<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Hi folks<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Thanks for weighing in and moving this along.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">We are in agreement on Joy so I will inform her.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I have not seen anyone suggest that we should offer James a fellowship this time so I will encourage him to get engaged, apply in the future if he has, look into the Fellows program, etc.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">As to Benjamin, </div><div class=""><br class=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Dec 21, 2014, at 6:47 AM, PeterGreen <<a href="mailto:seekcommunications@hotmail.com" class="">seekcommunications@hotmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><div class=""><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><span style="font-family: 微软雅黑; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; display: inline !important;" class="">Then how about a vote? (or may not) We have had 4 vs 2 regarding Option 3 (provided that I did not take Bill's wrongly)?</span></div></blockquote><br class=""></div><div>I’d suggest we try to stick with the NCUC EC tradition of working by consensus and only think in terms of voting per se when that doesn’t yield results and a decision must be reached. In this case, I didn’t express a conclusion either way since I wanted to hear your views first, so I just said on the one hand and on the other. Having done so, I tend to lean toward being more flexible in this instance than I’d normally prefer to be. </div><div><br class=""></div><div>Yes, having announced criteria we ought to act accordingly, be careful in setting precedents, etc. But 1) here we have someone from a developing country who has been showing up for NCSG calls on his own steam, which not many regular members and especially newbies do, and does seem to be looking to engage; 2) the EC member from the region has expressed support; 3) it’s a new program and we might want to signal that it is possible to get an offer without already being a ‘plugged in’ veteran like Joy; and 4) we’re only talking about offering $2000, so it wouldn’t break our piggy bank to take a gamble and get less than 100% return on the investment. So all things considered, if he is able to arrange his own travel and wait on a post hoc reimbursement, I’d give it a shot. If he says no he’d need the money up front, I’d tell him regrettably we’re not in a position to do that.</div><div><br class=""></div><div>So that’s where I am. If there’s a willingness in the group to roll the dice this time I’d tell him ok subject to xyz conditions we make an offer, but if there’s not and we remain evenly divided then I will tell him sorry no consensus this time but please get involved and reapply in the future.</div><div><br class=""></div><div>Thoughts?</div><div><br class=""></div><div>Bill</div><br class=""></div></body></html>