Resolution 2006-08-07.dbg.2.iwj.1: Attendance Policy

This resolution was adopted by the Board of Directors of SPI at their meeting of September 19, 2006. This resolution supersedes 2001-09-17.br

• WHEREAS the Board of Directors of Software in the Public Interest is responsible for the operation of the organisation;
• and WHEREAS the Board of Directors performs its business at its meetings;
• and WHEREAS Board members are expected to attend all meetings;
• and WHEREAS Board members who do not attend a reasonable number of meetings can prevent the Board from carrying out its duties;

The Board of Directors hereby resolves that:

• The Accounting Period for this Attendance Policy shall be one year, ending with the most recent Board meeting, including any meeting in session;
• All Board members shall be recorded in the meeting minutes of all board meetings while they are members as having an attendance status that is one of:
  1. Absent,
  2. Absent, with regrets,
  3. Present, with exception,
  4. Present;
• A Board member who fails to attend a valid Board meeting, and who has not sent the Board regrets for the meeting at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the scheduled start of the meeting, shall be marked as: "Absent", but may, by a vote of the Board at the time the Minutes are being approved for that meeting be marked as "Absent, with regrets" without notice having been received should the Board be satisfied that reasonable notice was not possible;
• A Board member who fails to attend a valid Board meeting, but who has sent the Board regrets at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the scheduled start of the meeting, shall be marked as: "Absent, with regrets";
• A Board member who attends a valid Board meeting shall be marked as "Present", but shall be marked as "Present, with exception" if he does not:
  1. Register as present during Roll Call, and
  2. Participate or actively abstain in all votes, and
  3. Respond to all Quorum Calls called for by the meeting Chair;
• A Quorum Call may be called by the meeting Chair at any time during meeting if he reasonably believes that the number of members still attending are insufficient to retain Quorum, and all members present must respond in acknowledgement of their presence. Such Quorum calls and their results shall be recorded in the meeting Minutes;
• All Board members shall be considered "Present" for all meetings for the year prior to their first appointment to the Board;
• If a board member is:
  1. marked as "Absent" for the greater of 20% or three Board meetings during the accounting period, or
  2. marked as "Absent, with regrets" for the greater of 40% or five Board meetings during the accounting period, or
  3. not marked as "Present" for the lesser of 50% or seven Board meetings during the accounting period; the Secretary will put onto the agenda for the next Board meeting a motion to ask the board member to resign.
• This resolution and all its effects shall take place effective with the passage of this resolution, with no action being taken for attendance records prior to its implementation.