Minutes of May 2009 Board Meeting

This documents the May 2009 Board Meeting of the 2009 Oktoberfest Organizing Committee. Pursuant to Article II, Section 2 of the by-laws, there were the required minimum number of member States present (2 is the minimum, United States and The Netherlands were represented).

Old Business:
Minutes from the April meeting were summarized and approved.

Treasurer's Report:
- Starting Balance for April: $0 US
- Expenditures for April: $0 US
- Ending Balance: $0 US

New Business:
Discussion of H1N1 virus and how it might affect attendance and the health of attendees.
Should the committee pay for masks or immunizations when available? The decision was tabled until further study, but most thought drinking enough bier would kill any virus. In addition, consuming the local Pork products could also build up one's immunity.

Discussion on how to encourage Blog postings, or punish non-posters.
The Dutch representative, Barbus, brought a motion to the floor to punish members who do not post at least once a week. The American representative, Chugger, seconded the motion, and discussion continued. After further discussion of alternatives, the following requirements were agreed to by unanimous vote of the attending member states and entered into the bylaws:

• Beginning the 1st full week of June, all Oktoberfest attendees must post a minimum of one new Blog topic per week (Comments to topics do not count)
  
• Multiple postings in one week cannot be "carried over" to any subsequent week; each week starts a new requirement for posting
• A husband and wife team must meet the weekly posting requirement, but no one member of the team can make all posts for a given month
  
• Posts can be made through the traditional Web interface, or via email. Please contact Chugger if you need to know how to use email
  
• A weekly tally will be maintained at the top of the Oktoberfest Visits Blog detailing each attendee's contributions
• For every week that an attendee does not post, that attendee will be required to buy a round of bier for the team
• Waivers and exceptions for non-posting must be brought to the attention of the full committee, with a super majority of 2/3 of the attending members agreeing before a waiver can be approved

The meeting ended with a rousing rendition of Take Me Home, Country Roads, and a joyful Gemutlikeit to All !