Tim:
After reading your note, Tim Liley's and Dee's, I'd like to comment on your e-mail.
The July/August 2009 issue of the AMSAT Journal does contain the minutes of the 2008 Board Meeting in Atlanta. Our editor, Ed Long is finalizing the issue and it should be to the printer in the very near future. While the minutes provide a summary of the BOD actions taken in October 2008, we've already publicized key actions and steps taken in previous distribution of information. Further, much has happened in the past 10 months, so while the minutes may be interesting to review, please keep in mind that the minutes do not reflect the current status of the organization.
There are no other formal 'meeting minutes' or 'committee minutes' to be published. No 'official meetings' where the BOD has taken official votes or made decisions that require documentation have taken place since the 2008 AMSAT Symposium. The BOD (including the Board Alternate) does meet informally each month to be briefed on the status of activities of the corporation. For example, I have kept the Board fully informed of the status of our actions on ITAR. However, minutes are not kept since no votes have been taken. This same information is later provided in ANS bulletins or in my 'Apogee View' column published in the AMSAT Journal. BTW, these teleconferences now include the two individuals running for the Board for the first time since it is clear that the entire slate of five candidates will end up being elected to the Board or serve as the next Board Alternate. By including these individuals in the current BOD teleconference, they will be more fully prepared to assume their new duties in September following announcement of election results.
Likewise, there are monthly teleconferences of the senior leadership team, but no minutes are kept because these are tactical meetings. The Engineering Task Force meets regularly but no minutes are formally taken. Keep in mind that this group was appointed by the President, not the Board. Engineering Task Force Chair Bill Ress, N6GHZ has published material in the AMSAT Journal regarding activities of the Task Force.
Please keep in mind that AMSAT has widely distributed information on the state of the organization through a variety of means. If you want to review AMSAT's situation and evaluate the actions of various individuals before making a decision on the Board, you might:
-Read the candidate's statements -Review the articles in the past year of AMSAT Journal, including Apogee View, articles on SuitSat-2 and ITAR, etc. -Review past ANS bulletins which have provided information on AMSAT activities/accomplishments -Review the videos available on the AMSAT Website of the various AMSAT presentations given at Dayton. These presentations provide complete coverage of the current status of AMSAT as of Dayton, the status of SuitSat-2, ARISS, and operations. Go to: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/information/videoNews.php
Lastly, the entire AMSAT leadership, including the current board members and prospective board members, is available to answer member questions or address concerns. The-mail addresses of the current leadership team are listed on the masthead of the AMSAT Journal. The AMSAT website 'officers page' provides a mechanism for sending comments to specific board members and officers. The candidate's statement that I wrote for this year's BOD election includes my AMSAT alias e-mail address. There are no restrictions on individuals contacting our volunteers in leadership positions. Note that two of the five candidates are current BOD members, two of BOD candidates have not previously served on the Board, plus one additional individual is the current Board Alternate. All of these candidates can be contacted by their AMSAT e-mail aliases as well.
Regards,
Barry Baines, WD4ASW President-AMSAT
On Aug 27, 2009, at 4:40 PM, Timothy J. Salo wrote:
Hi,
I still haven't returned my ballot for the AMSAT Board of Directors election, in part because I don't feel that I have really good information on which to make a decision. I would like to vote for a Board that will be effective and strengthen the organization. It is particularly important to select the best possible board because, in my view, AMSAT is an organization in serious trouble. But, I would prefer to base my vote on the recent accomplishments, recent positions during board meetings, and explicit near-term objectives of the candidates. I would prefer to not simply use a blunt strategy of voting against all incumbents and for all challengers. Unfortunately, I don't feel that I really know much about the activities of the individual board members.
To remedy this, I suggest that the close of the BoD elections be postponed until at least thirty days after the following have been published:
o A list of all Board meetings held over the last year o Minutes from all of these Board meetings o Minutes from all AMSAT committee meetings of the last year
We can certainly have a discussion about the appropriate level of transparency for the Board and its committees, and whether the Board is meeting those objectives. Here is what the D.C. statutes under which AMSAT is incorporated have to say on the matter:
Each corporation shall keep correct and complete books and records of account and shall keep minutes of the proceedings of its members, board of directors, and committees having any of the authority of the board of directors; ... All books and records of a corporation may be inspected by any member having voting rights, or his agent or attorney, for any proper purpose at any reasonable time.
-tjs
Barry ...interesting statement
this caught my eye
"
There are no other formal 'meeting minutes' or 'committee minutes' to be published. No 'official meetings' where the BOD has taken official votes or made decisions that require documentation have taken place since the 2008 AMSAT Symposium"
so there are no official actions or votes of the directors, the BOD as a whole after the Amsat Symposium?
Robert WB5MZO
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I am not speaking for Barry, but as a Board member and an Officer.
This business of nit-picking and taking things out of context is not productive. Certainly not of my time.
The Board can vote at any meeting or teleconference with the appropriate number of members present. The Board strategizes and directs and the Officers implement. There has not been a need for the Board to vote on anything. The Board has guided and directed the Officers to do many things over the last year. These have all been reported to the membership as tasks undertaken.
We have a Board teleconference and an Officers' teleconference each month to keep other Board members and Officers appraised of ongoing actions. Barry reports these activities in his AMSAT Apogee View column in every Journal, and appropriate actions are presented in the ANS each week by Board members and Officers. The Journal also carries articles with more in depth information about these activities.
If you want things to improve, the best way is to help the Officers implement their tasks.
I get a number of people that volunteer to do things, but few actually complete their tasks. As it says in the Help Wanted ad in the Journal - "pick an area that you think needs improvement and explain what you will do to make it better. Then do something (with that activity) to show that you can follow through."
73, Gould, WA4SXM
----- Original Message ----- From: "Rocky Jones" [email protected] To: [email protected]; [email protected] Cc: [email protected]; "Amsat BB" [email protected] Sent: Friday, August 28, 2009 1:10 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: BoD Elections
Barry ...interesting statement
this caught my eye
"
There are no other formal 'meeting minutes' or 'committee minutes' to be published. No 'official meetings' where the BOD has taken official votes or made decisions that require documentation have taken place since the 2008 AMSAT Symposium"
so there are no official actions or votes of the directors, the BOD as a whole after the Amsat Symposium?
Robert WB5MZO
Windows Live: Keep your friends up to date with what you do online. http://windowslive.com/Campaign/SocialNetworking?ocid=PID23285::T:WLMTAGL:ON... _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Gould
thanks for your reply (I guess it was to me since you quoted my post)
This business of nit-picking and taking things out of context is not productive. Certainly not of my time.
my " BS" detector goes up when someone starts like that and then proceeds into a long sort of explanation anyway. It is an attempt to legitimize the question before you answer it. And it is one reason AMSAT NA is in trouble. I made a statement that you felt you needed to answer...but you also needed to take a cheap shot.
You folks are "so busy" wow. must be one of those 16 hour people (and yes that is sarcastic)
anyrate this caught my eye.
The Board can vote at any meeting or teleconference with the appropriate number of members present. The Board strategizes and directs and the Officers implement. There has not been a need for the Board to vote on anything. The Board has guided and directed the Officers to do many things over the last year. These have all been reported to the membership as tasks undertaken.
did you run this past a lawyer? What you have just admitted to is making substantive decisions by the board and other operations folks at Amsat, which doubtless include spending money...without any recorded vote or any ability to view the individual board member stand or any valid record of it that can be seen by the "members" of the organization. And NO what you claim is reporting to the membership through an infrequent magazine...wont do it.
Indeed you just admitted to doing what the person who started this thread was concerned about.
I dont know about the District of Columbia, but if AMSAT were a Texas organization (and Amsat is much like the community association I headed in how it is organized) then you have just admitted to a violation of law.
I am not a lawyer nor do I play one on TV, but the organization desperately needs one.
Robert WB5MZO Life member Amsat NA
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On Fri, 2009-08-28 at 17:50 -0500, Rocky Jones wrote:
I dont know about the District of Columbia, but if AMSAT were a Texas organization (and Amsat is much like the community association I headed in how it is organized) then you have just admitted to a violation of law.
I am not a lawyer nor do I play one on TV, but the organization desperately needs one.
Robert WB5MZO Life member Amsat NA
ARE you saying then that you are willing to step up and HELP out then?
This is to ALL those that have made comments during this and the other thread: May I ask what you have done FOR AMSAT or the Satellite community in the past few years that HELPS out with a launch, building a satellite (even a board of it), put forward the means to start a dialogue that MIGHT get a launch in the near future?
IF not, then PLEASE shut up and let the BoD do what they can with the help that is left after this latest of shouting matches.
James W8ISS
Rocky, I'm the current Board Alternate and one who is also involved with AMSAT in a few other "volunteer" capacities.
While I could take issue with you on several statements you've made, that would not help to bring the needed conclusion to the dialog you've raised. Also, I don't have a background that could determine if you indeed have some legitimate concerns.
It appears, to me anyway, that you feel there is a lack of "transparency" at AMSAT through what you perceive as a possible lack of proper reporting procedures, namely the keeping and dissemination of the minutes of various AMSAT activities. Perhaps we can resolve this issue as follows...
At the upcoming October Board meeting, I will propose that a motion be entered requesting the Board seek legal counsel to determine the proper reporting requirements and procedures needed to satisfy the conditions of its bylaws and articles of incorporation and report the findings back to the membership.
Further, to save the added cost burden to AMSAT for this legal finding, I would hope that a "legally qualified" member can provide these services "pro bono."
I do hope that is the objective you seek. If not, then I have missed the point of your posts.
Regards...Bill - N6GHz
every year we go through the same questions, the same answers and the same belly aching. this year we have progressed one more step... its illegal. geesh.
i am interested in knowing if you have posted a message about the bod if you are a paid up member of amsat or a life member.
i manage the awards for amsat. i do not want to submit invoices to amsat for board approval. so i purchase all the envelopes and stiffners myself. i pay for all the ink that i print them with and i pay for all the postage to mail the certificates out. i spend about $150-$200 a year for this. it makes everyone happy and i don't have to mess with paperwork. no one knew this until i just posted it. i don't need a tax write off.
now, what are you doing to help the organization?
73...bruce - life member of amsat
Sent from my iPhone
now, what are you doing to help the organization?
I'm going to enjoy helping AMSAT where ever I can despite voices on the internet telling me how immoral or how illegal it might be.
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM [email protected]
JoAnne Maenpaa wrote:
now, what are you doing to help the organization?
I'm going to enjoy helping AMSAT where ever I can despite voices on the internet telling me how immoral or how illegal it might be.
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM [email protected]
Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
I agree with JoAnne. I will continue to help AMSAT where ever I can. If folks do not agree with the organization then attend a BOD mtg or address your concerns directly to the BOD.
Lets get back to some constructive, educational and informative threads on the bbs.
Robert:
The last Board of Directors meeting took place in October 2008. Since then, there hasn't been a board meeting.
Please keep in mind that the purpose of the Board of Directors (BOD) is to set the strategic direction of the corporation, elect the senior officers (President, Executive Vice President, Treasurer, Corporate Secretary, VP-Engineering, VP-Operations, and Manager.) and to approve the budget. The Bylaws requires one meeting per year in person and per Article III Section 5 of the Bylaws, the board meets as soon as practicable after the election results are announced. Traditionally, this meeting takes place in conjunction with the AMSAT Symposium. That meeting typically lasts from 0800-2100 on Day 1 and 0800-1200 on Day 2 (with time off for lunch and dinner). It is an intensive two-day meeting. This meeting is open to all unless there is a need for a portion of the board meeting to be conducted in closed session to discuss personal evaluation of our paid employee and salary matters, or if there are matters of a confidential nature.
In the past, the number of board meetings per year has varied. In some years it has been only one time, such as in 2008 and in 2009. In other years, there have been two in-person meetings with the second meeting in the Spring if there are compelling reasons to spend AMSAT $$ $ on travel and lodging. For example, the Board met in February 2004 in Orlando for two days to develop the Strategic Plan.
In other years, there have been multiple board meetings via teleconference when specific items must be approved. For example, between November 2006 and July 2007 five different board meetings took place via teleconference when the Board voted on the MOU with University of Maryland-Eastern Shore to establish the clean room in Maryland, a vote was taken to file a FCC petition, approve a revised budget, evaluate a fund raising initiative, etc. The minutes of those particular meetings were printed in the November/December 2007 issue of the AMSAT Journal.
Consequently, the BOD meets in session when formal decisions must be made by the Board. Day-to-day management of the corporation based upon the strategic direction set by the Board of Directors is executed by the President and the senior officers elected by the Board. Those officers (including the President) are elected for one-year terms and serve at the pleasure of the Board. Each new Board that convenes in the Fall elects a slate of senior officers, including the President.
I trust I've answered your question.
Regards,
Barry Baines, WD4ASW President-AMSAT
On Aug 28, 2009, at 1:10 PM, Rocky Jones wrote:
Barry ...interesting statement
this caught my eye
"
There are no other formal 'meeting minutes' or 'committee minutes' to be published. No 'official meetings' where the BOD has taken official votes or made decisions that require documentation have taken place since the 2008 AMSAT Symposium"
so there are no official actions or votes of the directors, the BOD as a whole after the Amsat Symposium?
Robert WB5MZO
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participants (8)
-
Barry A. Baines -
Bill Ress -
Bruce -
Dale Hershberger -
Gould Smith -
JoAnne Maenpaa -
Rocky Jones -
w8iss