RADIO FREE USGENWEB....broadcasting live from pirate satellite! The following information represents summarized information from the minutes of the Advisory Board of the USGenWeb Project, obtained from the publicly available archives at Rootsweb. The original messages are no longer available at that site, and I have been placed under a threat of lawsuit if I post them. Thus they are here summarized for your information; all quotations from the original material are clearly marked and fall under the fair use' provision of U.S. Copyright law. If you want to see the originals, petition the Board for them. Message ID numbers have been provided to make this easier for you. Material in brackets constitutes editorial comments. All the following material represents the personal opinion of this author, based on my understanding of events and on the original material. As always, there are two sides to every coin, and if anyone wishes to clarify or rebut anything below, I will be happy to post it. 13 DECEMBER 1998 Highlights: Replacing a Board member; a letter from a lawyer; messages from members, a new NC? +++++++ Bob Bamford posts a message to the group regarding Motion 98-12 [to accept Holly Timm's resignation and add her position to the upcoming election. Ed.]. He points out that the motion technically limits notification to those that ran for the position in the previous election. It should simply state that the position be added to the ballot by the election committee, in which case the nominating committee would announce the opening." He also states that in his humble opinion, not filling the position is a given with the time frame involved. [The motion as posted on the Members Votes page does not included any wording as to how the position would be filled; only that it would be added to the upcoming election. Ed.] (Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 05:34:11 -0500; From: Bob Bamford ; Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19981213053411.007d2cf0@citrus.infi.net>; Subject: Re: [Board-Exec-L] Motion 98-12) Kim, the Board member who posted the original motion 98-12 posts that her original intention was to specifically notify those who ran for the position in the previous election, but not to limit notification to those people. She then says, "If this is indeed how the motion is to be interpreted as read, then I withdraw it, or if I could just amend it to say specifically notify those who previously ran, as well as the appropriate lists." (Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 02:13:01 -0500; From: ; Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19971213021301.00999a20@mail.eznet.net>; Subject: Re: [Board-Exec-L] Motion 98-12) Kay Mason points out that the Board could do as it did previously with the vacant SW/SC position and appoint the next highest vote getters to the Board temporarily. According to her, "That would be Gary Martens in NW/Plains and Betty Sellers who tied with Yvonne (and is still hot about my little neighbor Nicholas drawing names).. Also, I guess since Holly was a two year rep, the one we elect will be too." She then provides a list of results from the previous election: Carolyn Switzer 20 John G. West 40 Holly Timm 54 Two Year Term Bill Utterback 20 Shari Handley 32 Yvonne James-Henderson** 44 One Year Term Kim Slaughter 14 Ken Hollingsworth 35 Betty Sellers 44** (Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 17:00:18 -0800; From: "Kay Mason" ; Message-Id: <199812140103.RAA20266@mail>; Subject: Re: [Board-Exec-L] temporary reps) Kay asks if the reason that some of the Board members don't want to fill Debbie's and Holly's positions is that they think the election will begin on January 1. She notes that the election is going to start on Jan 15 and run through Jan 30, and "there is NO way that we will be ready before that." (Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 11:10:31 -0800; From: "Kay Mason" ; Message-Id: <199812131913.LAA27386@mail>; Subject: Re: [Board-Exec-L] Motion 98-12) Trey agrees with Kay on this subject: "I think that perhaps we are not realizing that these positions will not be actually filled until the end of January and maybe early February if it is decided that runoffs are necessary." He thinks that probably the representatives in the affected regions should suggest temporary Board member appointments and then the Board will vote on them before they break for the holidays or immediately after returning from the break. (Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 15:49:58 -0600; From: Trey Holt ; Message-Id: <3.0.3.32.19981213154958.019e0a50@txcyber.com>; Subject: [Board-Exec-L] temporary reps) Trey posts a message to Kim that for the sake of clarity she might want to withdraw her motion regarding Holly's resignation and resubmit it using wording similar to that used for the motion to accept Debbie Wafford's resignation. (Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 15:45:10 -0600; From: Trey Holt ; Message-Id: <3.0.3.32.19981213154510.01920340@txcyber.com>; Subject: Re: [Board-Exec-L] Motion 98-12) Bob Bamford posts the "Debbie motion" to assist Kim. This motion reads: "I move to accept Debbie Wafford's resignation and to include the Northwest/Plains CC Rep. position in the upcoming election." [This is essentially the wording that was eventually voted on the by the Board. Ed.] (Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 15:02:16 -0500; From: Bob Bamford ; Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19981213150216.007b58b0@citrus.infi.net>; Subject: Re: [Board-Exec-L] Motion 98-12) Kim withdraws Motion 98-12 and leaves it open for someone else to make a new motion. (Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 17:07:37 -0500; From: ; Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19981213170737.00856e70@mail.eznet.net>; Subject: Re: [Board-Exec-L] Motion 98-12) Bob posts that the subject motion [Motion 98-12. Ed.] has been withdrawn. (Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 19:28:00 -0500; From: Bob Bamford ; Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19981213192800.007dfde0@citrus.infi.net>; Subject: Re: [Board-Exec-L] Motion 98-12) Bob posts to remind the group that somone needs to get a reworded Motion 98-12 onto the floor and seconded. (Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 19:31:58 -0500; From: Bob Bamford ; Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19981213193158.007d5da0@citrus.infi.net>; Subject: Re: [Board-Exec-L] Motion 98-12) Kim says that she thinks appointing the next highest vote getters from the last election to the vacant positions is the way to proceed, but she wonders, "if the idea of advancing the present rep into the 2 year position, and opening the 1 year position is something to consider." Then she states, "Also, I would like to see someone from the board consider accepting a nomination for NC... As a board, we work together very well, and perhaps we should consider this idea." She has already asked Bob Bamford, but he apparently values his sanity too much to run for NC. [in only a week or so Bob Bamford resigned his temporary NC position and his Board seat. Ed.] (Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 21:09:43 -0500; From: ; Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19981213210943.008a5100@mail.eznet.net>; Subject: Re: [Board-Exec-L] temporary reps) Yvonne posts a message to Bob that was forwarded to her from Megan [Zurawicz, former NC, and currently (Feb 1999) a Board member. Ed.]. It is from an attorney and genealogist in the Spokane, WA area who had just read the "recent events" portion of the web page. [This concerns the formation of USGenWeb, Inc. Ed.] He is of the opinion that the USGW Project is in immediate need of competent counsel "to advise the board on the legal merit of their position and options." He suggests, "that you and the board take decisive action to become informed about your legal options so that an appropriate course of action can be taken" to protect the work of the volunteers. [So far as I know, the Board never did anything with this offer. Must have been tempting though. Ed.] (Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 20:32:47 -0500; From: Yvonne James-Henderson ; Message-ID: <36746ABF.AC1F7B3E@idt.net>; Subject: [Board-Exec-L] USGenWeb) Kim forwards a message from one of her fellow project members that was forwarded to one of her state lists. The message states, "Just thought I'd pass on the url where you can view some of the happenings with our USGenWeb Board. http://www.radix.net/~merope/". Kim says that "rather than respond to her there, I am venting her. Thanks." Her response to the post is "Yep, we're plotting to take over the world..." (Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 21:22:41 -0500; From: ; Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19981213212241.00853100@mail.eznet.net>; Subject: [Board-Exec-L] [NYGEN-L] FYI) Kay Mason notes that "I'm on the PAGen list and Billie McNamara is in high dungeon..." [presumably over the behind-the-scenes behavior of the Board.] She also states that in regards to running for NC, "I have explained to several people that life is too short to even consider that job. But if one of you want to, I'll vote for you!" (Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 18:39:41 -0800; From: "Kay Mason" ; Message-Id: <199812140242.SAA27740@mail>; Subject: Re: [Board-Exec-L] [NYGEN-L] FYI) ------------------------------ Radio Free USGENWEB, 1999, Teresa Lindquist, all rights reserved.