At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement would be available in time for Board members to review it before the end of the year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday, but there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report still says "To be posted."
JM
Joe & all,
I’ve been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends since the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be returning to Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Peaceray — raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement would be available in time for Board members to review it before the end of the year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday, but there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report still says "To be posted."
JM
Wikimedia-Cascadia mailing list Wikimedia-Cascadia@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy that I need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours, Peaceray — raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all,
I’ve been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends since the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be returning to Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Peaceray — raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement would be available in time for Board members to review it before the end of the year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday, but there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report still says "To be posted."
JM
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Thanks, Peaceray. If this is a debt and payment is needed, I can send funds.
On Fri, Dec 29, 2017 at 9:40 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy that I need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours, Peaceray — raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all,
I’ve been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends since the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be returning to Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by
tomorrow
morning at the latest.
Peaceray — raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement would be available in time for Board members to review it before the end of the year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday, but there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report still says "To be posted."
JM
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Is anything happening on this?
JM
On 12/29/2017 9:40 AM, Raymond Leonard wrote:
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy that I need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours, Peaceray — raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all,
I’ve been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends since the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be returning to Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Peaceray — raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement would be available in time for Board members to review it before the end of the year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday, but there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report still says "To be posted."
JM
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I haven't heard anything since the December 27th update. There are several tax filings and other reports to government agencies due at around this time of year, and there can be fines for overdue reports even if the underlying filings showed no amount due, so I hope that these matters are being addressed.
Pine https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:CatherineMunro/Bright_Places
On Tue, Jan 30, 2018 at 8:16 AM, Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
Is anything happening on this?
JM
On 12/29/2017 9:40 AM, Raymond Leonard wrote:
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy that I need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours, Peaceray — raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all,
I’ve been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends since the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be returning to Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Peaceray — raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement would be
available in time for Board members to review it before the end of the year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday, but there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report still says "To be posted."
JM
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Hi Peaceray and Brian,
Would you please provide an update about the Cascadia Wikimedians financial situation and the status of the various government paperwork that is due at around the December 2017 - March 2018 timeframe?
I believe that my official membership in Cascadia Wikimedians expired at the end of December, although I hope that the organization will continue to exist.
Thanks,
Pine https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:CatherineMunro/Bright_Places
It's mid-March. Has something been filed without the Board having a chance to review? Or has nothing been filed?
JM
On 1/30/2018 8:16 AM, Joe Mabel wrote:
Is anything happening on this?
JM
On 12/29/2017 9:40 AM, Raymond Leonard wrote:
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy that I need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours, Peaceray — raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all,
I’ve been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends since the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be returning to Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Peaceray — raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement would be available in time for Board members to review it before the end of the year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday, but there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report still says "To be posted."
JM
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Hi Joe,
I haven't heard anything from Peacray about this in awhile. However, he appears to be active on English Wikipedia (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Peaceray), so I suggest that you ask him on his talk page.
The impression that I get is that he and Brian lack the time and interest to continue with the Cascadia organization, and if that is the case and no one else is interested and willing to keep the organization alive, then the organization should be wound down and any remaining assets (like the camera and camcorder) should be handled in the manner that's specified in the bylaws:
"ARTICLE XIV - DISSOLUTION "Vote Required. The Corporation may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote of the Board. "Donation of Remaining Assets. Upon the termination, dissolution or final liquidation of the Corporation in any manner or for any reason, its assets, if any, remaining after payment (or provision for payment) of all liabilities of the Corporation, shall be distributed to, and only to, one or more organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable or educational purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code as the Board shall determine by majority vote. Such distribution of assets shall be calculated to carry out the objectives and purposes stated in the Articles of Incorporation. In no event shall any of such assets or property be distributed to any member, Director or Officer, or any private individual."
I wish that I had better news. :(
Pine ( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine )
On Sun, Mar 11, 2018 at 10:14 AM, Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
It's mid-March. Has something been filed without the Board having a chance to review? Or has nothing been filed?
JM
On 1/30/2018 8:16 AM, Joe Mabel wrote:
Is anything happening on this?
JM
On 12/29/2017 9:40 AM, Raymond Leonard wrote:
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy that I need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours, Peaceray — raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all,
I’ve been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends since the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be returning to Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Peaceray — raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement would be
available in time for Board members to review it before the end of the year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday, but there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report still says "To be posted."
JM
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I'm sorry to hear the the Cascadia group might be wound down. This is a group that I wanted to be involved with, but have been unable to attend any of the meetings or offer help due to having a family & living here in Portland.
What has the Cascadia group done, besides having meetings on weekday nights? Would it be practical to move its center of focus here in Portland?
Geoff Burling en: llywrch
On 2018-03-13 12:46, Pine W wrote:
Hi Joe,
I haven't heard anything from Peacray about this in awhile. However, he appears to be active on English Wikipedia (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Peaceray), so I suggest that you ask him on his talk page.
The impression that I get is that he and Brian lack the time and interest to continue with the Cascadia organization, and if that is the case and no one else is interested and willing to keep the organization alive, then the organization should be wound down and any remaining assets (like the camera and camcorder) should be handled in the manner that's specified in the bylaws:
"ARTICLE XIV - DISSOLUTION "Vote Required. The Corporation may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote of the Board. "Donation of Remaining Assets. Upon the termination, dissolution or final liquidation of the Corporation in any manner or for any reason, its assets, if any, remaining after payment (or provision for payment) of all liabilities of the Corporation, shall be distributed to, and only to, one or more organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable or educational purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code as the Board shall determine by majority vote. Such distribution of assets shall be calculated to carry out the objectives and purposes stated in the Articles of Incorporation. In no event shall any of such assets or property be distributed to any member, Director or Officer, or any private individual."
I wish that I had better news. :(
Pine ( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine )
On Sun, Mar 11, 2018 at 10:14 AM, Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
It's mid-March. Has something been filed without the Board having a chance to review? Or has nothing been filed?
JM
On 1/30/2018 8:16 AM, Joe Mabel wrote:
Is anything happening on this?
JM
On 12/29/2017 9:40 AM, Raymond Leonard wrote:
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy that I need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours, Peaceray -- raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all, I've been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends since the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be returning to Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Peaceray
raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement would be available in time for Board members to review it before the end of the year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday, but there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report still says "To be posted."
JM
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While Pine was president, we ran several GLAM events, did a series of (I think) 8 edit-a-thons at the University of Washington, held an annual picnic, did a pretty big event here in Seattle for Wikipedia Day, etc. Since he stepped aside, we haven't even reliably had Board meetings.
I'm not saying we need quite the prior level of activity, but we should be doing more than we are.
As I've said before: about 3 years from now, I'm likely to have time to lead this. I don't now. I've been unofficially working a bit with some ethnic organizations etc. to help them get involved in Wikipedia-related activities, and I continue to do my own Commons work, and that's about all I have time for right now.
JM
On 3/13/2018 1:18 PM, gburling@hevanet.com wrote:
I'm sorry to hear the the Cascadia group might be wound down. This is a group that I wanted to be involved with, but have been unable to attend any of the meetings or offer help due to having a family & living here in Portland.
What has the Cascadia group done, besides having meetings on weekday nights? Would it be practical to move its center of focus here in Portland?
Geoff Burling en: llywrch
On 2018-03-13 12:46, Pine W wrote:
Hi Joe,
I haven't heard anything from Peacray about this in awhile. However, he appears to be active on English Wikipedia (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Peaceray), so I suggest that you ask him on his talk page.
The impression that I get is that he and Brian lack the time and interest to continue with the Cascadia organization, and if that is the case and no one else is interested and willing to keep the organization alive, then the organization should be wound down and any remaining assets (like the camera and camcorder) should be handled in the manner that's specified in the bylaws:
"ARTICLE XIV - DISSOLUTION "Vote Required. The Corporation may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote of the Board. "Donation of Remaining Assets. Upon the termination, dissolution or final liquidation of the Corporation in any manner or for any reason, its assets, if any, remaining after payment (or provision for payment) of all liabilities of the Corporation, shall be distributed to, and only to, one or more organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable or educational purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code as the Board shall determine by majority vote. Such distribution of assets shall be calculated to carry out the objectives and purposes stated in the Articles of Incorporation. In no event shall any of such assets or property be distributed to any member, Director or Officer, or any private individual."
I wish that I had better news. :(
Pine ( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine )
On Sun, Mar 11, 2018 at 10:14 AM, Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
It's mid-March. Has something been filed without the Board having a chance to review? Or has nothing been filed?
JM
On 1/30/2018 8:16 AM, Joe Mabel wrote:
Is anything happening on this?
JM
On 12/29/2017 9:40 AM, Raymond Leonard wrote:
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy that I need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours, Peaceray -- raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all, I've been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends since the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be returning to Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Peaceray
raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement would be available in time for Board members to review it before the end of the year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday, but there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report still says "To be posted."
JM
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Dissolving the organization does not mean we cannot continue to have Wikimedia user group status, or continue hosting Wikimedia activities. I co-hosted two event just this week in Portland, at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Pacific Northwest College of Arts. I have less time for paperwork, board meetings, and accounting, but I certainly still participate very actively within the Wikimedia movement, and strongly endorse maintaining WMF user group status. I am less concerned about having organizational status within Washington State, unless we have someone willing to maintain the legal and paperwork, or can somehow take advantages of fundraising opportunities not available to use otherwise. This is a frustration within the Wikimedia movement -- not having capacity for these tasks.
Jason / Another Believer
On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 1:28 PM, Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
While Pine was president, we ran several GLAM events, did a series of (I think) 8 edit-a-thons at the University of Washington, held an annual picnic, did a pretty big event here in Seattle for Wikipedia Day, etc. Since he stepped aside, we haven't even reliably had Board meetings.
I'm not saying we need quite the prior level of activity, but we should be doing more than we are.
As I've said before: about 3 years from now, I'm likely to have time to lead this. I don't now. I've been unofficially working a bit with some ethnic organizations etc. to help them get involved in Wikipedia-related activities, and I continue to do my own Commons work, and that's about all I have time for right now.
JM
On 3/13/2018 1:18 PM, gburling@hevanet.com wrote:
I'm sorry to hear the the Cascadia group might be wound down. This is a group that I wanted to be involved with, but have been unable to attend any of the meetings or offer help due to having a family & living here in Portland.
What has the Cascadia group done, besides having meetings on weekday nights? Would it be practical to move its center of focus here in Portland?
Geoff Burling en: llywrch
On 2018-03-13 12:46, Pine W wrote:
Hi Joe,
I haven't heard anything from Peacray about this in awhile. However, he appears to be active on English Wikipedia (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Peaceray), so I suggest that you ask him on his talk page.
The impression that I get is that he and Brian lack the time and interest to continue with the Cascadia organization, and if that is the case and no one else is interested and willing to keep the organization alive, then the organization should be wound down and any remaining assets (like the camera and camcorder) should be handled in the manner that's specified in the bylaws:
"ARTICLE XIV - DISSOLUTION "Vote Required. The Corporation may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote of the Board. "Donation of Remaining Assets. Upon the termination, dissolution or final liquidation of the Corporation in any manner or for any reason, its assets, if any, remaining after payment (or provision for payment) of all liabilities of the Corporation, shall be distributed to, and only to, one or more organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable or educational purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code as the Board shall determine by majority vote. Such distribution of assets shall be calculated to carry out the objectives and purposes stated in the Articles of Incorporation. In no event shall any of such assets or property be distributed to any member, Director or Officer, or any private individual."
I wish that I had better news. :(
Pine ( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine )
On Sun, Mar 11, 2018 at 10:14 AM, Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
It's mid-March. Has something been filed without the Board having a chance to review? Or has nothing been filed?
JM
On 1/30/2018 8:16 AM, Joe Mabel wrote:
Is anything happening on this?
JM
On 12/29/2017 9:40 AM, Raymond Leonard wrote:
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy that I need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours, Peaceray -- raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all, I've been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends since the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be returning to Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Peaceray
raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement would be available in time for Board members to review it before the end of the year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday, but there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report still says "To be posted."
JM
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Hi all, I also strongly support keeping Cascadia's WMF/UG status, which is limited paperwork, I believe. Since 2015 I've run/been a part of a number of activities and events in Seattle with UW/UW-Bothell (including the series with libraries with Pine and Peaceray that Joe mentioned). We've had a great group of Cascadia members in the Seattle area who have attended/been, affiliated sponsors. It's really nice to have this network in place and to be able to support each other and share out our learnings with each other and with the broader movement. Let's keep this up w/ the minimum organizational administrative work. I am happy to be a part of this UG group and to weigh in / possibly consider being a member of the board at some point if that's necessary. MSJ
On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 2:38 PM, Jason Moore anotherbelieverwp@gmail.com wrote:
Dissolving the organization does not mean we cannot continue to have Wikimedia user group status, or continue hosting Wikimedia activities. I co-hosted two event just this week in Portland, at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Pacific Northwest College of Arts. I have less time for paperwork, board meetings, and accounting, but I certainly still participate very actively within the Wikimedia movement, and strongly endorse maintaining WMF user group status. I am less concerned about having organizational status within Washington State, unless we have someone willing to maintain the legal and paperwork, or can somehow take advantages of fundraising opportunities not available to use otherwise. This is a frustration within the Wikimedia movement -- not having capacity for these tasks.
Jason / Another Believer
On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 1:28 PM, Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
While Pine was president, we ran several GLAM events, did a series of (I think) 8 edit-a-thons at the University of Washington, held an annual picnic, did a pretty big event here in Seattle for Wikipedia Day, etc. Since he stepped aside, we haven't even reliably had Board meetings.
I'm not saying we need quite the prior level of activity, but we should
be
doing more than we are.
As I've said before: about 3 years from now, I'm likely to have time to lead this. I don't now. I've been unofficially working a bit with some ethnic organizations etc. to help them get involved in Wikipedia-related activities, and I continue to do my own Commons work, and that's about
all
I have time for right now.
JM
On 3/13/2018 1:18 PM, gburling@hevanet.com wrote:
I'm sorry to hear the the Cascadia group might be wound down. This is a group that I wanted to be involved with, but have been unable to attend
any
of the meetings or offer help due to having a family & living here in Portland.
What has the Cascadia group done, besides having meetings on weekday nights? Would it be practical to move its center of focus here in
Portland?
Geoff Burling en: llywrch
On 2018-03-13 12:46, Pine W wrote:
Hi Joe,
I haven't heard anything from Peacray about this in awhile. However, he appears to be active on English Wikipedia (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Peaceray), so I suggest that you ask him on his talk page.
The impression that I get is that he and Brian lack the time and
interest
to continue with the Cascadia organization, and if that is the case and no one else is interested and willing to keep the organization alive, then the organization should be wound down and any remaining assets (like the camera and camcorder) should be handled in the manner that's specified in the bylaws:
"ARTICLE XIV - DISSOLUTION "Vote Required. The Corporation may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote
of
the Board. "Donation of Remaining Assets. Upon the termination, dissolution or
final
liquidation of the Corporation in any manner or for any reason, its assets, if any, remaining after payment (or provision for payment) of all liabilities of the Corporation, shall be distributed to, and only to,
one
or more organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable or educational purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code as the Board shall determine by majority vote. Such distribution of assets shall be calculated to carry out the objectives and purposes stated in the Articles of Incorporation. In no event shall any of such assets or property be distributed to any member, Director or Officer, or any private individual."
I wish that I had better news. :(
Pine ( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine )
On Sun, Mar 11, 2018 at 10:14 AM, Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
It's mid-March. Has something been filed without the Board having a chance to review? Or has nothing been filed?
JM
On 1/30/2018 8:16 AM, Joe Mabel wrote:
Is anything happening on this?
JM
On 12/29/2017 9:40 AM, Raymond Leonard wrote:
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy that
I
need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours, Peaceray -- raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all, I've been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends since the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be returning
to
Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Peaceray
raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net
wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement would
be
available in time for Board members to review it before the end of the year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday, but there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report still says "To be posted."
JM
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I think there is a lot to be said for doing the not-enormous amount of work to keep the 501(c)3 status, as well. We went through quite a bit of time & expense to get that status; we will almost certainly want it at some point; I'd rather not have to start over.
Peaceray: clear back in January you told us you had one discrepancy of somewhere under $20 to work out and then we would have the financial statement to approve. Since then you've gone dark. Please, let us know what is happening, one way or another.
I very much would like to remain on the Board of this organization, but at some point if the Board is not meeting its obligations to file the most basic reports, and I can't fix that, I can't be in the position to be one of the people liable for that.
JM
On 3/13/2018 2:57 PM, Monika Sengul-Jones wrote:
Hi all, I also strongly support keeping Cascadia's WMF/UG status, which is limited paperwork, I believe. Since 2015 I've run/been a part of a number of activities and events in Seattle with UW/UW-Bothell (including the series with libraries with Pine and Peaceray that Joe mentioned). We've had a great group of Cascadia members in the Seattle area who have attended/been, affiliated sponsors. It's really nice to have this network in place and to be able to support each other and share out our learnings with each other and with the broader movement. Let's keep this up w/ the minimum organizational administrative work. I am happy to be a part of this UG group and to weigh in / possibly consider being a member of the board at some point if that's necessary. MSJ
On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 2:38 PM, Jason Moore anotherbelieverwp@gmail.com wrote:
Dissolving the organization does not mean we cannot continue to have Wikimedia user group status, or continue hosting Wikimedia activities. I co-hosted two event just this week in Portland, at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Pacific Northwest College of Arts. I have less time for paperwork, board meetings, and accounting, but I certainly still participate very actively within the Wikimedia movement, and strongly endorse maintaining WMF user group status. I am less concerned about having organizational status within Washington State, unless we have someone willing to maintain the legal and paperwork, or can somehow take advantages of fundraising opportunities not available to use otherwise. This is a frustration within the Wikimedia movement -- not having capacity for these tasks.
Jason / Another Believer
On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 1:28 PM, Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
While Pine was president, we ran several GLAM events, did a series of (I think) 8 edit-a-thons at the University of Washington, held an annual picnic, did a pretty big event here in Seattle for Wikipedia Day, etc. Since he stepped aside, we haven't even reliably had Board meetings.
I'm not saying we need quite the prior level of activity, but we should
be
doing more than we are.
As I've said before: about 3 years from now, I'm likely to have time to lead this. I don't now. I've been unofficially working a bit with some ethnic organizations etc. to help them get involved in Wikipedia-related activities, and I continue to do my own Commons work, and that's about
all
I have time for right now.
JM
On 3/13/2018 1:18 PM, gburling@hevanet.com wrote:
I'm sorry to hear the the Cascadia group might be wound down. This is a group that I wanted to be involved with, but have been unable to attend
any
of the meetings or offer help due to having a family & living here in Portland.
What has the Cascadia group done, besides having meetings on weekday nights? Would it be practical to move its center of focus here in
Portland?
Geoff Burling en: llywrch
On 2018-03-13 12:46, Pine W wrote:
Hi Joe,
I haven't heard anything from Peacray about this in awhile. However, he appears to be active on English Wikipedia (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Peaceray), so I suggest that you ask him on his talk page.
The impression that I get is that he and Brian lack the time and
interest
to continue with the Cascadia organization, and if that is the case and no one else is interested and willing to keep the organization alive, then the organization should be wound down and any remaining assets (like the camera and camcorder) should be handled in the manner that's specified in the bylaws:
"ARTICLE XIV - DISSOLUTION "Vote Required. The Corporation may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote
of
the Board. "Donation of Remaining Assets. Upon the termination, dissolution or
final
liquidation of the Corporation in any manner or for any reason, its assets, if any, remaining after payment (or provision for payment) of all liabilities of the Corporation, shall be distributed to, and only to,
one
or more organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable or educational purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code as the Board shall determine by majority vote. Such distribution of assets shall be calculated to carry out the objectives and purposes stated in the Articles of Incorporation. In no event shall any of such assets or property be distributed to any member, Director or Officer, or any private individual."
I wish that I had better news. :(
Pine ( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine )
On Sun, Mar 11, 2018 at 10:14 AM, Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
It's mid-March. Has something been filed without the Board having a chance to review? Or has nothing been filed?
JM
On 1/30/2018 8:16 AM, Joe Mabel wrote:
Is anything happening on this?
JM
On 12/29/2017 9:40 AM, Raymond Leonard wrote:
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy that
I
need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours, Peaceray -- raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all, I've been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends since the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be returning
to
Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Peaceray
raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net
wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement would
be
available in time for Board members to review it before the end of the year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday, but there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report still says "To be posted."
JM
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Hello,
Pine, I think that you have much higher personal standards for Wiki Cascadia than the Washington Secretary of State has for organizations or than the Wiki Affiliations Committee has for official partner organizations. When you were on the board you set ambitious goals for Wiki Cascadia. Even now with its challenges it ranks favorably against other registered wiki groups, being easily among the top 50%, likely in the top 25%, and perhaps in the top 10%. Most wiki user groups are casual operations and I feel that Wiki Cascadia already accomplishes beyond the norm. I am happy with the ongoing activities of Wiki Cascadia.
llywrch - typical Cascadia group events are organized by committees of 2-4 people. The board does not centrally review programs, and instead provides a centralized project space for announcing and reporting any events which are aligned with typical wiki community interests. Wiki Cascadia teams have done some interesting and innovative projects but nothing that I would call radical and in need of thorough oversight. Almost anyone engaged in any wiki project in the region can affiliate with Wiki Cascadia if they like. This governance format is usual for wiki user groups at the ~$0 funding level.
If there is any winding down ever, then probably winding down WMF affiliation would come before disbanding as a nonprofit because the WMF has higher standards for reporting than the state government. If Wiki Cascadia stays in good standing with the WMF then it can meet the lower expectations of the state government.
The administrative burden for an organization with near 0 budget is about 2 hours/year from the perspective of the Washington Secretary of state. If there are challenges with this then the answer is to pass the work on through the network of Wiki Cascadia supporters. While I personally have been hands-off for administration, I see a lot of value in the organization, and am here to help sustain the organization and identify other board members if there is a crisis and the organization needs some support. There are other people like me who care and would support if asked.
I anticipate being in Seattle in mid-April and would meet with anyone to talk about next steps. My schedule is not yet firm, but to the extent that I am able I would show support. There are always ways that I and others would support remotely.
Thanks,
On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 3:46 PM, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Joe,
I haven't heard anything from Peacray about this in awhile. However, he appears to be active on English Wikipedia (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Peaceray), so I suggest that you ask him on his talk page.
The impression that I get is that he and Brian lack the time and interest to continue with the Cascadia organization, and if that is the case and no one else is interested and willing to keep the organization alive, then the organization should be wound down and any remaining assets (like the camera and camcorder) should be handled in the manner that's specified in the bylaws:
"ARTICLE XIV - DISSOLUTION "Vote Required. The Corporation may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote of the Board. "Donation of Remaining Assets. Upon the termination, dissolution or final liquidation of the Corporation in any manner or for any reason, its assets, if any, remaining after payment (or provision for payment) of all liabilities of the Corporation, shall be distributed to, and only to, one or more organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable or educational purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code as the Board shall determine by majority vote. Such distribution of assets shall be calculated to carry out the objectives and purposes stated in the Articles of Incorporation. In no event shall any of such assets or property be distributed to any member, Director or Officer, or any private individual."
I wish that I had better news. :(
Pine ( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine )
On Sun, Mar 11, 2018 at 10:14 AM, Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
It's mid-March. Has something been filed without the Board having a
chance
to review? Or has nothing been filed?
JM
On 1/30/2018 8:16 AM, Joe Mabel wrote:
Is anything happening on this?
JM
On 12/29/2017 9:40 AM, Raymond Leonard wrote:
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy that
I
need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours, Peaceray — raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all,
I’ve been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends
since
the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be returning
to
Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Peaceray — raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net
wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement would
be
available in time for Board members to review it before the end of
the
year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday, but there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report
still
says "To be posted."
JM
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Agree with Lane and Joe that we should keep this going since it's easy and valuable. I know I'm not that active, but as long as we're talking about doing what's necessary to keep the organization afloat, rather than active program management and administration, I am happy to use my convenient dual staff/volunteer role to attempt to expedite any necessary communication or coordination stuff between Cascadia and WMF. Let me know.
- J
On Wed, Mar 14, 2018 at 8:24 AM, Lane Rasberry lane@bluerasberry.com wrote:
Hello,
Pine, I think that you have much higher personal standards for Wiki Cascadia than the Washington Secretary of State has for organizations or than the Wiki Affiliations Committee has for official partner organizations. When you were on the board you set ambitious goals for Wiki Cascadia. Even now with its challenges it ranks favorably against other registered wiki groups, being easily among the top 50%, likely in the top 25%, and perhaps in the top 10%. Most wiki user groups are casual operations and I feel that Wiki Cascadia already accomplishes beyond the norm. I am happy with the ongoing activities of Wiki Cascadia.
llywrch - typical Cascadia group events are organized by committees of 2-4 people. The board does not centrally review programs, and instead provides a centralized project space for announcing and reporting any events which are aligned with typical wiki community interests. Wiki Cascadia teams have done some interesting and innovative projects but nothing that I would call radical and in need of thorough oversight. Almost anyone engaged in any wiki project in the region can affiliate with Wiki Cascadia if they like. This governance format is usual for wiki user groups at the ~$0 funding level.
If there is any winding down ever, then probably winding down WMF affiliation would come before disbanding as a nonprofit because the WMF has higher standards for reporting than the state government. If Wiki Cascadia stays in good standing with the WMF then it can meet the lower expectations of the state government.
The administrative burden for an organization with near 0 budget is about 2 hours/year from the perspective of the Washington Secretary of state. If there are challenges with this then the answer is to pass the work on through the network of Wiki Cascadia supporters. While I personally have been hands-off for administration, I see a lot of value in the organization, and am here to help sustain the organization and identify other board members if there is a crisis and the organization needs some support. There are other people like me who care and would support if asked.
I anticipate being in Seattle in mid-April and would meet with anyone to talk about next steps. My schedule is not yet firm, but to the extent that I am able I would show support. There are always ways that I and others would support remotely.
Thanks,
On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 3:46 PM, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Joe,
I haven't heard anything from Peacray about this in awhile. However, he appears to be active on English Wikipedia (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Peaceray), so I suggest that you ask him on his talk page.
The impression that I get is that he and Brian lack the time and interest to continue with the Cascadia organization, and if that is the case and
no
one else is interested and willing to keep the organization alive, then
the
organization should be wound down and any remaining assets (like the
camera
and camcorder) should be handled in the manner that's specified in the bylaws:
"ARTICLE XIV - DISSOLUTION "Vote Required. The Corporation may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote of the Board. "Donation of Remaining Assets. Upon the termination, dissolution or final liquidation of the Corporation in any manner or for any reason, its
assets,
if any, remaining after payment (or provision for payment) of all liabilities of the Corporation, shall be distributed to, and only to, one or more organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable
or
educational purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt
organization
or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code as the Board shall determine by majority vote. Such distribution of assets shall be
calculated
to carry out the objectives and purposes stated in the Articles of Incorporation. In no event shall any of such assets or property be distributed to any member, Director or Officer, or any private
individual."
I wish that I had better news. :(
Pine ( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine )
On Sun, Mar 11, 2018 at 10:14 AM, Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net
wrote:
It's mid-March. Has something been filed without the Board having a
chance
to review? Or has nothing been filed?
JM
On 1/30/2018 8:16 AM, Joe Mabel wrote:
Is anything happening on this?
JM
On 12/29/2017 9:40 AM, Raymond Leonard wrote:
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy
that
I
need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours, Peaceray — raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all,
I’ve been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends
since
the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be
returning
to
Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Peaceray — raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net
wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement
would
be
> available in time for Board members to review it before the end of
the
> year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday,
but
> there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another > holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report
still
> says "To be posted." > > JM > > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-Cascadia mailing list > Wikimedia-Cascadia@lists.wikimedia.org > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia > > -- Sent from Gmail Mobile
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Wikimedia-Cascadia mailing list Wikimedia-Cascadia@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia
-- Lane Rasberry user:bluerasberry on Wikipedia 206.801.0814 lane@bluerasberry.com _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-Cascadia mailing list Wikimedia-Cascadia@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia
I'm familiar with user groups that operate on $0 funding levels. Here in Portland there is the Portland Linux/UNIX Group (aka PLUG), which has operated for years with no real source of money -- just volunteer labor & donated server resources & using public spaces to meet in. For years it was vital to more than the few of us interested in Linux & UNIX, because it was one of the venues people interested in technology could meet & exchange ideas. PLUG was one reason O'Reilly held their Open Source Conferences in Portland for several years. (One restaurant in downtown Portland liked to host our meetings because it brought in more customers than their Monday Night Football specials.) Nevertheless, the man who led PLUG, David Mandell, was well informed about how important being an incorporated non-profit was, & had ownership of the incorporation papers for another, now defunct, non-profit for the time it made sense that PLUG become a more formal organization.
My concern in my previous email was that all of the labor & money to become a non-profit was about to be wasted because someone had decided to drop out without completing the paperwork to keep the Cascadia UG in good standing, both with the Foundation & the State of Washington. Maybe at the moment the Cascadia UG doesn't need to be a formal group; that's fine. However, there are certain benefits to being a formal organization. Saying that one is a member of a formal group opens certain doors that saying, "I'm a Wikimedian & I make edits to this Wiki" doesn't. Another benefit is that if one needs money to do something, having a formal organization to handle the grants or contributions makes life much less complex.
Lane, so if missing a report this year isn't going to sabotage the Cascadia UG, that relieves a lot of worry on everyone's part. Although I believe it would be good for all in the long run if someone from the Foundation were to explain to the person involved that while a volunteer can walk away from any of the projects at any time with very little effort, there are certain responsibilities in life that when assumed one cannot just walk away from before they are done. And the financial reporting is one of them. Especially when, in your words, it requires a couple of hours a year of work.
One reason I want a Cascadia UG -- or a US Wikimedia Chapter, or some kind of formal group in North America -- is that it provides a sense of community that an online Wiki fails to provide. For one thing, it's been documented that a healthy online community flourishes when there are a lot of off-line back-channels. Another is that IMHO a lot of Wikipedians would be more interested in advocacy or partnering with outside groups if they knew of similar work being done near them; not everyone is eager to be a solo pioneer setting off into unexplored territory with no one to support or even be aware of their work. Sometimes we simply want to share one of the minor successes in making a contribution to Wikipedia (or a similar Wikimedia project). The other week I shared with my wife a success in getting one of my articles on Roman consuls figured out, only to have her blandly reply, "So?" And there's a large amount of unwritten knowledge around the Wikimedia projects that either is not documented online, or will never be documented online, that each of us knows; sharing it would only benefit us all.
I'd also like to hear more about what my fellow Wikimedians are doing. Even if it's unrelated to outreach or advocacy. Boast a little on this mailing list. Especially since there's no good place on any of the Wikis to do this, & we all need to brag a little once in a while. IMHO, doing that can inspire others to take on tasks that need doing.
In other words, anyone who spends more than a little time away from the computer working on a Wikimedia project knows that such activity is socially isolating. This UG could address that issue to some degree. And this is why I find watching the Cascadia UG fall apart over a trivial matter discouraging.
P.S. To Jason -- Pete Forsyth & I met the other week & were discussing ideas about outreach & how to support Wikimedians in ways the Foundation either won't do, or is unwilling to do. You should join us in our next discussion. One reason I'd like to restart Wikimeetups here in Portland.
Geoff Burling en: llywrch
On 2018-03-14 09:11, Jonathan Morgan wrote:
Agree with Lane and Joe that we should keep this going since it's easy and valuable. I know I'm not that active, but as long as we're talking about doing what's necessary to keep the organization afloat, rather than active program management and administration, I am happy to use my convenient dual staff/volunteer role to attempt to expedite any necessary communication or coordination stuff between Cascadia and WMF. Let me know.
- J
On Wed, Mar 14, 2018 at 8:24 AM, Lane Rasberry lane@bluerasberry.com wrote:
Hello,
Pine, I think that you have much higher personal standards for Wiki Cascadia than the Washington Secretary of State has for organizations or than the Wiki Affiliations Committee has for official partner organizations. When you were on the board you set ambitious goals for Wiki Cascadia. Even now with its challenges it ranks favorably against other registered wiki groups, being easily among the top 50%, likely in the top 25%, and perhaps in the top 10%. Most wiki user groups are casual operations and I feel that Wiki Cascadia already accomplishes beyond the norm. I am happy with the ongoing activities of Wiki Cascadia.
llywrch - typical Cascadia group events are organized by committees of 2-4 people. The board does not centrally review programs, and instead provides a centralized project space for announcing and reporting any events which are aligned with typical wiki community interests. Wiki Cascadia teams have done some interesting and innovative projects but nothing that I would call radical and in need of thorough oversight. Almost anyone engaged in any wiki project in the region can affiliate with Wiki Cascadia if they like. This governance format is usual for wiki user groups at the ~$0 funding level.
If there is any winding down ever, then probably winding down WMF affiliation would come before disbanding as a nonprofit because the WMF has higher standards for reporting than the state government. If Wiki Cascadia stays in good standing with the WMF then it can meet the lower expectations of the state government.
The administrative burden for an organization with near 0 budget is about 2 hours/year from the perspective of the Washington Secretary of state. If there are challenges with this then the answer is to pass the work on through the network of Wiki Cascadia supporters. While I personally have been hands-off for administration, I see a lot of value in the organization, and am here to help sustain the organization and identify other board members if there is a crisis and the organization needs some support. There are other people like me who care and would support if asked.
I anticipate being in Seattle in mid-April and would meet with anyone to talk about next steps. My schedule is not yet firm, but to the extent that I am able I would show support. There are always ways that I and others would support remotely.
Thanks,
On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 3:46 PM, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Joe,
I haven't heard anything from Peacray about this in awhile. However, he appears to be active on English Wikipedia (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Peaceray), so I suggest that you ask him on his talk page.
The impression that I get is that he and Brian lack the time and interest to continue with the Cascadia organization, and if that is the case and no one else is interested and willing to keep the organization alive, then the organization should be wound down and any remaining assets (like the camera and camcorder) should be handled in the manner that's specified in the bylaws:
"ARTICLE XIV - DISSOLUTION "Vote Required. The Corporation may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote of the Board. "Donation of Remaining Assets. Upon the termination, dissolution or final liquidation of the Corporation in any manner or for any reason, its assets, if any, remaining after payment (or provision for payment) of all liabilities of the Corporation, shall be distributed to, and only to, one or more organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable or educational purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code as the Board shall determine by majority vote. Such distribution of assets shall be calculated to carry out the objectives and purposes stated in the Articles of Incorporation. In no event shall any of such assets or property be distributed to any member, Director or Officer, or any private individual." I wish that I had better news. :(
Pine ( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine )
On Sun, Mar 11, 2018 at 10:14 AM, Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote: It's mid-March. Has something been filed without the Board having a chance to review? Or has nothing been filed?
JM
On 1/30/2018 8:16 AM, Joe Mabel wrote:
Is anything happening on this?
JM
On 12/29/2017 9:40 AM, Raymond Leonard wrote:
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy
that
I need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours, Peaceray -- raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all, I've been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends
since
the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be
returning
to Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Peaceray
raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net
wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement
would
be available in time for Board members to review it before the end of
the
year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday,
but
there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report
still
says "To be posted."
JM
Wikimedia-Cascadia mailing list Wikimedia-Cascadia@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia
-- Sent from Gmail Mobile
Wikimedia-Cascadia mailing list Wikimedia-Cascadia@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia
_______________________________________________ Wikimedia-Cascadia mailing list Wikimedia-Cascadia@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia
_______________________________________________ Wikimedia-Cascadia mailing list Wikimedia-Cascadia@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia
-- Lane Rasberry user:bluerasberry on Wikipedia 206.801.0814 lane@bluerasberry.com _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-Cascadia mailing list Wikimedia-Cascadia@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia
_______________________________________________ Wikimedia-Cascadia mailing list Wikimedia-Cascadia@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia
Folks,
First I apologize for the delay in the financial report. I have sent to the Cascadia Wikimedians board a spreadsheet detailing the activity on our three BECU accounts & a balance sheet. It requires some tweaking. There are some two deposits for $210 & a check for $20 for which I was unable to glean their source / destination. I am hoping our Treasurer can fill the board in on those items on that email thread. If anyone wants to see the spreadsheet, let me know & I can forward it to them as well.
I am somewhat flummoxed that an internal matter to the board & the Cascadia Wikimedians membership has been discussed on this much broader list. I am all for transparency, but I think a delayed report got far more attention than was warranted. It is certainly absurd to contemplate the dissolution of the organization because of it.
As far as the comment that I "lack the time and interest to continue with the Cascadia organization", I would point to my recent activities on behalf of Cascadia Wikimedians: my presence at the Art+Feminism edit-a-thon at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery & my attendance at a UW class that Amanda Menking teaches, both in late February, plus online attendance & support earlier this month at the Portland Art+Feminism edit-a-thon concentrating on Jewish women artists (although I ended up helping other edit-a-thons; it was International Women's Day, after all). I am also attending the Wikimedia Conference 2018 in Berlin as one of the two Cascadia Wikimedians representatives.
I may have different view as to the criteria & priorities about how a user group functions than some, & am certainly flexible about adjusting those in concert with anyone who is part of the team actively supporting Cascadia Wikimedians.
Now, I need some help in determining where to put the report when finally finished. I do not see where Wikimedia NYC puts their financial reports (I don't think it is on meta). I see that Wikimedia DC had put some on meta several years back. What repositories are other user groups using for spreadsheets? I am thinking that it would be appropriate to place a more general balance sheet on meta.
Yours, Peaceray
On Wed, Mar 14, 2018 at 2:25 PM, gburling@hevanet.com wrote:
I'm familiar with user groups that operate on $0 funding levels. Here in Portland there is the Portland Linux/UNIX Group (aka PLUG), which has operated for years with no real source of money -- just volunteer labor & donated server resources & using public spaces to meet in. For years it was vital to more than the few of us interested in Linux & UNIX, because it was one of the venues people interested in technology could meet & exchange ideas. PLUG was one reason O'Reilly held their Open Source Conferences in Portland for several years. (One restaurant in downtown Portland liked to host our meetings because it brought in more customers than their Monday Night Football specials.) Nevertheless, the man who led PLUG, David Mandell, was well informed about how important being an incorporated non-profit was, & had ownership of the incorporation papers for another, now defunct, non-profit for the time it made sense that PLUG become a more formal organization.
My concern in my previous email was that all of the labor & money to become a non-profit was about to be wasted because someone had decided to drop out without completing the paperwork to keep the Cascadia UG in good standing, both with the Foundation & the State of Washington. Maybe at the moment the Cascadia UG doesn't need to be a formal group; that's fine. However, there are certain benefits to being a formal organization. Saying that one is a member of a formal group opens certain doors that saying, "I'm a Wikimedian & I make edits to this Wiki" doesn't. Another benefit is that if one needs money to do something, having a formal organization to handle the grants or contributions makes life much less complex.
Lane, so if missing a report this year isn't going to sabotage the Cascadia UG, that relieves a lot of worry on everyone's part. Although I believe it would be good for all in the long run if someone from the Foundation were to explain to the person involved that while a volunteer can walk away from any of the projects at any time with very little effort, there are certain responsibilities in life that when assumed one cannot just walk away from before they are done. And the financial reporting is one of them. Especially when, in your words, it requires a couple of hours a year of work.
One reason I want a Cascadia UG -- or a US Wikimedia Chapter, or some kind of formal group in North America -- is that it provides a sense of community that an online Wiki fails to provide. For one thing, it's been documented that a healthy online community flourishes when there are a lot of off-line back-channels. Another is that IMHO a lot of Wikipedians would be more interested in advocacy or partnering with outside groups if they knew of similar work being done near them; not everyone is eager to be a solo pioneer setting off into unexplored territory with no one to support or even be aware of their work. Sometimes we simply want to share one of the minor successes in making a contribution to Wikipedia (or a similar Wikimedia project). The other week I shared with my wife a success in getting one of my articles on Roman consuls figured out, only to have her blandly reply, "So?" And there's a large amount of unwritten knowledge around the Wikimedia projects that either is not documented online, or will never be documented online, that each of us knows; sharing it would only benefit us all.
I'd also like to hear more about what my fellow Wikimedians are doing. Even if it's unrelated to outreach or advocacy. Boast a little on this mailing list. Especially since there's no good place on any of the Wikis to do this, & we all need to brag a little once in a while. IMHO, doing that can inspire others to take on tasks that need doing.
In other words, anyone who spends more than a little time away from the computer working on a Wikimedia project knows that such activity is socially isolating. This UG could address that issue to some degree. And this is why I find watching the Cascadia UG fall apart over a trivial matter discouraging.
P.S. To Jason -- Pete Forsyth & I met the other week & were discussing ideas about outreach & how to support Wikimedians in ways the Foundation either won't do, or is unwilling to do. You should join us in our next discussion. One reason I'd like to restart Wikimeetups here in Portland.
Geoff Burling en: llywrch
On 2018-03-14 09:11, Jonathan Morgan wrote:
Agree with Lane and Joe that we should keep this going since it's easy and
valuable. I know I'm not that active, but as long as we're talking about doing what's necessary to keep the organization afloat, rather than active program management and administration, I am happy to use my convenient dual staff/volunteer role to attempt to expedite any necessary communication or coordination stuff between Cascadia and WMF. Let me know.
- J
On Wed, Mar 14, 2018 at 8:24 AM, Lane Rasberry lane@bluerasberry.com wrote:
Hello,
Pine, I think that you have much higher personal standards for Wiki Cascadia than the Washington Secretary of State has for organizations or than the Wiki Affiliations Committee has for official partner organizations. When you were on the board you set ambitious goals for Wiki Cascadia. Even now with its challenges it ranks favorably against other registered wiki groups, being easily among the top 50%, likely in the top 25%, and perhaps in the top 10%. Most wiki user groups are casual operations and I feel that Wiki Cascadia already accomplishes beyond the norm. I am happy with the ongoing activities of Wiki Cascadia.
llywrch - typical Cascadia group events are organized by committees of 2-4 people. The board does not centrally review programs, and instead provides a centralized project space for announcing and reporting any events which are aligned with typical wiki community interests. Wiki Cascadia teams have done some interesting and innovative projects but nothing that I would call radical and in need of thorough oversight. Almost anyone engaged in any wiki project in the region can affiliate with Wiki Cascadia if they like. This governance format is usual for wiki user groups at the ~$0 funding level.
If there is any winding down ever, then probably winding down WMF affiliation would come before disbanding as a nonprofit because the WMF has higher standards for reporting than the state government. If Wiki Cascadia stays in good standing with the WMF then it can meet the lower expectations of the state government.
The administrative burden for an organization with near 0 budget is about 2 hours/year from the perspective of the Washington Secretary of state. If there are challenges with this then the answer is to pass the work on through the network of Wiki Cascadia supporters. While I personally have been hands-off for administration, I see a lot of value in the organization, and am here to help sustain the organization and identify other board members if there is a crisis and the organization needs some support. There are other people like me who care and would support if asked.
I anticipate being in Seattle in mid-April and would meet with anyone to talk about next steps. My schedule is not yet firm, but to the extent that I am able I would show support. There are always ways that I and others would support remotely.
Thanks,
On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 3:46 PM, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Joe,
I haven't heard anything from Peacray about this in awhile. However, he appears to be active on English Wikipedia (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Peaceray), so I suggest that you ask him on his talk page.
The impression that I get is that he and Brian lack the time and interest to continue with the Cascadia organization, and if that is the case and no one else is interested and willing to keep the organization alive, then the organization should be wound down and any remaining assets (like the camera and camcorder) should be handled in the manner that's specified in the bylaws:
"ARTICLE XIV - DISSOLUTION "Vote Required. The Corporation may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote of the Board. "Donation of Remaining Assets. Upon the termination, dissolution or final liquidation of the Corporation in any manner or for any reason, its assets, if any, remaining after payment (or provision for payment) of all liabilities of the Corporation, shall be distributed to, and only to, one or more organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable or educational purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code as the Board shall determine by majority vote. Such distribution of assets shall be calculated to carry out the objectives and purposes stated in the Articles of Incorporation. In no event shall any of such assets or property be distributed to any member, Director or Officer, or any private individual." I wish that I had better news. :(
Pine ( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine )
On Sun, Mar 11, 2018 at 10:14 AM, Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote: It's mid-March. Has something been filed without the Board having a chance to review? Or has nothing been filed?
JM
On 1/30/2018 8:16 AM, Joe Mabel wrote:
Is anything happening on this?
JM
On 12/29/2017 9:40 AM, Raymond Leonard wrote:
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy
that
I need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours, Peaceray -- raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all, I've been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends
since
the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be
returning
to Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by
tomorrow morning at the latest.
Peaceray
raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net
wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement
would
be available in time for Board members to review it before the end of
the
year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday,
but
there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another
holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report
still
says "To be posted."
JM
Wikimedia-Cascadia mailing list Wikimedia-Cascadia@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia
-- Sent from Gmail Mobile
Wikimedia-Cascadia mailing list Wikimedia-Cascadia@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia
Wikimedia-Cascadia mailing list Wikimedia-Cascadia@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia
Wikimedia-Cascadia mailing list Wikimedia-Cascadia@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia
-- Lane Rasberry user:bluerasberry on Wikipedia 206.801.0814 lane@bluerasberry.com _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-Cascadia mailing list Wikimedia-Cascadia@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia
Wikimedia-Cascadia mailing list Wikimedia-Cascadia@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia
Wikimedia-Cascadia mailing list Wikimedia-Cascadia@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia
Of course, it was just a few minutes after I sent my email that I saw that what we posted for 2014-2015 https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/4Q_2014_and_CY_2015_report#Finance_report .
Peaceray
On Wed, Mar 14, 2018 at 6:17 PM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Folks,
First I apologize for the delay in the financial report. I have sent to the Cascadia Wikimedians board a spreadsheet detailing the activity on our three BECU accounts & a balance sheet. It requires some tweaking. There are some two deposits for $210 & a check for $20 for which I was unable to glean their source / destination. I am hoping our Treasurer can fill the board in on those items on that email thread. If anyone wants to see the spreadsheet, let me know & I can forward it to them as well.
I am somewhat flummoxed that an internal matter to the board & the Cascadia Wikimedians membership has been discussed on this much broader list. I am all for transparency, but I think a delayed report got far more attention than was warranted. It is certainly absurd to contemplate the dissolution of the organization because of it.
As far as the comment that I "lack the time and interest to continue with the Cascadia organization", I would point to my recent activities on behalf of Cascadia Wikimedians: my presence at the Art+Feminism edit-a-thon at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery & my attendance at a UW class that Amanda Menking teaches, both in late February, plus online attendance & support earlier this month at the Portland Art+Feminism edit-a-thon concentrating on Jewish women artists (although I ended up helping other edit-a-thons; it was International Women's Day, after all). I am also attending the Wikimedia Conference 2018 in Berlin as one of the two Cascadia Wikimedians representatives.
I may have different view as to the criteria & priorities about how a user group functions than some, & am certainly flexible about adjusting those in concert with anyone who is part of the team actively supporting Cascadia Wikimedians.
Now, I need some help in determining where to put the report when finally finished. I do not see where Wikimedia NYC puts their financial reports (I don't think it is on meta). I see that Wikimedia DC had put some on meta several years back. What repositories are other user groups using for spreadsheets? I am thinking that it would be appropriate to place a more general balance sheet on meta.
Yours, Peaceray
On Wed, Mar 14, 2018 at 2:25 PM, gburling@hevanet.com wrote:
I'm familiar with user groups that operate on $0 funding levels. Here in Portland there is the Portland Linux/UNIX Group (aka PLUG), which has operated for years with no real source of money -- just volunteer labor & donated server resources & using public spaces to meet in. For years it was vital to more than the few of us interested in Linux & UNIX, because it was one of the venues people interested in technology could meet & exchange ideas. PLUG was one reason O'Reilly held their Open Source Conferences in Portland for several years. (One restaurant in downtown Portland liked to host our meetings because it brought in more customers than their Monday Night Football specials.) Nevertheless, the man who led PLUG, David Mandell, was well informed about how important being an incorporated non-profit was, & had ownership of the incorporation papers for another, now defunct, non-profit for the time it made sense that PLUG become a more formal organization.
My concern in my previous email was that all of the labor & money to become a non-profit was about to be wasted because someone had decided to drop out without completing the paperwork to keep the Cascadia UG in good standing, both with the Foundation & the State of Washington. Maybe at the moment the Cascadia UG doesn't need to be a formal group; that's fine. However, there are certain benefits to being a formal organization. Saying that one is a member of a formal group opens certain doors that saying, "I'm a Wikimedian & I make edits to this Wiki" doesn't. Another benefit is that if one needs money to do something, having a formal organization to handle the grants or contributions makes life much less complex.
Lane, so if missing a report this year isn't going to sabotage the Cascadia UG, that relieves a lot of worry on everyone's part. Although I believe it would be good for all in the long run if someone from the Foundation were to explain to the person involved that while a volunteer can walk away from any of the projects at any time with very little effort, there are certain responsibilities in life that when assumed one cannot just walk away from before they are done. And the financial reporting is one of them. Especially when, in your words, it requires a couple of hours a year of work.
One reason I want a Cascadia UG -- or a US Wikimedia Chapter, or some kind of formal group in North America -- is that it provides a sense of community that an online Wiki fails to provide. For one thing, it's been documented that a healthy online community flourishes when there are a lot of off-line back-channels. Another is that IMHO a lot of Wikipedians would be more interested in advocacy or partnering with outside groups if they knew of similar work being done near them; not everyone is eager to be a solo pioneer setting off into unexplored territory with no one to support or even be aware of their work. Sometimes we simply want to share one of the minor successes in making a contribution to Wikipedia (or a similar Wikimedia project). The other week I shared with my wife a success in getting one of my articles on Roman consuls figured out, only to have her blandly reply, "So?" And there's a large amount of unwritten knowledge around the Wikimedia projects that either is not documented online, or will never be documented online, that each of us knows; sharing it would only benefit us all.
I'd also like to hear more about what my fellow Wikimedians are doing. Even if it's unrelated to outreach or advocacy. Boast a little on this mailing list. Especially since there's no good place on any of the Wikis to do this, & we all need to brag a little once in a while. IMHO, doing that can inspire others to take on tasks that need doing.
In other words, anyone who spends more than a little time away from the computer working on a Wikimedia project knows that such activity is socially isolating. This UG could address that issue to some degree. And this is why I find watching the Cascadia UG fall apart over a trivial matter discouraging.
P.S. To Jason -- Pete Forsyth & I met the other week & were discussing ideas about outreach & how to support Wikimedians in ways the Foundation either won't do, or is unwilling to do. You should join us in our next discussion. One reason I'd like to restart Wikimeetups here in Portland.
Geoff Burling en: llywrch
On 2018-03-14 09:11, Jonathan Morgan wrote:
Agree with Lane and Joe that we should keep this going since it's easy and
valuable. I know I'm not that active, but as long as we're talking about doing what's necessary to keep the organization afloat, rather than active program management and administration, I am happy to use my convenient dual staff/volunteer role to attempt to expedite any necessary communication or coordination stuff between Cascadia and WMF. Let me know.
- J
On Wed, Mar 14, 2018 at 8:24 AM, Lane Rasberry lane@bluerasberry.com wrote:
Hello,
Pine, I think that you have much higher personal standards for Wiki Cascadia than the Washington Secretary of State has for organizations or than the Wiki Affiliations Committee has for official partner organizations. When you were on the board you set ambitious goals for Wiki Cascadia. Even now with its challenges it ranks favorably against other registered wiki groups, being easily among the top 50%, likely in the top 25%, and perhaps in the top 10%. Most wiki user groups are casual operations and I feel that Wiki Cascadia already accomplishes beyond the norm. I am happy with the ongoing activities of Wiki Cascadia.
llywrch - typical Cascadia group events are organized by committees of 2-4 people. The board does not centrally review programs, and instead provides a centralized project space for announcing and reporting any events which are aligned with typical wiki community interests. Wiki Cascadia teams have done some interesting and innovative projects but nothing that I would call radical and in need of thorough oversight. Almost anyone engaged in any wiki project in the region can affiliate with Wiki Cascadia if they like. This governance format is usual for wiki user groups at the ~$0 funding level.
If there is any winding down ever, then probably winding down WMF affiliation would come before disbanding as a nonprofit because the WMF has higher standards for reporting than the state government. If Wiki Cascadia stays in good standing with the WMF then it can meet the lower expectations of the state government.
The administrative burden for an organization with near 0 budget is about 2 hours/year from the perspective of the Washington Secretary of state. If there are challenges with this then the answer is to pass the work on through the network of Wiki Cascadia supporters. While I personally have been hands-off for administration, I see a lot of value in the organization, and am here to help sustain the organization and identify other board members if there is a crisis and the organization needs some support. There are other people like me who care and would support if asked.
I anticipate being in Seattle in mid-April and would meet with anyone to talk about next steps. My schedule is not yet firm, but to the extent that I am able I would show support. There are always ways that I and others would support remotely.
Thanks,
On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 3:46 PM, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Joe,
I haven't heard anything from Peacray about this in awhile. However, he appears to be active on English Wikipedia (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Peaceray), so I suggest that you ask him on his talk page.
The impression that I get is that he and Brian lack the time and interest to continue with the Cascadia organization, and if that is the case and no one else is interested and willing to keep the organization alive, then the organization should be wound down and any remaining assets (like the camera and camcorder) should be handled in the manner that's specified in the bylaws:
"ARTICLE XIV - DISSOLUTION "Vote Required. The Corporation may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote of the Board. "Donation of Remaining Assets. Upon the termination, dissolution or final liquidation of the Corporation in any manner or for any reason, its assets, if any, remaining after payment (or provision for payment) of all liabilities of the Corporation, shall be distributed to, and only to, one or more organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable or educational purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code as the Board shall determine by majority vote. Such distribution of assets shall be calculated to carry out the objectives and purposes stated in the Articles of Incorporation. In no event shall any of such assets or property be distributed to any member, Director or Officer, or any private individual." I wish that I had better news. :(
Pine ( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine )
On Sun, Mar 11, 2018 at 10:14 AM, Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote: It's mid-March. Has something been filed without the Board having a chance to review? Or has nothing been filed?
JM
On 1/30/2018 8:16 AM, Joe Mabel wrote:
Is anything happening on this?
JM
On 12/29/2017 9:40 AM, Raymond Leonard wrote:
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy
that
I need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours, Peaceray -- raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all, I've been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends
since
the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be
returning
to Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by
tomorrow morning at the latest.
Peaceray
raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net
wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement
would
be available in time for Board members to review it before the end of
the
year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday,
but
there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another
holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report
still
says "To be posted."
JM
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Hello,
+1 for discretion in discussing board matters. All wiki user group organizers get anxious about keeping to the schedule so there is nothing unusual about that. The WMF asks indiscriminately and without much consideration for volunteers for a lot more than they actually accept as sufficient, and it can be intimidating to look at groups with large budgets and imagine that the same expectations apply to groups with no paid staff. While Wiki Cascadia does not meet the administrative standards of organizations with paid staff, the this team performs well by wiki or small nonprofit standards.
@Peaceray - the reporting which the WMF requires is at https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Reports The expectations change year to year, but the norm that I perceive is that they do require a year end financial statement, and they want a few sentences summarizing chapter activities with a sign off from the board. When wiki groups do more, the next level of report development is creating a list of events and programs. The step beyond that is making items in that list into links which give event reports. Anyone who sets up an event announcement page and gets people to sign their names there to register is already doing beyond the norm for a team on Wiki Cascadia's budget.
To report to the Washington Secretary of State the report is the financial again and also a confirmation of board members and their addresses. If the board is the same and the financials are reported to the WMF then this could take 15 minutes online - I have done this and found it easy.
@llywrch - Wiki Cascadia has to get the report in. There is not talk of missing it, even if it is on a flexible schedule. I would join Wiki Cascadia strategy discussions with you, Pete, Jason, anyone. The reasons you list for having a user group matter to me also. Personally, I get a lot out of my affiliation with Wiki Cascadia.
Wiki NYC struggles with administration also. I could offer that if anyone in Wiki Cascadia wants to collaborate, one possible path could be to join the Wiki NYC slack channel. Some discussions might not be relevant, but Wiki NYC is big enough to be forming committees. For example, the partnership committee discusses best practices for partnerships with institutions, and the membership committee discusses how to track and keep members engaged. Many of these problems might be too big for any one chapter or user group, and maybe interested people around the US could join these conversations together and collectively take credit for all outcomes. Anyone wanting to do this would have to float it by Wiki NYC but for now the slack channel is at https://wikinyc.slack.com/. I cannot scale up to support everyone but I know everyone who has posted here and I am happy to talk 1:1 with any of you by video, phone, email, etc. I also would join any group chats.
Thanks,
On Wed, Mar 14, 2018 at 9:23 PM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Of course, it was just a few minutes after I sent my email that I saw that what we posted for 2014-2015 https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/4Q_ 2014_and_CY_2015_report#Finance_report .
Peaceray
On Wed, Mar 14, 2018 at 6:17 PM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Folks,
First I apologize for the delay in the financial report. I have sent to the Cascadia Wikimedians board a spreadsheet detailing the activity on
our
three BECU accounts & a balance sheet. It requires some tweaking. There
are
some two deposits for $210 & a check for $20 for which I was unable to glean their source / destination. I am hoping our Treasurer can fill the board in on those items on that email thread. If anyone wants to see the spreadsheet, let me know & I can forward it to them as well.
I am somewhat flummoxed that an internal matter to the board & the Cascadia Wikimedians membership has been discussed on this much broader list. I am all for transparency, but I think a delayed report got far
more
attention than was warranted. It is certainly absurd to contemplate the dissolution of the organization because of it.
As far as the comment that I "lack the time and interest to continue with the Cascadia organization", I would point to my recent activities on
behalf
of Cascadia Wikimedians: my presence at the Art+Feminism edit-a-thon at
the
Jacob Lawrence Gallery & my attendance at a UW class that Amanda Menking teaches, both in late February, plus online attendance & support earlier this month at the Portland Art+Feminism edit-a-thon concentrating on
Jewish
women artists (although I ended up helping other edit-a-thons; it was International Women's Day, after all). I am also attending the Wikimedia Conference 2018 in Berlin as one of the two Cascadia Wikimedians representatives.
I may have different view as to the criteria & priorities about how a
user
group functions than some, & am certainly flexible about adjusting those
in
concert with anyone who is part of the team actively supporting Cascadia Wikimedians.
Now, I need some help in determining where to put the report when finally finished. I do not see where Wikimedia NYC puts their financial reports
(I
don't think it is on meta). I see that Wikimedia DC had put some on meta several years back. What repositories are other user groups using for spreadsheets? I am thinking that it would be appropriate to place a more general balance sheet on meta.
Yours, Peaceray
On Wed, Mar 14, 2018 at 2:25 PM, gburling@hevanet.com wrote:
I'm familiar with user groups that operate on $0 funding levels. Here in Portland there is the Portland Linux/UNIX Group (aka PLUG), which has operated for years with no real source of money -- just volunteer labor
&
donated server resources & using public spaces to meet in. For years it
was
vital to more than the few of us interested in Linux & UNIX, because it
was
one of the venues people interested in technology could meet & exchange ideas. PLUG was one reason O'Reilly held their Open Source Conferences
in
Portland for several years. (One restaurant in downtown Portland liked
to
host our meetings because it brought in more customers than their Monday Night Football specials.) Nevertheless, the man who led PLUG, David Mandell, was well informed about how important being an incorporated non-profit was, & had ownership of the incorporation papers for another, now defunct, non-profit for the time it made sense that PLUG become a
more
formal organization.
My concern in my previous email was that all of the labor & money to become a non-profit was about to be wasted because someone had decided
to
drop out without completing the paperwork to keep the Cascadia UG in
good
standing, both with the Foundation & the State of Washington. Maybe at
the
moment the Cascadia UG doesn't need to be a formal group; that's fine. However, there are certain benefits to being a formal organization.
Saying
that one is a member of a formal group opens certain doors that saying, "I'm a Wikimedian & I make edits to this Wiki" doesn't. Another benefit
is
that if one needs money to do something, having a formal organization to handle the grants or contributions makes life much less complex.
Lane, so if missing a report this year isn't going to sabotage the Cascadia UG, that relieves a lot of worry on everyone's part. Although I believe it would be good for all in the long run if someone from the Foundation were to explain to the person involved that while a volunteer can walk away from any of the projects at any time with very little
effort,
there are certain responsibilities in life that when assumed one cannot just walk away from before they are done. And the financial reporting is one of them. Especially when, in your words, it requires a couple of
hours
a year of work.
One reason I want a Cascadia UG -- or a US Wikimedia Chapter, or some kind of formal group in North America -- is that it provides a sense of community that an online Wiki fails to provide. For one thing, it's been documented that a healthy online community flourishes when there are a
lot
of off-line back-channels. Another is that IMHO a lot of Wikipedians
would
be more interested in advocacy or partnering with outside groups if they knew of similar work being done near them; not everyone is eager to be a solo pioneer setting off into unexplored territory with no one to
support
or even be aware of their work. Sometimes we simply want to share one of the minor successes in making a contribution to Wikipedia (or a similar Wikimedia project). The other week I shared with my wife a success in getting one of my articles on Roman consuls figured out, only to have
her
blandly reply, "So?" And there's a large amount of unwritten knowledge around the Wikimedia projects that either is not documented online, or
will
never be documented online, that each of us knows; sharing it would only benefit us all.
I'd also like to hear more about what my fellow Wikimedians are doing. Even if it's unrelated to outreach or advocacy. Boast a little on this mailing list. Especially since there's no good place on any of the
Wikis to
do this, & we all need to brag a little once in a while. IMHO, doing
that
can inspire others to take on tasks that need doing.
In other words, anyone who spends more than a little time away from the computer working on a Wikimedia project knows that such activity is socially isolating. This UG could address that issue to some degree. And this is why I find watching the Cascadia UG fall apart over a trivial matter discouraging.
P.S. To Jason -- Pete Forsyth & I met the other week & were discussing ideas about outreach & how to support Wikimedians in ways the Foundation either won't do, or is unwilling to do. You should join us in our next discussion. One reason I'd like to restart Wikimeetups here in Portland.
Geoff Burling en: llywrch
On 2018-03-14 09:11, Jonathan Morgan wrote:
Agree with Lane and Joe that we should keep this going since it's easy
and
valuable. I know I'm not that active, but as long as we're talking
about
doing what's necessary to keep the organization afloat, rather than active program management and administration, I am happy to use my convenient dual staff/volunteer role to attempt to expedite any necessary communication or coordination stuff between Cascadia and WMF. Let me know.
- J
On Wed, Mar 14, 2018 at 8:24 AM, Lane Rasberry lane@bluerasberry.com wrote:
Hello,
Pine, I think that you have much higher personal standards for Wiki Cascadia than the Washington Secretary of State has for organizations
or
than the Wiki Affiliations Committee has for official partner organizations. When you were on the board you set ambitious goals for Wiki Cascadia. Even now with its challenges it ranks favorably against other registered wiki groups, being easily among the top 50%, likely in the
top
25%, and perhaps in the top 10%. Most wiki user groups are casual operations and I feel that Wiki Cascadia already accomplishes beyond
the
norm. I am happy with the ongoing activities of Wiki Cascadia.
llywrch - typical Cascadia group events are organized by committees of 2-4 people. The board does not centrally review programs, and instead provides a centralized project space for announcing and reporting any events
which
are aligned with typical wiki community interests. Wiki Cascadia teams have done some interesting and innovative projects but nothing that I would call radical and in need of thorough oversight. Almost anyone engaged in any wiki project in the region can affiliate with Wiki Cascadia if they
like.
This governance format is usual for wiki user groups at the ~$0 funding level.
If there is any winding down ever, then probably winding down WMF affiliation would come before disbanding as a nonprofit because the WMF has higher standards for reporting than the state government. If Wiki Cascadia stays in good standing with the WMF then it can meet the lower expectations of the state government.
The administrative burden for an organization with near 0 budget is about 2 hours/year from the perspective of the Washington Secretary of state.
If
there are challenges with this then the answer is to pass the work on through the network of Wiki Cascadia supporters. While I personally
have
been hands-off for administration, I see a lot of value in the organization, and am here to help sustain the organization and identify other board members if there is a crisis and the organization needs
some
support. There are other people like me who care and would support if asked.
I anticipate being in Seattle in mid-April and would meet with anyone
to
talk about next steps. My schedule is not yet firm, but to the extent that I am able I would show support. There are always ways that I and others would support remotely.
Thanks,
On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 3:46 PM, Pine W wiki.pine@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Joe,
I haven't heard anything from Peacray about this in awhile. However, he appears to be active on English Wikipedia (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Peaceray), so I suggest that you ask him on his talk page.
The impression that I get is that he and Brian lack the time and
interest
to continue with the Cascadia organization, and if that is the case and no one else is interested and willing to keep the organization alive,
then
the organization should be wound down and any remaining assets (like
the
camera and camcorder) should be handled in the manner that's specified
in
the bylaws:
"ARTICLE XIV - DISSOLUTION "Vote Required. The Corporation may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote
of
the Board. "Donation of Remaining Assets. Upon the termination, dissolution or
final
liquidation of the Corporation in any manner or for any reason, its assets, if any, remaining after payment (or provision for payment) of
all
liabilities of the Corporation, shall be distributed to, and only to,
one
or more organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable or educational purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code as
the
Board shall determine by majority vote. Such distribution of assets shall be calculated to carry out the objectives and purposes stated in the
Articles
of Incorporation. In no event shall any of such assets or property be distributed to any member, Director or Officer, or any private individual." I wish that I had better news. :(
Pine ( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine )
On Sun, Mar 11, 2018 at 10:14 AM, Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote: It's mid-March. Has something been filed without the Board having a chance to review? Or has nothing been filed?
JM
On 1/30/2018 8:16 AM, Joe Mabel wrote:
Is anything happening on this?
JM
On 12/29/2017 9:40 AM, Raymond Leonard wrote:
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy
that
I need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours, Peaceray -- raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard < raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com> wrote:
Joe & all, I've been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends
since
the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be
returning
to Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by
tomorrow morning at the latest.
Peaceray
raymond.f.leonard.jr@gmail.com
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net
wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement
would
be available in time for Board members to review it before the end of
the
year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday,
but
there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another
holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report
still
says "To be posted."
JM
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Hi folks,
I am glad to see the level of interest in keeping the group going.
As a now-former member of the board, I felt that it was very important to get reports filed to government agencies by their deadlines. Many of the reports are relatively simple for CWUG, but not having them done on time leads to fines. The City of Seattle was particularly upset last year with CWUG, and I received a not-so-nice email from them in which they expressed their dissatisfaction. My experience was that WMF is more flexible about reporting deadlines than government agencies are.
It seems to me that the board and officers should be ahead of the curve on filing deadlines for reports to government agencies. I realize that sometimes unplanned events happen, but as a general matter I feel that when people agree to be in certain roles, as I was for a few years, that with those roles come responsibilities. Overdue reports to government agencies which might be minor concerns if they happened on a rare basis and involved minor fines become of greater concern if reports are weeks late and may involve larger fines. Long period of silence about reports are also something that I feel is very concerning.
I am no longer a part of conversations that happen privately among board members, but Joe's email from March 11 suggested to me that there was radio silence internally about getting reports done. For a nonprofit corporation, that's a problem, and for that to happen for months between January and March when there are multiple important reports due suggests to me that the organization either needs to get the reports done and pay the government agencies what they want, or choose to dissolve. My hope is that the reports will get done and Cascadia can continue to exist, because as others have noted there are benefits to having a formal organization and 501(c)(3) status. For that to continue, the reports must get done and the regulators must be paid. The responsible alternative is to wind down the organization in an orderly manner, which I think that none of us wants, but I think that it's important to be candid about what the options are. The worst option is to let the organization go into a tailspin of overdue paperwork and fines, and I hope that the organization never goes there.
I'm encouraged to see the interest in maintaining the organization and running programs. While running programs can be done without being a nonprofit corporation, I think that being a nonprofit corporation is wise because it provides some legitimacy and may provide some liability protections, and someday the 501(c)(3) status may be very helpful. The corporation is a means to an end, but like someone's personal car or truck, timely maintenance is required to keep it operating in good condition and with the least possible cost.
Thanks,
How do I change my email address on this list?
Going forward, I will be at jmabel@joemabel.com
At the end of January the speakeasy.org and speakeasy.net domains will cease to exist.
JM
Hi Joe,
You can go to the page https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-cascadia and under "Change your settings or unsubscribe" enter your old email address. You can unsubscribe the old address. You can also request a password reset if you need to do so in order to remove the old email address. Separately, you can subscribe your new email address by entering the new address under "Subscribe".
Pine ( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine )
On Fri, Jan 18, 2019 at 7:35 AM Joe Mabel jmabel@speakeasy.net wrote:
How do I change my email address on this list?
Going forward, I will be at jmabel@joemabel.com
At the end of January the speakeasy.org and speakeasy.net domains will cease to exist.
JM
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