PRESENT: All Board members participated at various times.

PRELIMINARY ACTIONS:

1. It was agreed that future minutes would note actions agreed by members during the monthly virtual board meetings, which would inform members who missed the meeting and could be matters arising for future BIN items.

2. It was also agreed that minute taking would rotate among members at each meeting.  KN agreed to take the first minutes under this new arrangement.


REVISED BIN (agreed at start of meeting):

The following BIN items were agreed to be discussed in order of priority:

1. OSonOS in USA
2. Request from Bujumbura (Burundi)
3. Update OSonOS in Goa
4. Further discussion of Space Corps

MEETING ACTIONS:

1. OSonOS in USA will be held on November 7 & 8, 2004 at the Carlton Hotel in Oak Park, just outside Chicago for practitioners and interested people with a sliding fee from $50 to $150 and any excess over direct costs to go into a pot to fund projects from the event, etc.

ACTION: DG will post the invitation on the OSLIST.  PH will provide the OSI US mailing list of 400 names.

2. Prosper Ndabishuriye requested $2,500 to fully fund an event in Bujumbura on August 14 & 15, 2004 for 100 participants.

ACTIONS: After considerable discussion, the following actions were taken:

1. PH & JE would draft a response from the Board that kept open discussions for future support, but explained how OSI US worked (our funding criteria) and our need to hear more about Prosper's future plans and impact of an event to expand OST training and/or lead to further events.

2. The proposal underscored the need to look at criteria for funding events, by addressing such questions as should the Board fund events? Would it start a precedent?  Do we need special criteria. such as knowledge of the facilitator(s) track record?  For example, while some Board members had met and were impressed by Prosper at the PoP event, nobody could confirm Mike Seymour's credibility as a facilitator. Also, JE raised the sensitivities of events in the Third World, noting that more harm than good could be done.

3. KN raised the need to discuss a balance between the Board's priorities for a programme it initiated and responding to external requests.  For example, if funded, LH noted that Prosper's proposal would absorb one third of the Board's cash resources.

CARRYOVER BIN ITEMS:

1. Update OSonOS in Goa
2. Further discussion of Space Corps
3. Consider whether to fund future events and if additional criteria needed.
4. Sale of OST principles poster in 15 languages from OSonOS event at Fyn, Denmark (ACTION: PH would get estimated costs).
5. Review and apply funding criteria posted by MH on OpenSpaceWorldNET as follows:
5.1 Projects that serve underserved areas of the world.
5.2 Leveraged efforts that reach multiple people, especially in training or other sustainings sort of way. (KN asks if worth clarifying by adding "raising awareness, promoting understanding of and making new applications for OST?")
5.3 Situations wherein other groups or individuals have already made investments so that OSI-USA can augment rather than initiate projects (KN asks does this matching funds concept need clarification as to percentages and recognition of in-kind contributions?)
5.4 Project sponsors and facilitators who will do good work and bring the story back to the larger OS community (are sponsor and facilitator credibility a new criteria for funding?)
6. Donating remaining 180 first edition PoP books (PH)
7. How to handle OSI US income earned from provision of fiduciary responsibilities (see 4.22.04 proceedings: items B,C & D raised by PH)
8. US OST outreach ideas (DG)
9. CIRCLES OF CHANGE video distribution (JE)
10. Surprise event for HO's 70th birthday on 12.2.05, eg. OSonHO?

NEXT MEETING DATE: 11.00 a.m. PST on Friday, August 27, 2004