Post by Sharon Faulkner on Oct 9, 2005 18:32:20 GMT -5
National Speleological Society, Inc.
Board of Governors Meeting Agenda
Board of Governors Meeting Agenda
Agenda of the 201st Regular Meeting, Albany, NY
November 5, 2005, Monday, 9:00 A.M.
November 5, 2005, Monday, 9:00 A.M.
Roll Call, Proxies, and Introductions.
1. Approval of the July 2005 Board of Governors Meeting Minutes.
2. Officer Reports:
A. President (PRES)
B. Executive Vice President (EVP)
C. Administrative Vice President (AVP)
D. Operations Vice President (OVP)
E. Secretary-Treasurer (S-T)
3. Committee Reports:
2006 NSS National Convention (Bellingham, WA)
NEW BUSINESS
Appointments
4a) Internet Technology Committee
Rea moves: Josh Bailey ( 510-303-5287; josh@vandervecken.com ) is confirmed as the chairman of the Internet Technology Committee.
4b) National Cave Rescue Commission
Ormeroid moves: Timothy Comer,(45978RE) 837 FM 155, La Grange, TX 78945, Ph 979-247-3478, e-mail: tim@texasroperescue.com is confirmed as the South Central Region Coordinator of the National Cave Rescue Commission for the term ending at the regularly scheduled meeting of the NSS Board of Governors at the 2008 Convention.
Note: Tim Comer was placed in the position as an interim at the last meeting.
4C) NSS Nature Preserves Committee
Ormeroid moves: Buford Pruitt Jr. (NSS 17920RL) 4117NW 34th Place, Gainesville, FL 32606, Ph. 352-271-3203, e-mail bpruitt5@cox.net, is confirmed as Chairman of the NSS Nature Preserves Committee.
5) Discussion Board
Rea moves:
1. The NSS will maintain a Discussion Board in connection with its Web site.
2. The Discussion Board is a subcommittee under the Information Technology Committee with the following conditions:
a. The Administrator is appointed by and reports to the Operations Vice President.
b. The Discussion Board Budget is developed by the Administrator and the
Operations Vice President.
c. The Chairman of the Information Technology Committee is responsible
only for technical advice and software maintenance.
3. The Discussion Board Management Team will consist of the Operations Vice President, the Discussion Board Administrator, and the Administrator's assistants and moderators.
4. The Administrator is responsible for appointing assistant administrators or moderators as he sees fit.
5. The Administrator is responsible for establishing forums or subdivisions of the discussion board and may add, delete, or modify these forums as becomes necessary or desirable.
6. The Administrator and the Operations Vice President are responsible for establishing and enforcing "Terms of Service" the rules under which board will operate.
7. Any member of the Management Team may remove, edit, move, or lock any post that violates the Terms of Service.
8. The Administrator has the authority to ban any member who continues to violate the Terms of Service.
6) Legal Compliance:
P. Moss moves: The NSS shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Individual Officers are authorized to adjust NSS activities within their department to comply with this Act without additional Board approval, provided any single new compliance effort does not cost more than $2,500 in any fiscal year. Compliance efforts that exceed $2,500 in any fiscal year shall require an amendment of the budget prior to implementation. The Officer shall report such actions at the next Board meeting.
7) Exceeding Department Budgets:
P. Moss moves: Act 16-763 is amended. Officers are authorized to exceed their department’s budget by <<the lesser of>> 5% <<or $2,500>> during the fiscal year.
8) Policy on Recruitment Strategies
P. Moss moves: The President shall move the adoption of a policy on recruitment strategies pursuant to Act 72-757 no later than the Fall 2006 meeting.
Act 72-757 NSS Membership Strategies: Strategies to promote and advertise NSS Membership by any committee of the NSS in non-caving publications must be approved by the Board of Governors before implementation. The NSS reaffirms its commitment to follow Act 72-239.
Act 72-239 Recruitment: The NSS encourages the active recruitment ofnew members from among the non-NSS affiliated caving public by its Membership Committee and Internal Organizations, subject to the allowing constraints: (a) Membership recruitment practices shall at all times be consistent with the Society’s policies on cave conservation and caving safety, and (b) Membership recruitment practices which tend primarily to glorify and creat interest in caving as a sport shall be avoided.
9) NSS National Convention Registration and Fee Policy
Robertson moves: Appendix AO is amended as follows (amendment shown underlined in green):
NSS NATIONAL CONVENTION REGISTRATION and FEE POLICY
Except as noted below, everyone attending an NSS National Convention and participating in convention events must register and pay a fee in accordance with the extent of participation. Individuals attending for the entire week must pay the entire registration for the week. Individuals attending specific days shall pay the entire fee for that day or days. This includes all convention staff, paid contractors, and non-NSS volunteers. <<Nonresident aliens may register at NSS member rates. >>
Exceptions are as follows:
(1) NSS Office staff members register but do not pay a registration fee.
(2) Government officials, local dignitaries, members of the Steering Committee of the National Cave and Karst Management Symposium, local landowners, guest speakers, and others as determined by the Convention Chairman may receive complimentary day passes in accordance with Act 56-631.
(3) Paid contractors who do not participate in any convention activities do not have to register and do not pay a registration fee.
(4) Unpaid non-NSS volunteers (for example, off duty policeman, medical personnel, family members not otherwise involved in the NSS) who provide services that would otherwise be contracted out by the convention committee do not pay a registration fee. Such people cannot participate in any convention activity unless they pay for the activity. Convention committees are urged to use such people as little as possible and make maximum use of convention staff to perform these services.
(5) NSS members or other persons attending the NSS Board of Governors business meeting only, may attend at no cost. Such people cannot participate in any other convention activity unless they pay for the activity.
(6) Others as determined by the Convention Chairman and approved by the NSS Administrative Vice President.
10) Recess: Saturday P.M. (about 12:00)
Note: During this period there will be a closed meeting of the Directorate to elect the Secretary Treasurer. The meeting will last 1 to 2 hours.
11) Report of the Closed Session of the Directorate
12) Report of the Closed Session of the Board
13) Fall 2007 Board of Governors Meeting Bid
Tozer moves: The Fall, 2007 Board of Governors Meeting be held in St. Louis, MO following the National Cave and Karst Management Symposium.
14) Meeting Tape Recordings
Gary Moss moves: To amend Act 05-061 Tape Recordings.
05-061 Tape Recordings 2-4-56, 11-18-72, 3-20-82
Tape recordings of Board meetings should be retained in the Archives of the Society and copies may be circulated to members upon request. A preliminary set of minutes should be submitted to all Board members or proxies attending the meeting for their comments and corrections. Corrections are to be returned to the Recording Secretary within 15 days of forwarding of the minutes. A copy of all comments and corrections should be sent to the President.
05-061 Tape Recordings 2-4-56, 11-18-72, 3-20-82 <remove> <<add>>
<Tape> Recordings of Board meetings should be retained <<until the minutes are approved by the board. The recordings may only to be reviewed by the Board members or proxies, the persons responsible for developing the written minutes, and those responsible for making the recordings. >> <in the Archives of the Society and copies may be circulated to members upon request.> A preliminary set of minutes should be submitted to all Board members or proxies attending the meeting for their comments and corrections. Corrections are to be returned to the Recording Secretary within 15 days of forwarding of the minutes. A copy of all comments and corrections should be sent to the President. <<Following approval of the minutes by the NSS Board the recordings are to be destroyed.>>
Comments:
Currently we are destroying the recordings while out Acts call for them to be retained. I suspect this has been happening since the RASS Board meeting where a lawyer strongly recommended that we only retain the approved written minutes. This motion will allow us to discuss this issue and take appropriate action.
15) Policy for Referendum on NSS Ballots
Gary Moss Moves to amend paragraph 13 of appendix X "Policy For Conduct Of NSS Elections." Paragraph 13 is amended as follows:
13. When required, the President may put a bylaw <<or act>> referendum, along with a pro and a con position statement, on the ballot to be voted on. The same general procedures for the Director’s election shall apply to the bylaw <<or act>> referendum, except that the final results shall be given first to the President for action, then to all the other members of the Board.
Comments: This is a cleanup
Paragraph 13 was added to the appendix when the bylaws were amended to provide for a referendum to allow a bylaw change (Bylaw XII (A) (3)). The bylaws were since amended to provide for a referendum for an act (Bylaw IV (M)). Appendix X was never updated after that bylaw change.
Paragraph 7 of appendix states "7. The election material accompanying the ballots shall include nothing besides voting instructions, the biographical information and platform statements submitted by the candidates, and a list of the present directors, with their names and states of residence. The list of directors shall indicate which incumbents' seats are being filled by the election and which have terms that continue beyond the current year." Paragraph 13 provides in the acts the procedure and authority to override paragraph 7 and carry out the requirements of the bylaws.
16) Closed Session Policy
P. Moss moves: A closed session policy (Appendix AV) is adopted.
Appendix AV
Policy for Closed Sessions of the Board of Governors
This policy is intended to guide the Board and the membership about appropriate topics for discussion or voting in closed session. Additionally, it provides guidance on discussions of decisions made in closed session.
There are only five subjects that may be discussed in closed session:
1. Personnel issues concerning employees or volunteers.
2. Discussion involving the character and good name of NSS members, internal organizations, Projects, Activities, or committees.
3. Actual or potential litigation related to caves, the NSS, or associated persons or organizations.
4. Awards given by the NSS.
5. Plans and negotiations related to contracts, including, but not limited to, the acquisition of real or intellectual property.
Any Board member may reveal his own thoughts on closed session business the outcome of which has been announced or published. No Board member may reveal information about another Board member’s position or comments made in closed session. No Board member may discuss business the outcome of which has not been announced or published.
17) Headquarters Facilities Committee
Rea Moves: Act 26-563 Headquarters Facilities Committee is repealed.
Comment: "Act 26-563 Headquarters Facilities Committee: The Headquarters Facilities Committee is in the department of the Operations Vice-President to manage and maintain the facilities and real property at the NSS Headquarters." The Headquarters Facilities Committee was created to support the the NSS Office. Paid staff now take care of the office needs.
18) The Caving Innovation Award
Tozer Moves: The Caving Innovation Award shall be given to developers of cutting edge caving techniques and technologies.
Comment: The NSS does not have any awards that specifically reward contributions to caving techniques and technologies. Imagine vertical caving without Gibbs ascenders, rappel racks, or modern caving ropes. Imagine cave diving without underwater lights and side-mount configurations 2/3 air rule and deep cave diving without special gas mix decompression tables. These innovations have expanded the envelope of cave exploration and knowledge, but more importantly have made caving safer for us to enjoy. Caving innovators arguably are currently our unsung heroes. A Congress motion.
19) Open Discussion Period
Tozer moves: An open discussion is held for a period of time not to exceed ____ minutes.
20) Appreciation
Tozer moves: The Board of Governors expresses its appreciation to the Helderberg-Hudson Grotto for hosting our meeting and providing excellent meeting arrangements.
21) Adjournment: _______________ moves: The meeting is adjourned.