1. the purchase of new speakers was not immediately essential to the
running of my class. i have taught with success under far worse
circumstances than that sound system.
2. there is a clear, straightforward procedure for spending money
written out in the constitution.
3. as far as i was able to make out from the budget sheet i saw, the
new speakers cost ~1/6 of our income for the semester. from what i
remember of the previous budget sheet, these speakers were not
even a part of that original budget.
4. no clear consensus as far as i can see was ever formed among either the
officers or the club members as to spending of 1/6 of the club's income.
i acknowledge that i wrote an email that said "if we have the money,
great", or something in that vein. that was a conditional statement; at
the time i didn't know if we had a penny. i also took it for granted
the purchase would be discussed at a club meeting. given a preference, i
would rather have spent $1000+ on bringing in a professional for another
free seminar. i'd happily go along with whatever the club votes. when
we vote after the fact has already happened, i fail to see the point.
i think it is a dangerous precedent to have club officers spend significant
portions of club money without the club knowing about it. that's why
the constitution was so worded.
that is the opinion which i was trying to express at the meeting.
amy