Minutes Board Meeting April 23rd, 2002

In attendance: Rick and Marcel

Draft policy reports are italicized.

1. It was agreed that Marcel would act as facilitator and minutes-keeper for all Board Meetings until Rick has finished his thesis, and that once Rick has finished his thesis, he and Marcel would alternate in these roles.


2. Consideration of riding (and fundraising) for the MS Bike Tour.

It was agreed that Marcel would do all preparation and fundraising for the MS Bike Tour and Rick, if anything, will do the actual bike tour only. Marcel was to look into registration, plan the collection of pledges, collect pledges, submit pledges and cycle the two day tour from Airdrie to Olds on June 8th and 9th 2002. Marcel hoped to raise $20,000.00 in pledges, potentially earning a $2000.00 gift certificate at the Bike Shop.

It was decided that we would not take part in the Becel Ride for Heart Tour on June 2nd, 2002.


3. Prioritization of research on HIV/AIDS, research on the cycling trip/possible routes, research on setting up the NGO, research on orphanages, research on and training of IT, and research on the possible participation in local events.

It was agreed that the · First priority would be research on the possible participation in local events, most specifically: the MS Bike Tour and events related to the G6B and the G8 Counter-Conference, including: what G8 related events we could participate in; when we would have to register in G8 related events by; what sort of material our info booth would present (how that material would relate to the focus of the NGO); and, whether or not we could find someone to help prepare material for our info booth. · Second priority would be researching setting-up the NGO, most specifically: what is involved in registering an NGO in Canada, and / or Alberta; whether or not it would be possible to have the NGO registered on time to participate at G8 related events with an info booth. · Third, fourth and fifth priorities would be, in no particular order, research on HIV/AIDS, the cycling trip/possible routes, and orphanages. · The sixth priority would be research on, and training of, IT.


4. Board Meeting Process

A meeting's facilitator: · Circulates a proposed agenda to all Board members at least 24 hours before the Board Meeting. · Brings a proposed agenda to each board meeting, composed of agenda items including those items being carried-over from the previous Board Meeting, and those based on that Board Meeting’s Proposed Agenda Items “Thread”, as it is posted on the Bulletin Board. · Brings hard copies of that Board Meeting’s Proposed Agenda Items “Thread” (as posted on the Bulletin Board since the previous Board Meeting. · Brings the Board Meeting Minutes / Proposed Agenda Items “Threads” Binder to Board Meetings for easy reference. · Facilitated the Board Meeting according to Formal Consensus, as outlined and posted on the organization’s website.

A meeting’s minutes-keeper: · Records the Board Meeting’s minutes, summarizing in adequate detail the discussion around each agenda item. · Produces and circulates that Board Meeting’s minutes. · Initiates the next Board Meeting’s Proposed Agenda Items “Thread” on the Bulletin Board, including mention of those items to be carried over and whether or not Policy and Amendment drafts are to be submitted for approval · Includes draft policy reports, and draft policy amendments, in the minutes (distinguished by italics) · Inserts a hard copy of a Board Meeting’s minutes into the Board Meeting Minutes / Proposed Agenda Items “Threads” Binder.

The organization’s policy reports are: · Formulated, amended and discarded during Board Meetings; · Included and circulated in draft form in Board Meetings’ minutes; · Approved or refined during subsequent Board Meetings, and; · Once approved, entered into the organization’s Policy Manual.

As amendments are produced, they are inserted into the policy manual in loose sleeve until the next time the manual is updated.

If a Board member disagrees with the wording of how a policy or amendment was drafted, s/he posts her or his concern in the Bulletin Board’s “thread” for the upcoming Board Meeting so the draft may be revisited at the meeting directly following that Board Meeting’s disagreement. If the draft or amendment is changed, it is re-circulated for approval by Board members at the next Board Meeting.

Once a drafted Policy or Amendment is approved by all attendees present at a Board Meeting, it is considered to be official organizational Policy until it is discarded or amended according to Board Meeting process.

Board Meeting agendas consist of the following format: i. Recognition of attendees ii. Request for new agenda items which were not posted on the Bulletin Board iii. Discussion of and agreement on agenda item prioritization and item time allocation, giving prioritization to items posted on the Bulletin Board unless a new item is agreed upon as being of special importance iv. Addressing of as many items as possible in time allocated to the overall meeting, including the decision of what should become a draft policy report or a draft policy amendment, and noting Formal Consensus blocks, stand asides, and consensual agreements. v. Agreeing on who will be the next meeting’s facilitator and minutes-keeper vi. Agreeing on the date and time of the next meeting vii. General reflection on the mood and efficiency of the Board Meeting


If a Board member wishes to challenge an organizational Policy, an Amendment, a drafted Policy or Amendment, or would like to propose a Board Meeting agenda item but cannot attend the upcoming Board Meeting, they may submit a written proposal for attendees to consider.

A Board member can propose an agenda item for a Board Meeting by “answering” the “question” of the Proposed Agenda Items “Thread” posted on the Bulletin Board. S/he may also edit their own “answers” to add notes about why s/he wants to cover that issue, so long as the answer does not pre-date the previous board meeting and so long as s/he has password access to editing “answers”.

5. Differentiation of contacts and links, and the determination of how each should be archived

It was decided that contacts are only those identities who have actually been contacted by the organization, whereas, a link is considered to be any information electronically archived for future reference. A link may include contact information for potential so-defined contacts. Contacts are eventually to be entered into a database.

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2002