In an effort to make the group meetings as useful as possible to the largest number of people, while at the same time allowing those who have better things to do the freedom to do so, the SCP has decided to thoughtfully re-organize the group meetings. The objectives of this reorganization are threefold:
Each group meeting will have the following format:
Future agendas will be placed on the web page found above. Submissions to the agenda for large blocks of meeting time ( > 20 min) should be made at least one week in advance if possible. For smaller allotments additions to the agenda can be made up to the night before the meeting. Last minute changes will be taken care of in the Hot Topics section of the meeting format discussed below.
All meetings will start out with a review of the present meeting's agenda and a quick call for future agenda items (preferably these should be made by e-mail to me in advance but sometimes it can't be helped to do it during this forum).
We will then entertain any Hot Topics . These are defined as topics that someone thinks we should talk about during the present meeting for which they had no time to inform me of in advance to place on the agenda formally (stuff one learns about between 10pm the previous night and the seconds before the scheduled meeting). If these items, which may or may not exist from week-to-week, can be explained and discussed within a 5 minute period and are germane to the entire group, then they can take place immediately. Otherwise they will be tabled until after all scheduled agenda items have been taken care of during the meeting.
The meeting will then proceed through all agenda items. The order will typically be the one that has been posted on the web, however, changes can be made to accommodate the group.
After all scheduled agenda items have been taken care of the meeting will be called to a close. At this point any Hot Topics , which typically do not require full attendance of the group since they are often very focused in nature, will be taken care of along with any 'tabled' discussions for subsections of the group. Their positioning at the end of the meeting will allow those who do not wish to listen-in the opportunity to get back to their work.
Since we will, from time to time, have outside collaborators using the stealth phone to call in it is imperative that the agenda and Hot Topics are taken care of at the beginning of the meeting. This will allow all callers to know exactly what will be discussed during the meeting and give them the opportunity to disconnect when they feel so inclined, knowing that they won't miss out on any topics germane to their work.
From time to time the group meetings will labeled as 'Particular to some sub-section of the SCP'. Anyone may attend these meetings, however, only those members listed on the agenda are required to attend. This is once again to give the opportunity to those who wish to work on something else the chance to bow out gracefully.
If you have any suggestions for the format, and of course future meeting agenda items, please do not hesitate to e-mail me. My address can be found below.