call for vote: item 1b

[Mary Bucholtz]

There hasn't been a lot of discussion of this agenda item, so we're going
to move on to a vote.To summarize, here's the original overview, with the
additional discussion integrated:

1B. PURPOSE OF PROFESSIONALIZATION AND OF GALA

i. WHAT ARE THE ORGANIZATION'S GENERAL GOALS?
- to be the primary professional organization for issues, questions, and
research related to language and gender as a field of study and as a topic
of public importance.
- have the sort of status that the Linguistic Society of America (theLSA)
has within the United States.
[Note: this not to say GALAshould or would be an American organization.]
- a central clearing house, think-tank and business office for "language
and gender research", however this is defined.
- a formal networking place for people who are doing fieldwork,specifically
language and gender fieldwork
- support for acquisition of original language and gender data

ii. WILL THE ORGANIZATION BE MOSTLY VIRTUAL OR A NONPROFIT ENTITY WITH
FUNDED ACTIVITIES?

- We'll be more than a virtual organisation, and we'll pursue some kindof
educational not-for-profit status (details to be worked out later).

IMPORTANT: **DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE in order to vote; that will send
your vote to the list. Please send your vote to me at bucholtz at tamu.edu.
Please do NOT send your vote to the list--there is a danger that your vote
will be lost if you do so.

Vote yes or no on each of the following proposals. The deadline for voting
is Wednesday, March 31.

1. The goal of GALA is to be the primary professional organization for
issues, questions, and research related to language and gender as a field
of study and as a topic of public importance. In this regard it will be
analogous in status to other professional associations, such as the
Linguistic Society of America (but this does not mean that GALA will
necessarily be a U.S. organization). It will be a central
clearinghouse,think-tank, and business office for "language and gender
research", however this is defined.

2. An additional goal of GALA is to serve as a formal networking place for
people who are doing fieldwork, specifically language and gender fieldwork,
and to provide support for acquisition of original language and gender data.

3. GALA will be more than a virtual (i.e., Internet-based) organization; it
will sponsor activities and have non-profit status.