The Python Software Foundation
Minutes of Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors

July 16, 2002.

A regular regular meeting of the Python Software Foundation (the "PSF") Board of Directors was held over Internet Relay Chat at 1 pm EST. Guido van Rossum, president of the Foundation and chairman of the Board, presided at the meeting.

1. Attendance

The following Board members were present: Tim Peters, Guido van Rossum, David Ascher, Jeremy Hylton, Martin von Loewis, Marc-Andre Lemburg. The following members were absent: Thomas Wouters. A quorum was present.

2. Minutes approved

The minutes from the June 11, 2002 meeting were approved by a 5-0-1 vote (5 yes, 1 abstention).

3. Officers reports

Secretary: Hylton reported that he contacted Anthony Baxter, Dave Beazley, Andy Robinson, and Just van Rossum about their membership nominations. And Michael Hudson was subscribed to the psf-members mailing list.

Treasurer: Hylton wrote a check to Zope Corp. for $1,419.30 to cover legal fees related to our IRS charity application. Ascher reported that a check for the ActiveState membership fee was mailed.

Conference committee: Nothing to report.

4. Legal review of contributor agreement

There was some earlier miscommunication about whether the contributor agreement was ready for legal review. Lemburg agreed to write a cover letter that describes what issues on which we'd like a lawyer's opinion.

5. Public support committee

Hylton notes that we can now accept donations because we have filed Form 1023 with the IRS.

6. IRC members meeting

The board discussed whether it would be legal and practical to hold member meetings using IRC. The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) uses IRC for member meetings, and the PSF bylaws are modelled after the ASF bylaws.

Hylton suggested that the PSF get a lawyer's opinion of the legality of IRC meetings. Van Rossum suggested that an opinion was unnecessary if no member objects. He offered to report the board's position to the members.

Lemburg asked whether email votes would be possible for actions without a meeting. Van Rossum noted that the membership had strong reservations about email votes.

Lemburg then asked whether email could be used for official announcements as well. Hylton said that a change to the bylaws was necessary and offered to draft an amendment.

7. Upcoming member meeting

The board reviewed the agenda for the member meeting to be held at the open source conference -- on July 24, 2002 in San Diego, CA. The agenda consists of reports and a vote on new member nominations.

8. Adjournment

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.