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This is a record of the formal meeting of Sime~Gen participants for purpose of voting the Awards due for tasks accomplished during 1999, and for awarding Preferred, non-voting shares of stock in Sime~Gen Inc. Below is the log of the business meeting. Discussion was in a separate room. The meeting was called to order by Jacqueline Lichtenberg <JL> & Jean Lorrah <jean> |
CAST OF CHARACTERS
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Session Start: Sun Jan 02 11:32:36 2000 <jl> OK, let's call the meeting to order and open nominations for this year's awards. <jl> It gets longer and longer each year, and I'd really like to make it shorter this year because we have some nifty announcements for the END of this thing. <jl> My Nomination for the Golden Yo-Yo award is! <jl> Golden Yo-Yo (AZ) -- Marge for doing the same thing over and over <jl> and over (from link-fixing to email & URL makings) <Jean> Second! <MarCarr> Patric <jl> Great! Any other nominations? <MarCarr> yes, Patric for the over and over attempts to get my final posted <Jean> Jenn and Dancer have had the same problems as Marge. <jl> Yeah, that was a YOYO wasn't it??? <MarCarr> !!! <jl> OK, Marge and Patric for Golden YoYo! <Robin> Second! <jl> The yoyo awards are for persistence in the face of repeated failures or strange occurances! <Jean> Then silver to Jenn and Dancer. <jl> All in favor of Marge Robbins and Patric Michael for the 1999 Golden YoYo's say AYE <katekirk> aye <MarCarr> aye <Nan> aye <Robin> Aye <Don> Aye <Jean> Aye <katekirk> second Jenn and Dancer for the silver yoyo <jl> We've got 13 voters here - let's see a majority would be 7 OK? <Karen> aye <DYon> aye <jl> OK, that's a Majority -- We have our Golden YOYO <jl> Next the Silver - we have Jenn and Dancer for the silver so far. <jl> I nominate Ronnie Bob for file retrieval, database management, CoAing again and again, and getting Karen up to speed on the Founding 400 database. <jl> Seconds on Ronnie Bob for the Silver? <Jean> second Ronnie Bob <jl> Good -- we've got 3 nominees for the Silver YoYo of 1999. <jl> All in favor of these three say AYE? <MarCarr> aye <DYon> aye <Robin> Aye <patric> Aye <katekirk> aye <Jean> Aye <Nan> aye <Karen> aye <Don> Aye <jl> OK, those 3 have the Silver <jl> Digen Farris Meritorious Service Award --- for service above and beyond -- Jenn and Dancer for CHANGEOVER <jl> Any other nominations? <Seanara> Karen, for all the work she's done for the past 21 years. <Jean> Marge for the Changeover as well. <jl> The Digen is for this year. <jl> We still have the nager award and the Tech-Ton awards -- don't give everyone the same award. <jl> Seconds? <Don> Second Karen <patric> Second Jenn and Dancer <Jean> But the award is for special service THIS year. <jl> Seconds on the Digen awards? <jl> We have Jenn & Dancer and Marge for Changeover and Karen. <jl> That's 4 Digens -- remember Marge invented the Digen Award. <jl> We have a second on Jenn and Dancer. <jl> A second on Karen <Jean> In 1999 Karen helped rebuild the trashed romance site over a weekend. <jl> Do I see a second on Marge? <Jean> That is the sort of thing we mean by above and beyond. <jl> Yes, that was definitely above and WAY FAR OUT beyond! <jl> Do I see a second on Marge? <Jean> Someone second Marge already! <Karen> I'll second Marge <jl> OK, then we vote on 4 Digen's -- Jenn and Dancer, Marge and Karen. <jl> All in favor aye? <patric> Aye <Jean> Aye <Nan> aye <katekirk> aye <Robin> Aye <DYon> aye <Seanara> aye <Don> Aye <jl> Someone help winston get down into this screen? <jl> OK, that's 4 Digen Awards for 1999 - I think that may be a record since the 1970's. <jl> Nager Award --- appears to be a duplicate of the Digen Award -- <jl> Karen Litman for supporting EVERYONE <patric> Well.. this is a record year for changes, is it not? <jl> The NAGER AWARD is for emotional support <jl> for being there when needed <jl> for sympathy that lends strength <jl> for the work of a 'Companion' <jl> Hey Winston! Welcome you are -- very much so! <DYon> nominate Ronnie Bob <wulfston4> I am also in SgChat. <jl> The Nager Award is for all that's done that lets others function through crisis after crisis. <jl> It's for the work we very often don't notice. <Robin> I nominate Patric - for getting us newbies through on-line posting in the first class! <jl> I've nominated Karen for this one this year. Any other nominations? <patric> If its emotional suport, then I nominate Karen for the nager award or second it <Don> Second Karen <Seanara> Second Karen!!! <jl> I second Patric -- he's a good person to talk to when you're defeated! <jl> OK, we have Karen and Patric for the Nager Award. <Karen> Now Patric keeps me sane. <jl> All in favor? <MarCarr> aye <Seanara> aye <Robin> Aye <Nan> aye <katekirk> aye <Jean> aye <jl> I need one more vote here. <DYon> aye <jl> Aha! All right, we have 2 Nager Awards -- Karen and Patric for 1999. <Jean> Good! <Don> Aye <jl> TECH-TON Award --- for software and online tools -- Jenn and Dancer for our new checkbot. Crystal Owl Productions for Karen's "support-ware" so she can do all the nasty chores we hand her <Sue> Hi, Sue Krinard here. Couldn't get on earlier. <Jean> Hi, Sue--pull up a chair. <jl> Ah, Sue -- good, also join #sgtalk -- that's where we chatter. This is the meeting. <Sue> Nothing happened on the Day. Isn't that nice? <Jean> We're on the tech award--Jenn and Dancer nominated. <Robin> Second Jenn and Dancer <katekirk> second!!!!! <Jean> Marge and Jeff for the greeting card site. <Jean> Also various calendars and stuff. <jl> Oh, yes, definitely Marge and Jeff -- second those! <Jean> Can't even think of it all. <Jean> Lots of tech thingies. <jl> OK, any other nominations? <jl> We have Marge, Jeff, Jenn and Dancer, Crystal Owl Productions <jl> Any other nominations? <Jean> Who is Crystal Owl? <Seanara> Tom and I. Computer consulting, web hosting, writing, desktop publishing... <Karen> The people who gave me my new computer system. <Jean> OH--okay. <Jean> Didn't know the name. <jl> second them Jean! <Jean> Jacqueline, isn't there a separate "help people get on-line" award? <jl> Jean doesn't go to Darkover and so doesn't see the booth and doesn't know what they do!!! They're good at what they do, too. <Jean> I thought we had a separate award for that. Duh. <Sue> Sorry, I can't participate; I haven't been around as much as I'd like due to a consistantly hectic schedule and heavy duty stress. So . . . can't really contribute to these nominations. <Karen> That's the Risa Tigue re-use award, but my computer was built for me from the ground up. <Jean> Stay, Sue--there will be other things in the meeting. <Sue> Okay . . . <jl> OK, let's hold the vote. <Jean> Okay--second Crystal Owl. <jl> all in favor of Crystal Owl, Jenn and Dancer, Jeff and Marge for Tec-Ton of 1999 Award -- say aye <Don> Aye <katekirk> aye <DYon> aye <Jean> Aye <Nan> aye <Robin> Aye <patric> aye <Seanara> Can't vote for myself, but aye to the others. <MarCarr> aye <jl> OK, the ayes have it and We have 5 Tec-Ton Awards for 1999. <jl> Karen reminds us of the Risa Tigue -- anyone to nominate for the Risa Tigue Re-use of computers award? This is usually for someone who gives away their old computer when they upgrade, and gives it to someone working for S~G <Jean> BTW, if you stored one in the attic, thinking it would die yesterday, it didn't! <jl> OK, if there are no Risa Tigue nominations this year, we give no award this year. Remember that one for next year. <Jean> Consider passing on anything that can run Windows 3.1 or better. <jl> OK, next order of business. <jl> Jean -- are you ready with your announcement or should I update on the movie -- got a call on that this morning. <Jean> Update on the movie. <jl> OK, anyone listening? <katekirk> yes <Sue> What movie??? <DYon> Absolutely <MarCarr> yes <Robin> Here <jl> The Sime~Gen movie script. <patric> Yes! Listening avidly! <wulfston4> I'm Listening.... <katekirk> kewl! <jl> OK, here goes. <jl> This is off-the cuff you understand not official. <Jean> That means that if it's good, it won't happen. <jl> A few weeks ago -- end of November -- I posted a quickie update to the simegen-l list. <jl> That particular contact -- welllllll!!!! <MarCarr> go on! <jl> We've been doing the "don't let them see you sweat" routine. But we've been doing the callbacks at intervals, and getting NOWHERE. <jl> Last NIGHT -- just after midnight -- the agent got an email! <Jean> Saying--? <jl> The person who put us in contact with the guy who knows how to engineer MONEY for projects like this (multi-millions) emailed and said that the guy who engineers money was EAGER to talk to us and upset we hadn't called back. <jl> Guess what? <jl> We had the WRONG PHONE NUMBER! <MarCarr> groan! <jl> We now have the correct phone number, and we hope to make real contact this week. <katekirk> who is this person -- my son in law is in the industry <Jean> It's just a contact. A teeny step. <Sue> I am out of the loop. Can you tell me something about the script/story? <Jean> Don't get your hopes up. <Jean> It's Sime~Gen. Otherwise it's secret. <jl> But what we learned from that email -- sent just a few hours after the Millennium stroke is that this person who introduced us to this money-engineer has hooked this guy on listening to this project. <Sue> Oh, okay. S/G would make a great movie--or TV series, for that matter, if it could be done RIGHT and had good writers. <katekirk> I think it would make a GREAT TV series <jl> Well, the writer is a S~G fan. <Jean> We've got a great scripwriter and a great script. <jl> It's a GOOD story -- based on one of my own short stories that was never published. <jl> The property is solid, easily as good as any that have been bought. <Jean> What Hollywood does to it if/when is another matter. <jl> What happens after buying -- aha! Well, YOU guys will have access to the ORIGINAL one way or another. The rest of the world will have to take care of themselves. <jl> At any rate, we have continued interest, and movement of a sort. <Jean> But we are a quarter of a millimeter closer now. * Karen grins. "A pirc of knowing the original authors." <jl> And that's really all I have for you on that -- we still have 2 of the 3 parts of this deal in our pockets. <jl> We have an FX house that's eager to do this thing. We have distribution. We don't have MONEY. With those three, we can get a producer. <Sue> Well, we'll keep our fingers crossed . . . <wulfston4> Amen... <jl> We also have a fairly substantial sized named ACTOR who's ready to go -- which is something that hooks some interest in these people -- just long enough for you to get your pitch said. <Sue> S/G is a concept that lends itself so well to drama, including visual drama, and ongoing stories. <jl> None of this means squat you understand. Nothing here is anything but smoke-n-mirrors. <Jean> Keep hoping, but don't invest any adrenaline until we tell you there is an actual signed contract. <jl> Even a contract is still meaningless. <Jean> Even then, we could get option money and no movie. <jl> BTW Jean's our nominee to do the NOVELIZATION. <jl> And she's made a start at it that is BETTER than the movie, which is better than my short story! <Jean> Yes--I wrote the proposal more than two years ago. <jl> Jean's book will give you all the background and texture and character stuff we love. The movie is mostly action. <jl> So every few weeks or months we get a flurry of activity in that quarter -- and it's brewing. <Robin> Well - if you need fannish "We want it now!! <Jean> Maybe the 2000's will be our decade. <jl> My personal deadline for getting this website to LOOK as wonderful as the contents deserves is by the time they are talking "option" with the agent. <Robin> You know who to call... <Jaye> Thanks, Karen <jl> Jaye - talking in #sgtalk <jl> Jean -- are you ready with your report yet? <patric> My deadline for the look is far sooner than that, jL. <jl> Do you folks know that Jean is the CEO of Sime~Gen Inc. <jl> She's Chairman of the Board <Jean> Whenever. <jl> I'm President, and Secretary. She's treasurer. <jl> We two are IT for the whole corp. <katekirk> as it should be <Jean> Jacqueline and I had our required annual meeting a few days ago. Up to that point, we were the only stockholders in Sime~Gen Inc. <Jean> However, we have decided to change that. <Jean> A large number of people have helped us to move Sime~Gen into a new, electronic era. <Jean> We have decided to give those people stock in the company. <Jean> Now, it HAS to be non-voting stock, because we CANNOT have other people setting the direction of our company. <Jean> However, the VALUE of each piece of stock, voting or non-voting, is identical. <Jean> Right now, that value is very little and dropping. <ECJB> Why? <Jean> This is a private, not a public, corporation. <Jean> The value of the stock is the number of shares divided by what is in the treasury. <Jean> We are rapidly using up our seed money, and no income is coming in. <ECJB> $1 three 82. <Jean> BUT, we may eventually achieve our long-delayed goal of getting paid advertising on the domanin. <Webmaster> It's future value is potentially very high though I would think. Even without the move the school should make good money at some point. <Jean> I do not know what $1 three 82 means. <Karen> Why would the value be dropping --- because there is very little income right now I would think. <Jean> Anyway, <ECJB> Can the web site generate income on the basis of banners? <jl> Jean, most of these people don't understand stock. <jl> Our treasury stands at just over $2,000 and we have I think issued 100 shares. <Jean> IFF people will pay to run banner ads, THEN and only then will banner ads generate income. <Webmaster> I sure don't. My portfolio such as it is, takes care of itself. <Jean> It's simple: if there is $1000 in the treasury and 100 shares of stock, each share is worth $10.00. <ECJB> There ARE as I understand, sites that pay to link to their sites for banner ads... <Jean> When the company uses up $500 and has no income to replace it, the stock drops to $5.00 per share. <ECJB> ...and pay for each hit... <Jean> We are not a public company, so it is not worth what people are willing to pay for it, as on the stock market. <Jean> Yes--as SOON as (six months ago was the original goal) we have no broken links and a good looking site, we will try to get such banner ads. <Robin> There's also the "soft value" of the copyrighted material - harder to put a value on. (e.g.movie) <Jean> IFF we get the movie, AND it brings money to the corporation, THEN the value of the stock will rise. <Jean> So, what we are giving out to day is hope for the future. <Jean> today <Jean> We HOPE it will increase in value. <Sue> Sorry, got to go. Good luck! <jl> We plan to pay dividends on the nonvoting stock if we actually turn profitable. <jl> The POINT here is that you folks who work so hard end up with a proportional share of the income. <Jean> It is also all we have to give to the people who have done so much to move us onto the Internet. <Seanara> Are you going to open it up to potential purchasers among SG fans? <jl> Non-voting stock dividends are declared by the board of directors just like the dividends of voting stock. <Jean> We hope to make it a tradition to give a share of stock each year for each job. <Jean> NO <jl> Do you all understand what dividends ARE? <Jean> No--this stock is NOT FOR SALE. <Robin> Yes. <MarCarr> yes <wulfston4> Yes. <Webmaster> I thinkso when SG makes a profit stockholders get a percentage of it <Jean> Don't talk dividends, Jacqueline. <Jean> That is ten years in the future. <jl> Maybe more than 10 years. <Jean> We will be lucky to break even in ten years. <Jean> Don't make promises we can't keep. <Webmaster> Just in time for me to retire. Making the wild assumption I'm on that list Thank you ladies. <Jean> All we can promise is that each share we give to someone who has done this wonderful work for us is worth the same as any share owned by Jacqueline or me. <Robin> Stock is all about future-hope (or future-gambling, take your pick). <Jean> Yes--we are investing in the future. <ECJB> Oh...like the $20 I blew in the casino? <Jean> We had hoped to have people pleased that we were willing to share. <Karen> I think it's a wonderful idea. Nothing to lose on the recipient's part. <Jean> We know where we want to go, and that is why Sime~Gen Inc. will continue to be closely held. <MarCarr> it is a good way to provide recognition <Robin> I am pleased - I think it's a great idea (if a bit disappointed since I probably don't qualify). <Jean> Now--the criteria. <Zebra-> Hi all. <Jean> We had to make some hard decisions. <Jean> There is no way we can even FIND people who may have helped S~G fandom 25 years ago, nor was there a business or any thought of a business at that time. <Don> Do you think it might be appropriate to grant a share with the awards? I understand in such a case, we'd want to give a single award in each category. <Jean> So we decided that the stock goes to people who have helped us to get onto the Internet, beginning with the first listserv. <Jean> It is being given primarily for work done in the past two years, with just a couple of exceptions to people whose work began earlier but was essential in getting us onto the Net. <Jean> We HOPE we have remembered everyone who has built sites for us, done technical work, and taught in our workshops. <Jean> Jacqueline and I have gone through our address books and wracked our brains to remember everyone who deserves stock under these criteria. <Don> Should Kaas be included? <Jean> We also want this to be an annual tradition--so people who have just joined us and are thinking of volunteering to help with the job of keeping our presence on the WWW -- <Jean> Why are you asking about individuals when I haven't given the list yet? <jl> go ahead Jean <Jean> -- will have other years. <Jean> Here is the 1999 list--these are people who in 1998 or 1999 provided us with the services we needed to build simegen.com, publicize it, keep it running, etc. <Jean> Some people have done two or three different jobs, and therefore receive two or three shares of stock. <Jean> Anne Pinzow 1 <Jean> Bek Oberin 1 <Jean> Brian Hoolahan 1 <Jean> Cheryl Wolverton 1 <Jean> Dancer Vesperman 2 <Jean> Deb Laymon 1 <Jean> Deb Crockett 1 <Jean> Don Jaramillo 1 <Jean> Eliza Leahy 1 <Jean> Jeff Hall 1 <Jean> Jenn Vesperman 2 <Jean> Joe Doran 1 <Jean> John Cowan 1 <Jean> Kaas Baichtal 1 <Jean> Karen Litman 3 <Jean> Katie Steinhoff 1 <Jean> Kerry Lindemann-Schaefer 1 <Jean> Leigh Kimmel 1 <Jean> Lois Wickstrom 1 <Jean> Margaret L. Carter 1 <Jean> Marge Robbins 3 <Jean> Mike Giroux 1 <Jean> Pam Schlutt 1 <Jean> Patric Michael 1 <Jean> Robyn King-Nitschke 1 <Jean> Ronnie Bob Whitaker 2 <Jean> Sharon Jarvis 1 <Jean> Tori Warden 1 <Jean> Torun Almer 1 <Jean> Tracie Traub 1 <Jean> Wendy Fisher 1 <Jean> NOW tell me if we have made the egregious error of leaving out someone who fits the criteria we set. * Robin -- STANDING OVATION TO ALL!! :))) <Jean> If you are on the list, we will be contacting you for the information we have to have to fill out your stock certificates. <Jean> A big THANK YOU to these people--and also to all the fans who have supported us. <DYon> thanks to all <Karen> And a deserved thanks to JL and Jean for thinking of us in this way. <jl> I'm going to need social security numbers for everyone on that list. <patric> Seconded, Karen. :) <jl> Stock certificates will be issued eventually -- but no promises on the TIME when that will get done. <Webmaster> well I can't think of anyone not on that list. <jl> the important part of OWNING STOCK lies entirely within the corporations BOOKS -- you are registered in a legal ledger as the owner, and your socsec is your unique identifying designation. <Webmaster> I'll mail mine. Need anything else you don't already have? <Karen> Let me know what you need, and who to send it to..... <jl> Name, Address, Social Security Number <Webmaster> to Jean? <jl> I'm the lucky shmuck who gets to wrestle with this thing. <Jean> E-mail to simegen@simegen.com. <Webmaster> ok <Jean> Hey--I get to do the taxes! <jl> email will do it. <MarCarr> did you volunteer to be Secretary? <jl> true - Jean's been holding up the place with her bent back! <Webmaster> My mother always said be careful what you ask for, you just might get it. <Jean> We divided the two yucky jobs. <jl> I can't believe how much WORK she's done here -- and none of it stuff I could do at all. <Jean> You cannot BELIEVE the amount of government paperwork there is to running a corporation! <Jean> State and Federal. <jl> Hey, OK -- that concludes the business meeting for this New Year's Chat -- now PARTY DOWN!!!! <Jean> Whew! Happy days! <Karen> so formally adjourn your meeting, JL <ECJB> (Loud island music) <MarCarr> You mean you're not exhausted? <wulfston4> If the meeting is concluded, can I get some help? <patric> Whatcha need, Winston? <Karen> Sure, Winston, I can help if you want. <ECJB> Anything I can do? <jl> Meeting ADJOURNED! Meeting Adjourned at ____. |
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