MITNA Exec Meeting

Description

Planning meeting by MITNA Exec before the General Meeting of Oct 4th. The meeting is open to all MITNA members, although only the Executive board can vote. Specific meeting sections may be closed-session if at least half of the MITNA Exec members present request so.

Agenda:

• Elections: 'fleet captains' idea (Franny)
• Pavilion "general rules" (ASO for multiple others)
• Ratings (ASO for multiple others)
• Website update:
  • what exec (& volunteers) can do
  • mailing lists
• "Introduction to the Pavilion" class

lMITNA Exec meeting
6:25pm shore school

attendence: Dwight K. Brown, Daniel S. Myers, Gregory Marton (Grem),
        Emanuela Giacometti (Emi), Henry Hall, Eric Gibber,
        John (race committee chairman), Fran Charles, Shawn Porter


0. Hatch Brown Service Award
   The person Melitta and Dwight were thinking of is unanimously nominated.
    (white ballot)



1. Fleet Captains

Summary:

  Fleet captaincies give us a way to name competent people to a role,
  give them the responsibility to promote a part of the organization,
  and give them the credibility and authority to move the programs
  forward.  It has been proposed that the way to give authority is to
  elect them to the executive board, and for constitutional reasons
  the place to do so would be the member at large position.  In
  general, the executive has decided not to take this route for most
  captains, but to simply give them authority by saying they have it.
  The one exception is with respect to the education program.  The
  committee will recommend naming an education committee chair, and
  electing that chair to the committee as a member at large this year.

Discussion:
   Franny:
     - Students expressed interest in organizing equipment,
     - Alvar gave encouragement and name: "be our fleet captain"
     - see such leaders for other constituencies: Tue&Thur racing,
       Team racing, blue water cruising boat, etc.
     - Let's try empowering such leaders with official authority and
       responsibility by electing them to office
     - Would like to see volunteering for work parties, etc.
   DSM: where's the dividing line between staff and captains?
   Franny:
     - captains set the agenda, organize meetings, so on.
     - pavilion staff will help make happen what the captains push for.
     - captains provide energy for where these groups go
   Henry:
     - there is an existing club structure. maybe we want to change it, but
       how does this fit in?
     - what authority do these captains have?
     - I think it's a good idea that captains have an official role in
       the organization, in the executive committee. (Franny agrees)
     - we have one such "captain" already on the committee: the race committee
       chairman. 
     - the five core members currently have to be students, so under the
       current constitution the captains may have to fit into the Members at
       Large (MaL) roles.
     - MaL were the old fogeys giving guidance to the student executives.
     - requiring the core executive to be students is no longer relevant,
       and we should consider changing that requirement.
     - next year we could have no more MaL, but have captains instead.
   Franny: yes, if it makes sense, after we try it.
   F+H: for now, try the obvious roles, make sure the people elected feel
        responsibility
   DSM: core exec really ought to remain student-only
   Emi: but how many current students do you see here?
       Some students might be more excited about being a captain than about
       running the core organization, and forcing them to be treasurer, etc.
       may not be what they want.  We keep having to hunt for those positions.
   DKB: students are involved, although some could not be here tonight
   John: this is an organization for the whole community,
       with many more community members than students. 
       it's outdated that students must fill the principal roles. 
       until grad, most people don't utilize the facilities,
       aren't doing the heavy lifting.
   Grem: "student" implies term limits, which are good
   J+F: we can add term limits.
   DKB: core constituency remains the student body,
       student-run organization forces us to cater to students,
       whereas if we open exec up to anyone, we can stray from our core mission.
   Henry: long ago it had to be undergrads, then we allowed grad students too.
      still can't find people

 = which captaincies do we want as part of the core executive?
   John:
    - Race already is. education is important, blue water
    - smaller roles like R19 and windsurf should not be on exec
      but would have authority, interact with staff, come to exec if they
      need manpower, etc.
    - team racing would be a subset of the racing
   DKB: de facto, we've had that for the past five years
   John: yes, but let's make it more overt, both so outside exec people know
      who to go to, and so they themselves feel the responsibility.
   Franny: those who have expressed interest in "smaller" captaincies might
      feel slighted if we leave them out of the discussion during the MITNA
      meeting.
   Henry: can say "this person has served, would like to serve in this role,
      and the exec would like to have them on the committee, so we suggest
      electing them for MaL"
   DKB: how about keeping the MaL and expanding the committee?
   consensus: MaL is good enough.
   Grem: note: if blue water is MaL, cannot also be commodore.
      fleet captains might feel (and be) less listened to off exec
   Emi: we should not ask/coerce people to take authority and responsibility. 
      They want to do stuff without commitment or responsibility or a named role
   Fran:
    - the person Emi is thinking of actually came to volunteer for captain
    - they're not responsible for the windsurfing itself, but for promoting
      that aspect of the organization and coordinating activities.

 = motion to add education chair as MaL
   DKB: doesn't like idea of fleet captains encroaching on MAL because it
      narrows the organization
   H+J: for one year.  Let's see how things go.
   DSM: to clarify: core running things has to remain with the official staff,
      and these are for promoting and making activities.
   John: agrees, stresses that people should be named, given authority.
   DSM+J: blue water on exec may help us coerce them to open things up more

   Have education?   4:1:0. passes
   Have blue water?  2:3:0. fails

   John: Grem, why are you against blue water chair?
   Grem: I see R19 as bigger constituency, generally doesn't seem to make sense.

 = How to recommend:
   Grem: "the committee thinks of education as a core mission, and like the
      race committee chair, we would like an education chair on the executive
      board.  For now, elect as MaL, then think about adding the role
      in the constitution."
   DSM+others: let's not even think about saying the last part yet.



2. Pavilion General Rules
   there is a sheet that used to get handed out...

   Franny:
      - already updating to the modern world, with Alvar.
      - when people pass the swim, they must also check off that they agree
   Henry: this is not under the control of the MITNA, but part of the sailing
      master's control, how they decide to run the dock.  Ratings have not
      been ours either. Rules are set by the sailing master, and have degraded
      over the years at sailing master's discretion.




3. New classes for experienced sailors
   if you just want to know where the tech dinghies are, you shouldn't be
   told that you have to take the first Wednesday class.

   Henry: I never took a class in anything.  First time I came down I just
      got shown what to do.  We need competent dock staff.  I never would
      have waited two days to go to a class.  Stu Nelson just helped people
      rig boats and get on out.
   Emi: if you come down and be patient you'll get shown now too
   Henry:   I don't think staff is as good/responsive as they used to be.
      people were here.  now fewer volunteers and spirit isn't there.
      people should not be told they have to come to a wednesday class.
   Fran: I think that happens when the dock is very busy and crazy,
      and staff don't have time at that moment.
   Henry: we don't need these intro sessions at all if we can send people
      to experienced sailors.
   John: racers are helpful, and I expect that of the racers to take time
      out of their setup.
   Fran: dockstaff is getting replaced over the next month or so,
      starting fresh next year, I'll try to encourage them to be more
      helpful, and not deflect people into a lesson, etc.
   DSM: some dock staff have been unfriendly, curt
   Fran: I need to hear about that immediately.



4. Provisional rating's meaning

   Fran:
     - do not want to revert to swim because it's a mark of achievement,
       and students like to know that they will keep that rating
     - keep "provisional" name because it sounds good, nice 1930s ring to it.
   Henry: people got crew and helms because they needed it to sail better boats.
       but even in 1970, people didn't get sent back to swim.
   Fran: lots of people are out there enjoying the river, having a great time,
     - that's more important than people "knowing what they're doing".
   Henry: so codify the lack of rigor and get rid of the other ratings.
 = consensus: no change.


  

5. R-19 class tomorrow

Daniel volunteers.  Call Ryan Cleary.  Others welcome to help.




6. 07-08 Exec Nominations
   those whose name someone will bring up, and who are expected to
   accept the nomination.

commodore: dsm, olivier
vice commodore: olivier
secretary: grem
treasurer: Federico Villalpando

MaL: Matthew Wall for Blue Water.
MaL education?

?: these are recommendations, we don't need to list everyone.
Fran: can't we propose a slate?
DKB: slates tend to discourage people just standing up and volunteering
Henry: agrees: want to have something ready, but not a slate, no setup.
   gotta be open to new people standing up.  be careful how we present these.
Fran: have to advertise
 - DSM should send out mail. tell people by word of mouth.
 - free food is good, but grab people's interest.
 - Talk to Ted for an update on b/w stuff.
 - Education committee can talk about the success of the classes, etc.
 - good idea to give a bit of State of the MITNA
DKB: people don't respond to emails, but the way to get quorum is to
   tell people in person as they walk in the door, there's an exec
   meeting tomorrow, can you come?
DSM: We begin at 6pm
DKB: make meeting short, done by 7pm



adjourned at 7:50

Organizers

Questions about this event should be directed to the organizer(s): MITNA Exec