This page contains items not yet included in the Standing Rules page, usually organized as two lists: 1) a list of changes to the Standing Rules which have been perfected by the Rules Committee and are about to be reported to the Membership before being incorporated into the Standing Rules page, and 2) a list of pending changes to the Standing Rules which have been passed as motions, announced as fiats, etc. and are being perfected by the Rules Committee. This list is deliberately over-inclusive and may contain items which do not belong in the Standing Rules and will be discarded by the Rules Committee. All of these items took effect when they were passed or announced; the Rules Committee is just adding any necessary technical details and clarifying their meaning when needed. With a few exceptions, each item is in a block of text separated from other items by three lines (two long lines of "====" with between them a line with "==== " followed by the identifier for that item, usually in the format "YYYY-MM-IM.N"). In both lists, the item will contain the original text. In the first list it will also contain the perfected text, if different. In the second list it may also contain notes, commentary, or intermediate stages of perfection. Last updated 18 January 2018 to update some items approved by or being worked on by the Rules Committee. Contains items from IM issues through number 947 (January 2018). ================================================================ ==== Items ready to be reported to the Membership ================================================================ ================================================================ ==== 2013-01-IM886.1 & 2013-04-IM890.1 ================================================================ Sharon moves that we have a perpetual full page ad trade with the usual conventions -- Arisia and Readercon -- subject to the other cons' approval. MSP. IM890 notes that both Arisia (full-page) and Readercon (half-page) have accepted this. ==>> Approved new section: 5.6(7)M NESFA will each year trade ads in the convention program books with Arisia (a full-page ad) and Readercon (a half-page ad). [1/13] ================================================================ ==== 2012-03-IM869.1 & 2018-01-IM947.1 ================================================================ IM 869 RKOV moves to allocate up to $100/month for rodent removal. The eboard can go over that if needed. MSPU. IM 947 Moved to authorize spending any reasonable amount per month for rodent removal. ==>> Approved new section: 1.17(14)M Spending any reasonable amount per month for rodent removal is authorized. [3/12, authorized up to $100/month; 1/18, changed to "any reasonable amount".] ================================================================ ==== 2014-06-IM907.1 ================================================================ Tim R moves to change Rick Katze's name to Ricardo. Dave C amends the motion to change Ricardo to Rickl. MSP. 2014-10-IM910: MS to repeal; MSP to postpone to the next meeting 2014-11-IM911: this was not addressed in old business or anywhere else there is no motion regarding 'rickl' in any subsequent issue of IM ==>> Approved new section: A.1(15)M MS (Tim Roberge) to change Rick Katze's name to Ricardo. MSP (Dave Cantor) to amend by replacing Ricardo with Rickl. The motion passed as amended. [6/14] ================================================================ ==== 2016-08-IM931.1 & 2016-09-IM932.1 & 2016-09-IM932.3 & 2017-04-IM939.1 ================================================================ ==== IM 931 ==== The ByLaws say that the Clerk is supposed to send out notices to members whose dues are near to expiration. The Standing Rules says the Membership Committee specifies the method by which the Clerk sends those notices. It also says that a person's membership automatically extends until 30 days after they're given notice. In the case of members who receive IM on paper, notice is accomplished by a line on their address label. In the case of members who have elected not to receive IM on paper, the Membership Committee has decided that we will print a label for them, with a dues notice line, and send them an IM. The Clerk and I have discussed this and believe it's feasible. We will also generate a special label saying something like "You are receiving this IM on paper to remind you to pay your dues." Unless someone makes a motion to do something else, this will start with the next issue of IM [ed: That means this one you're reading now], and I will extend members whose dues were due between March this year and now, and who haven't already renewed, to expire in September. Membership Committee: members whose dues are due and who have elected to not receive paper IMs will be sent one paper IM with a dues-due label and a special label noting that they are receiving a paper copy because their dues are due [The paragraph immediately above does not appear in IM931.] ==== IM 932 ==== Previously, we specified that members who normally do not get IM on paper, and whose dues will soon be due, should get a copy of IM with a special label telling them that their dues are due. This was done in early August, and the clerk added a second label explaining that this was notice of dues due. Several members sent in their dues as a result of this. ==== IM 932 ==== The Membership Committee met electronically during the last month and we agree unanimously to allow the Clerk, when notifying members whose dues are coming due, and who do not get IM on paper, to send a postcard or other written communication to the member in lieu of sending a copy of IM. This is to be at the Clerk's option. ... This is a Membership Committee fiat; Rules Committee, please note. ==== IM 939 ==== The eboard met at the last OM to discuss a couple of issues. We decided that it's time to stop sending whole IMs to "paperless" members whose memberships are about to expire and instead to start sending postcards as was authorized last year. ==== The final result of all this is clearly a decision by the EBoard to always send postcards to members not receiving paper issues of IM when their dues are becoming due. Arguably this conflicts with 2.1(11)M: The Membership Committee is directed to send out renewal letters when we start sending dues due labels. [6/11] and the EBoard can't override this, since it's a Membership decision. I think that this is only a minor problem, since it's not unreasonable to count a postcard as a form of renewal letter, but it is redundant. The proposed new section specifies action by the Clerk, since that's what ByLaws section 1.2(c) specifies. ==>> Approved resolution: Add a new section 2.1(12)E When notifying members whose dues are due and who do not receive Instant Message on paper, the Clerk is directed to send them postcards which give notice. [4/17] and make a committee motion to repeal 2.1(11)M. ================================================================ ==== 2016-08-IM931.2 ================================================================ MSP, from the Clubhouse committee, that the air conditioners should not be set below 72 unless there is some urgent need such as (a) cooling the clubhouse down below 72 in preparation for turning them off before a meeting, (b) additional dehumidification in exceptional circumstances after the room has already been brought to 72, or (c) a health emergency. ==>> Approved resolution: Add a new list item to section 1.17(4): i) The air conditioners should not be set below 72 degrees unless there is some urgent need such as (a) cooling the clubhouse down below 72 degrees in preparation for turning them off before a meeting, (b) additional dehumidification in exceptional circumstances after the room has already been brought to 72 degrees, or (c) a health emergency. [8/16] ================================================================ ==== 2016-08-IM931.3 ================================================================ MSPU to amend the standing rule so that going forward Boskone pays the payment fees only for the month of Boskone. [No context provided; it's just a motion under New Business. If I remember correctly, the intent was to simplify computing these fees by charging Boskone for all fees during the month of the convention and not charging it for any fees from any other time, which was considered to be close enough to the exact allocation of fees. daa] ==>> Approved new section: 2.7(17)M Each Boskone shall pay all of NESFA's credit-card payment fees for the month in which it occurs and shall not pay any other such fees. [8/16, This is intended to greatly simplify allocation of credit card fees while remaining close enough to the results of an exact allocation.] ================================================================ ==== 2016-09-IM932.2 ================================================================ A straw poll of the membership was taken and we decidedly overwhelmingly that publishing the names of new members is a good idea. MSPU that only names be listed in IM and no further information be printed. ==>> Approved new section: 4.3(13)M The names and membership class of new members, and only that information about them, shall be listed in Instant Message. [9/16] ================================================================ ==== 2016-10-IM933.2 ================================================================ MSP that the club authorize Bard Verter to remove historical documents and records related to NESFA for deposition in an archive TBD. This includes items donated by individuals. MSP that we donate multiple copy items to both universities [Texas A&M and Harvard] and unique items solely to Harvard. Tim S appoints a committee with GED as Chair, Kelly, Rick Katze, Brad V, Erin U, Joe Ross. Any thing that members donate to the archive might be tax deductible. ==>> Approved new section: 5.6(7)M Historical documents and records shall be deposited in archives at Harvard University and Texas A&M University. Unique items will be deposited only at Harvard University. [10/16] ================================================================ ==== Items being perfected by the Rules Committee ================================================================ ================================================================ ==== 2016-03-IM927.2 ================================================================ MP: Motion to mandate a link on the NESFA NEGC site leading to the NEGC meetup page. [NEGC is the New England Gaming Convention.] [The EBoard is currently (12/17) considering policy on issues including this. We should defer action until we hear what they've decided.] ================================================================ ==== 2017-03-IM938.1 ================================================================ Dave G moves that we peg dealers member rates to the worker rate. Many people speak for it. MSPH to peg rates to the worker rate for dealers. ==>> Proposed new section: 1.9(33)M The membership rate at Boskone for dealers shall be the same as the worker rate. [3/17] ================================================================ ==== 2017-05-IM940.1 ================================================================ MSP many-3 to retroactively extend the free Boskone membership given to some guests to all guests, including the NESFA Press guest and the Hal Clement Science Speaker. [Future guests are already covered by sections 1.9(28) and 1.9(29), so this is a one-time motion affecting only past guests and does not belong in the Standing Rules.] ==>> Proposed resolution: Delete this item from SR-pending.txt. ================================================================ ==== 2017-08-IM942.1 ================================================================ Dave A moves that the next NESFA business meeting and and any other NESFA events occurring up to a week after the next IM MUST be included in the calendar section of IM. MSP [The text reported in IM is wrong, the correct text is: Moved that the calendar information in each issue of Instant Message (the "In Times To Come" section) must include every NESFA general membership meeting of any sort which is scheduled to occur before one week after the expected publication date of the next issue of Instant Message and should include every NESFA or clubhouse event which is scheduled to occur before that date.] ==>> Proposed new section: 4.4(4)M The calendar information in each issue of Instant Message (the "In Times To Come" section) must include every NESFA general membership meeting of any sort which is scheduled to occur before one week after the expected publication date of the next issue of Instant Message and should include every NESFA or clubhouse event which is scheduled to occur before that date. [8/17. The maker of this motion has stated to the Rules Committee that this is the correct wording, not that which appeared in IM942.] ================================================================ ==== 2017-08-IM942.2 ================================================================ MSH to declare that Michael S.'s birthday be recognized in September and/or any other time that he brings cake. ==>> Proposed new section: A.15(27)M Michael S.'s birthday shall be recognized in September and/or at any other time that he brings cake. [8/17] ================================================================ ==== 2017-08-IM942.3 & 2017-09-IM943.5 ================================================================ ==== IM 942 MSP that NESFA reimburse hosts of OMs at the rate of $5 per person, up to $100 if receipts are provided. [IIRC the actual motion had a start date of January 2018. This is supported by IM 943.] ==== IM 943 MSPU to move the the start of last month's OM reimbursement motion to December 2017 and to increase the limit to $200 for that meeting. [This part is not an on-going rule, so it doesn't belong in the Standing Rules.] ==>> Proposed new section: 2.4(10)M Starting in January 2018, NESFA will reimburse the hosts of Other Meetings at the rate of $5 per attendee, up to $100, if receipts are provided. [8/17] ================================================================ ==== 2017-08-IM942.4 ================================================================ MSP to allow NESFA to create shirts based on designs to be approved by the membership. [No context provided except for this: MSP to refer the issue of iron-on/sew-on patches to the aesthetics committee to report at the next meeting.] ================================================================ ==== 2017-09-IM943.1 ================================================================ Sharon has some ideas with how to offer ebooks to our own members for the usual membership discount. MPH to allow this to happen. [This doesn't belong in the Standing Rules.] ==>> Proposed resolution: Delete this item from SR-pending.txt. ================================================================ ==== 2017-09-IM943.2 ================================================================ The Book Reduction Committee proposes to authorize allowing certain books to be sold to booksellers at deep discounts. MSP to instruct the book reduction committee to sell off certain books at a substantial discount (as low as $1) to book buyers. Suford requests that full and clear reports be made of this. ==>> Proposed new section: 4.2(20)M The Book Reduction Committee is authorized to sell certain books at deep discounts. [9/17] ================================================================ ==== 2017-09-IM943.3 ================================================================ MSP to allow honorary members to cease receiving all forms of IM or other forms of communication from NESFA. [Already in bylaws section 1.10, so it doesn't belong in the Standing Rules.] ==>> Proposed resolution: Delete this item from SR-pending.txt. ================================================================ ==== 2017-09-IM943.4 ================================================================ MSP to immediately add honorary members as soon as they are appointed as guests of Boskone. ==>> Proposed resolution: Amend SR1.9(28)M by changing "shall be given" to "shall immediately be given". ================================================================ ==== 2017-10-DGG.1 -- email from Dave Grubbs ================================================================ I'm pretty sure I remember a business meeting decision to allow the eboard to authorize $1000 without consulting the membership -- a bump from $500. (The expenditure would be reported at the next meeting.) But when I looked that up in the official copy of the rules (online), I still saw $500. ==>> Proposed action: The $500/$1000 error in the Standing Rules has been fixed. Having looked at this more closely, I believe that the E-Board (since SR2.3(1) is an E rule) or the Membership should change the amounts specified in the Standing Rules which are also specified in the ByLaws to be references to the amounts specified in the ByLaws. Request the E-Board to fix this, recommending that they adopt this motion: Moved to amend Standing Rules Subsection 2.3(1) by deleting items (b) and (c) relabelling item (d) as item (b) adding a new item (c): Any expenditures authorized by Officers or the Executive Board under ByLaws Subsection 5.4(a) must be reported to the Treasurer and should be reported to the Membership. This text will be appended to the annotation for that subsection: ?/??: Replaced text which duplicated the limits in the ByLaws with a reference to that ByLaws Subsection. For reference, the current text of SR2.3(1) (b) and (c) is b) Any Officer may authorize expenditures of up to $150 without Membership approval. The Treasurer should inform the Membership of any such allocations. c) The Executive Board may authorize expenditures of up to $1000 without Membership approval. The Board should inform the Membership, and must inform the Treasurer, of any such allocations. ================================================================ ==== 2017-10-DAA.1 -- new material from Dave Anderson ================================================================ SR4.2(7) is a list of sales items and prices which hasn't been updated for a decade, but I'm pretty sure that not all of the information in that list is present somewhere else on our website. We should delete this subsection after ensuring that all useful information in it is preserved elsewhere. Information in 4.2(7) which I didn't find anywhere else on the website: historical price info information about galleys most non-book or oddball items most of the "Items from other publishers" most of the "Doodads" or "Miscellaneous Items" We need to check each item in 4.2(7) individually! Ugh! ================================================================ ==== 2017-10-DAA.2 -- new material from Dave Anderson ================================================================ Proposed Rules Committee fiats to document our procedures for maintaining the ByLaws and Standing Rules. They describe what we are currently doing. 1.6(?)F Rules Committee: Whenever any file A.B in the "rules" directory of the NESFA website (the one which contains the ByLaws and Standing Rules pages) is modified, a copy of the new version of the file will be saved in the "rules/archive" directory with the name A-asof-YYYYMMDD.B (where YYYYMMDD is the current date). If a file is changed more than once on a given day, only the latest copy will be saved. 1.6(?)F Rules Committee: Whenever an item affecting the Standing Rules is published in Instant Message or otherwise brought to the attention of the Rules Committee it will be added to the SR-pending.txt page in the "rules" section of the NESFA website as an item to be perfected by the Rules Committee. Items from Instant Message will be quoted exactly unless they are known to have been reported inaccurately. Comments and/or a proposed perfected version may be included. When the Rules Committee has perfected the item it will be moved to the "ready to be reported to the Membership" section of SR-pending.txt. After it has been reported to the Membership it will be integrated into the Standing Rules web page and deleted from SR-pending.txt. 1.6(?)F Rules Committee: The procedure for processing items in SR-pending.txt is: * Whenever there are items in SR-pending.txt which are neither already perfected nor already under discussion, the process manager shall send them individually to the rules-committee mailing list starting with the oldest -- except that no more than half-a-dozen should be under discussion on the list at any time. * For each item under discussion online: * any committee member may call for a face-to-face meeting to resolve an item which they feel cannot be dealt with online, and may retract any such request if they change their mind. * each initial message shall include the full text of the item and should include a proposed 'perfected' version (if different from the original text) or a recommendation to discard this item as not belonging in the Standing Rules. * discussion should be general comments not requiring a vote, approval of the proposed perfected text, a proposal of an alternate version of the perfected text (which will be voted on as an amendment), approval or disapproval of a proposed alternate version of the perfected text, or a vote to discard this item. * SR-pending.txt should be updated with any important comments, proposals, etc. * if all committee members have voted on an issue and there is no ongoing discussion of its merits, discussion of that issue terminates immediately. * otherwise discussion by email will continue until one week after the last substantive posting regarding that item or amendment -- except that the period will be extended if any committee member is temporarily unable to participate in the discussion. A vote with no discussion does not extend the deadline for discussion. * the process manager shall post as necessary to make it clear what issue(s) is/are under discussion for each item. * the process manager shall post a warning one day before the end of the discussion period giving the exact time when discussion will end. If this posting is delayed, the discussion period is extended until one day after the warning is posted. * When discussion of an item or amendment ends, if a majority of the votes cast for or against are in favor, that action will be taken. An amendment fails if a majority of those votes are against; otherwise the item or amendment will be dealt with at a face-to-face meeting. The process manager will post a message stating that discussion has ended and the action to be taken. ================================================================ ==== 2017-10-IM944.1 ================================================================ MSPU to reset the Warhoon discount to match the usual member discount. IOW, 40% discount. [This information is not kept in the Standing Rules.] ==>> Proposed resolution: Delete this item from SR-pending.txt. ================================================================ ==== 2017-11-DAA.1 -- this arose when updating 2.5(9) ================================================================ ==>> Question: Are there still any accounts to which 2.5(9) applies? If not, should 2.5(9) be deleted? ================================================================ ==== 2017-11-IM945.1 ================================================================ The committee leaves with a recommendation that it's the sense of the meeting that scheduled events at the clubhouse have priority over other activities (except in case of emergency) and that the responsible keyholder for the event has the authority to resolve disputes during the event. MP to adopt the recommendation. ==>> Proposed new list item in 1.17(4): j) Scheduled events at the clubhouse have priority over other activities (except in case of emergency). The responsible keyholder for the event has the authority to resolve disputes during the event. [11/17] ================================================================ ==== 2017-11-DAA.2 -- this arose when adding 1.12(9) ================================================================ 1.12(9)M should probably be generalized a bit to allow hurt books to be given away anywhere, to allow selling hurt books at a reduced price, and to explicitly allow the Library Committee to use a hurt book to replace an inferior copy already in the library. ==>> Proposed resolution: Make a committee motion to amend 1.12(9)M by deleting the start of the second sentence, up through the comma in the second sentence, replacing "decide whether to keep the book in" with "add the book to" appending to the second sentence "or replace an inferior copy with it" in the third sentence, replacing "Boskone, and" with "Boskone or elsewhere, or sold at a reduced price." appending to the annotation "?/18, added more options" The amended text would be 1.12(9)M When a book becomes unsaleable at regular price because of damage, it is declared a "hurt book". The Library Committee shall be given the opportunity to add the book to the library or replace an inferior copy with it. Otherwise, the book shall be given away at Boskone or elsewhere, or sold at a reduced price. If the book is too damaged, it may be thrown away at the discretion of the Sales Committee. [12/14; 11/17, moved from 2.5(14)F and made an M-rule; ?/18, added more options.] ================================================================ ==== 2017-11-DAA.3 -- this arose when adding 4.2(19) ================================================================ Much of section 4.2 is obsolete, contradictory, or both. It badly needs a rewrite -- but revisit this after the EBoard acts regarding 4.2(8) and 4.2(12) as recommended by the Rules Committee in December 2017. ================================================================ ==== 2017-12-DAA.1 -- this was noticed when adding 4.4(3) ================================================================ All of section 4.4 should be moved to 1.41, since rules about appointed positions belong in section 1. ==>> Proposed resolution: Move all of section 4.4 to 1.41 and add this annotation: [?/18, moved from Section 4.4 to a more appropriate location.] Replace section 4.4 with this annotation: [?/18, moved to Section 1.41.] Replace the ToC entry for Section 4.4 with this annotation: [Moved to 1.41.] ================================================================ ==== 2017-12-DAA.2 -- this was noticed when adding 1.9(29) ================================================================ 1.9(17) needs to be updated to allow non-GoH guests. ==>> Proposed resolution: Make a committee motion to amend 1.9(17)M by inserting after "Guests of Honor" the text "and NESFA guests" adding an annotation "[?/18, added NESFA guests]" ================================================================ ==== 2017-12-DAA.3 ================================================================ There is a problem with section 2.1(5)M. It's current text is: In accordance with Section 1.2 of the By-Laws, a Member newly admitted shall be dropped from membership if he or she has not paid his or her dues within one month from the date of admission. Any other Member shall be dropped from membership who has not paid his or her dues by the end of the month containing the anniversary of his or her admission. [7/71*. Second sentence essentially passed 9/68, first sentence 11/70.] The time when dues are due is not necessarily the anniversary of admission; for example, sometimes people pay the wrong amount of dues and the extension of their membership is pro-rated to something other than a multiple of 12 months. ==>> Proposed solution: Make a committee motion to amend section 2.1(5) by replacing all of the second sentence after "dues" with "in accordance with section 2.1(10)" and by appending to its annotation "?/18, removed dependency on the anniversary of admission". ================================================================ ==== 2017-12-DAA.4 ================================================================ There is an issue with section 2.1(10)M. It's current text is: Members whose dues remain in arrears at the end of the calendar month after the one in which those dues were due shall be dropped from membership at that time, unless special circumstances apply. (Special circumstances is deliberately left vague to allow "doing the right thing".) [6/11] This appears to conflict with ByLaws section 1.2(b), which states: Except as otherwise provided in this section, whenever Members have failed to pay their dues, their memberships automatically expire at the end of the period when the dues are payable. ==>> Proposed resolution: Append this text to the annotation to SR2.1(10): "?/??, ByLaws section 1.2(b) does not define "the period when dues are payable". This section provides that definition." Also add an annotation to ByLaws section 1.2(b) referring to SR2.1(10) to define the "period when dues are payable". ================================================================ ==== 2017-12-IM946.1 ================================================================ The web committee moves that all postings in the name of NESFA (on Facebook, Meetup, Twitter,etc.) should be subject to review by at least one member (not the poster) of the web committee. MSP [Discussion indicates that 'prior review' is wanted, and that this does not apply to 'authorized persons'.] ================================================================ ==== 2017-12-IM946.2 ================================================================ MSP to add social media management to the list of web committee responsibilities. ==>> Proposed resolution: Amend section 1.34(1)M by appending to the first sentence "and social media presence", by replacing "web- and mailing-list-specific" in the second sentence with "web-, mailing-list-, and social-media-specific", and by appending to the annotation "12/17, added social media". The amended text would be: 1.34(1)M The Web Committee shall be responsible for maintaining the content and appearance of NESFA's web site and for maintaining NESFA's electronic mailing lists and social media presence. It is also responsible for maintaining web-, mailing-list-, and social-media-specific tools and services. [Established 5/97; 7/15: added "content and appearance of" and the sentence ending with "tools and services"; 12/17, added social media.]