The following people signed the Attendance List: Kevin Standlee (Chair), Cheryl Morgan (Secretary), Crickett Fox (Site Selection Administrator), Judith C. Bemis, Patrick M. Connors, Terry Frost, Kathryn Daughtery, James S. Daugherty, Joseph Yule Prather, Bob Ladd, Gary L. Swaty, Scott Glener, Michael Mason, Christian McGuire, Ruth Sachter, John Lorentz, Janice Gelb, Leroy F. Berven, Ben Yalow, Geri Sullivan, Hank Smith, Gary Louie, Scott Norton, Linda Deneroff, Bob Daverin, Robert Verde, Sharon Sbarsky, Seth Breidbart, Tony E. Parker, Gary Keith Feldbaum, Sue Ellen Adkins, Sean McCoy.

At this meeting, votes on most motions were taken by uncounted show of hands, not voice vote. When a counted vote was ordered, the "serpentine" method of counting was used. In a "serpentine" vote, all those persons voting in favor of a motion stand, then, starting at the front of the room, the voters count off and sit down back and forth across the rows of the room. Then those persons voting against the motion then stand, and they repeat the process. Adequate provision was made for those persons who wished to vote but could not stand.

Crickett Fox reported the results of the 2000 Westercon site selection ballot as follows:

Following from which, Hawaii was selected on the first ballot. There being no objection, the ballots were ordered destroyed.

Kathryn and James Daugherty announced the arrangements for the Hawaii convention, the salient points of which were:

Name: Conolulu

Location: Sheraton Waikiki, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii

Dates: July 1^st - 4^th 2000

Guests of Honor: Dan Simmons, Ctein, and John Lorentz

This committee is the descendant of a committee formed at Westercon 47 (Los Angles, 1994) to study a bylaws amendment to strike out all occurrences of "obligatory" and insert "mandatory." This amendment has been referred annually since then to a series of committees with different names ("MOO", "Squeal", and "Oink") for further consideration and recommendations. Seth Breidbart, the only member of the current incarnation of this committee, moved that the Committee be continued and that it continue to investigate the matters referred to it.

Ruth Sachter moved to amend the motion to continue the committee by changing the name of the Committee from "Oink Committee" to "Neep Committee." This passed by a substantial majority.

Ben Yalow moved to suspend the rules in order to discharge the Committee of the original motion referred to it on the grounds that it had failed in its purpose, but to continue the Committee to investigate any subject that it so wishes. The motion to suspend the rules passed by a substantial majority (more than 2/3); therefore the Oink Committee, consisting of Seth Breidbart, was continued under the name Neep Committee, with the instruction to investigate any subject that it wishes to investigate. The original motion referred to the committee’s predecessor at Westercon 47 was discharged and, no other action having been taken on it, failed of ratification.

A motion to change the Parliamentary Authority for the Westercon Business Meeting from Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised to The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure (Sturgis' Rules of Order) was postponed to this meeting by the Westercon 50 Business Meeting. The Chair pointed out that the motion to refer was technically out of order when made, but, as stated in the Official Papers of this year’s meeting, this does not affect the validity of the underlying motion. A report on the differences between the two systems was presented at Westercon 50 but the matter was postponed to the following year to allow members time to study the report. Various members commented that they had still not read the report.

Robert Verde moved to refer the motion to a Committee to be appointed by the Chair and to recommend that Westercon 52 provide a program item to discuss the differences between the two sets of rules. Representatives of Westercon 52 indicated that this was acceptable to them.

Ben Yalow moved to amend to instruct the Committee to pass on that it is the strong sense of the current meeting that the motion should be finally voted upon at Westercon 52.

Janice Gelb proposed to amend the motion to refer by naming the Committee "Neep Squared". This passed without objection.

Janice Gelb proposed to amend the motion to refer to order that the aforementioned program item at Westercon 52, if it takes place, be locked until such time as all present have read the report. Ben Yalow raised a point of order that the amendment was ultra vires on the grounds that the only way the Business Meeting can instruct a Westercon Committee is through amending the bylaws. The Chair ruled that Mr. Yalow’s point of order was well taken and therefore ruled Ms. Gelb’s amendment out of order. Seth Breidbart appealed the Chair's ruling. After a short debate, the Chair’s ruling was sustained.

Ben Yalow moved to call the previous question on all outstanding items. This passed, ending the debate. The outstanding motion and amendments were passed with a substantial majority. The Bylaws amendment was therefore referred to the Neep Squared Committee. The Chair appointed Kevin Standlee, Ben Yalow, and Roger Wells to this committee. This committee is instructed as follows: 1. Ask the Westercon 52 Committee to provide programming time (preferably immediately before the Business Meeting and in the same room) to discuss the differences between the two sets of rules, and conduct such discussion should the Westercon 52 Committee so provide. 2. Inform the Westercon 52 Business Meeting that it is the strong sense of the Westercon 51 Business Meeting that this matter should be finally resolved by the Westercon 52 Business Meeting.

A representative of Westercon 52 offered to place a copy of the 1997 report on its web site.

Ben Yalow and Ruth Sachter introduced the following resolution:

The discussion of this resolution referred to the Bylaw concerning the size of names on membership badges and follows a similar motion passed last year for apparently similar reasons. The Westercon Bylaws mandate that the names of pre-registered members must appear in 24 point bold type. Mr. Yalow stated that the names on the membership badges of ConCept/Westercon 51 were printed in 20 point non-bold type, thereby violating the Bylaws.

This resolution is deliberately worded so it would not be a motion of censure toward a Westercon committee, but merely a reflection of the opinion of the Business Meeting regarding the importance of Westercon’s rules.

There was much neepery regarding the meaning of font sizes.

The resolution passed by a substantial majority.

The Chair noted that representatives of all seated Westercons were present in the meeting.

Terry Frost proposed to amend section 3.1 of the Bylaws so that it would read (new text in underline type):

Ben Yalow moved to amend by applying a proviso such that the changes would not take effect "until such time as Australia has applied for membership to the United States and a Resolution of Annexation has been adopted by the US Congress".

Linda Deneroff proposed to amend the proviso to add "or that the US has been annexed by Australia and that an appropriate resolution has been passed by the Australian Parliament". This secondary amendment passed by a substantial majority.

Seth Breidbart moved to amend the proviso to include the annexation of Australia by Canada or Mexico. On a count of 10 in favor and 14 against the secondary amendment failed.

Terry Frost moved to amend the proviso to add "or two weeks have elapsed, whichever comes first". The Chair ruled this out of order as dilatory, on the grounds that it would have the same substantive effect as rejecting the proviso.

Robert Verde moved to amend the proviso to add "or a majority vote of the Westercon Business Meeting". The Chair ruled this ultra vires on the grounds that it is beyond the power of a Westercon Business meeting to force the US Congress to annex another country. John Lorentz appealed the ruling; the Chair refused to entertain the appeal, suggesting that the membership unseat the Chair and pick another one if they want to try breaking local law.

Ben Yalow moved to call the previous question on all pending motions. This failed to achieve the required ²/₃ majority. Janice Gelb moved to call the previous question on the immediately pending motion (the amendment to add the proviso). This passed, ending the debate on the primary amendment. Mr. Yalow's amendment passed by a substantial majority. Debate then continued on Mr. Frost's original motion as amended.

Michael Mason moved to amend by striking out "Australia" and inserting "Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea".

Ben Yalow moved to call the previous question on all outstanding items. This passed, ending the debate. Mr. Mason's amendment was rejected. On the main motion, after an initial count of 17 in favor and 9 against, the Chair voted in favor to make the vote 18 - 9. As a consequence the motion passed by ²/₃ and takes effect at the end of Westercon 51 without the need for ratification at the subsequent Westercon. (The Chairman and Secretary have reworded the amendment to compact the wording of proviso so that the motion reads:

Sharon Sbarsky moved to amend section 1.4 of the Bylaws by inserting at the end of the second sentence, "and no less than the font size of the name of the Westercon on the same name badge".

Bob Daverin moved to amend by substitution by "as measured by a standard typographical ruler".

It was moved to call the previous question on Mr. Daverin’s amendment; this passed, ending the debate on the secondary amendment. On a count of 10 in favor and 11 against, Mr. Daverin's amendment failed.

A motion to amend to include the same font type as well as size failed for lack of a second.

It was moved to call the previous question; this passed, ending the debate. Ms. Sbarsky's motion failed.

Bob Daverin moved to reinstate his changes regarding the typographical ruler as a main motion to amend the second sentence of Section 1.4 to read: (new material in underline type):

Ben Yalow moved to refer the entire question to the Neep Committee to discuss reasonable wording. This passed by a substantial majority, and the motion was referred to the Neep Committee.

Janice Gelb moved to strike out the word "for pre-registered members" from the second sentence of section 1.4 of the Bylaws, so that it would read (stricken material in strikethru type):

This would mean that the restrictions on name sizes refer to all badges, not just those of pre-registered members.

Ben Yalow moved to refer this question to the Neep Committee. This passed by a substantial majority, and the motion was referred to the Neep Committee.

Linda Deneroff moved to amend section 1.4 of the Bylaws to stipulate that the font used for names on badges be 24 point Arial. This failed for lack of a second.

Gary Feldbaum introduced the following resolution:

Mr. Feldbaum’s motion failed.

The meeting adjourned sine die at 12:58 p.m.

Cheryl Morgan
Secretary