[council] Draft Schedule for GNSO related meetings in LA

["Philip Sheppard" <philip.sheppard@xxxxxx>]

Avri,
I do understand the mess we are in with no decisions taken at the last call and 
a Council
meeting now blended in with a public forum.
However, it is not appropriate to use the Sat and Sun meetings as substitute 
Council
meetings. 
Firstly, our by-laws require an agenda and 7 days notice: ie certainty not 
maybe it is,
maybe it isn't.
Secondly, the Sat and Sun meetings come BEFORE Constituency meetings: surely 
the reason for
delaying the decision making at our last call, was to be able to discuss in the
Constituencies?
Thirdly, whereas I am all in favour or improving outreach in the public forum, 
it is not
acceptable to compromise the integrity of our Council meeting as a result. 
Either we can
achieve what Council must or we cannot. If the new format stops Council 
functioning, the new
format needs revisiting.

So, to end on my usual positive note.
By all means lets use Sat and Sun to discuss the issues, but with no votes.
Then, the time needed on the actual Council meeting (Wed Oct 31) can be short 
and sweet to
do the voting.

Indeed, we could adopt a parliamentary convention whereby all votes are taken 
one after the
other in a set time frame.
That would ensure those not in LA could phone in at exactly the right time to 
vote, (a
useful idea given the fact we are told we cant vote using proxies).

Philip