Board meeting reminder

[Ian Jackson]

Anthony Towns writes ("Board meeting reminder"):
> The next exciting installment of the December board meeting is due
> to take place in six hours. Will we get pre-prepared reports from the
> officers? Will the inactive board members step down or be pushed? Will
> we manage to meet quorum? These and other scintillating questions will
> be answered before your eyes, so tune in, same SPI time, same SPI channel.

Oh !  This is quite inconvenient for me - this is the first I've heard
about it (see my earlier message about falling off spi-board) and I
already had something booked for tonight.  I'll try to attend for at
least part of the meeting.

I don't have time go to and check the bylaws now, but it seems to me
that the membership ought to control SPI, not the board, so if the
membership want to recall board members a simple majority should
suffice.  Furthermore, board candidates should be directly elected and
not subject to board acceptance of their nominations.  I don't know
whether that's what the bylaws currently say.  But, if a meeting of
the members passes (with a simple majority) a resolution asking a
board member to resign I'm sure they would do so.

The problem with quoracy at board meetings seems to me to be mainly an
organisation problem with lack of timely and accurate reminders of the
meetings.  I think if we could get the cron job sorted so it would
send a couple of accurate reminders things would be a lot better.

Also, the meetings are far too long.  We need much better
organisation.  Complex resolutions should be drafted in advance by
email, not in the meeting itself, and the chair needs to be more
aggressive about moving on.  Also, with IRC, due to the inherent lag,
it is necessary to allow at least a couple of agenda items to
overlap.

Ian.