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[WorldCon] WSFS Preliminary Business Meeting Liveblog

The agenda is available here.

0923: Welcome to the liveblog for the WSFS business meeting! Actual updates will come about ever 5-10 minutes starting around 10-ish local time ; we’ll see when the meeting gets called into order. Things will be a little different this year, because I’m actually sitting at the head table as the timekeeper (oh god) so we will have a guest liveblogger. My housemate Corina deserves many thanks, for not only continuing to attend the dog and pony show that is the WSFS business meeting, but being willing to liveblog in my place.

1005: Good morning, all. Start of business meeting slightly delayed to give time for members to find the location of the meeting, as it is not in the main convention center area but in a hotel adjacent to the secondary convention space.

1018: Meeting called to order by Mx. Jesi Lipp, Chair.

1021: Don Eastlake, parliamentarian. Absent is Jared Dashoff, Business Liaison. Deputee presiding officer, Kevin Standlee. Alex Acks (hi!), timekeeper. Lisa Hayes, videographer.  Sergants-at-Arms: Terry Neill, Jo Van Ekeren, Anne Davenport. All introduced with preferred pronouns. No captioning service available this year.

1023: Terry explains how to get to the mic or have the mic come to you. Don goes over parliamentary information.

1025: WorldconEvents youtube channel will have video recording as soon as it can be uploaded. Meeting will not be livestreamed.

1028: Schedule for the Preliminary Business Meeting is presented, as well as for the rest of the meetings. Bulk of amendments will be Saturday as well as MPC elections. Sunday is SIte Selection Meeting, presentations for 2022 as well as announcement and presentation for 2021. If necessary, meeting on Monday.

1029: First-time business meeting attendees recognized, as well as 10+ time-attendees.

1032: Any objections to reports? Terry questions Worldcon 76 about financial information due to the lawsuit. Kevin Roche reports they are still in litigation which reduces the pass-along funds, but he has brought three checks for Dublin, CoNZealand, and the 79th Worldcon. First four complaints dismissed with prejudice, defamation claim still pending.

1035: Kent Bloom questions Roach about surplus to give a donation for preserving the Worldcon memorabilia. Roche will check his budget, but they anticipate prevailing in the lawsuit however it is a hope not a guarantee. Same question for MidAmeriCon II and Worldcon 75. No representative available for either, but this will be addressed.

1040: Committee reports. Kevin Standlee reporting for MPC. Report in packet. Highlights: a few challenges including a misuse of the Hugo Award logo. All dealt with, wishes to thank Etsy for being so responsive. Alexis Layton question about a budget report. Standlee states average expenditures about $1700-2000. Financial report included in the packet. They may ask for money if a large suit comes up, but this is uncommon.

1043: Nominations for MPC members. Tim Illingworth, Ben Yalow, Kevin Standlee are current members. Ask for unanimous consent for those three to be nominated again (given). Ask for nominations. Jo Van Ekeren interested in participating. (Second not needed, but appreciated.)

1046: Nitpicking and Flyspecking Committee report by Don Eastlake. A few amendments proposed, detailed in the Agenda. Unanimous consent to reappoint committee to serve another year.

1050: Worldcon Runner’s Guide Editorial Committee report. Mike Wilmoth reports. Incremental progress is being made. They will continue to work on it until Hell freezes over. Current committee approved to serve another year.

1054: Formalization of Long List Entries (FOLLE) committee. Kent Bloom reports. Research continues. Some changes were made, but he doesn’t think they did anything major. Would like to be endorsed for another year.  No objections. Cliff Dunn reports for Hugo Awards Study Committee. Would like to continue for another year with the ability to add/remove members. Proposes move to a wikia instead of email. Jo Van asks about art committee to be recombined with main committee as it did not meet nor produce a report.  Seconded. Ben Yalow raises a concern that the other committee is not on the floor and therefore cannot object to this and should not be discharged although we can still expand the main committee. Standlee says yes we can because they all report to us! Vote on expanding now, will discharge when it is on the floor. The committee chair is in the room and says this is an excellent idea as long as Cliff doesn’t kill it. Cliff (reluctantly) agrees.

1058: Seeing no objection, it is done. Lisa Padol thanks Cliff for herding the cats. Perianne Lurie asks about continuing the committee again for another year. Approved.

1102: The Remote But Real committee reports. Kate Secor apologizes that there was no report/committee meeting.  Requests continuing for another year, willing to turn over chairship to someone else. Committee continued (no one else volunteers to be another chair). Alan Tipper asks about joining the committee. Secor accepts email addresses.

1103: Professional Artist and Fan Artist Study Committee disbanded with no report. Cliff Dunn gives sign up sheet to join Hugo Study Committee. Ten minute recess to convene at 1113.

1115: Meeting reconvened. One standing rule change to vote on: item B3. Debate time 4 mins.

1123: B3 reclassified as A1. Kate Secor summarizes the issue (giving Committee of the Whole the ability to extend itself rather than the labyrinthine maneuver from last year). Kent Bloom objects that this is not he right way to do it, because now we know the right method to do it because the rules for the Business Meeting and Committee of the Whole are different and this would make it too easy for the Committee of the Whole to extend itself. Martin Pyne, Parliamentary Inquiry about debate time, Chairperson clarifies.

1133: Terry Neill speech in favor because the Committee of the Whole is exactly the same people as the Business Meeting so it is ok to extend their own time. Don Eastlake amendment to clarify a 2/3 vote is needed to extend time. Seconded. Joshua Kronengold asks if 2/3 is what the Business Meeting requires (yes, so it is the same). Martin Pyne inquiry as to whether the Committee could limit its debate time, but there is an existing standing rule to clarify that already. Jo Van inquiry to clarify the original motion.  PRK inquiry to ask if 2/3 majority should be referred to the constitution, but as this appears in Robert’s Rules of Order this is rejected.  Motion to extend debate by 2 mins, seconded. Vote fails. Someone appeals ruling of the chair since there has been no opposing speech, but there has so it is withdrawn. Vote on amendment passes. Vote on standing rule change adopted. Cliff Dunn motions to give it immediate effect, which is seconded. 2/3 majority needed, passes.

1136: Item B1: Hugo Eligibility extention for Prospect. Olav Rokne speaks in favor due to limited distribution during the eligibility period. Vote in favor passes.

1137: Item B2: Hugo Eligibility for Worlds of Ursula K LeGuin. Jo Van speaks in favor due to limited release during eligibility period but wider distribution since. Vote in favor passes.

1140: Item B4: Suspend “5 and 6” for 2020. Cliff Dunn moves to postpone definitely until after item D7, seconded. Vote passes.

1143: Moving on to business passed on from last year. Debate times set. Come back tomorrow for the fun stuff.

1155: New Constitutional Amendments. Debate times are set for D1-D6. D7 moved to postpone indefinitely. It is too early to dismantle the bulwark. Kent Bloom says we have no evidence this has deterred anything. Jo Van in favor, ensures that an extra non slate finalist gets in. This was done in 89 as well, while it has increased the workload on the administrators, does ensure that the people who should be on the balance get to be on the ballot. Ben Yalow against, because the threat decided to go away. Protections there serve no useful purpose and make the process less transparent and fair. Kathleen Mahaffy – they have not gone away, we still see evidence of slates. Needs to be protected. Elspeth Kovar inquiry as to what we’re debating. Moved to vote. SERPENTINE CALLED!

1158: 46 in favor, 30 against. Motion to postpone indefinitely fails.

1204: D8-D10 debate times set. Motion to refer to committee for D11 made and then withdrawn. Joshua Kronengold wants to take out the word “forever”, but it is not substantive and is dismissed. Debate time set for D11.

1210: D12 motion to postpone indefinitely (this is Best Translated Novel). Cliff Dunn speaks in favor of postponing indefinitely. Chris Barkley speaks against, as the amendment seems like the road we will eventually end up on so we should discuss it now.  It is a matter of diversity to support it. (Still) Ben Yalow speaks in favor as we do not have the authority to pass it now, suggests a committee report. Jo Van in favor as it needs more work. Mark Richards against, as it has a sunset clause so we can use it as a trial of viability. Movement postponed indefinitely.

1218: D13 (Best Game or Interactive Experience) moved to postpone indefinitely. Kate Secor in favor because the Hugo nominating base is not ready for the cost of entry. Lisa Padel against having seen the reports, enough research has been done that it deserves a debate, even if we decide against it. Periann Lurie agnostic on the topic but believes the proposal is flawed and needs revision before we consider it as things like Bandersnatch and choose your own adventure books are unclear. Ira Alexandre proposal maker against, because the issue is worth talking about whether you are for or against, wants to hear what people think so we should debate it. Martin Pyne would like to see it trialed as a category before the business meeting considers it.  Jo Van against because Ira has done a lot of work so it deserves debate time. Corina (me!) speaks against.  Vote is not a 2/3 majority so the item is not postponed indefinitely. Time set at 12 minues.

1218: Meeting adjourned.

10 replies on “[WorldCon] WSFS Preliminary Business Meeting Liveblog”

Lisa Padol not Padel
Perrianne Lurie not Peryann.
I realize without the captioning, getting proper spelling is harder.

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