The meeting was called to order at 10:06 AM by member Suzanne Simpson representing Rice Fencing Club at the Post Oak Family YMCA on Augusta Drive, Houston. Including Suzanne, the members present were:

• Matt Delevoryas representing Clear Lake Fencing Club
• Andrey Geva representing Alliance Fencing Academy
• David Mayerich representing Texas A&M University Fencing Club
• Kathy Machol representing Galveston Fencing Club
• Steve Moss representing Westchester Fencing Club
• Suzanne Simpson representing Rice Fencing Club
• August Skopik representing Katy Blades
• Russell Stovall representing Salle Mauro
• Jeff Smith representing the Fencing Club at the University of Houston
• Anne Trapani representing the Knights of Trapani Fencing Academy
• Marty Wysocki representing Young Elites of Houston

Division Secretary Matt Delevoryas served as secretary for the meeting.

0. Election of Chairman Pro Tem

Matt Delevoryas moved that Suzanne Simpson serve as chairman pro tem. The motion passed without debate or objection

1. Reading and Approval of Minutes

Draft minutes for the September 18^th meeting had been distributed beforehand, and discussion began. August Skopik moved to make a general order a proposal that all future minutes be written to be limited to identifying the person making a motion, the motion, and the disposition of the motion. The motion passed.

Noting that the draft September and November minutes were written completely differently from the way August Skopik was seeking that minutes read, but that later in the meeting he could have conforming drafts available, Matt Delevoryas moved to dispense with the reading of the September 18^th and November 6^th minutes. The motion passed.

2. Reports of Officers, Boards, and Standing Committees

There were no reports of officers, boards, or standing committees.

3. Reports of Special (Select or Ad Hoc) Committees

There were no reports of special committees.

4. Special Orders

There were no special orders of the day.

5. Unfinished Business and General Orders

There was one general order of the day, an item of business August Skopik earlier in the meeting had made a general order (a proposal that all future minutes be written to be limited to identifying the person making a motion, the motion, and the disposition of the motion), but the assembly unanimously disregarded the existence of this general order, content to take up the item of business when it would have arisen as an item of new business.

6. New Business

In regard to an item of business August Skopik sought to have on the agenda titled "The scheduling of the events for the division qualifiers", August moved that the local organizing committee for the 2005 divisional qualifiers for Summer Nationals prepare a preliminary schedule of events, including the Annual Meeting of the Division, before the next meeting of the Division Board. The motion passed without objection.

Kathy Machol moved that the Division Board recommends and endorses the membership of the Division amending the Bylaws to allow the Annual Meeting to be held any time on any day of Divisionals, or the preceding evening, except not after the completion of Divisionals. The motion passed without debate or objection.

Suzanne Simpson moved that the Secretary prepare a list of Bylaw amendments desired by the Division Board or its members, for consideration at the next meeting of the Division where they can be adopted. The motion passed without objection.

In regard to two conjoined items of business both of which August Skopik sought to have on the agenda, Marty Wysocki moved that the Division Board strongly encourages the Division Officers to hold two referee development opportunities including referee clinics, in conjunction with the Space City Rendezvous and the divisional qualifiers for Summer Nationals, with the local organizing committee having no incremental financial burden caused by the referee development opportunity. The motion passed without objection.

In regard to an item of business August Skopik sought to have on the agenda titled "How the voting for next year's division officers will be conducted, and how an officer's slate will be nominated", Steve Moss moved that the Division Board recommends and endorses the membership of the Division amending the Bylaws so that for all elected positions, that proxies not be allowed, that election voting be only with ballots prepared in advance and returned in advance or delivered at the election meeting, that all candidates allowed to receive votes must announce their candidacy by March 1^st by notification to the Secretary and submission of a brief biography and goals to be disseminated to the membership by the most efficient reasonable means, but that if some office has no such candidates, then the office may be filled by nominations and votes in person at the election meeting. After debate, Marty Wysocki moved the previous question. The previous question passed. The main motion then passed.

In regard to an item of business Matt Delevoryas sought to have on the agenda titled "Proposed amendment to action already taken, the November 6th resolution concerning profit/loss splits for 'big three' tournaments with the Division, specifically modifying the resolution to remove mention of SSCC tournaments", Matt Delevoryas moved to amend the resolution of November 6^th to change "For such divisional tournaments as may have the host club selected by the rotational policy commonly called 'the rotation'" to "For such divisional tournaments, except the Division's Southwest Section Circuit Cup tournament, as may have the host club selected by the rotational policy commonly called 'the rotation'". The motion passed without debate or objection.

With the consent of the assembly, the minutes of the September 18^th meeting were then read, having been revised to read the way August Skopik was seeking that minutes read. After some discussion, the minutes were accepted without objection.

With the consent of the assembly, the minutes of the November 6^th meeting were then read, having been revised to read the way August Skopik was seeking that minutes read. After some discussion, the minutes were accepted.

In regard to the item of business August Skopik earlier in the meeting had made a general order (a proposal that all future minutes be written to be limited to identifying the person making a motion, the motion, and the disposition of the motion), Suzanne Simpson moved that future Division Board minutes name the attendees in a list rather than a paragraph, that the contents of the minutes be restricted to actual parliamentary events required by Robert's Rules to be included, and that the minutes be broken into the same sections as are standard agendas. The motion passed without objection.

Marty Wysocki moved that the Division Board strongly urges the Executive Committee to delegate authority by whatever means are necessary to allow timely changes to the home page of the Division Web site. The motion passed without objection.

August Skopik moved that draft minutes of the Division Board which have yet to be approved be made as available as is required of minutes of the Division Board, but that they be clearly identified as a draft. The motion passed without objection.

Matt Delevoryas moved to adjourn. The motion passed. The meeting adjourned at 1:05 PM.