[wplug-plan] [wplug] This weekends Install/Tweak - Fest

[Pat Barron]

On 12/07/2012 10:04 AM, John Lewis wrote:
> Why not have a board meeting in a public place where a quorum will
> actually be had instead of a secret meeting at a coffee shop in the
> middle of Pittsburgh without complying to the minimal of 24 hours notice
> required by the bylaws that are, from what you told me this week,
> suppose to be implemented by the board of WPLUG. Seriously, why not save
> everyone some fuel?
>

Remember, board meetings are not public meetings, the way GUMs are 
(though I doubt the board would chase away any members who would show up 
and want to observe the proceedings, unless something sensitive was 
being discussed).

The meeting was held with the notice required by the bylaws, in that the 
Board members all knew about it a long time ago (and it was even posted 
on the wiki, where anyone could see it).  But the notice requirement on 
applies to members of the Board, of which the board-elect is not yet.  
Still, someone should have invited the incoming board members with more 
notice, and that was a mistake, which we definitely acknowledge.  If any 
of the incoming board members had expressed an objection to the meeting 
date/time, we would have postponed the meeting until a more mutually 
convenient time, as we discussed via e-mail.

One of the first things the incoming Board will do, once seated, is 
determine the dates/times/locations of it's meetings.  The incoming 
Board will choose this schedule based on what it thinks is best for 
everyone involved, and where it can get space to meet.  Believe me - one 
of the biggest challenges we have had with organizing board meetings has 
been just finding an appropriate space to meet (where they don't want us 
to pay money, or spend a [fairly high] minimum amount of money on 
catered food, to use the space - for instance, the Panera Bread in South 
Oakland has a really nice meeting room, that you need to commit to spend 
$80 in food in order to reserve the room...), that is reasonably 
convenient for everyone to get to.  For most of the year, the coffee 
shop where we've been meeting has let us book the private room in the 
back of the shop for our meetings, but the last few times it's been 
already booked and we weren't able to get it.

--Pat.