[Ansteorra] [Southern] CLOSED MEETINGS

[Laetitia]

At 08:42 AM 1/14/2008, Jean Paul de Sens wrote:
>Honestly, in my experience it's not transparency as much as simplicity that
>makes it benificial to have these meetings closed.  The GOofS talk and
>correspond with each other quite a bit, but there is some face to face stuff
>that needs to be discussed.  An hour before the day *is* enough time to get
>it done, but not if we are asked a lot of questions by people who are
>interested in delving into the details. The things that are discussed are
>the same one discussed at the meeting later in the day.

An open meeting does *not* necessarily mean that people can ask 
questions, just that they can attend, listen and observe the 
meetings. In approximately 15 years on one TEO Board of Directors or 
another we have had two closed meetings, both dealing with a 
potential lawsuit. At other meetings we have discussed finances, 
discussed named people to be barred from events for unacceptable 
behavior, discussed discipline of officers and staff, and any number 
of  other less than pleasant things. At no time were we required to 
let any of the people listening actually participate in the 
discussion unless the board chair chose to let them or if they had 
requested a place on the meeting agenda prior to the meeting.

>If state law (Texas or Oklahoma) does require open meetings, I'd be
>interested to know.  My research a decade or so ago in OK makes me think
>that you can have closed meetings so long as you are not the government.
>There are a buncha caveats, but that was the basic.

I think the question should be *can* you have closed meetings but 
*should* you. The more you do behind closed doors the more the 
populace is going to distrust your decision making process. This 
statement alone "because of sensitive topics that are not and should 
not be discussed in an open venue." by the Kingdom Seneschal is going 
to fuel the rumor mill and cause far more inconvenience for the 
kingdom and its officers than a few people listening and maybe asking 
a question of two every would have caused.

YMMV,
Laetitia


>JP
>
>
>On Jan 14, 2008 9:35 AM, Richard Yeager <chuymonstre at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > As was previously posted, other than personnel matters and pending
> > litigation, there is NOTHING that should be closed to the membership,
> > sensitive or otherwise.  It may prove "inconvenient" or "troublesome" for
> > the officers involved to have some matters brought up in public but that is
> > the nature of the beast.  If there is not transparency in our decision
> > making process then we have problems.
> >
> > Cuan mac Niall
> >
> > Pug Bainter <pug at pug.net> wrote: > On the schedule of the upcoming Round
> > Table (Saturday January 19) is
> > > a closed meeting of the Financial Committee and Great Officer. What's
> > > the deal? Why isn't the populace not allowed to attend it? Why can't
> > > the populace be allowed to at least sit and listen to the meeting? I
> > > can't be the only person who would like to know the state of kingdom?
> >
> > There is a closed session because of sensitive topics that are not and
> > should not be discussed in an open venue. Previously these were two
> > different sessions (closed & financial) but with a busier schedule for the
> > Crown and me, we had to consolidate them into one meeting and hope we have
> > enough time. The state of the kingdom will be disclosed in the Crown/Great
> > Officers State of the Union from 1 to 3pm.
> >
> > In Service,
> > Master Phelim Gervase called Pug
> > Kingdom Seneschal - no longer Acting
> >
> >
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