VANCOUVER REGIONAL FREENET ASSOCIATION
                          BOARD OF DIRECTORS
                          MINUTES OF MEETINGS
                           January 3rd, 1995
                       411 Dunsmuir Meeting Room

Present: Brian Campbell, Tom Hansen, Eric Yung, Eric Teachman, Margaret Coates
         Ted Heatherington, Phil Lyons, Vic Vaivads, Larry Kuehn,
         Paul Ruiterman, Neil K. Guy.

Absent: Diana Guinn, Ann Doyle, George Lindholm, Sharon Zaluski

Guests: Jack Vickery, Randy McKinnon

1.0 Agenda

* added 3.5 VP report

Motion: (Paul/Margaret) To accept the agenda with the above noted changes.
PASSED.

2.0 Minutes:

Motion: (Tom/Phil) To accept the November 15th minutes. PASSED
Motion: (Phil/Larry) To accept the December 6th minutes.

* an omission was made in the Board descriptions in the Dec. 6th minutes
  and will be ratified at the next Board meeting.

3.0 Policy Issues:

3.1 Mailing Lists:

* discussion of proposal from Vic and Phil for "open" mailing lists
* mailing lists would be totally administered by the users and not the
  system administrators.

Motion: (Phil/Vic) That we allow users the freedom of creating their own
        mailing lists.  PASSED.

3.2 Educational Users of FreeNet

* discussion of a request from a teacher at BCIT for FreeNet accounts
* Ted: Is this not a duplication of Ann's efforts?
* Neil & Larry: Is this course for profit?
* Vic: there is a problem with account-to-person accountability (re: BCNet
  agreement
* Brian: concerned about absorbing educational overhead
* there were also issues of administration and control of the accounts, and
  the nature of the course.

General feeling was to suggest sign-on as a guest, with more details required
before further action from VRFA.  Brian was delegated to respond.

3.3 Missing Person on the Web:

* update from Neil on the request to put a person's picture on our Web pages
* general discussion centred around getting "authentic" sources of missing
  persons reports.
* suggested that we contact CrimeStoppers for this kind of information

3.4 TeleCommunities Canada to NPTN:

* position (as posted in the Board mailing list) was discussed

Motion: (Phil/Larry) That we make our policies public (via the About
        FreeNet area) and all policies should be discussed by the Board
        of Director's first.  PASSED.

3.5 Vice-President's report:

* Margaret has taken the 411 Senior's Society's position as Executive Director
* September 25th hiring: was disappointing and we are re-advertising for
  2 of the positions
* Margaret attending the Labour Market Career Information meeting.

Operations Meeting:
        - job descriptions and what the staff are doing was discussed
        - system issues
        - Labour Market Career Information meeting discussed

4.0 Committee Reports:

4.1 System Design:

* Vic participated in the job interviews, job description to be revised.

4.2 Fundraising:

* met with 3/4 of the volunteers, and in the process of reforming core group
* Brian to contact the goverments, Eric Y. to contact HK Bank
* Provincial grants
* with new staff person, small buisness proposals needed

4.3 Public Relations:

* new volunteers
* a portable display to be made (need a budget for the display)
* Child Health conference - Trade and Convention Centre (May 30-June 3)
* Women in View - information on the FreeNet, we may have a booth there.

4.4 Community Content:

* upload of information in progress

4.5 Hardware/Software:

* problems in router <> router communication
* discussion on timeline of routers coming up
* if not fixed by Jan. 10th, then look for outside help was suggested

5.0 Labour Liaison:

* Mayworks (labour festival) attended by Larry.  Some discussion there about
  alternative media and writing workshop (about work).
* other work in progress.

6.0 User Training:

* Ann absent
* intro to FreeNet workshop on Sat. Jan 14th for office staff.

7.0 User Support:

* microcomputer work is underway and Paul is working with Diana on offsite
  terminals

8.0 Library Liaison's report: Diana absent

9.0 Treasurer's report:  no report, Tom left early

10.0 Membership:

* we have 3040 users, and about 1200 members
* we have roughly 7000 accounts, and there was a concern of the
  roughly 4000 accounts that were not activated.
* Jack, Vic and Eric T. to work on the inactive accounts.

11.0 Volunteer Coordinator's report: Sharon absent

12.0 Other business

* Eric Y: it might be time for a Strategic Planning session (tabled for next
  meeting)
* suggest more information meetings - of Chairs and at more casual locations.

Meeting was adjourned at 9:20pm