Evan, IN * December 9 General Meeting *

That has to suck, who will be going out for dinner after the meeting?

 

I will be posting the mintues from the meeting hopefully within the next hour. The notes are in my room and I am at my work-study job...so I'll post them as soon as I get back.

 

And now for the minutes of the meeting:

Present: Nathan, JMJ, Leirin, G1Prowl, Mike-El, Fistofury, Ulkesh, and Yoda_Pimp

Nathan called meeting to order.
Officer nominations:
-Webmaster: Scott
-Secretary/Treasurer: Chuck
-CR: Nathan or Mike

PROXY VOTES: Basically, 3 options were discussed: 1) Proxy votes are PMed to members who will be present at the meeting and cast by said members at the GM; 2)A poll on the boards for proxy votes and then post after you have voted saying "I voted!"; and 3)PM your proxy vote to the RSA

Nathan was in favor of a combination of poll and PM to RSA.
Mike thought public poll would cause resentment amongst the members and that PMing the RSA would be the best option.
If we chose to have Earwen recieve the proxy votes, she will recieve them in a set amount of time (i.e. the week before the GM). After the GM, the votes cast at the GM will be sent to her, she would total them and post them after the January GM.
Coincidentally, this is the official method we have chosen. Proxy votes will be sent to Earwen. Those who can make it will cast their vote at the GM. The official results will be posted by Earwen after all votes have been cast.

There was also a discussion of amending the bylaws to make the definition of an active and an inactive member clear.
Mike suggested that in order to be an active member one must attend 3 meetings before they can vote, attend 4 meetings in a calendar year, and post on the boards 12 times in a calendar year.

Book Club:
-Next meeting is 12/28
-Will be discussing LOTF: Tempest
-Months when new books are not being released or when we have no new books to discuss will be geekouts (aka "Organizational Meetings")
-There is a possiblity that we will be expanding into the comics also...actually it's not a possiblity if Ulkesh has any say over it.
-Side talk of CBS and rubbing forearms
-Nathan suggested the Eville Jedi submit a name for Darth Jacen. The name: Darth Cromedomus. (Requisite 'Adam's bald' comment)

Collecting Club:
-Meeting 12/10 at 12 PM (Directions were posted earlier on this thread)
-Time TBA for further meetings
-Sad tale of Yoda_pimp and a plate of cookies was shared.

Holiday Party:
-The party will be Dec 15 at Mike's Mother in law's house.
-For those who cannot make it there will be a dinner on Dec 28 during book club time at the Acropolis "Where the cinnamon butter is like buttery crack"-Mike
-More details to follow in seperate thread.

I had to leave but the last part of the meeting involved Nathan and Mike presenting their plans for the club. They will be posting them for those who could not be there.


I think that's everything.

 

While I think that the definitions need to be made clear for future elections, I obviously oppose making physically attending meetings a requirement. That is not possible for some of us that are loyal posters, readers, and contributors. Adopting this kind of exclusionary policy can only lead to hurt feelings, and will not help a club that is already facing dwindling membership and activity. At a time when we should be looking at kickstarting the club, telling certain members they cannot vote cannot be a good thing.

 

I completely agree with you Adam. Why should we ostracize member who actually care about the future of the club and include those who do not?

If you ask me there are far too many politics being brought in. I joined this club because, for me, it's a diversion. It is something fun. It is a group of people I can hang out with and just have fun with. It's one of the few things in my life that wasn't surrounded with bureaucracy but now it's just one more thing to worry about.

Now I won't be the first to admit, I don't make it to a lot of meetings. Quite frankly, Darth Real Life (as we fanficcers call him) gets in the way. But when I do make it, I look forward to having fun with a group of people who share a common interest: Star Wars.

With all the politics, all of the "it has to be this way", all of the rules...it's not fun anymore. I'm sticking it out because I know that it will be fun again...at some point. But that's just me.

 

Actually it would go like this.

To become an active member you must physically attend 3 meetings at which point you will become an active member and can thus vote.

The following year you must attend 3 meetings to maintain your active member status. This can be any combination of General Meetings, Collectors Club Meetings, and Book Clubs. Given that it's 36 oppertunities per year to do so, it's not a difficult requirement. They must post at least 12 times.

If one should fail in meetings those requirements then they will be considered a non-active member.

A non-active member is still a member of our FF. All that it will change will be the ability to vote. Nothing else will change.

if a member does not post on the boards or attend a single meeting during a calendar year then they will be considered a former member and will be required to attend 3 meetings to become an active member again.

Due to the elections happening in January of every year it works out very well.

It's important to remember that is merely an idea to be fully explored/debated after the Jan 07 election and will not affect the election in Jan 2007.

 

Let me see if I understand your position:

So formerly-attending distance members such as myself, unable to physically attend meetings, but active posters on the board, would still be considered members, but members who don't get to vote?

 

AKA, nonmembers for all practical purposes. Really, that's the only thing membership means: A chance to vote on stuff.

 

I have to say, I agree with Adam on this one, and not just because he's a friend of mine outside of the E'ville Jedi. We've always been about including as many people as possible: that's why we charge no dues, have no age requirements, and have traditionally had no attendance requirements beyond the initial 3 meetings (and that rule was only put in place to stop a group of miscreants from walking in off the street and essentially "stealing" the club). We've never had any illusions as to what we are: a group of SW geeks. We aren't, nor do we have any desire to become the Elks or the Free Masons. We've always had a very loose bureaucracy around things, just in case. Generally we just do things by consensus.

Maybe one could make the argument that some officers don't affect distant members, but not the president/CR. Remember that the CR is not just the person who chairs the meetings; he also serves as the "mini-mod" in charge of the boards. Granted, CRs have no direct mod powers, but we are supposed to monitor our boards and report any problems to the relevant authority (the RSAs and GSAs). As such, we impact the boards as much as anyone else: we are essentially our club's representative in the administration of these boards. Since distant members take part in the E'ville Jedi exclusively through the boards, doesn't it make sense that they should at least be involved in the process to select the board's local administrator? It's not fair to say who the CR is doesn't affect them--it seems to me they affect them quite a lot.

I do agree that the definitions of active and inactive member, and the assignment of voting privileges in the bylaws need to clarified. Note I said clarified, not changed. I think we should keep doing what we've always done: try to include as many people as possible.

Sadly, I also have to agree with JMJ about the whole "political" thing. I've noticed that too. It's not necessarily anything anyone did, just more of a feeling in the air. I'd like very much to see a return to the "group of friends" type meetings we used to have. I don't think instituting mandatory attendance requirements is a good way of returning to that.

 

Hear, hear.

DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE?! I SAID HEAR HEAR! UN-IRONICALLY!



Honestly though, this group has been fun for years. Yeah, we've dropped off and peaked, but that'll happen. I mean, before all my lovely money troubles with my super-sized ex-girlfriend, I would make it a point to call off the nights we had book club, and try to call off the saturdays we had GMs. Bureaucracy just adds more layers to go through before we can have fun.

Yes, we need to shuffle things around a bit. But it can be as simple as one of us saying, 'hey, do you guys wanna go see Eragon or Children of Men on Saturday, maybe grab a pizza after?' All we really need to do is organise more events at more varying times so that people can occasionally show up

 

I am a person who falls in the middle: I live 2.5 hours away most of the year so I miss many events and mettings, yet I post on here and end up at about 3 or 4 meetings a year. So, while this affects me, I don't know that it is really an issue right now.

At this point, we know who our outside members are. They post here a lot, but they live at least 3 hours away. When they were here, they were valuable members and our friends.

As far as politicking goes, that seems to come with the territory. It has been coming up all the time in the 501st and I am noticing the same thing to some degree with R2 builders. It happens, its necessary, and its never fun.

I am glad we have come to a decision with the proxy votes; I like it a lot. But when it comes to describing membership, this (as Mike said) is something to think about in the future. I say, lets just keep on trucking and not worry about the technicalities, especially in this stage of the game when it all could fall apart.

Now, who needs a drink?

 

Well, there's a party we can all go to in Chile

 

I disagree that it's necessary. We've survived (albeit with ups and downs) for over 4 years without it. What's changed to make it necessary now?

 

I am just inferring that the technicalities and organization are necessary to some degree for groups of all kinds. We have this to some (albeit a very small) degree. E.G. we have bylaws, votes, and officers. They just happen to be less official than other places. It was necessary at the time.

Like I said, this issue isn't something we need right now and it may never be. I hope it never really is. You said it, we've gotten along alright this long.

 

I agree with you there. But then why do we have elections for a City Rep/President?

Why the whole President position? Maybe Scott or Nathan can answer this question. You have a sound argument as to the "whole distant members posting on the boards should be allowed to choose their CR will be" argument. Thats a new point of view for me to think about. However...

Why do we have a President? What is his/her purpose then?

Where does FF lie? I have heard from Mods past that the forums should be a place to primarily hold discussions for live activities. That FF's purpose is to offer a way for Star Wars fans to meet in a formal public setting.

I will again say that this is an idea, a mere suggestion that will be debated (example: military service would exclude a member from FF meeting requirements) and weighed heavily upon until it's presented and voted upon. Notice that that I said voted upon? Those members that may be affected will still be able to vote on this and whoever is a member on 2006 will still be considered a member in 2007.

This is not one of the reasons why I want to be the CR/Pres, so I can decide or suggest who should be a member or not. My reason is to bring excitement and fun back into our FF. Because I feel like I can make a difference, a very positive and good differentce in our Fan Force. Not to get some power trip cause my name might have a cool looking highlight behind it.

 

When it comes to designating a CR/President, I believe it was because the Indy Knights' bylaws had all of these postions on their own. We combined many of the titles into pairs (Secretary/Treasurer etc.). First, we didn't need them. Second, if we had all the positions they had, everyone in the club would be an officer.

In the history of the club so far, officers really had less to do with leadership and titles than marginal responsibility. CR had to be a sorta mod and announce things. Secretary had to take notes. Everyone else was free to do whatever they want. At the very, very beginning I was the quasi-leader and organizer, but by the first real meeting other people were already planning and leading events. Does anyone remember the digital trip?

 

The digital trip (2002) was awesome!!!(We had good intentions but it never happened.) Not quite as good as the Imax event.(Indy, 2002) (Just Nathan and me.) Talk about breaking attendance records. We have had the "ups," too just as people have mentioned.

It won't be too long and we will get back to the business of being a group of friends that hangs out and has fun together. Obviously I'm talking about after the elections, but it should be this weekend at the Christmas party, too!!...and all other upcoming events.

 

I may nix the whole traditional X-Mas ham and make some Boba Fettucini for everyone.

 

Wow, for a moment, I though my bookmark had messed up and I got sent to a Star Trek Group! Just foolin. I'd love to be at more meetings, but between work and my oil painting "business", I'm pretty much never able.

Anyway, I think we should just get back to hanging out and talking Star Wars or whatever comes to mind. Otherwise, I feel the Dark Side coming to our club.

Peace,
Edric

 

Yoda_pimp and I were at the IMAX event as well! We went separately because we were staying in Indy for the weekend, but we met up at the movie.

 

That's right! I remember that now.