Face-to-Face Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Japan Association of Translators
May 31, 2013, 9:00-11:00AM
Queen Kapiolani Hotel
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.
Directors attending: Helen Iwata (HI), , Charles Aschmann (CA), Megumi Kimoto (MeK), Marian Kinoshita (MaK), Karen Sandness (KS).Yoichiro Tachibana (YT), Fred Uleman (FU)
Auditors Attending: Frank Moorhead (FM), Emily Shibata-Sato (ESS)
Newly-nominated Directors observing: Akiko Endo (AE), Mikako Miyahara (MM), Mike Sekine (MS), Ben Tompkins (BT)
Absentee: Koji Himeno
The meeting was called to order at 9:00AM, with HI presiding.
Agenda
1) Approval of the revised IJET Manual
2) The procedure for nominating the new Auditor
3) The honorarium system
4) Vote on any unapproved proposals
5) New Business
1. Approval of the revised IJET Manual
FU suggested moving the section on “Theme,” which is currently under “Requirements,” to the “Recommendations” section.
MeK was concerned that if IJETs can be held in April, the Treasurer may not have time to complete the final accounts, but ESS assured her that in such cases, it was permissible to present a provisional statement of accounts.
MaK said that there should be something explicit about granting access to the IJET website to people who have registered.
KS moved (FU seconded) to approve the IJET Manual as amended according to Directors’ suggestions.
The motion carried.
2. The procedure for nominating the new Auditor
ESS summarized: No one ran for Auditor, so the Board was faced with a situation not dealt with in the Bylaws. After amending the Bylaws, the Board has nominated Nora Stevens Heath as Auditor.
FM noted that by law, JAT is required to have two Auditors.
HI moved (CA seconded) that the Board ratify the executive decision to nominate Nora Stevens-Heath for the position of Auditor under the provisions of the Bylaws.
The motion carried.
3. The honorarium system
MaK reported on the recent history of JAT payments. The actual practice has varied from time to time and person to person, with remuneration ranging from free memberships, T-shirts, boxes of chocolates, free lunch, books, or waived registration fees, to the standard honorarium of ¥20,000.
The consensus was that since all of us are volunteers, honoraria should not be too high.
MaK noted that it is necessary to distinguish volunteer work that nearly anyone can do from work that requires specialized skills. She also mentioned that Cathy Eberst had suggested some sort of gift for people who are stepping down from Committees.
CA was of the opinion that the Board should not provide gifts for Committee members but that Committee members may decide among themselves to provide some token of appreciation for a departing member.
FU said that exceptions to the normal honorarium policy should require prior approval by the Board.
There was a general consensus that JAT will not provide any remuneration for volunteers beyond any standard honoraria or travel expenses they may normally be entitled to. Furthermore, the remuneration and intellectual property rights for any work-for-hire should be decided and agreed upon in advance.
4. Vote on any unapproved proposals
No formal proposals for future IJETs or PROJECTs have come in, but KS said that a Committee is working seriously on a proposal for IJET-26 in York, UK in 2015, and a Committee is forming to propose that IJET-27 be held in Sendai in 2016. There was a tentative inquiry about the possibility of holding a PROJECT in Kyoto in 2013, but nothing has come of it.
5. New Business
FM raised the question of whether Board members should be active members of a JAT Committee due to concerns about overwork or conflicts of interest.
There was some discussion about the difference between taking a leading role in a SIG or Committee and simply being a rank-and-file member.
YT noted that joining a Committee, as in the formation of the Content Committee, can be an opportunity for new people to get involved in the operation of JAT.
HI summarized the prevailing sentiment by saying that involvement is good at the beginning but not at the later stages. It deprives rank-and-file members of opportunities for involvement and raises the possibility of conflicts of interest.
The Board actively discourages Officers (Directors and Auditors) from serving in any other leadership capacity, except during a Committee or SIG’s start-up period. This policy also applies to the IJET Committee Chair. A statement to that effect will be written into both the Board Manual and the IJET Manual. The Board approved this policy unanimously without a formal vote.
MaK asked how Le Misera is working out.
MeK explained that she had researched and approached a number of potential vendors and that Les Misera’s service was the best available at the time. HI added that JAT has no obligation to continue working with Les Misera and that the new Board could continue to seek more cost-effective options.
Hi adjourned the meeting at 11:00.
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Sandness
Director
Recording Secretary Pro Tem
Helen Iwata, Chairperson
Megumi Kimoto, Signatory
Marian Kinoshita, Signatory