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Minutes of the 1992 Annual Meeting of the Members of The Logical Language Group, Inc.

The fourth Annual Meeting of the Members of The Logical Language Group, Inc. was called to order on August 16, 1992 at 9:50 AM EDT.

Non-members in attendance at the annual meeting were:

• Sylvia Rutiser *
• David Twery *
• David Young *

("*" marks those voted in as members during the meeting)

Roll call was taken of the members.

Members attending were:

• John Cowan
• Guy Garnett
• Nora LeChevalier
• Robert (Bob) LeChevalier
• Karen Stein
• Tommy Whitlock

Members "present" by proxy:

• Athelstan proxy to Bob LeChevalier
• John Hodges proxy to Tommy Whitlock
• John Parks-Clifford proxy to Bob LeChevalier
• Art Wieners proxy to Bob LeChevalier

Members not in attendance were:

• Jeff Taylor

(Note: Jeff Taylor was removed as member during the meeting.)

First came some discussion of Art Weiners' proxy, since he was unable to send a written confirmation before the meeting.

• MOVED: To allow meeting to be conducted as one with "members not present" (per Article 3, section 7 of bylaws). - PASSED.

This will allow the counting of Art Weiners' "proxy" by telephone.

Robert LeChevalier certified that a meeting notice had been sent at least 10 days in advance of the meeting.

Reading of the Minutes:

• MOVED: To waive the reading of the minutes of last members' meeting. - FAILED.
• MOVED: To summarize the minutes of last members' meeting. - PASSED.

The Secretary/Treasurer gave a summary of the minutes of the last members' meeting.

Report of officers - President:

• Language status:
  • Morphology: The morphology algorithm was published.
  • Gismu: Colin Fine has proposed a change for rafsi retuning: specifically, that "dinri" get a rafsi. This may mean that the gismu will have to be changed (perhaps to "donri"?). There were also 6 new gismu proposed.
  • Grammar: Has been frozen. Change proposals have accumulated. All are "noise level" except one.
  • Cmavo: A few small changes.
  • Rafsi: Had been specifically excluded from baselines to allow for 1 last effort at tuning based on written usage. The tuning suggests approximately a 20% change.

• Book Status

  Cowan has been writing papers for the "reference grammar"; estimate of 1 year until complete.

  Cowan has also been revising the draft textbook lessons. The result can be made into a reasonably useful book quickly. The "Intro" book should also be quick, but needs flow.

  Bob hopes to finish the revisions for the first dictionary before the LeChevaliers go to Russia (.a'o).

• Legal Status:

  We won the appeal; JCB's appeal was rejected at the end of April. We were awarded copying fees, but correct detailed, itemized bills could not be presented in the required 10 days. JCB asked for a re-hearing; it was denied. In July, Robert McIvor of the Loglan Institute, Inc. said there are no plans to press further.

Report of officers - Secretary/Treasurer:

• Financial Report: The financial report was given by Robert LeChevalier.

  This year so far, we have taken in $4941 (of which, $4000 was for legal) and spent $7810 ($4000 for legal); we have $1000 in the bank and about $500 in checks not yet deposited.

  We hope that our going to a subscription basis for JL will help in the future, but can't expect it to help this year since those receiving it already have enough in their balances.

  We don't have the money to publish the books. [Discussion of book pricing at this point.]

• Tentative: Applying, at request of Art Weiners, to his company for a $10,000 donation.

Committee Reports:

• Finance Committee:

  Review of people for support: Cannot report because of Athelstan's injury. There is $142 in the fund.

Unfinished Business:

Note: The following may be confusing. It was an attempt to allow some bylaw amendments to be passed despite lack of members present, and in the face of some mis-understanding about Art Wieners' proxy instructions (later cleared up - see New Business), all while keeping to Robert's Rules of Order.

• MOVED: To suspend rules in order to change the agenda to allow consideration of Bylaw amendment #5 (order of business) and to allow for voting in of new members - AMENDED.
• AMENDED: To suspend rules in order to change the agenda to allow consideration of Bylaw amendment #5 (order of business) and to allow for voting in of new members from among those present (voting in members from those absent to be considered later) - PASSED.
• MOVED: To consider for voting at this time amendment #5 (Amend Article 3, Section 8 on Order of Business to include proposal and approval of new members after reports of committees), with amendment as proposed by Bob LeChevalier (on timeliness of assuming member responsibilities after vote) - PASSED.
• MOVED: To accept amendment #5, amended by Bob LeChevalier - FAILED.
• MOVED: To suspend rules in order to consider suspension of Jeff Taylor as member - PASSED.
• MOVED: To remove Jeff Taylor as a member effective immediately - PASSED.

Here, the Chair rules that it was in order to consider an amendment similar to amendment #5.

• MOVED: To appeal the ruling of the chair about consideration of an amendment similar to amendment #5 - PASSED. (i.e. - not to be allowed).

Here, the Chair ruled that amendments to bylaw amendments are in order prior to a vote.

• MOVED: To appeal the new chair ruling above. - FAILED. (i.e. - it's OK. This appeal was done to ensure the chair ruling got into the record).

Consideration of new members:

• David Twery proposed for membership. - PASSED.
• Sylvia Rutiser proposed for membership. - PASSED.
• David Young proposed for membership. - PASSED.

Election of Board of Directors:

• MOVED: To elect as the Board of directors Bob LeChevalier, Nora LeChevalier, John Cowan and John Parks-Clifford. - PASSED.

Old Business:

• Negotiations with the Institute:

  John Hodges position was read (from letter accompanying proxy).

  Arthur Protin's position on negotiations was reported (by Nora LeChevalier, based on telephone conversation with Arthur Protin).

  Only two acceptable alternatives: Fighting or Compromise.

  Fighting: We absorb TLI members, with special position for JCB in LLG. TLI disbanded.

  Compromise: No merger of TLI/LLG. Can only happen if there is 1 new organization, with no legal ties to either existing organization. If the new organization works, BOTH TLI and LLG to be disbanded.

  Positions received via electronic mail summarized by Bob LeChevalier. See attachment for full text.

  Bert Fox's position reported (by Karen Stein): Was not going to learn the language until it stops changing.

• MOVED: To set 2 pre-conditions to any negotiations with the Loglan Institute, Inc. as an organization. 1) no Trade Secrets on design. 2) A mutual waiver on all legal causes which might arise from discussions or negotiations on reconciliation. - PASSED.
• MOVED: LLG not to expend any significant resources such as time or money until pre-conditions met. - PASSED.

Meeting recessed from 12:30 PM until 1:00 PM.

Bylaw amendments:

• MOVED: To accept Bylaw Amendment proposal #1 from meeting announcement (amending Article 3, Section 4 to require 15 days notice for Annual Meetings instead of current 10 days). - PASSED.
• MOVED: To amend Bylaw Amendment proposal #2 from the meeting announcement in order to correct inconsistency: change "ten (15) days" to "fifteen (15) days". - PASSED.
• MOVED: To accept corrected Bylaw Amendment proposal #2 from meeting announcement (amending Article 3, Section 5 to require 15 days notice for Special Meetings instead of current 10 days). - PASSED.
• MOVED: To amend Bylaw Amendment proposal #3 (amend Article 4, Section 6) from the meeting announcement to substitute instead "No written notice of a Directors meeting is required. The President shall make a good faith effort to contact all directors in a timely manner before the meeting. - PASSED.
• MOVED: To accept revised Bylaw Amendment proposal #3 from meeting announcement (amending Article 4, Section 6). - PASSED.
• MOVED: To accept Bylaw Amendment proposal #4 from meeting announcement (amending Article 9 to require 15 days notice instead of 10 days). - PASSED.

On Bylaw Amendment proposal #5 (amending Article 3, Section 8 on Order of Business to allow proposal and approval of new members after reports of committees), which failed earlier in the meeting:

• MOVED: That the bylaw amendment proposal be put in for next year, with rewording as per Bob LeChevalier's suggestion. - PASSED.

New Business:

• Arthur Protin's comments to the Members presented:

  1. The bylaws need to ensure a right of "non-voting" members to present prepared addresses and/or position papers to voting members, not to exceed reasonable time constraints.
  2. An alternative approach to deal with business. Currently we propose, debate and then vote. Propose instead to debate, present proposal (permitting expression of alternatives to select from) and then vote. This will allow a better understanding of what the debate was about and allow the vote (especially by remote members) to take the results of the debate into account).
  3. To improve timeliness of issues vs. quorums: Empower committees with parameters on what they are allowed to do. Then they can act within them on a timely basis.
  4. Request for a non-binding requirement that voting members serve the whole community, not just their own interests.
• MOVED: To put on the agenda for next meeting a Bylaw amendment (adding to Section 10, Article 3) that "Any person may read or have read and incorporated into the minutes of the Members' Meeting any statement germane to the purposes of the Logical Language Group, Inc., subject to the discretion of the chair. - PASSED.
• MOVED: Accept a non-binding resolution that voting members represent the whole community as well as themselves. - PASSED.

Bylaw amendments (from agenda for New Business):

• MOVED: To adopt Bylaw amendment proposal #6 (amending Article 3, Section 4 to allow for electronic mail) - AMENDED.
• MOVED: To amend proposal #6 to have inserted (after "... his last known post office address.") "Alternatively, the Secretary/Treasurer shall use such means of notification as may be specified in writing in advance and signed by the member." - PASSED.
• MOVED: To adopt amended Bylaw proposal #6. - PASSED.
• MOVED: To adopt Bylaw amendment proposal #7 (amending Article 3, Section 5 to allow for electronic mail) - AMENDED.
• MOVED: To amend proposal #7 to have inserted "Alternatively, the Secretary/Treasurer shall use such means of notification as may be specified in writing in advance and signed by the member." - PASSED.
• MOVED: To adopt amended Bylaw proposal #6. - PASSED.

At this point, a call from Art Weiners was received, and his proxy position clarified. He requested reconsideration of Bylaw Amendment proposal #5 (which fell under Unfinished Business).

• MOVED: To reconsider Bylaw Amendment proposal #5. - PASSED.
• MOVED: To adopt the Bylaw Amendment proposal as rewritten by Bob LeChevalier in the agenda. - PASSED.

The consensus was to strike the "reconsider amendment proposal #5" from the agenda for next meeting.

Bylaw amendments - continued:

• Bylaw Amendment proposal #8 was not moved since the proxy already provides for specifying whatever is needed here.

Proposals of new members (not present):

• Nick Nicholas proposed for membership. - PASSED.
• Colin Fine proposed for membership. - PASSED.

New Gismu proposals:

• MOVED: Add "slovo" for "slavic". - PASSED.
• MOVED: Add "vukro" for "Ukrainian". - FAILED.

Discussion of impact of accepting "slovo" and not "vukro".

• MOVED: Reconsider "vukro" . - PASSED.
• MOVED: Add "vukro" for "Ukrainian". - PASSED.

Rafsi:

• MOVED: To approve baselining as of publication of 1st book based on review committee. - PASSED.

Grammar, Morphology changes:

Much heated discussion on hard baseline vs. book publication in priority and urgency, and their relative dependence. Generally agreed that publication of 1st book(s) has priority.

Expect to re-baseline grammar as of publication of 1st book, based on review committee comments.

Morphology will be baselined when book comes out.

Discussion of books - types, contents, timing.

Disclaimer on books: "This describes the constructed language lojban" vs "... is a prescription of ...".

Philosophy for after publication: only change for correction of errors.

Gismu change proposed:

• MOVED: Change "dinri" (added recently) to "donri" to allow for rafsi. - PASSED.

• MOVED: To adjourn meeting. - PASSED.

The fourth Annual Meeting of the Members of The Logical Language Group, Inc. was adjourned at approximately 5:23 PM EDT.

I certify that the above motions were presented to all members present for discussion and approval, and that all motions were approved as noted. I further certify that these minutes are an accurate representation of the fourth Annual Meeting of the Members of The Logical Language Group, Inc.

Nora LeChevalier

Secretary/Treasurer

Last modified: Mon Jun 27 23:12:56 PDT 2005

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