As used in this part:

Board means Board of Directors of the Rural Telephone Bank (Bank).

Director means an individual who is a member of the Board.

Legal Counsel means the legal counsel of the Bank.

Meeting means the deliberations (including those conducted by conference telephone call or by any other method) among a quorum of the Directors, where such deliberations determine or result in joint conduct of official business of the Board. For purposes of this part, each item on the agenda of a meeting is considered a meeting or a portion of a meeting. To the extent that the discussions do not result in the beginning of deliberations or achieve a consensus on a matter of official agency business or effectively predetermine official actions, the term Meeting does not include:

Deliberations to determine whether a meeting or portions of a meeting will be open or closed or whether information pertaining to closed meetings will be disclosed;

Calling a meeting at a date earlier than announced as provided in § 1600.5;

Changing the subject matter of a publicly announced meeting as provided in § 1600.5;

Disposition of Board business by circulation of materials to individual Board members;

Staff briefings of Board members;

Informal background discussions among Board members and staff which clarify issues and expose varying views; or

Sessions with individuals from outside the Bank where Board members listen to a presentation and may elicit additional information.

Open to public observation means the right of any member of the public to attend and observe, but not participate or interfere in any way in an open meeting of the Board.