lucky person will have six months on-the-job training at the side of our current, most excellent Treasurer before going it alone.
We would also like to replace Charlie as Member-at-Large. That didn't come out right--let's try again. We also need to replace Charlie, the current Member-at-Large, who is unable to attend most meetings due to his work schedule. No, I was right the first time: we would like to replace Charlie.
Perhaps finally, an assistant for Mark working on Publicity is needed, as Linux and his career are occupying more and more of his time. Bill Earl was not available for comment, and we discussed whether or not he wanted to continue as Sergeant at Arms. No one wanted to risk the wrath of Bill by presuming to know his mind on this, so unless we hear differently from him, Bill will continue in this role, intimidating visitors and members alike as he strides purposefully around the meeting hall maintaining order.
If these or any other position on the Board interests you, please let one of the Board members know. You will find the responsibilities relatively light and the rewards even lighter. You will get free pizza, a delicious and nutritious salad, and one of Ruth Mildwurm's excellent homemade deserts once a month. You will also be able to hang out with the other cool Board members. And, you will get to sit in either the front row or the very back at the general meetings (real Board members never sit in the middle). Oh, and don't worry about the cost of running for election: there is a cap of $10,000 on campaign spending.
New Business:
Membership: Peggy gave us some statistics on our membership, but I didn't write them down. I do remember that in our database the "AE" code means "electronic only": in other words, "does not get a printed newsletter". I believe "AE" stands for "ad electronus", from the Latin "to the electronic". You will have to check with Ron Ogg on that, though -- I may be mistaken.
There was an extended discussion regarding the awarding of complimentary memberships to people who out of the goodness of their heart provide shelter once a month to one or the other of our SIGs. This was the most serious discussion I have participated in at a DVPC Board meeting in a long time. We even had a motion and voted. The result was not unanimous. This is unusual, as at our Board meetings (and in California in general) it is usually viewed as bad form to cling to an opinion that differs from others in your immediate vicinity.
Anyway, it was decided by a split vote that... well, it hardly matters. The important thing is that we had a motion and voted. This is significant because with elections coming up in April, it could well be the last vote the current Board takes. The third vote in eleven months, we are running just a shade above average in that category.
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