Log
Board Meeting
January 30, 2004

Session Start: Sat Jan 31 11:57:24 2004
(Brent) It's 8:02, I officiall call the meeting to order
(Brent) Item 1 Welcome to new, returning board members
(Brent) As the outgoing President, I would like to welcome Roger as our new President, and wish him well during his term!
(Brent) Roger, I officially pass the duties of President to you!
(Roger) (Clears throat), Thanks Brent and might I say that you have done an exceptional job and I hope I can moderately fill your shoes.
(Brent) Shirly: I officially pass the duties of Secretary to Nancy, and wish you good luck and "godspeed" in your duties.
(Brent) (blush) thank you Roger....
(NancyL) Thanks, Shirley, I hope to be as concise and professional in my Minutes as YOU have been :-)
(Brent) Shirley: (grin) thank you Nancy....
(Roger) Brent and Shirley will certainly be missed!
(Brent) (brent passes the gavel to Roger.....)
(NancyL) Amen
(Roger) We welcome Steve as our new Vice President. May he serve well and be available to moderate the President, if the need arises!
(Brent) Brent & Shirley) - we'll still be around! NOT leaving the Inc!
(SteveH) Thanks Roger :)
(Roger) Of course, but you will be missed at these meetings, for sure!
(Brent) Brent & Shirley - Thank you again.....
(Roger) Shall we move to the next item on the agenda? Any comments or questions concerning the minutes of the last meeting?
(SteveH) none here
(Gerard) no comments or questions from me
(NancyL) None here, accepted as is.
(Mary) None here
(Roger) Then the minutes of the last meeting are hereby ratified as correct.
(Roger) Next up, the TT web content CD--Nancy?
(NancyL) This has been in distribution and very well received.
(NancyL) My concern is to increase awareness of this phenominal bargain, which I've been trying to do on message board and on the air when possible.
(NancyL) I also, at the recommendation of someone who was impressed to death with the quality and worth, put a highly visible link to the nonprofit page from the ZetaTalk home page.
(NancyL) Other than congradulations to all you worked so hard, and in the case of Roger CONTINUE to labor.
(NancyL) End report.
(Roger) Prior to call to order, a small discussion about the bargain price occurred.
(Roger) The price could be reduced further, if the Board were so inclined. When the price was set, estimates on PayPal fees and postage costs were used. Now that we have served nearly a dozen orders, a more accurate picture of those costs is available.
(NancyL) What is the difference in costs. $4.10 vs ??
(Roger) PayPal is charging an average of $.50 per transaction and the first class postage expense is averaging about $1 (including International postage). Our cost for the 1000 CD order was less than $1.40 each.
(Roger) In other words, we could lower the cost to $3.00 and still recover all our expenses.
(NancyL) In view of our reduced activity, my Treasurer's report was not included as an agenda item. Briefly, during the last quarter we paid our Delaware rep the $175 annual fee, paid $25to the State of Delaware for renewal also, and renewed for 6 more months one of the PO boxes. All this has brought the amount in the Treasury down to $211, but this is sufficient to proceed into mid-2004 without worry, the only cost another PO box renewal and $15 to the State of Wisconsin for renewal on place of business.
(NancyL) Now, given the changing economic environment, we cannot ASSUME replacement costs for CD production or mailing to be the same, in future.
(Roger) There may also be a way to set up PayPal to add shipping costs on a per order basis rather than on a per set basis.
(NancyL) Inflation will be rampant given the dropping US dollar, for instance, already affecting prices.
(NancyL) What we collect in the PayPal account, in Roger's hands, is REPLACEMENT funding. Thus, I'd suggest assuming price increases.
(Roger) That's true Nancy. My main concern is with the multiple set orders. We are currently not charging postage fees seperately from the CD price.
(NancyL) I highly doubt the public will be concerned about the $1.10 difference. We can't assume donation, and if volume cranks up, the PayPal is our only source of funding for replacments!
(SteveH) I don't think I've heard anyone complain of the price yet.
(SteveH) So if it's not broke...
(Roger) Well, I consider it my duty to keep the Board aware of these issues and I have done so today!
(SteveH) Why don't we have a quick vote then, to lower or keep the same?
(Roger) I would entertain a motion...
(NancyL) Roger, lets assume an order for 1,000 CD's, so the overage for this person might be $300 or some such. Is there a way to return the postage to this person, via a PayPal credit or some such?
(NancyL) What I am suggesting is that for HUGE orders, we could compensate worthy purchasers, who might be trying to distribute to their local community or some such.
(NancyL) I MOVE we keep the price the same, but allow Roger the lattitude to reduce postage on mass orders, at his discretion.
(Roger) I'm not sure. I will do some research with PayPal and report at the next meeting on how we might make changes in the shipping fee.
(Roger) I have a motion to keep the price the same, etc. Is there a second?
(SteveH) I 2nd that motion
(Roger) I have a motion and a second to keep the CD price at $4.10 with flexibility given to the CD Fullfilment Coordinator to refund portions of that price on large orders to more accurately reflect postage expenses. All in favor?
(NancyL) Yes!
(SteveH) aye
(Gerard) yes
(Mary) yes
(Roger) Motion carries.
(Roger) Next item is the Survival Booklet.
(Roger) Since the web content CD was made available, we have had no new orders for booklets. There have been a few payments received for booklets already shipped.
(NancyL) I think, if I'm not mistaken, that the CD also includes the PDF of the booklet!
(Roger) I think that's true, but the booklet should still be a desirable item as it doesn't require a pc to read it!
(NancyL) Oh, yes! What is our current inventory, in the hundreds?
(Roger) More than 500.
(Roger) Are the CD and Booklet ordering links available on the same nonprofit page? Perhaps we could offer a bundled option.
(Roger) The CD set would easily fit into the booklet shipping envelop and wouldn't add any significant shipping cost. We could offer the pair for something like $7.50.
(NancyL) I MOVE we have an additional offering, the booklet and CD, for $7.50, referred on both the CD and booklet pages.
(SteveH) Sounds good to me.
(Roger) Is that a second Steve?
(SteveH) yes
(Roger) I have a motion and a second to offer the booklet and the CD set as a bundled pair for $7.50 on both the CD and Booklet web pages. All in favor?
(NancyL) Yes!
(Mary) yes
(SteveH) yes
(Gerard) ye
(Gerard) s
(Roger) The motion carries. I will work on developing the PayPal links and get those to Nancy early this week.
(NancyL) And I will update the web pages as required :-)
(Roger) The next item is Acerage and Seed project. Not much to report this time of year. I've been in communication with Stan and his family. The TT Inc equipment is in proper storage for the winter. The seed stock is has been taken out of the freezer here at my location and will be inventored in the next week or two. Any extremely old seed with reduced germination will be evaluated and repackaged or dispposed of as appropiate.
(Roger) End of report...any questions?
(NancyL) I have likewise not had additional request for Restart Your Garden packets, mailed 120 and have about 30 remaining.
(NancyL) These also are not all that fresh, but would likely germinate to restart seed collection. I am holding these handy.
(SteveH) I still got my packet!
(Roger) Some varieties, like onions for instance, are very suspectible to aging. We should consider replenishing the stock of these, if the growing season pans out this year.
(Roger) Anything from our stock that germinates, post-ps, is going to be hardy, and long-lived in dormancy!
(Roger) Any other comments or questions?
(Roger) So, if there are no other comments or questions on the Seed/Acreage project...
(NancyL) I was going to comment that my onion flowers got destroyed in a wind storm last year. Very difficult growing season, last, and don't expect otherwise. I do have Gypsy Onions, and they do well.
(Roger) Onion seed is short-lived, and takes two years to produce, unless you have onion bulbs to start.
(Roger) Steve, if you have onions in that packet, you would do well to grow them, if you have space!
(NancyL) OR, buy onions from the store and let them go to seed!
(Roger) Moving on to the Shortwave radio project...Shirley?
(SteveH) I don't have the space right now but take it in advice
(Brent) Shirley: Shortwave Project Report. Nothing has really changed, we are still ready here when we are needed. My club is going into "packet"radio soon, and I'm going to jump on that bandwagon. We have a class going where we are going to build a morse code radio. I can not build it of course, but because I am education director of the club the instructor builds my kits for me and uses them as demos for the rest fo the class, then gives them t
(Brent) Questions for Shirley?
(NancyL) I note for the record that Art Bell is on short wave a lot, could be considered a government disinformation arm. I was on KROQ in LA last Wednesday morning, very serious discussion prime time 7:00 AM for this main FM station in LA, and mentioned short wave also. Plus, Gentile has a place in the mountains with a tranmitter. Things might coalesce quickly.
(NancyL) Yes, short wave networks coming together quickly, due to earth changes, in the coming weeks.
(NancyL) Gentile was 7.385 mHz as I recall.
(Brent) Shirley: thanks Nancy, that's the "40 meter" band
(Roger) Shirley, since your attendence is dependent on phone support, you are welcome to submit future reports by email to the Inc mail list. You are welcome to attend, of course, just let one of us know when you are available and what number to call!
(Brent) Shirley: I was intending to give a report each month by email, so I'll do that anyway. And if ever you need me to attend, I'll make myself available, and send phone number.
(Roger) cool. I'll check my cellular plan and see if calls to Canada are included in my Nights and Weekends minutes!
(Brent) Shirley: OK, thanks.
(Roger) Anything else for Shirley?
(NancyL) None here.
(Brent) Roger, fyi, my nationwide calling plan did not include Canada.
(Roger) What carrier do you have Brent?
(Brent) Verizon
(Roger) I have AllTel. I'll have to ask them...
(Roger) Likely they do not, but maybe there's a good rate.
(Brent) Ya, sometimes a supplier will add a location for a small fee...
(Roger) Next project is the Server project. Brent?
(Brent) Server Project Report... (typing)
(Brent) Things are about the same with the server, although I have been doing research as mentioned previously. During my serch for help with home networking issues, I have inquired about networking the server also. I found one tech that charges a dollar a minute to consult! But this may be a a bit steep. Otherwise I'm still looking for local tecks to help set it up. Questions?
(Roger) Did you and my friend Ali communicate yet?
(Gerard) to bad that the server project didn't made much progress since the last report
(Brent) No Roger = I received that email you cc'd to me from him, but have had no further communication.
(Brent) I think we have a 2 fold problem: first is finishing up the Linux software load,
(Roger) Well, my friend is very busy with his graduate studies at MIT, but he is good and willing to serve others.
(Brent) and then getting it linked to the internet, etc.
(Roger) That's what I suspected. I tried to explain this to him, but I have only watched a Linux install a couple of times and not knowing at what point the server is configured may have been a confusion for Ali.
(Gerard) Finishing up the linux sofrware load isn't that big of a problem i think, getting it linked to the internet with a good connection ready to deal with the traffic it could get is the main issue. Right?
(Roger) I had hoped we could get a step by step from Ali and start over with the install. If he had done this, he could have been setting up things remotely at his convenience (like Jurian did originally).
(Roger) I will send him another email and hope he responds quickly.
(NancyL) Jurian did a lot of security setups, and setting up email for the Board members and the like, seems this took the majority of the effort.
(Brent) gerard: actually both problems - I know nothing about Linux, and was relying on Jurian for all assistance, then the seerver link to the internet would be the next hurdle.
(NancyL) Linking to the Internet was a matter of pointing some outsider TO the server, but also some internal note that the server is knowns as TCP/IP this or that, I think.
(Brent) Nancy: yes, as it was we spent 4 hours over irc just doing the basic install!
(Roger) Brent, do you have a manual of sorts with the install kit?
(NancyL) Mountains of books, for the uneducated, impossible to sort through.
(Gerard) Is it still the debian distro that is on the server. as the debian site does have some info on how to install for what i know
(Brent) Roger: Jurian had me download the linux from the internet, no manuals included!
(Brent) gErard: yes, it is still Debian
(Gerard) brent: the debian site has some info about the instalation procedure
(Roger) In my memory, setting up Linux was not too difficult. We started with a floppy disk and then a few settings here and there and the machine was able to download and install the rest over a network. Is that protocol similar to what you and Jurian were doing?
(Brent) I could go back to the Debian site and look for downlodable manuals, mabe read pdf form the pc, while finishing the linux load?
(NancyL) I must say, coming from a software background, even WORKING with Unix on the job, I was intimidated. And I had decades in the industry, a crash programmer.
(Roger) That might be a good start.
(NancyL) Don't under estimate this effort!
(NancyL) No one on the islands who would come do it?
(Brent) Nancy: yes, but will charge at least a dollar a minute!
(Roger) I know it can be daunting. I speak as though it was easy, but I had Ali typing at the keyboard and he MADE it look easy.
(Brent) Roger: yes, Jurian made it look easy, but my software download was more than a floppy - it equaled 2 CD's!
(Brent) Linus has come a long way it seems!
(NancyL) Easy for Jurian, not for the novice.
(Roger) I definitely had a fear factor before watching him. I'm no expert by any means, but I did use a Linux system in my first year as a grad student.
(Roger) It wasn't better than Windows, just a lot different.
(Brent) Nancy: true, and I am definately a novice!
(Gerard) it take some expierence ... running linux and once has to know which commands to use... it
(Gerard) 's not simply using our mouse and it works
(Roger) 2 cd's! Whew! I suggest checking out the Debian site and see if there's a simple "get started" disk to download to a floppy. They might also have a list of those first few commands and settings.
(Roger) Gerard, fortunately I had X windows so it wasn't as complex as it could have been!
(Brent) Gerard: do you know enough to help me st upthe machine?
(Gerard) Brent: not yet, i have to get some more expierence, i i don't have much expierence with debian altough Jurian helped me once to install it but something went wrong that time
(Brent) So....what options do we have? Keep lookig for someone to help local, and then pay them?
(Gerard) mmm
(NancyL) Hackers at the university? Students?
(Brent) Hmmm....not a bad ides
(Gerard) that's a though question Brent, i wish i could do it you know. But i don't have the expierence yet
(Brent) I understand gerard, just thought I'd ask! Thanks anyway.
(Brent) If i had a linux background, it wouldn't be too hard. It's the learning curve I'm worried about also!
(Brent) Well we have a vew options:
(Brent) Rogers friend may contact me, I can search the Deiban website, and also look for knowledgeable students!
(Roger) Brent, try this link http://www.ssc.com:8080/glue/groups/us/hawaii
(Roger) Maybe there's a student there that might be willing to increase his/her experience.
(Roger) Do we have anything else (I think we're pretty much finished with the reports)?
(NancyL) Not on my end.
(Brent) Roger thanks! I've bookmarked both sites.
(SteveH) no comments
(Roger) Great, do I have a motion to adjourn?
(NancyL) I MOVE we adjourn.
(Roger) Do we need a second?
(Brent) no
(Roger) Well then, if there are no objections, this meeting is adjourned!
Session Close: Sat Jan 31 13:40:17 2004