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If you are interested in the next board meeting

C

Choice Woods

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I called Tom Wirsing today to see about setting in on the next board meeting which happens to be a teleconference board meeting. The next board meeting is at 6:00pm CDT on the 8th of September.

You can e-mail Inquiries@woodturner.org and get the procedure and a pin number so that you can listen (only) to what the board members are saying. The agenda is on the web.

According to Tom Wirsing you can e-mail him with any subject you would like for him to put into the agenda.
 
Clay . . .
Thank you for passing along this information. I emailed President Wirsing and asked him for the procedure and a pin.

Communication builds trust! (even though the communication is with us only being able to listen in) ;)
 
Al Stramiello said:
Clay . . .
Thank you for passing along this information. I emailed President Wirsing and asked him for the procedure and a pin.

Communication builds trust! (even though the communication is with us only being able to listen in) ;)
Click to expand...

I would like to nominate Al Stramiello for a seat on the BoD! :eek:

I think you'd do a great job and well represent a larg (er?) cross section of the membership... YES, I'm serious.
 
I'm going to be on the call (not speaking, of course), and I'll be fascinated to find out how many members actually tune in, how many drop off after the prior meetings' minutes are voted on, and how many are left after Item 2(b) on the Agenda is completed.
 
Mark Mandell said:
Okay, Stu, I deleted all my posts. Now it's your and George's turn.
Click to expand...

This is funny and sad at the same time:
I suffered a two week ban because someone partially quoted me then made an impolite, unreasonable post about what I had said. Posts that gave context to what I originally said were deleted and I was left to try and resolve the issue on my own (kind of like you, now). I didn't handle it to the mods satisfaction, although I honestly tried to do it right...

As far as I know, that post is still wagging, in spite of having ORIGINALLY requested that it be removed and getting no acknowledgment or response (before I posted a response)...
I'll delete it in fairness, but I wanted the circumstances out there
 
excepted?

Has anyone received a reply back from the BoD to listen in to the Sept. 8, board meeting?

I sent in my request.

I'll also be suggesting some ideas for the agenda that are appropriate and respectful in the next few days.

Curtis Thompson
AAW member # 15049
 
Anyone have any idea of what the scheduled agenda is? No point in any of us wasting our time if they are not discussing anything of importance.
 
Curtis Thompson said:
Has anyone received a reply back from the BoD to listen in to the Sept. 8, board meeting?

I sent in my request.

I'll also be suggesting some ideas for the agenda that are appropriate and respectful in the next few days.

Curtis Thompson
AAW member # 15049
Click to expand...

I sent a request on Monday, August 30, 2010 8:25 PM and have not heard back yet. Maybe they will send them all out at one time but it would be nice if they acknowledged the request and tell you their working on it.
 
meeting agenda

Curtis,
Did you send your request to Inquiries@woodturner.org?
Click to expand...

Nick,
Yes I did use the link and if I don't hear back today I'll probably send the same message to Tom Wirsing personally. I'll wait and give him time to respond.

I'm also working on some of the agenda items I'd like to see brought out in the open. If I don't get excepted as a meeting listener, then I'll post my suggestions here for the forum to discuss. But not until then.

Curtis Thompson
 
Curtis Thompson said:
I'm also working on some of the agenda items I'd like to see brought out in the open. If I don't get excepted as a meeting listener, then I'll post my suggestions here for the forum to discuss. But not until then.
Click to expand...

Curtis,

Not to intrude, but I'm curious as to why you wouldn't post your suggestions beforehand. Perhaps others here, after reading them might reinforce your suggestions with "me too" messages to the Board. Might also avoid duplication of effort by others raising the same things in different ways. Seems to me that if a number of people asked for the same issue to be put on the meeting's agenda, you might stand a better chance of getting it included.
 
thinking on it

Thanks Mark,

I'll think on it.

I don't really like taking advice from an attorney that I'm not paying for, but maybe you're just an AAW member suggesting this and out of the counselor mode.:D

Curtis
 
Before you guys get yourself worked up into a lather, there is no official word on this Board meeting phone-in deal. I’ll look into it, but until you see something on the homepage - it's speculation.
 
Ed Davidson said:
Before you guys get yourself worked up into a lather, there is no official word on this Board meeting phone-in deal. I’ll look into it, but until you see something on the homepage - it's speculation.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I wonder how these rumors get started, but then get presented, not as rumors, but rather as "done deals." Seems like some fact checking could help prevent the lathering. Thanks for looking into this, Ed.
 
Mark Mandell said:
Interesting. I wonder how these rumors get started, but then get presented, not as rumors, but rather as "done deals." Seems like some fact checking could help prevent the lathering. Thanks for looking into this, Ed.
Click to expand...

I knew I should have checked it out on snopes before requesting a pin number. Oh well. :D
 
Captain Midnight Secret Decoder!

My Captain Midnight Secret Decoder just arrived! Well, actually it was just an email. But, it does explain the procedure for accessing the BOD conference call.

Thanks to Linda Ferber for sending it.
 
I was

also sent 2 e-mails with info on getting the pin #. 350 listeners will be allowed in,first come, first served, so do not be surprised if it is not available. They need to do a web ex and it is endless, IF they want to allow members (all who are interested) to listen in. so it won't be amazing if only 350 people are there as Mark suggested. Not the exact number, but the implication is there. There will be no way to tell how many members are on line, but the idea that now it is known and open might bring a little more openess to these affairs.
 
Thanks for the info on where the agenda is, I only look there about once a week.

With a 350 limit, I will let someone else have my spot. I am on the road for another week and then off on a couple of hunting trips.
 
Got to be a better more open way

12,000 members, 350 allowed - 2.91% allowed. Does not sound like the best way to allow all the members that want to hear access. I am sure someone with more internet knowledge would have a way any and all could listen into the meeting.
 
Good news

I received this e-mail today upon my return from work.

Actually I received two replies, one from Linda and one from Jane.

Dear Curtis,

This email is to confirm that we received your request to listen in on the next AAW board of directors teleconference meeting, which will be on Wednesday, September 8, 2010.
The conference call will begin promptly at 6:00 pm Central Daylight Time.

The procedure will be:

At 5:30 pm Central Daylight Time, the AAW national office will email those members who have indicated their request to listen in to the call the following:
The 1-800 toll-free number to call
The participant pin # to enter in order to be connected to the call
IMPORTANT:
The conference call service will be active and ready for you to dial in beginning at 5:55 pm.
The board teleconference will begin promptly at 6:00 pm Central Daylight Time on Wednesday, September 8, 2010.
The teleconference service we use has a maximum of 350 people able to be connected to each call.
People will be connected on a first come, first served basis as they dial in to listen.

Linda Ferber
American Association of Woodturners
222 Landmark Center
75 West 5th Street
St Paul, MN 55102
651-484-9094
linda@woodturner.org
Click to expand...
 
Conference call with 350 nodes from wherever does seem to be a rather expensive way to do this. A webcast audio is next to free to do. Perhaps next time, although I wouldn't be surprised that the novelty will wear off rather quickly. Last "board" meeting I attended was incredibly boring with committee heads droning on about year-over-year savings on paperclips. [no, not anything to do with the AAW]
 
Mark Mandell said:
Conference call with 350 nodes from wherever does seem to be a rather expensive way to do this. A webcast audio is next to free to do. Perhaps next time, although I wouldn't be surprised that the novelty will wear off rather quickly. Last "board" meeting I attended was incredibly boring with committee heads droning on about year-over-year savings on paperclips. [no, not anything to do with the AAW]
Click to expand...

I think it's important to note that this is the 1st time the AAW has ever done anything like this, so I expect* they went with their current provider rather than invest the time and money necessary to come up with another system that might be better suited for allowing members to listen in. Until the board has some sense of how many members want to listen in to each board meeting, it will be hard to determine which approach is best.

The board should be applauded for taking this step. Over the last couple of years, the board has taken a number of steps to increase openness and transparency -- starting with posting board minutes to the website after the minutes have been read and approved. Now the board is posting its agenda in advance of the meeting and is making arrangements for members to listen in to the meeting. These are all steps in the right direction and ones that should be encouraged.

*I say "expect" because I don't have any inside information. I'm just guessing as to why they've settled on this approach for this meeting.
 
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davidwalser said:
These are all steps in the right direction and ones that should be encouraged.
Click to expand...

David, I'm all "for" it, but I also anticipate that a great many members will either not bother or, having listened in once, will loose interest in rather short order. I appreciate the intent, just concerned about the cost in the long run.

As mentioned in this thread and way-back-when we were all preparing to go to the "Maulin' in St. Paul", the idea of a webcast was raised as the cheap means to have members participate at least as an audience. Since I understand Kurt Herzog is very computer-literate, I'm guessing this was considered.
 
Mark Mandell said:
David, I'm all "for" it, but I also anticipate that a great many members will either not bother or, having listened in once, will loose interest in rather short order. I appreciate the intent, just concerned about the cost in the long run.

As mentioned in this thread and way-back-when we were all preparing to go to the "Maulin' in St. Paul", the idea of a webcast was raised as the cheap means to have members participate at least as an audience. Since I understand Kurt Herzog is very computer-literate, I'm guessing this was considered.
Click to expand...

If we cannot participate, other than "listening in", then wouldn't the most cost effective method be to just make it a podcast?
 
Just curious...

How many of you guys who want to listen in to the AAW board meeting spend any time in front of the TV watching CSpan? The stakes are much higher in the real world, so I would hope that a relatively higher level of attention would be spent in monitoring how our tax dollars are spent.

Similar question with regards to the local school board, city council, state legislatures, etc. I'm trying to figure out why it is so important for AAW members to be virtually present at a board meeting. As I said in the title - I'm just curious.
 
AndiWolfe said:
How many of you guys who want to listen in to the AAW board meeting spend any time in front of the TV watching CSpan? The stakes are much higher in the real world, so I would hope that a relatively higher level of attention would be spent in monitoring how our tax dollars are spent.

Similar question with regards to the local school board, city council, state legislatures, etc. I'm trying to figure out why it is so important for AAW members to be virtually present at a board meeting. As I said in the title - I'm just curious.
Click to expand...

Andi,

Obviously I cannot see what's in anyone's heart, but my sense is the membership wants to know that they can see and understand what the board's doing, not that they plan on using that ability on a regular basis. Speaking only for myself, it would upset me greatly if the local city council were to close its meetings to the public. That doesn't mean I've ever attended a council meeting or ever plan on attending. I just like knowing that I could if something were on the agenda that hit particularly close to home.
 
I thought it was standard practice

AndiWolfe said:
How many of you guys who want to listen in to the AAW board meeting spend any time in front of the TV watching CSpan? The stakes are much higher in the real world, so I would hope that a relatively higher level of attention would be spent in monitoring how our tax dollars are spent.

Similar question with regards to the local school board, city council, state legislatures, etc. I'm trying to figure out why it is so important for AAW members to be virtually present at a board meeting. As I said in the title - I'm just curious.
Click to expand...

Andi:
While I am not a By-laws expert, I thought that historically all AAW board meetings were considered open to members, if they chose to attend. I believe that is why there has always been a prior notification requirement for board meetings. The phone access is just a "new era" modification.

I can think of lots of reasons why members might want to observe - it is no different than the local town board meetings and their many interested attendees. One thing for certain, having a "stranger" in the room tends to improve dramatically the business like nature of a meeting and ensures By-law adherence. University trustee meetings, I am sure, have the occasional faculty representative in the balcony:)
Jerry
 
Cspan????

Andi

Just because someone may not watch CSPAN doesn't mean that they shouldn't listen in on our elected board members. I understand what you are trying to compare, but it is our right to do so.

Not all of us have a contact that tells us what really happens in these board meetings and if nothing else, we (the members) need to know how our elected officials conduct themselves if nothing else.

Plus now we can actually hear who said what instead of hear say. We can also hold them accountable, or praise them if they ever have good ideas.

Clay
 
Ed Davidson said:
Before you guys get yourself worked up into a lather, there is no official word on this Board meeting phone-in deal. I’ll look into it, but until you see something on the homepage - it's speculation.
Click to expand...


Ed,
It was posted on the website that it a "telephonic" board meeting. So I spoke with Tom Wirsing and he said this was a phone conference board meeting and that any AAW member could listen in.
Clay
 
Choice Woods said:
Ed,
It was posted on the website that it a "telephonic" board meeting. So I spoke with Tom Wirsing and he said this was a phone conference board meeting and that any AAW member could listen in.
Clay
Click to expand...

Clay,

Yes, I understand - it's just that Tom wasn't expecting his private conversations to be made public (silly him :rolleyes:), as the membership phone-in options and specific processes are still being evaluated by St Paul. Please stand by for a formal announcement.
 
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Ed

Are you saying that Tom didn't want other members to listen in on the board meeting? He never said anything about that.
Clay
 
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Choice Woods said:
Ed

Are you saying that Tom didn't want other members to listen in to the board meeting...just me?
Clay
Click to expand...

Clay,

Uhhh - no...

What I'm saying is that if there is a plan for a membership phone-in, it is not yet fully baked, and that it would be best to keep the speculation off this forum until specifics are available - which I will announce on the homepage as soon as the details are worked out.
 
In addition Ed

I am a little "corn fused" (confused ) What formal announcement, and about what? I new about being able to listen into board meetings for a couple of months. It was not a secret. I was just denied being able to because all the other meetings were about the firing of Mary.

Clay
 
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