SDL Forum Society Meeting, Geneva, 15 April 1996

Participants

Amardea Sarma, Eurescom, Member (Chair)
Rick Reed, TSE Ltd, Member (Treasurer)
Joachim Fischer, HUB, Member
Heinz Kossmann, Siemens, Observer
Yair Lahav, ECI Telecom Ltd, New member
Lars Tufvesson, Telelogic, Observer
Bill McCrum, Industry Canada, Member
Dieter Hogrefe, Member
Birger Møller-Pedersen, NR, Member, (Secretary)
Øystein Haugen, Member
Ekhart Rudolph, Siemens, Member
Ove Færgemand, TeleDenmark, Member
Anders Olsen, TeleDenmark, Member

Agenda

  1. Agreement on agenda
  2. Report on the previous year
  3. Discussion on the future of the SDL Forum Society
  4. Agreement on new members
  5. Elections (Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary)
  6. Changes in the Constitution
  7. Agreement on membership fees
  8. AOB

1. Agreement on agenda

The agenda was agreed, and no points were added to the agenda.

2. Report on the previous year

The two most important events was that the Society was formally established and the Seventh SDL Forum in Oslo.

The Treasurer reported that the balance on the account is DM 14.075, but that some small expenses were due. It was indicated from the organisers of the SDL Forum in Oslo that the contribution to the Society would amount to about NOK 20.000 (about DM 4.500).

3. Discussion on the future of the SDL Forum Society

Until now the Society has mainly kept the account holding the profits from the SDL Forum, but from now it shall play a more active role. It was agreed that the scope of the Society in the first round should be promotion of SDL (and MSC) and not standardisation.

As a first task of the operation of the Society, it was decided to have a Web site established. This will also provide a mailing list and an ftp area. It shall be the main entry to SDL, and effort should be spent to make it appealing/professional the first time. The Society may pay for this, but in the firts place it should be based upon existing work and on offers from persons that are involved already.

An action point on the Board is that ITU shall be asked to provide the facilities for the Web site. A requirement is that the Web site responsible person from the Society has access and may change the contents at any time. The result of the negotiations with ITU is e-mailed to the members. If a satisfactory solution involving ITU is not obtained, then the Society may choose to buy the facilities from another computer site.

4. Agreement on new members

Yair Lahav became a new member.

5. Elections (Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary)

The existing Board of Amardeo Sarma (Chairperson), Rick Reed (Treasurer) and Birger Møller-Pedersen (Secretary) was unanimously re-elected.

6. Changes in the Constitution

$ 3 has been made carefully in order for the society to be a non-profit organisation in accordance with German law. It was still questioned if the wording is correct, so Amardeo Sarma is to check this once more. It is believed that tasks of the Society (as e.g. Forums) may give a profit as long as this is used in accordance with the purpose of the Society.

It was decided to keep the enrolment of new members by the Board, but that the default procedure is to enrol a person or organisation that pays the membership fee.

All changes were accepted, no votes against and no abstensions.

7. Agreement on membership fees

It was agreed that there should be a membership fee, but the Constitution says that the Board lays down membership fees. The details on this, especially and voting procedures and how organisations are treated, will be made by the Board.

It shall be made clear what benefits from being a member are, as this may important for persons that want to become members via their organisations. Examples may be Newsletter, reduced fee at SDL Forums, promotion material early, and perhaps special member-only part of the Web site.

It was proposed to look into the possibility of having sponsors/donators in addition to paying members.

8. AOB

Next members meeting will be announced by the calling chair.

INT, France has offered to organise the next SDL Forum in Paris. There has been no indications that there will be an SDL Forum in US, but Amardeo Sarma is to check an extra time before it is decided to take the offer of INT.