Regent's Report
March 1997
Kevin Langdon
Major Problems Facing the Society
As I see our current situation, there are three important problems facing TNS: 1. our decline in membership; 2. tuning up our organizational machinery (the TNS Constitution and the procedures followed by officers); 3. the presence of two members whose bad behavior is interfering with the enjoyment of membership by others. I sincerely hope that our officers can resolve the problems and misunderstandings among them we have been hearing about; I regard them all as persons of good will.
Motions Carried
Three motions proposed by me have received an affirmative vote of a majority of the Executive Committee:
* (9) Laura Lansberry, the candidate who received the next-highest number of votes after the four who were elected, [is] appointed to serve the remainder of Hal Darancette's term as Member-at-Large.
* (10) The sum of $150.00 is appropriated: $100.00 for the purchase of a portable IBM-compatible XT computer from John Cooper and $50.00 for shipping and incidental expenses connected with transporting this computer to Jacquelinne White and making it operational.
* (11) Use of the Triple Nine Society logo for purposes other than official business of the society is prohibited.
The vote on the first and third of these motions was 8-0; the vote on the computer motion was 7-0, as John Cooper was ineligible to vote on the motion for the society to purchase a computer from him.
Unfortunately, John sold the computer between the date of the last Memo and the present, but I've purchased a 386 with a color monitor for the same price ($25 of that is a dox-matrix printer from John), which I'm setting up for Jacquelinne's use. It may turn out that we need to spend a little more money to get the computer in good operating condition--but we expected to get an XT with a monochrome monitor, so I think that this is all right.
Motion Defeated
Paul Maxim's motion to prohibit the use of my tests and Dr. Hoeflin's for admission to TNS was defeated 7-1, with Jennifer Foster voting ``yes.''
Declining Membership
The Triple Nine Society now has fewer than 200 paid-up members. This has become a crisis. An examination of the Financial Report in this issue of Vidya will show that we lost $1694.29 in the past year. We must act soon to increase revenue or cut costs. Reducing the size and/or frequency of Vidya does not seem to be a viable option, leaving us the choice of a steep dues increase or increasing our membership, by adding new members and/or recapturing the members we've lost.
Proposal for the Expulsion of Kent Shultz
Readers of Vidya #161/162 have seen John Cooper's motion for the expulsion of Kent Shultz from TNS. A petition to put this motion to a vote of the membership appears in this issue of Vidya. Let's take a vote on this matter and be done with it.
Also, I'd like to remind members that, as I wrote in my reply to John Kormes published in Vidya #161/162:
A booklet contianing excerpts from Mr. Shultz' court records and the full text of the recent exchange of letters between Mr. Shultz and me is available from me for $1.
A Petition for the Suspension from TNS Membership of Paul Maxim
I have come forward on more than one occasion to defend members who have been unjustly attacked (e.g., Anne Paradise, Kent Shultz). Now I am the target of continuing harassment by Paul Maxim, who makes use of any vehicle he can find for his attacks on me, including the journal of this society, which is then obliged to print my defenses against Mr. Maxim's attacks as well.
Mr. Maxim's repetitious and unfounded accusations and his hostile attitude toward those with whom he disagrees do not meet minimum standards of civilized conduct, are highly offensive, and aim to do me (and anyone else who gets in his way) serious harm. Therefore, I propose that Paul Maxim be suspended from membership in the Triple Nine Society for a period of six months, with prepaid dues for this period applied to an extension of his membership for a like period or refunded in cash, as Mr. Maxim prefers.
A petition to bring this to a vote of the membership appears in this issue of Vidya.
Both the October 5 and March 15 ExCom Memos contain extensive material by and in response to Paul Maxim. Both are available on request. Any member who wishes to receive the Memo in the future may ask to be placed on the ExCom Memo distribution list.