VANCOUVER COMMUNITY NETWORK ASSOCIATION Minutes of Board Meeting August 20, 1996 Present: Margaret Coates (Chair), Andrey Fedoroff, Greg Sturk, Neil K. Guy, Vic Vaivads, Lorne Gray, Larry Kuehn (Secretary), Ann Travers. (Robert Slade attended for part of the meeting and then indicated that he isn't a member of VCN and the bylaws require board members to be members of the society and he then resigned.) Staff: Jason Currell. Absent: Penny Goldsmith, James Fenske. 1. Meeting was called to order at 7:15. There were introductions of two new board members--Robert Slade and Ann Travers. 2. M/S/C. The agenda was adopted as printed. 3. M/S/C. That the Minutes of the July 23, 1996, meeting be approved. 4. Business arising from minutes. A) Andrey Federoff reported on the summer student project. The students have been working on the database of members and users and on organizing the office and forms. The help desk is working for longer hours and volunteers are being more effectively used. B) Nominations committee report. Margaret Coates has agreed to chair the nominations committee. Current board members are asked to indicate their interest in continuing on the board. C) Conferences. Neil Guy reported on the Telecommunities Canada Conference held in Edmonton. The VCN has requested three places at the ITAO's "BC in 2001" conference in October. The Vancouver Chapter of the International Interactive Communications Society has requested speakers from VCN for a November 13 meeting. Greg Sturk and Peter Royce will follow up. 5. Financial report. Andrey handed out a board manual, with a summary of the current financial status included. Andrey reported that there will be a major drive to get users to become members or to at least donate. Except for August when $10,975 was received from the casino, expenses have been greater than income. The new budget year starting in September will begin with a balance of funds of about $48,000. 6. New business. A) The AGM will be held on October 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. at 411 Dunsmuir in the auditorium. It was agreed that the board should take to the AGM a discussion paper that outlines some of the options available to create a sound financial basis for ongoing operations. A committee to write a paper was created: Andrey, Lorne and Neil. It was agreed that a speaker would be invited to speak at the AGM, and there would be a social gathering of volunteers and board before the meeting. It was agreed that a proposal for changing the number of board members would be circulated by Neil before the next board meeting. B) Charitable tax status update. The government has 60 days from September 1 to appeal the court decision giving charitable tax status to VCN. C) Office space. It was agreed that the VCN would give up one office and the effect would be to reduce the office costs by $150 a month to $650 a month. 7. Reports. Jason Currell reported on the need for some additional hardware. M/S/C. That the capital costs budget be increased to $16,000 to purchase additional hardware: modems, shelf for hardware, Ethernet hub, disk housings. 8. Next meeting. The final board meeting before the AGM will be on September 17 at 7 p.m. at 411 Dunsmuir.