About ReadAssist

Meeting Minutes

February 10, 2001

The following members were present in the Baen's Bar Chat Room:

• Mike Spehar, Chairman
• Jody Dorsett, Requirements
• Judith Lasker, Finance
• Mike Preston, Treasurer
• Evan Mayerle
• Pogo Poggiani
• Luis Cedeno (w/o vote), representing Walt Boyes, Technical
• Janet Dailey, Commo

Chair called the meeting to order at 3:08 PM CST, February 11, 2001 and declared a quorum.

All relevant documentation will be kept by the Communications Officer/Recorder. Minutes of the January 21 Meeting were posted to Baen's Bar on February 1, 2001.

The Technical and Requirement Reports were distributed on February 2, 2001 (and there were no changes up to board meeting time) while and Communications Reports were distributed before the meeting to all board members.

1. Dorsett moved to accept the last minutes. Lasker seconded. Passed by board vote.
2. Chair called for any changes to the Treasurer/Finance Reports. Preston did point out that he had received two off-Bar donations: one for $100 and $30 from Canada. Dailey moved to accept. Mayerle seconded. Passed by Board vote.
3. Chair asked Dorsett, Requirements, if his report was still good. Dorsett replied that he was waiting until Jimmy got everything before scheduling the installation.
4. Chair called for any changes to the Commo report. Chair asked if Dailey noted she has a new committee member, Ron Von Allen. Chair moved to accept. Lasker seconded. Passed by board vote.
5. Chair called for discussion of new business, primarily expansion of Read Assist activities to helping the blind. Three proposals are:
   • Soliciting blind clients,
   • a short term expansion of information and linking to other sites which help blind/disabled persons who enjoy reading Science Fiction,
   • and formation of a group, similar to the Schmitz Project Group, to provide scanning and proofreading support in order to bring back old authors' work into an electronic format, with the goal of it eventually being placed in the Baen Free Library.
   Chair asked that the committee department chairs be included in email discussions among Dailey, Luis Cedeno, Flint, and Dorsett in exploring the third proposals. Dorsett will chair the group and report next meeting.
   Chair also asked Dailey to research blind sites to contact and report.
   
6. Chair declared meeting adjourned at 4:45 PM. Next meeting is February 24, 2001.

Submitted by Janet Dailey, Commo/Recorder, February 11, 2001

Reports for February 10, 2001 Board Minutes, consolidated.

Finance Report, submitted by Judith Lasker, Chair, February 10, 2001

Treasurer's Report, submitted by Mike Preston, January 21, 2001

1. Financial Position

   Source	Pledged	Received	Spent	Total
   Public	$666.25	$770.00
   Credit Card		$500.00
   Private	$950.00	$565.00
   Unpledged		$940.00
   Interest Income		$11.91
   Total Received		$2,116.25		$2,286.91
   Total spent			–$1,643.90
   Net Cash				$643.01
   Credit Available		$500.00
   Resources Available				$1,143.01
   Allocated: Balance of computer project			–$350.00
   Unallocated Resources				$793.01

   
   
   Unallocated includes $643.01 cash and approximately $150.00 credit.
   
   
   • Pledges not given up on: $416.25
   • Possible Available: $1,209.26
     
   • Received a check for CAN$30.00 yesterday. Will find out what it costs to convert. If more than the apx. US$20.00 it will net, will return it.

Technical Report, submitted by Walt Boyes, Chair on the Bar January 30, 2001

Email from Jimmy saying that the tower and IBM Via Voice have arrived and is waiting for the technical installer. In the meantime, he's enjoying and getting lots of use out of the laptop, wireless keyboard & trackball, and the Hands Off program. He thanked everyone, a million times.

Requirement Report, confirmed by Jody Dorsett, Chair at the meeting.

No new business. Need the balance of hardware (wireless hub) to arrive at Jimmy's.

Commo Report, submitted by Janet Dailey, Chair February 10, 2001