NPDA Fall 2000 Business Meeting Minutes
Minutes of the November 9, 2000 NPDA Meeting, Seattle, NCA, WSCTC Room 204, 6:30-9:00 P.M.I. Officer's Reports
A. Executive Secretary's Report (Renea Gernant):
II. Old Business: None reintroduced.1. First, a correction (sort of) in the constitution and the minutes. Last spring we passed a resolution worded, Amend constitution to create an official position for the webmaster of the NPDA website". In the minutes, this was called an appointment, but the actual item passed said "amend the constitution." As I was adding last semester's changes to the constitution, I did that, inserting the position under officers (which seemed the logical place to amend the constitution to create an official position...). Since then, it was called to my attention that we didn't really create an officer position so it shouldn't be there in the constitution. That's fine and I can pull it from the constitution, but will need input on where and how to include it or if it needs to be included. If it is not to be included, I believe that we need to rescind or substitute the spring motion. Also, when this was called to my attention, I went back to figure out the problem I faced while editing and realized also that we have wording problems with the section in the constitution dealing with officers (Art IV, Sec 1). Currently, the constitution reads that "if warranted, regional members may be appointed to the executive council, these officers shall constitute the executive council." This clause implies that all regional reps are exec council and officers. If this is the case, what impact is there on the setup of the organization? Does it mean that all appointments, aka the official position of webmaster is an officer position, et al. Do the regional members vote on the exec council? Others have asked me where the journal editor fits into the equation. Are such appointments similar to regional rep appointments? These aren't things I have an answer for and suggested that we create an ad hoc committee to figure it all out and tell us if or how all these things impact the constitution and what to do with the item we passed last spring.
2. Second, I will edit the constitution when doing the next revision to change By-Law XII, 12F, 4a and remove the preposition "to a maximum of sixty four teams will advance to the single-elimination rounds and delete subsequent, irrelevant sub-points. When I was making changes to the constitution this fall, I missed that change. That I can make sure happens although again, I hope that an ad hoc committee can help me double check to make sure that I haven't missed any other changes related to the 5-3 motion passed last spring.
3. Please let me know if you discover any other changes that have been passed in the past but which have not made it into the constitution. It would help me if you can also reference at what meeting the changes that are
absent were made so that I can attempt to locate those minutes and verify what actually was passed. Recent business is easy...but old stuff is hard.
4. Minutes were distributed in the fall mailing. Are there any changes? If you didn't get a copy, you can find them at the website and let me know if you have issues or concerns.
5. Tournament Report from what I have. I know that you all would love to have results. Trust me, I would love to have them too. So, here is the list as of Wednesday afternoon at about 3:00:
Tournaments complete and in the computer: University of Wyoming- The Top of the Rockies, Purdue University- Boilermaker Special, Claremont Colleges- Claremont Invitational, Bethany Lutheran- Plum 1, College of Southern Idaho- Golden Eagle Invitational, Creighton/Concordia- Nebraska Double-up, Metro State- Downtown Denver, Metro State- October Swing, Normandale CC- TCFL 1, Biola- Biola University Tournament, University of Louisiana- Bicker Debates, Bethany Lutheran- Vocal Viking, Plum 2, Oktoberwest, and Fall TIFA.
Tournaments in but not entered in the computer:
Santa Rosa JC, Colorado College, Grossmont, SDSU, Casper College, Middle Tennessee, Louis and Clark.
Tournaments with problems: Raisin Center- I just got a code sheet via e-mail. University of Oregon- Need prelims
Tournaments for which we have nothing except forms (those without dues are preceded with an N): Florida Tourist Trap, N University of St. Thomas- Bayou Swing, Southern Utah- Red rock, N NIU- parli, Middle
TN- Pajaver, N Harvard, Lower Columbia- GPDL 1, Northwest- Trapper, N Griffith Invite, LSU- Lyceum,
N Winona State Sugarloaf, N Ball State- Big Tent, N Los Rios CC, St. Mary's Diamondback, Lower Columbia- SMELT.
A couple of these are getting really old. We have sent e-mails and phoned directors, so we hope info is coming...but if you have the information or know where to get it, I will take it from you too.
Moved/seconded and passed that we create an ad hoc committee to go over the constitution and clean up issues mentioned above including deciding how to dispose of or substitute the resolution passed in the spring. The members will be Bob Trapp, Brian Shipley, Michael Dreher, Renea Gernant and Jason Anderson.B. Treasurer's report (Brent Northup):
I would just put the brief info in the minutes, rather than mailing. I think the balance and expenses should be in the record. Here's the data:
1. Fiscal year summary:
National Tournament: -$204.66
Non Tournament: $1,354.01
Yearly balance: $1149.35
Bank Balance: November 9, 2000: $15,850.44
Members on November 9, 2000: 1202. We do not yet have our own tax ID number. We will have after this fiscal year ends in June.
C. Student's report (Jason Anderson): There is now a moderated student listserv for parliamentary debate.
D. Nominating committee (Bob Trapp): Brent Northup has been nominated to this postion again. No additional nominations. Tom Kuster and Skip Rutledge have been nominated. No additional nominations.Elections will be via mail ballot, which will be sent shortly.
E. Webmaster (Michael Dreher): Parlidebate.org is still our address. The site is now more friendly to those who are disabled. The searchable tournament version is up again, but as noted above, it isn't complete.
F. Journal Editor (Ed Inch): The journal is ready as soon as we have the final round transcript it will be printed.
G. President's report (Skip Rutledge):1. The Tahoe Conference: Included as an appendix in the mailed version of the minutes.
There was a motion, which was seconded and passed, to provide $500.00 for the Tahoe Conference.
2. Information about panels at the conference regarding parliamentary debate.
3. Notes on national tournament. Past: Marty and Susan did a great job. The tournament itself went long and hope to fix that next year. Present: Scott Gratson has been working hard and it looks great. Future: We have no clue what is happening next year. We need full proposals for a host site.
4. Matt Stannard at the U of Wyoming announced that he will have to choose between CEDA and NPDA this year. He asked why this was and that we attempt to avoid this in the future because it hurts dual debate programs. Those involved in past scheduling noted that there have been discussions about this, but that honestly, we have to take the weekends for which we have bids and that regularly these conflicts arise.
III. New Business:
A. The Al Johnson and Michael Dreher amendment:
Moved and seconded.
Discussion ensued about how one may circumvent the system. A friendly amendment was accepted to change proposed item 5, final clause regarding late season tournaments to read, "all results must be in the hands of the person designated to count sweepstakes points no more than three days subsequent to the completion of the sanctioned tournament."
A motion was then made and seconded to change the following: Under proposed item 7, the first sentence, final clause would be replaced to read, "then the tournament will be assessed a $50 fee (in addition to membership) in the subsequent year in order to be sanctioned. The amendment passed and the motion passed on a majority.
B. The proposal to rename the Top Novice Speaker award as the Dan Henning Top Novice Speaker Award was moved, seconded and passed.
C. The Batt amendment proposal regarding changing year long sweeps calculations was discussed. There was a lot of support for this motion which would ultimately need to go to the membership at large for a mail vote. Nonetheless, the item was tabled in part due to concerns about vagueness regarding what points would be assigned or not assigned for di-, tri- and octo-finals.
D. The Hasty proposal to amend the point structure for awarding reduced points to novice and junior divisions was discussed and then tabled.
Meeting adjourned.