>The policy has been for most motions - at least 48 hours. If it is a major >motion - it is for a longer period of time. As the end of the 48 hours may >come at a time when I'm not available - I call for the vote as quick as I >can once the 48 hours has ended. > >Tim Can we discuss whether this length of a discussion period is optimal? Major or minor, I often can't find the time to write up my thoughts on a motion in 48 hours. My job is taking up about 75-80 hours/week (every weekday I get in by 9am, every weekend day by 1pm, every day I work to past 7pm, and at least three days/week I work past midnight.) Last Tuesday I worked from 8:30 am to 2:10 am, and that is on top of a 35 minute commute. I fit my email into my work hours, but often I'm too busy doing real work to devote more than a few minutes to USGenWeb business. Other board members may have other constraints that make it hard to do any substantial discussion on short notice. Some people may only be able to read their email during the evening hours, after dinner. And often reading someone else's comments will spark further thought, perhaps triggering the desire to make a response or publicly alter one's previous statement. 48 hours doesn't allow for much give and take when the time between one board member's sending a message and the others receiving it may be more than 24 hours. I would prefer asking, "are we done discussing this motion?" after 48 hours, and if anyone answers that they want discussion to continue, deferring the vote until up to a week from when the motion was introduced. This would still allow for a quick turnaround on motions that are cut-and-dried enough that discussion is largely unneeded, or for which the discussion of the issue preceded the formal motion. // Teri