Hello all,
The last meeting ended with agreement that membership dues would be set at $10, with the fine details on how membership works to be decided at a later time. I have determined that we can use the mailing list to debate these details in a way that is congruous with our bylaws. Here is how. We will debate the details on this mailing list, with no action being taken (as action can only be taken at meetings held in the meatspace). As a result of the debate, someone will prepare a motion that will be introduced before the Board at the next meeting. Debate will certainly be allowed on it, but the idea is that since much of the debate will have already taken place on the mailing list, we won't be at square one. As this is a member organization I believe the actual membership structure should be in place as soon as possible, and by debating it on the mailing list we won't have to delay that debate until the next meeting.
Here are the current issues:
1. It was agreed that membership is to be on an annual basis; i.e., each member pays $10 per year. But how will that work out? Can someone sign up at any time and then there will be rolling renewal? Or will all registrations and renewal take effect at the beginning of the new fiscal year on October 1? I personally recommend the rolling renewal system, since those who will want to take part will be able to do so right away. Someone who is interested in March may lose their enthusiasm by the time September comes along. Furthermore, a system to keep track of registration dates should honestly not be that difficult to make or maintain (I could create a tool on the toolserver that sends reminders).
2. If we agree to adopt the plan where registrations and renewals can only take effect at October 1, what should be done for registrations in the interim period between now and the next meeting? Should there be discounted registration, or perhaps free registration which expires September 30? (In other words, you would be able to register for free for the four month interim period, but to be a member through the next fiscal year would cost $10.)
Any other issues regarding membership? (If anyone is unsure about payment, I as the treasurer am willing to collect dues via cash, check made out to Wiki Society of Washington, DC, Inc., or possibly PayPal.)
Discuss.
On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 6:09 AM, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
Hello all,
The last meeting ended with agreement that membership dues would be set at $10, with the fine details on how membership works to be decided at a later time. I have determined that we can use the mailing list to debate these details in a way that is congruous with our bylaws. Here is how. We will debate the details on this mailing list, with no action being taken (as action can only be taken at meetings held in the meatspace). As a result of the debate, someone will prepare a motion that will be introduced before the Board at the next meeting. Debate will certainly be allowed on it, but the idea is that since much of the debate will have already taken place on the mailing list, we won't be at square one. As this is a member organization I believe the actual membership structure should be in place as soon as possible, and by debating it on the mailing list we won't have to delay that debate until the next meeting.
Here are the current issues:
- It was agreed that membership is to be on an annual basis; i.e.,
each member pays $10 per year. But how will that work out? Can someone sign up at any time and then there will be rolling renewal? Or will all registrations and renewal take effect at the beginning of the new fiscal year on October 1? I personally recommend the rolling renewal system, since those who will want to take part will be able to do so right away. Someone who is interested in March may lose their enthusiasm by the time September comes along. Furthermore, a system to keep track of registration dates should honestly not be that difficult to make or maintain (I could create a tool on the toolserver that sends reminders).
If we go with a fixed period, I would actually suggest offsetting it by a month from the fiscal year, so as to have memberships expire at the beginning of September (i.e. before the annual meeting) rather than at the end of it. Since the main attraction of membership is indeed the ability to vote at the annual meeting, it would make sense to provide that as a more immediate incentive to people considering renewal.
On the other hand, I'm not particularly opposed to a rolling membership scheme, although it will require a more precise definition of "registration date". Would we use the date an application is submitted? The date membership is approved? The date dues are paid?
(On a tangentially related point, it may be useful to create a membership committee to approve applications without requiring a board meeting to review them, particularly if the delay between application and approval is going to have any substantive meaning.)
2. If we agree to adopt the plan where registrations and renewals can
only take effect at October 1, what should be done for registrations in the interim period between now and the next meeting? Should there be discounted registration, or perhaps free registration which expires September 30? (In other words, you would be able to register for free for the four month interim period, but to be a member through the next fiscal year would cost $10.)
If we do decide waive the costs until September, I would suggest we do it by offering to cover 17 months (now to September, plus one year after) for $10, rather than by not requiring payment of dues until October. Otherwise, we run the risk of people signing up as members merely to get a free vote at the annual meeting in September, with no intention of actually following through and paying dues afterwards.
Any other issues regarding membership? (If anyone is unsure about
payment, I as the treasurer am willing to collect dues via cash, check made out to Wiki Society of Washington, DC, Inc., or possibly PayPal.)
Having a PayPal option available would be a good idea. While it's certainly not ideal, it will allow us to (a) collect credit card payments and (b) more easily collect payments from members who are outside the US.
(We will, in any case, need a PayPal account set up to receive small donations in the future; so we might as well get that out of the way).
Kirill
Having a PayPal option available would be a good idea. While it's certainly not ideal, it will allow us to (a) collect credit card payments and (b) *more easily collect payments from members who are outside the US.
Thank you Kirill! I was going to suggest that Paypal would be ideal, and having an account or system set up with them will make it easier as we come around to Wikimania and registration for that next year,
Alex User:Sadads
Dear All:
I'm sorry I couldn't be present on last Tuesday. Sounds like a lot was accomplished.
I work in a membership organization, so I've got a couple suggestions about dues.
Trying to keep track of a different registration date for every member is a nightmare. For the administrators and the members.
At my organization, our year runs from July 1 through June 30. The model goes like this:
Full year dues cover the full fiscal year. If I pay $10.00 by June 30th of a 200x, my membership runs from July 1 201x to June 30, 201y.
Dues through June 30, 200y remain $10.00 until around Thanksgiving.
From Thanksgiving through Tax Day, I can pay half-year dues that run from the day I pay $5.00 through June 30, 200y. As a courtesy, if I pay between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, I'm considered a member from the day I pay through June 30, 200y
After Tax Day, we start accepting dues for 200y - 200z. If I pay $10.00 after Tax day, I'm paying for July 1, 200y - June 30, 200z. As a courtesy, I'm considered a member from the day I pay, but I can't vote in the end-of-year elections.
For a year that runs from October 1, 200x through September 200y, we'd have to pick different dates for triggering half-year dues and for starting to collect full-year dues for the subsequent year, but the model would remain the same. Using holidays for the triggers can help everyone remember.
The thoughts of one.
Best,
David
Date: Mon, 9 May 2011 06:09:37 -0400 From: messedrocker@gmail.com To: wikimedia-dc@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: [Wikimedia-DC] Details on membership
Hello all,
The last meeting ended with agreement that membership dues would be set at $10, with the fine details on how membership works to be decided at a later time. I have determined that we can use the mailing list to debate these details in a way that is congruous with our bylaws. Here is how. We will debate the details on this mailing list, with no action being taken (as action can only be taken at meetings held in the meatspace). As a result of the debate, someone will prepare a motion that will be introduced before the Board at the next meeting. Debate will certainly be allowed on it, but the idea is that since much of the debate will have already taken place on the mailing list, we won't be at square one. As this is a member organization I believe the actual membership structure should be in place as soon as possible, and by debating it on the mailing list we won't have to delay that debate until the next meeting.
Here are the current issues:
- It was agreed that membership is to be on an annual basis; i.e.,
each member pays $10 per year. But how will that work out? Can someone sign up at any time and then there will be rolling renewal? Or will all registrations and renewal take effect at the beginning of the new fiscal year on October 1? I personally recommend the rolling renewal system, since those who will want to take part will be able to do so right away. Someone who is interested in March may lose their enthusiasm by the time September comes along. Furthermore, a system to keep track of registration dates should honestly not be that difficult to make or maintain (I could create a tool on the toolserver that sends reminders).
- If we agree to adopt the plan where registrations and renewals can
only take effect at October 1, what should be done for registrations in the interim period between now and the next meeting? Should there be discounted registration, or perhaps free registration which expires September 30? (In other words, you would be able to register for free for the four month interim period, but to be a member through the next fiscal year would cost $10.)
Any other issues regarding membership? (If anyone is unsure about payment, I as the treasurer am willing to collect dues via cash, check made out to Wiki Society of Washington, DC, Inc., or possibly PayPal.)
Discuss.
-- James Hare
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
2011/5/9 David Itkin dhitkin@hotmail.com
- Full year dues cover the full fiscal year. If I pay $10.00 by June
30th of a 200x, my membership runs from July 1 201x to June 30, 201y.
Dues through June 30, 200y remain $10.00 until around Thanksgiving.
From Thanksgiving through Tax Day, I can pay half-year dues that run
from the day I pay $5.00 through June 30, 200y. As a courtesy, if I pay between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, I'm considered a member from the day I pay through June 30, 200y
- After Tax Day, we start accepting dues for 200y - 200z. If I pay
$10.00 after Tax day, I'm paying for July 1, 200y - June 30, 200z. As a courtesy, I'm considered a member from the day I pay, but I can't vote in the end-of-year elections.
Doesn't this approach cause confusion at the time of the elections, since
you effectively wind up with both voting and non-voting members?
(I expect we'll need to deal with some of that anyways, of course since we're not requiring membership to attend the meeting itself.)
Kirill
2011/5/9 Kirill Lokshin kirill.lokshin@gmail.com
2011/5/9 David Itkin dhitkin@hotmail.com
- Full year dues cover the full fiscal year. If I pay $10.00 by June
30th of a 200x, my membership runs from July 1 201x to June 30, 201y.
Dues through June 30, 200y remain $10.00 until around Thanksgiving.
From Thanksgiving through Tax Day, I can pay half-year dues that run
from the day I pay $5.00 through June 30, 200y. As a courtesy, if I pay between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, I'm considered a member from the day I pay through June 30, 200y
- After Tax Day, we start accepting dues for 200y - 200z. If I pay
$10.00 after Tax day, I'm paying for July 1, 200y - June 30, 200z. As a courtesy, I'm considered a member from the day I pay, but I can't vote in the end-of-year elections.
Doesn't this approach cause confusion at the time of the elections, since
you effectively wind up with both voting and non-voting members?
Observing how Wikimedia UK works over here, they allow people to pay membership directly before the AGM, which allows the individuals to vote on all of the activities. It was very good to have some fresh new members of the chapter voicing their opinions and voting on many of their membership voting issues.
I think anyone who has made dues should be able to vote, even if they are new to the organization. Innevitably, if we create some sort of mini-conference before the annual meeting we will draw increasingly more crowds of people who are interested in the movement and furthering the movement, and are already invested in the purpose of Wiki Society DC, just haven't observed the politiking that will inevitably go on in the background. Sometimes having fresh perspectives taking things on face value is beneficial to moving an organization forward. I would be strongly opposed to denying someone voting rights if they have joined, no matter when they have joined.
Alex Stinson User:Sadads
Doesn't this approach cause confusion at the time of the elections, since you effectively wind up with both voting and non-voting members? Good question.
It doesn't cause confusion because our balloting is done by postal mail or online. Only people who are paid up for the current year by mid-April get ballots in the mail and access to online voting. (For those of you who think like Chicago politicians: No, they can't vote both ways. If they try, the ballot they cast first locks out the other option.)
Those who join after mid-April get all the other benefits of membership (primarily discounts on classes and publications) but they don't get snal mail ballots nor access to online ballots.
Date: Mon, 9 May 2011 07:00:36 -0400 From: kirill.lokshin@gmail.com To: wikimedia-dc@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-DC] Details on membership
2011/5/9 David Itkin dhitkin@hotmail.com
Full year dues cover the full fiscal year. If I pay $10.00 by June 30th of a 200x, my membership runs from July 1 201x to June 30, 201y.
Dues through June 30, 200y remain $10.00 until around Thanksgiving.
From Thanksgiving through Tax Day, I can pay half-year dues that run from the day I pay $5.00 through June 30, 200y. As a courtesy, if I pay between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, I'm considered a member from the day I pay through June 30, 200y
After Tax Day, we start accepting dues for 200y - 200z. If I pay $10.00 after Tax day, I'm paying for July 1, 200y - June 30, 200z. As a courtesy, I'm considered a member from the day I pay, but I can't vote in the end-of-year elections.
_______________________________________________ Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
It's no wonder we could not adopt a membership system at the meeting -- the detail necessary to get one going can be quite daunting. Below is the draft of the motion which I will submit during the next meeting, likely before the annual membership meeting so that we have a membership system in place before then.
Here is how I approached it. There is consensus for a fixed registration term, but no one is really in agreement on the precise details. Generally speaking, I have divided the membership year into two periods: full-time membership, where you pay full cost, and part-time membership, where you pay half as much. The membership year is the same as the fiscal year -- it ends on September 30 and begins on October 1. But what about the elections and the annual membership meeting? As I see it, September is the "registration season" for the fiscal year beginning the following month, so part-time registration for THAT year ends August 31 and any registration in September is effective for the next year. Those who are not yet members who register in September will be able to vote for directors, but not for anything else. This does not create a second class of members; the elected directors would take office the same day their registration becomes active, so it is reasonable for new members to vote on directors. They should not, however, be able to vote on business which applies to a time period before their membership. In other words, if the annual membership meeting were on September 15, and I registered for the first time at that meeting, I would not be able to vote on a motion to hold a motorboat racing contest on the Anacostia River (since the motion was made before my membership took effect), but I would be able to vote for new directors, since director elections have specifically to do with the time when I *will* be a member. When October 1 rolls around, I will be able to vote on anything so long as I am a member in good standing.
As for the time period between now and the annual election, I have decided for the sake of simplicity to combine it with Fiscal Year 2012 (October 1, 2011 -- September 30, 2012) to form the extra-large Fiscal Year 2011/2012. Registrations for 2011/2012 will be accepted between whenever the motion is adopted and August 31, 2012. September 1, 2012 begins the registration process for Fiscal Year 2013, and it goes on. Registration is fairly straightforward and in accordance with the Bylaws. The treasurer collects the money and the secretary issues the certificate, and you would be able to register anytime both Kirill and I are available, even at a more casual meetup.
I have attached a graphical representation of the membership certificate.
As for elections, the Secretary plays the role of the election clerk. Those who will want to run for the Board will be required to do so by a deadline so that ballots can be printed up in sufficient time.
=========================================================================== A motion to establish a membership structure, to adopt a form for membership certificates, and to adopt rules for ballot access
BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
A. Membership Terms and Dues Schedule for Fiscal Year 2011/2012 1. The first term of membership in the organization shall last between the date this motion is adopted and September 30, 2012. 2. Those who register between the date this motion is adopted and February 29, 2012 shall pay $10 in membership dues. 3. Those who register between March 1, 2012 and August 31, 2012 shall pay $5 in membership dues. B. Membership Terms and Dues Schedule for Subsequent Fiscal Years 1. The second term of membership and all subsequent terms of membership shall coincide with the fiscal year. 2. Those who register between September 1 and September 30 of a given fiscal year shall pay $10 in membership dues, with membership effective for the fiscal year beginning October 1, and they may vote in, and contest, elections for directors whose terms will begin on October 1, but they may not vote on any other question. 3. Full-Time Membership: Those who register between October 1 and February 28, or February 29 during leap years, shall pay $10 in membership dues, with membership for that fiscal year effective immediately. 4. Part-Time Membership: Those who register between March 1 and August 31 shall pay $5 in membership dues, with membership for the remainder of that fiscal year effective immediately. C. Registration Process 1. Registration may either take place in person, where the Secretary and Treasurer are both available, or through an online registration system to be created by a person or committee designated by the Board of Directors for that purpose. 2. Registrants are required to submit their full name, mailing address, and email address to the Secretary. 3. In-person registration: Upon the receipt of adequate personal details by the Secretary and the collection of the appropriate amount of dues by the Treasurer, the Secretary shall sign and issue a membership certificate. 4. Online registration: Upon the adequate completion of an online registration form and the transmission of the appropriate amount of dues through the online payment mechanism to be adopted, the Secretary shall sign and mail a membership certificate to the mailing address specified by the registrant. 5. Membership certificates may not be emailed. D. Form of Membership Certificate 1. The membership certificate for the 2011/2012 fiscal year shall be printed on postcard-sized cardstock in the form specified by the attached image. E. Election of Directors 1. A director must maintain membership in the organization for the time of their term. Those whose memberships have lapsed during their term will be required to re-register promptly or resign. 2. A candidate must declare their candidacy to the Secretary in order to be printed on the ballot. The Secretary is responsible for ensuring that candidates are eligible for office. 3. The deadline for filing for ballot access is 48 hours before the start of the annual membership meeting. ===========================================================================
This motion is by no means perfect, but I feel it ties some things together. Please read them and provide feedback.
2011/5/10 James Hare jamesmhare@gmail.com
A motion to establish a membership structure, to adopt a form for
membership certificates, and to adopt rules for ballot access
BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
A. Membership Terms and Dues Schedule for Fiscal Year 2011/2012 1. The first term of membership in the organization shall last between the date this motion is adopted and September 30, 2012. 2. Those who register between the date this motion is adopted and February 29, 2012 shall pay $10 in membership dues. 3. Those who register between March 1, 2012 and August 31, 2012 shall pay $5 in membership dues.
If we're going to have phased membership dues, I would prefer to either have the part-time membership end September 30, or to offset the membership year from the fiscal year and have membership years rotate on September 1. Having a three-phased dues system is just going to cause headaches for everyone involved without substantially increasing dues collection.
B. Membership Terms and Dues Schedule for Subsequent Fiscal Years
1. The second term of membership and all subsequent terms ofmembership shall coincide with the fiscal year. 2. Those who register between September 1 and September 30 of a given fiscal year shall pay $10 in membership dues, with membership effective for the fiscal year beginning October 1, and they may vote in, and contest, elections for directors whose terms will begin on October 1, but they may not vote on any other question.
Major problem here: including this provision would require a full vote to modify the Bylaws, rather than a simple vote of the Board, since:
(a) the Board currently lacks the authority to deprive a member of the right to vote on any matter before the assembly; and (b) Directors take their seats immediately upon election, not on October 1.
Further, to be quite honest, I don't really see the point in this approach. Why would someone be able to vote for directors but not on, say, the budget for the subsequent year?
3. Full-Time Membership: Those who register between October 1 andFebruary 28, or February 29 during leap years, shall pay $10 in membership dues, with membership for that fiscal year effective immediately. 4. Part-Time Membership: Those who register between March 1 and August 31 shall pay $5 in membership dues, with membership for the remainder of that fiscal year effective immediately.
As above, I would prefer to either have the full-time membership begin September 1, or have the part-time end September 30.
C. Registration Process 1. Registration may either take place in person, where the Secretary and Treasurer are both available, or through an online registration system to be created by a person or committee designated by the Board of Directors for that purpose.
Why not allow registration by mail? An online system is a nice idea, but it will likely be some time before we have one in place; in the meantime, having to wait to meet both of us in person is going to needlessly delay things.
I'd also suggest allowing split applications/dues payments; in other words, a person would submit an application to the Secretary, separately submit dues to the Treasurer, and be issued a membership certificate after the two officers had confirmed that both parts were complete. This will allow us to use an online payment method (e.g. PayPal) to collect money without requiring that the entire registration process be fully integrated with it.
On a more general point of order, the in-person provision should limit such registration to regular meetings of the Board or the membership. Otherwise, we're potentially liable to be approached at *any* time the two of us are in the same room.
2. Registrants are required to submit their full name, mailingaddress, and email address to the Secretary. 3. In-person registration: Upon the receipt of adequate personal details by the Secretary and the collection of the appropriate amount of dues by the Treasurer, the Secretary shall sign and issue a membership certificate. 4. Online registration: Upon the adequate completion of an online registration form and the transmission of the appropriate amount of dues through the online payment mechanism to be adopted, the Secretary shall sign and mail a membership certificate to the mailing address specified by the registrant. 5. Membership certificates may not be emailed.
As above, I suggest having additional options for collecting the applications and dues.
D. Form of Membership Certificate
1. The membership certificate for the 2011/2012 fiscal year shall beprinted on postcard-sized cardstock in the form specified by the attached image.
Why would we use "postcard-sized cardstock", unless you're implying that we should have these professionally printed? Using a regular printed certificate would reduce costs substantially.
E. Election of Directors 1. A director must maintain membership in the organization for the time of their term. Those whose memberships have lapsed during their term will be required to re-register promptly or resign. 2. A candidate must declare their candidacy to the Secretary in order to be printed on the ballot. The Secretary is responsible for ensuring that candidates are eligible for office. 3. The deadline for filing for ballot access is 48 hours before the start of the annual membership meeting.
Best practices would suggest that nominations be received by a committee, not a single individual; while the Secretary can be responsible for processing the paperwork, there should be some level of oversight and transparency here.
Kirill
If you have it where you add a provision to the bylaws stating that to be eligible to vote in the annual elections, all dues must be paid no later than 5 business days before the date of the annual meeting, that may fix some of the issues. Yes, you'll have to verify membership status, but wouldn't you have to do that, anyway? By having a deadline for registration tied to voting eligibility, there would be enough time to process registration and update the roster.
Again, this would have to be an amendment to the bylaws. With adequate notice and communication, however, the majority of members who would be attending the annual meeting are likely to comply with the deadline. But if you feel that anyone who wants to pay their dues at the annual meeting should be allowed to vote, then you just state that all dues must be paid by the start of the annual meeting. Late arrivals would not be eligible then, but we can't bend over backwards to accommodate every possible situation. We have to agree on a set of simple rules and we have to accept that they will not be accommodating to everyone and not everyone will like them, but that's the case with every organization that's currently in existence, with the possible exception of the Distinguished Egalitarian Society of Professional International Sectarian Existentialists (DESPISE).
Sincerely,
N Michael Bashour
2011/5/10 Kirill Lokshin kirill.lokshin@gmail.com:
2011/5/10 James Hare jamesmhare@gmail.com
A motion to establish a membership structure, to adopt a form for
membership certificates, and to adopt rules for ballot access
BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
A. Membership Terms and Dues Schedule for Fiscal Year 2011/2012 1. The first term of membership in the organization shall last between the date this motion is adopted and September 30, 2012. 2. Those who register between the date this motion is adopted and February 29, 2012 shall pay $10 in membership dues. 3. Those who register between March 1, 2012 and August 31, 2012 shall pay $5 in membership dues.
If we're going to have phased membership dues, I would prefer to either have the part-time membership end September 30, or to offset the membership year from the fiscal year and have membership years rotate on September 1. Having a three-phased dues system is just going to cause headaches for everyone involved without substantially increasing dues collection.
B. Membership Terms and Dues Schedule for Subsequent Fiscal Years 1. The second term of membership and all subsequent terms of membership shall coincide with the fiscal year. 2. Those who register between September 1 and September 30 of a given fiscal year shall pay $10 in membership dues, with membership effective for the fiscal year beginning October 1, and they may vote in, and contest, elections for directors whose terms will begin on October 1, but they may not vote on any other question.
Major problem here: including this provision would require a full vote to modify the Bylaws, rather than a simple vote of the Board, since: (a) the Board currently lacks the authority to deprive a member of the right to vote on any matter before the assembly; and (b) Directors take their seats immediately upon election, not on October 1. Further, to be quite honest, I don't really see the point in this approach. Why would someone be able to vote for directors but not on, say, the budget for the subsequent year?
3. Full-Time Membership: Those who register between October 1 and February 28, or February 29 during leap years, shall pay $10 in membership dues, with membership for that fiscal year effective immediately. 4. Part-Time Membership: Those who register between March 1 and August 31 shall pay $5 in membership dues, with membership for the remainder of that fiscal year effective immediately.
As above, I would prefer to either have the full-time membership begin September 1, or have the part-time end September 30.
C. Registration Process 1. Registration may either take place in person, where the Secretary and Treasurer are both available, or through an online registration system to be created by a person or committee designated by the Board of Directors for that purpose.
Why not allow registration by mail? An online system is a nice idea, but it will likely be some time before we have one in place; in the meantime, having to wait to meet both of us in person is going to needlessly delay things. I'd also suggest allowing split applications/dues payments; in other words, a person would submit an application to the Secretary, separately submit dues to the Treasurer, and be issued a membership certificate after the two officers had confirmed that both parts were complete. This will allow us to use an online payment method (e.g. PayPal) to collect money without requiring that the entire registration process be fully integrated with it. On a more general point of order, the in-person provision should limit such registration to regular meetings of the Board or the membership. Otherwise, we're potentially liable to be approached at *any* time the two of us are in the same room.
2. Registrants are required to submit their full name, mailing address, and email address to the Secretary. 3. In-person registration: Upon the receipt of adequate personal details by the Secretary and the collection of the appropriate amount of dues by the Treasurer, the Secretary shall sign and issue a membership certificate. 4. Online registration: Upon the adequate completion of an online registration form and the transmission of the appropriate amount of dues through the online payment mechanism to be adopted, the Secretary shall sign and mail a membership certificate to the mailing address specified by the registrant. 5. Membership certificates may not be emailed.
As above, I suggest having additional options for collecting the applications and dues.
D. Form of Membership Certificate 1. The membership certificate for the 2011/2012 fiscal year shall be printed on postcard-sized cardstock in the form specified by the attached image.
Why would we use "postcard-sized cardstock", unless you're implying that we should have these professionally printed? Using a regular printed certificate would reduce costs substantially.
E. Election of Directors 1. A director must maintain membership in the organization for the time of their term. Those whose memberships have lapsed during their term will be required to re-register promptly or resign. 2. A candidate must declare their candidacy to the Secretary in order to be printed on the ballot. The Secretary is responsible for ensuring that candidates are eligible for office. 3. The deadline for filing for ballot access is 48 hours before the start of the annual membership meeting.
Best practices would suggest that nominations be received by a committee, not a single individual; while the Secretary can be responsible for processing the paperwork, there should be some level of oversight and transparency here. Kirill _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 8:23 AM, N Michael Bashour < nicholasbashour@gmail.com> wrote:
If you have it where you add a provision to the bylaws stating that to be eligible to vote in the annual elections, all dues must be paid no later than 5 business days before the date of the annual meeting, that may fix some of the issues. Yes, you'll have to verify membership status, but wouldn't you have to do that, anyway? By having a deadline for registration tied to voting eligibility, there would be enough time to process registration and update the roster.
Again, this would have to be an amendment to the bylaws. With adequate notice and communication, however, the majority of members who would be attending the annual meeting are likely to comply with the deadline. But if you feel that anyone who wants to pay their dues at the annual meeting should be allowed to vote, then you just state that all dues must be paid by the start of the annual meeting. Late arrivals would not be eligible then, but we can't bend over backwards to accommodate every possible situation. We have to agree on a set of simple rules and we have to accept that they will not be accommodating to everyone and not everyone will like them, but that's the case with every organization that's currently in existence, with the possible exception of the Distinguished Egalitarian Society of Professional International Sectarian Existentialists (DESPISE).
I'm not opposed in principle to introducing an explicit deadline for dues payments in order to be considered a "member in good standing" at the meeting, whether that deadline is the start of the meeting, or 5 days prior, or 10 days prior, or whatever.
The practical problem with all this, however, is that making any amendment to the Bylaws at this stage requires that we have members able to vote on one. Therefore, whatever scheme for collecting dues (and thus admitting members) we want to adopt -- at least initially -- *must* work with the Bylaws as currently written.
Kirill
2011/5/10 Kirill Lokshin kirill.lokshin@gmail.com:
2011/5/10 James Hare jamesmhare@gmail.com
A motion to establish a membership structure, to adopt a form for
membership certificates, and to adopt rules for ballot access
BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
A. Membership Terms and Dues Schedule for Fiscal Year 2011/2012 1. The first term of membership in the organization shall last between the date this motion is adopted and September 30, 2012. 2. Those who register between the date this motion is adopted and February 29, 2012 shall pay $10 in membership dues. 3. Those who register between March 1, 2012 and August 31, 2012 shall pay $5 in membership dues.
If we're going to have phased membership dues, I would prefer to either have the part-time membership end September 30, or to offset the membership year from the fiscal year and have membership years rotate on September 1. Having a three-phased dues system is just going to cause headaches for everyone involved without substantially increasing dues collection.
B. Membership Terms and Dues Schedule for Subsequent Fiscal Years 1. The second term of membership and all subsequent terms of membership shall coincide with the fiscal year. 2. Those who register between September 1 and September 30 of a given fiscal year shall pay $10 in membership dues, with membership effective for the fiscal year beginning October 1, and they may vote in, and contest, elections for directors whose terms will begin on October 1, but they may not vote on any other question.
Major problem here: including this provision would require a full vote to modify the Bylaws, rather than a simple vote of the Board, since: (a) the Board currently lacks the authority to deprive a member of the right to vote on any matter before the assembly; and (b) Directors take their seats immediately upon election, not on October 1. Further, to be quite honest, I don't really see the point in this approach. Why would someone be able to vote for directors but not on, say, the budget for the subsequent year?
3. Full-Time Membership: Those who register between October 1 and February 28, or February 29 during leap years, shall pay $10 in membership dues, with membership for that fiscal year effective immediately. 4. Part-Time Membership: Those who register between March 1 and August 31 shall pay $5 in membership dues, with membership for the remainder of that fiscal year effective immediately.
As above, I would prefer to either have the full-time membership begin September 1, or have the part-time end September 30.
C. Registration Process 1. Registration may either take place in person, where the Secretary and Treasurer are both available, or through an online registration system to be created by a person or committee designated by the Board of Directors for that purpose.
Why not allow registration by mail? An online system is a nice idea, but it will likely be some time before we have one in place; in the meantime, having to wait to meet both of us in person is going to needlessly delay things. I'd also suggest allowing split applications/dues payments; in other words, a person would submit an application to the Secretary, separately submit dues to the Treasurer, and be issued a membership certificate after the two officers had confirmed that both parts were complete. This will allow us to use an online payment method (e.g. PayPal) to collect money without requiring that the entire registration process be fully integrated with it. On a more general point of order, the in-person provision should limit such registration to regular meetings of the Board or the membership. Otherwise, we're potentially liable to be approached at *any* time the two of us are in the same room.
2. Registrants are required to submit their full name, mailing address, and email address to the Secretary. 3. In-person registration: Upon the receipt of adequate personal details by the Secretary and the collection of the appropriate amount of dues by the Treasurer, the Secretary shall sign and issue a membership certificate. 4. Online registration: Upon the adequate completion of an online registration form and the transmission of the appropriate amount of dues through the online payment mechanism to be adopted, the Secretary shall sign and mail a membership certificate to the mailing address specified by the registrant. 5. Membership certificates may not be emailed.
As above, I suggest having additional options for collecting the applications and dues.
D. Form of Membership Certificate 1. The membership certificate for the 2011/2012 fiscal year shall be printed on postcard-sized cardstock in the form specified by the attached image.
Why would we use "postcard-sized cardstock", unless you're implying that we should have these professionally printed? Using a regular printed certificate would reduce costs substantially.
E. Election of Directors 1. A director must maintain membership in the organization for the time of their term. Those whose memberships have lapsed during their term will be required to re-register promptly or resign. 2. A candidate must declare their candidacy to the Secretary in order to be printed on the ballot. The Secretary is responsible for ensuring that candidates are eligible for office. 3. The deadline for filing for ballot access is 48 hours before the start of the annual membership meeting.
Best practices would suggest that nominations be received by a committee, not a single individual; while the Secretary can be responsible for processing the paperwork, there should be some level of oversight and transparency here. Kirill _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
I very much agree with your points -- I just have a couple of questions.
Registration by mail: I suspect you wouldn't want to have registrations sent directly to your home, since it would require you to post your address for all and sundry. I similarly won't want to have payments sent to my personal address. Are we in agreement then that the Board should rent a PO Box?
Nominations committee: Not being familiar with the machinations of small non-profit boards, I never saw the point of a separate election committee. What is wrong with the Secretary processing nominations then preparing the ballot? It seems like fairly perfunctory work.
James Hare
What is wrong with the Secretary processing nominations then preparing the ballot? It seems like fairly perfunctory work.
The nomination committee is generally made up of people not interested in running for board positions, to avoid any potential conflicts of interest. The Secretary can be the representative of the current board on the nomination committee, but not the sole person responsible for handling elections.
Sincerely,
N Michael Bashour
Sent from my iPhone
Perhaps I missed the information in the thread, or it was covered in the face to face...but what are the reasons for collecting they money? What will the collected dues be used for?
//Ed
On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 3:47 PM, Nicholas Bashour nicholasbashour@gmail.com wrote:
What is wrong with the Secretary processing nominations then preparing the ballot? It seems like fairly perfunctory work.
The nomination committee is generally made up of people not interested in running for board positions, to avoid any potential conflicts of interest. The Secretary can be the representative of the current board on the nomination committee, but not the sole person responsible for handling elections.
Sincerely,
N Michael Bashour
Sent from my iPhone _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
Perhaps I missed the information in the thread, or it was covered in the face to face...but what are the reasons for collecting they money? What will the collected dues be used for?
Dues go into the general fund, but the main reason for having dues is to establish member in good standing status, so that, simply put, a random person off the street wouldn't be able to come to the meeting just for the free donuts, as it were.
Not that we have free donuts. Or that people who pay dues wouldn't come to the meeting just for the free donuts, anyway. But if they're going to be there, they might as well have paid their dues.
And by donuts, I mean all membership benefits...Ahem...so, yes.
Sincerely,
N Michael Bashour
On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 4:12 PM, N Michael Bashour < nicholasbashour@gmail.com> wrote:
Perhaps I missed the information in the thread, or it was covered in the face to face...but what are the reasons for collecting they money? What will the collected dues be used for?
Dues go into the general fund, but the main reason for having dues is to establish member in good standing status, so that, simply put, a random person off the street wouldn't be able to come to the meeting just for the free donuts, as it were.
In addition to this, we need some level of reliable income to be able to operate as an entity; we'll need to pay various fees, cover postage costs for mailing documents to members, and so forth.
(While the suggestion of getting a WMF grant was brought up, I'd prefer that we avoid begging for money right from the start; and we are unlikely to be eligible until after we've received official recognition as a chapter, in any case.)
Kirill
2011/5/10 Kirill Lokshin kirill.lokshin@gmail.com:
(While the suggestion of getting a WMF grant was brought up, I'd prefer that we avoid begging for money right from the start; and we are unlikely to be eligible until after we've received official recognition as a chapter, in any case.)
You don't need to be a officially recognized as a chapter to be eligible for funding.
-Kat
On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 4:43 PM, Kat Walsh kat@mindspillage.org wrote:
2011/5/10 Kirill Lokshin kirill.lokshin@gmail.com:
(While the suggestion of getting a WMF grant was brought up, I'd prefer
that
we avoid begging for money right from the start; and we are unlikely to
be
eligible until after we've received official recognition as a chapter, in any case.)
You don't need to be a officially recognized as a chapter to be eligible for funding.
Ah, good to know.
My first point still stands, though. ;-)
Kirill
On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 4:12 PM, N Michael Bashour nicholasbashour@gmail.com wrote:
Dues go into the general fund, but the main reason for having dues is to establish member in good standing status, so that, simply put, a random person off the street wouldn't be able to come to the meeting just for the free donuts, as it were.
I have zero interest in paying dues for an organization that's sole purpose is to keep other people out. So I guess I won't be paying them :-)
//Ed
On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 5:06 PM, Ed Summers ehs@pobox.com wrote:
On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 4:12 PM, N Michael Bashour nicholasbashour@gmail.com wrote:
Dues go into the general fund, but the main reason for having dues is to establish member in good standing status, so that, simply put, a random person off the street wouldn't be able to come to the meeting just for the free donuts, as it were.
I have zero interest in paying dues for an organization that's sole purpose is to keep other people out. So I guess I won't be paying them :-)
Except the only difference between membership and non-membership is the right to vote and to serve on the Board of Directors. We have no interest in excluding others, and the membership dues do go toward legitimate expenses. (For instance, a PO Box in DC costs $96/yr.)
//Ed
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
Except the only difference between membership and non-membership is the right to vote and to serve on the Board of Directors. We have no interest in excluding others, and the membership dues do go toward legitimate expenses. (For instance, a PO Box in DC costs $96/yr.)
Not to mention that membership dues are only $10 per year. You must've misunderstood what I was saying if you think that our sole purpose is to exclude people.
Sincerely,
N Michael Bashour
On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 3:32 PM, James Hare jamesmhare@gmail.com wrote:
Registration by mail: I suspect you wouldn't want to have registrations sent directly to your home, since it would require you to post your address for all and sundry. I similarly won't want to have payments sent to my personal address. Are we in agreement then that the Board should rent a PO Box?
As I think I mentioned in some thread or other, I agree that a PO Box is a good idea; we just need to determine who will retrieve mail from it, and when.
On a tangential note, unless I'm very much mistaken, my address -- and yours -- is already a matter of public record, since the Articles of Incorporation are in principle a publicly available document. Now, granted, it would take a bit of effort for someone to dig the information up; but it's hardly a secret at this stage.
Kirill
2011/5/10 Kirill Lokshin kirill.lokshin@gmail.com:
On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 3:32 PM, James Hare jamesmhare@gmail.com wrote:
Registration by mail: I suspect you wouldn't want to have registrations sent directly to your home, since it would require you to post your address for all and sundry. I similarly won't want to have payments sent to my personal address. Are we in agreement then that the Board should rent a PO Box?
As I think I mentioned in some thread or other, I agree that a PO Box is a good idea; we just need to determine who will retrieve mail from it, and when. On a tangential note, unless I'm very much mistaken, my address -- and yours -- is already a matter of public record, since the Articles of Incorporation are in principle a publicly available document. Now, granted, it would take a bit of effort for someone to dig the information up; but it's hardly a secret at this stage.
The only people whose addresses are a matter of public record are the incorporators' -- Bob's, Katie's, and Tiffany's.
Kirill _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 4:40 PM, James Hare jamesmhare@gmail.com wrote:
2011/5/10 Kirill Lokshin kirill.lokshin@gmail.com:
On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 3:32 PM, James Hare jamesmhare@gmail.com
wrote:
Registration by mail: I suspect you wouldn't want to have registrations sent directly to your home, since it would require you to post your address for all and sundry. I similarly won't want to have payments sent to my personal address. Are we in agreement then that the Board should rent a PO Box?
As I think I mentioned in some thread or other, I agree that a PO Box is
a
good idea; we just need to determine who will retrieve mail from it, and when. On a tangential note, unless I'm very much mistaken, my address -- and
yours
-- is already a matter of public record, since the Articles of
Incorporation
are in principle a publicly available document. Now, granted, it would
take
a bit of effort for someone to dig the information up; but it's hardly a secret at this stage.
The only people whose addresses are a matter of public record are the incorporators' -- Bob's, Katie's, and Tiffany's.
Are you quite sure on this point? I was under the impression that the entire AoI document -- which includes the addresses of _all_ the initial board members -- was public.
Kirill
Here is the revised version of the motion. It should be passed jointly with another resolution which establishes the PO Box, which I will send in a separate email.
==================== A motion to establish a membership structure, to adopt a form for membership certificates, and to adopt rules for ballot access
Moved by:
BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
A. Membership Terms and Dues Schedule for Fiscal Year 2011/2012: 1. The first term of membership in the organization shall last between the date this motion is adopted and August 31, 2012. 2. Those who register between the date this motion is adopted and February 29, 2012 shall pay $10 in membership dues. 3. Those who register between March 1, 2012 and August 31, 2012 shall pay $5 in membership dues. B. Membership Terms and Dues Schedule for Subsequent Fiscal Years: 1. The second term of membership and all subsequent terms of membership shall last from September 1 to August 31. 2. Full-Time Membership: Those who register between September 1 and February 28, or February 29 during leap years, shall pay $10 in membership dues, with membership for that fiscal year effective immediately. 3. Part-Time Membership: Those who register between March 1 and August 31 shall pay $5 in membership dues, with membership for the remainder of that fiscal year effective immediately. C. Registration Process 1. Registration may take place at regular meetings of the Board, except when either the Secretary or Treasurer is not present, through an online registration system to be created by a person or committee designated by the Board of Directors for that purpose, or through mail sent to the organization's PO Box. 2. Registrants are required to submit their full name, mailing address, and email address to the Secretary. 3. Registrants are not obligated to complete the submission of personal information and the transmission of payment at the same time, or in a particular sequence, but they are not to be enrolled as members in good standing until both steps are completed. 4. Upon the receipt of dues by the Treasurer and the receipt of the required personal information by the Secretary, the Secretary shall sign and issue a membership certificate in the form recommended by this motion. 5. In the event of applications sent by mail, the Secretary shall mail certificates to the mailing address specified by the registrant. Membership certificates may not be emailed. D. Form of Membership Certificate 1. The membership certificate for the 2011/2012 fiscal year shall be printed on 8.5 inch by 11 inch white paper in the form specified by the enclosed image. E. Election of Directors 1. A director must maintain membership in the organization for the time of their term. Those whose memberships have lapsed during their term will be required to re-register promptly or resign. 2. Prior to the general membership meeting, the Board of Directors shall appoint an Election Committee with three members, including the Secretary and two other members who are not Directors and who agree to waive their eligibility to serve as Directors for the duration of their term on the committee. The term of the two appointed members shall be one year. 3. A candidate must declare their candidacy to the Election Committee in the form recommended by the Election Committee in order to be printed on the ballot. The Committee is responsible for ensuring the eligibility of candidates. 4. The deadline for filing for ballot access is 48 hours before the start of the annual membership meeting. ====================
I did not attach the form of the certificate, thinking it would be redundant. Of course, since the term of membership is changed, I'll attach the updated membership certificate form.
On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 5:33 PM, James Hare jamesmhare@gmail.com wrote:
Here is the revised version of the motion. It should be passed jointly with another resolution which establishes the PO Box, which I will send in a separate email.
==================== A motion to establish a membership structure, to adopt a form for membership certificates, and to adopt rules for ballot access
Moved by:
BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
A. Membership Terms and Dues Schedule for Fiscal Year 2011/2012: 1. The first term of membership in the organization shall last between the date this motion is adopted and August 31, 2012. 2. Those who register between the date this motion is adopted and February 29, 2012 shall pay $10 in membership dues. 3. Those who register between March 1, 2012 and August 31, 2012 shall pay $5 in membership dues. B. Membership Terms and Dues Schedule for Subsequent Fiscal Years: 1. The second term of membership and all subsequent terms of membership shall last from September 1 to August 31. 2. Full-Time Membership: Those who register between September 1 and February 28, or February 29 during leap years, shall pay $10 in membership dues, with membership for that fiscal year effective immediately. 3. Part-Time Membership: Those who register between March 1 and August 31 shall pay $5 in membership dues, with membership for the remainder of that fiscal year effective immediately. C. Registration Process 1. Registration may take place at regular meetings of the Board, except when either the Secretary or Treasurer is not present, through an online registration system to be created by a person or committee designated by the Board of Directors for that purpose, or through mail sent to the organization's PO Box. 2. Registrants are required to submit their full name, mailing address, and email address to the Secretary. 3. Registrants are not obligated to complete the submission of personal information and the transmission of payment at the same time, or in a particular sequence, but they are not to be enrolled as members in good standing until both steps are completed. 4. Upon the receipt of dues by the Treasurer and the receipt of the required personal information by the Secretary, the Secretary shall sign and issue a membership certificate in the form recommended by this motion. 5. In the event of applications sent by mail, the Secretary shall mail certificates to the mailing address specified by the registrant. Membership certificates may not be emailed. D. Form of Membership Certificate 1. The membership certificate for the 2011/2012 fiscal year shall be printed on 8.5 inch by 11 inch white paper in the form specified by the enclosed image. E. Election of Directors 1. A director must maintain membership in the organization for the time of their term. Those whose memberships have lapsed during their term will be required to re-register promptly or resign. 2. Prior to the general membership meeting, the Board of Directors shall appoint an Election Committee with three members, including the Secretary and two other members who are not Directors and who agree to waive their eligibility to serve as Directors for the duration of their term on the committee. The term of the two appointed members shall be one year. 3. A candidate must declare their candidacy to the Election Committee in the form recommended by the Election Committee in order to be printed on the ballot. The Committee is responsible for ensuring the eligibility of candidates. 4. The deadline for filing for ballot access is 48 hours before the start of the annual membership meeting. ====================
2011/5/10 James Hare jamesmhare@gmail.com
I did not attach the form of the certificate, thinking it would be redundant. Of course, since the term of membership is changed, I'll attach the updated membership certificate form.
A couple of thoughts on the certificate form:
1. The name needs to be "Wiki Society of Washington, DC Inc." throughout.
2. Perhaps add a member or certificate number field?
If anyone wants to spend some time adding borders or the like to make it appear a bit more polished, that would also be helpful.
Kirill
On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 5:33 PM, James Hare jamesmhare@gmail.com wrote:
Here is the revised version of the motion. It should be passed jointly with another resolution which establishes the PO Box, which I will send in a separate email.
==================== A motion to establish a membership structure, to adopt a form for membership certificates, and to adopt rules for ballot access
Moved by:
BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
A. Membership Terms and Dues Schedule for Fiscal Year 2011/2012: 1. The first term of membership in the organization shall last between the date this motion is adopted and August 31, 2012. 2. Those who register between the date this motion is adopted and February 29, 2012 shall pay $10 in membership dues. 3. Those who register between March 1, 2012 and August 31, 2012 shall pay $5 in membership dues. B. Membership Terms and Dues Schedule for Subsequent Fiscal Years: 1. The second term of membership and all subsequent terms of membership shall last from September 1 to August 31. 2. Full-Time Membership: Those who register between September 1 and February 28, or February 29 during leap years, shall pay $10 in membership dues, with membership for that fiscal year effective immediately. 3. Part-Time Membership: Those who register between March 1 and August 31 shall pay $5 in membership dues, with membership for the remainder of that fiscal year effective immediately.
This all looks fine.
C. Registration Process 1. Registration may take place at regular meetings of the Board, except when either the Secretary or Treasurer is not present, through an online registration system to be created by a person or committee designated by the Board of Directors for that purpose, or through mail sent to the organization's PO Box.
Should this be "meetings of the Board or the membership"? While the regular full-membership meetings may be relatively infrequent, there's no reason not to allow registration at them.
2. Registrants are required to submit their full name, mailingaddress, and email address to the Secretary. 3. Registrants are not obligated to complete the submission of personal information and the transmission of payment at the same time, or in a particular sequence, but they are not to be enrolled as members in good standing until both steps are completed. 4. Upon the receipt of dues by the Treasurer and the receipt of the required personal information by the Secretary, the Secretary shall sign and issue a membership certificate in the form recommended by this motion. 5. In the event of applications sent by mail, the Secretary shall mail certificates to the mailing address specified by the registrant. Membership certificates may not be emailed.
For all of (C), perhaps replace "registration" with "application", to distinguish this from (future) conference registration?
D. Form of Membership Certificate 1. The membership certificate for the 2011/2012 fiscal year shall be printed on 8.5 inch by 11 inch white paper in the form specified by the enclosed image.
Can we have the year field as a blank on the certificate, to allow the same form to be reused without having to pass a separate motion each year?
E. Election of Directors 1. A director must maintain membership in the organization for the time of their term. Those whose memberships have lapsed during their term will be required to re-register promptly or resign. 2. Prior to the general membership meeting, the Board of Directors shall appoint an Election Committee with three members, including the Secretary and two other members who are not Directors and who agree to waive their eligibility to serve as Directors for the duration of their term on the committee. The term of the two appointed members shall be one year.
This is a bit confusing; perhaps something along the lines of "an Election Committee consisting of three members, one of whom shall be the Secretary, and two of whom shall be persons who are not Directors, and who shall waive their eligibility..."
I'd also suggest including a set period (e.g. 30 days) before the meeting by which the committee will be appointed.
3. A candidate must declare their candidacy to the Election Committee
in the form recommended by the Election Committee in order to be printed on the ballot. The Committee is responsible for ensuring the eligibility of candidates.
"A candidate for the Board of Directors...", to avoid confusion with someone being a candidate "to the Election Committee".
4. The deadline for filing for ballot access is 48 hours before thestart of the annual membership meeting.
Will this leave enough time for finalizing/printing/etc. the ballots?
Kirill
C. Registration Process 1. Registration may take place at regular meetings of the Board, except when either the Secretary or Treasurer is not present, through an online registration system to be created by a person or committee designated by the Board of Directors for that purpose, or through mail sent to the organization's PO Box.
Should this be "meetings of the Board or the membership"? While the regular full-membership meetings may be relatively infrequent, there's no reason not to allow registration at them.
Agree with Kirill on this. Since our board meetings are going to be open anyway, this gives people another opportunity to pay.
Also this sentence is constructed in an ambiguous way -- it can mean "Registration takes place at regular meetings, but when the Secretary or Treasurer is not present it's through an online system or mail" (implying that this is disallowed when they are present). Or it can mean what it is intended to mean.
This can be solved by offsetting the "except when either..." clause with parentheses instead of commas, or by changing the commas after "present" and purpose" to semi-colons.
2. Registrants are required to submit their full name, mailingaddress, and email address to the Secretary. 3. Registrants are not obligated to complete the submission of personal information and the transmission of payment at the same time, or in a particular sequence, but they are not to be enrolled as members in good standing until both steps are completed. 4. Upon the receipt of dues by the Treasurer and the receipt of the required personal information by the Secretary, the Secretary shall sign and issue a membership certificate in the form recommended by this motion. 5. In the event of applications sent by mail, the Secretary shall mail certificates to the mailing address specified by the registrant. Membership certificates may not be emailed.
For all of (C), perhaps replace "registration" with "application", to distinguish this from (future) conference registration?
D. Form of Membership Certificate 1. The membership certificate for the 2011/2012 fiscal year shall be printed on 8.5 inch by 11 inch white paper in the form specified by the enclosed image.
Can we have the year field as a blank on the certificate, to allow the same form to be reused without having to pass a separate motion each year?
E. Election of Directors 1. A director must maintain membership in the organization for the time of their term. Those whose memberships have lapsed during their term will be required to re-register promptly or resign. 2. Prior to the general membership meeting, the Board of Directors shall appoint an Election Committee with three members, including the Secretary and two other members who are not Directors and who agree to waive their eligibility to serve as Directors for the duration of their term on the committee. The term of the two appointed members shall be one year.
This is a bit confusing; perhaps something along the lines of "an Election Committee consisting of three members, one of whom shall be the Secretary, and two of whom shall be persons who are not Directors, and who shall waive their eligibility..."
I'd also suggest including a set period (e.g. 30 days) before the meeting by which the committee will be appointed.
Agree.
-Dan
I have incorporated some changes and I also simplified the wording of the motion. I also opened Publisher for the first time on this computer (literally) and designed a much nicer-looking certificate.
==================== A motion to establish a membership structure, to adopt a form for membership certificates, and to adopt rules for ballot access
Resolved:
A. Membership Terms and Dues Schedule 1. Membership dues are $10 per person per year. 2. The membership year begins on September 1 and ends on August 31, except for this year, which begins immediately and ends August 31, 2012. 3. Beginning March 1, the membership dues for the remainder of the membership year are reduced to $5. B. Application for Membership 1. Applicants must submit their full name, mailing address, and email address to the Secretary. 2. Applicants may submit personal information and membership dues separately but they will not be considered members until both are sent. 3. Once both the personal information and dues are received, the Secretary will sign and give the applicant a paper membership certificate. C. Form of Membership Certificate 1. The membership certificate will be printed in the form recommended by the enclosed image for each membership year. D. Election of Directors 1. Directors are required to be members for the length of their term. 2. At least thirty days before the annual membership meeting, the Board of Directors will appoint an Election Committee. This committee will consist of the Secretary and two other members, serving for one year, who are not Directors or candidates. 3. A candidate must declare their candidacy for the Board of Directors to the Election Committee one week before the annual membership meeting in order to be printed on the ballot. 4. The Committee is responsible for ensuring the eligibility of candidates, preparing ballots, running the election, and counting the votes. ====================
James Hare
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1
On 05/11/2011 12:08 AM, James Hare wrote:
I have incorporated some changes and I also simplified the wording of the motion. I also opened Publisher for the first time on this computer (literally) and designed a much nicer-looking certificate.
Regarding the wording on the certificate, shouldn't that be "dues-paying"?
On Wed, May 11, 2011 at 12:25 AM, Cyde Weys cydeweys@gmail.com wrote:
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1
On 05/11/2011 12:08 AM, James Hare wrote:
I have incorporated some changes and I also simplified the wording of the motion. I also opened Publisher for the first time on this computer (literally) and designed a much nicer-looking certificate.
Regarding the wording on the certificate, shouldn't that be "dues-paying"?
Yes. I've updated it accordingly. Rather than attach a new copy of the image, just look at the latest one and pretend it says "dues-paying" instead of "due-paying".
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.10 (GNU/Linux)
iEYEARECAAYFAk3KD8MACgkQvCEYTv+mBWcydACfRzvmdJLdTiK4UZ8NODaYTnol jKIAnR1ufIrjNPQ3KH1Knsbrki5h8DWx =Vg/J -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
2011/5/11 James Hare jamesmhare@gmail.com
I have incorporated some changes and I also simplified the wording of the motion. I also opened Publisher for the first time on this computer (literally) and designed a much nicer-looking certificate.
Nitpick: "inc." should probably be capitalized similarly to the rest of the name in the title line.
====================
A motion to establish a membership structure, to adopt a form for membership certificates, and to adopt rules for ballot access
Resolved:
A. Membership Terms and Dues Schedule 1. Membership dues are $10 per person per year. 2. The membership year begins on September 1 and ends on August 31, except for this year, which begins immediately and ends August 31, 2012. 3. Beginning March 1, the membership dues for the remainder of the membership year are reduced to $5. B. Application for Membership 1. Applicants must submit their full name, mailing address, and email address to the Secretary.
I would suggest "must provide... address"; if we're accepting mail/online/etc. applications, they may not necessarily be submitted directly to the Secretary.
2. Applicants may submit personal information and membership duesseparately but they will not be considered members until both are sent. 3. Once both the personal information and dues are received, the Secretary will sign and give the applicant a paper membership certificate.
"give" should be "give or mail" or something of that sort; as it is, the wording would require personal delivery even when the application was submitted remotely.
Somewhere (whether in this resolution or a separate one), we ought to specify the methods (i.e. cash, check, PayPal, etc.) in which the dues are to be collected.
We should also retain the paragraph(s) regarding application at meetings versus application by mail, etc.; this is actually important.
C. Form of Membership Certificate 1. The membership certificate will be printed in the form recommended by the enclosed image for each membership year. D. Election of Directors 1. Directors are required to be members for the length of their term. 2. At least thirty days before the annual membership meeting, the Board of Directors will appoint an Election Committee. This committee will consist of the Secretary and two other members, serving for one year, who are not Directors or candidates.
I still think this wording is ambiguous, since it's unclear whether the "serving for one year, who are not Directors or candidates" portion applies to the "two other members" or to the "Secretary and two other members".
3. A candidate must declare their candidacy for the Board ofDirectors to the Election Committee one week before the annual membership meeting in order to be printed on the ballot. 4. The Committee is responsible for ensuring the eligibility of candidates, preparing ballots, running the election, and counting the votes.
AFAIK "running the election" is unnecessary, as that will be done by whoever is presiding at the annual meeting.
As general comment, I like the simplification, but I would suggest retaining the use of "shall" instead of "is"/"will"/etc. throughout.
Kirill
On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 6:09 AM, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote:
Hello all,
The last meeting ended with agreement that membership dues would be set at $10, with the fine details on how membership works to be decided at a later time. I have determined that we can use the mailing list to debate these details in a way that is congruous with our bylaws. Here is how. We will debate the details on this mailing list, with no action being taken (as action can only be taken at meetings held in the meatspace). As a result of the debate, someone will prepare a motion that will be introduced before the Board at the next meeting. Debate will certainly be allowed on it, but the idea is that since much of the debate will have already taken place on the mailing list, we won't be at square one. As this is a member organization I believe the actual membership structure should be in place as soon as possible, and by debating it on the mailing list we won't have to delay that debate until the next meeting.
Here are the current issues:
- It was agreed that membership is to be on an annual basis; i.e.,
each member pays $10 per year. But how will that work out? Can someone sign up at any time and then there will be rolling renewal? Or will all registrations and renewal take effect at the beginning of the new fiscal year on October 1? I personally recommend the rolling renewal system, since those who will want to take part will be able to do so right away. Someone who is interested in March may lose their enthusiasm by the time September comes along. Furthermore, a system to keep track of registration dates should honestly not be that difficult to make or maintain (I could create a tool on the toolserver that sends reminders).
- If we agree to adopt the plan where registrations and renewals can
only take effect at October 1, what should be done for registrations in the interim period between now and the next meeting? Should there be discounted registration, or perhaps free registration which expires September 30? (In other words, you would be able to register for free for the four month interim period, but to be a member through the next fiscal year would cost $10.)
Any other issues regarding membership? (If anyone is unsure about payment, I as the treasurer am willing to collect dues via cash, check made out to Wiki Society of Washington, DC, Inc., or possibly PayPal.)
Discuss.
One organization I belong to has all memberships start in January, but if you join in the last 6 months of the year, you pay 1 1/2 times the annual dues and get a membership good till the end of the following year. (It would be easy to modify this to fit our October dues-year-beginning.)
I suggested September because that's when our proposed annual meeting is. Anyone who comes to that meeting and pays his/her dues then would be eligible to vote. Dues could be accepted at $10 through March and at $5 through the start of the next annual meeting.
Nicholas Michael Bashour
Sent from my iPhone
On May 9, 2011, at 8:13 AM, "Bruce R. Gilson" brg1942@gmail.com wrote:
On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 6:09 AM, James Hare messedrocker@gmail.com wrote: Hello all,
The last meeting ended with agreement that membership dues would be set at $10, with the fine details on how membership works to be decided at a later time. I have determined that we can use the mailing list to debate these details in a way that is congruous with our bylaws. Here is how. We will debate the details on this mailing list, with no action being taken (as action can only be taken at meetings held in the meatspace). As a result of the debate, someone will prepare a motion that will be introduced before the Board at the next meeting. Debate will certainly be allowed on it, but the idea is that since much of the debate will have already taken place on the mailing list, we won't be at square one. As this is a member organization I believe the actual membership structure should be in place as soon as possible, and by debating it on the mailing list we won't have to delay that debate until the next meeting.
Here are the current issues:
- It was agreed that membership is to be on an annual basis; i.e.,
each member pays $10 per year. But how will that work out? Can someone sign up at any time and then there will be rolling renewal? Or will all registrations and renewal take effect at the beginning of the new fiscal year on October 1? I personally recommend the rolling renewal system, since those who will want to take part will be able to do so right away. Someone who is interested in March may lose their enthusiasm by the time September comes along. Furthermore, a system to keep track of registration dates should honestly not be that difficult to make or maintain (I could create a tool on the toolserver that sends reminders).
- If we agree to adopt the plan where registrations and renewals can
only take effect at October 1, what should be done for registrations in the interim period between now and the next meeting? Should there be discounted registration, or perhaps free registration which expires September 30? (In other words, you would be able to register for free for the four month interim period, but to be a member through the next fiscal year would cost $10.)
Any other issues regarding membership? (If anyone is unsure about payment, I as the treasurer am willing to collect dues via cash, check made out to Wiki Society of Washington, DC, Inc., or possibly PayPal.)
Discuss.
One organization I belong to has all memberships start in January, but if you join in the last 6 months of the year, you pay 1 1/2 times the annual dues and get a membership good till the end of the following year. (It would be easy to modify this to fit our October dues-year-beginning.)
Bruce R. Gilson brg1942@gmail.com
Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
2011/5/9 Nicholas Bashour nicholasbashour@gmail.com
I suggested September because that's when our proposed annual meeting is. Anyone who comes to that meeting and pays his/her dues then would be eligible to vote. Dues could be accepted at $10 through March and at $5 through the start of the next annual meeting.
Is the intent to allow someone to sign up as a member *at* the annual meeting, then? That would be a logistics nightmare if we intend to use paper ballots for the election; with the membership not known in advance, there would be no way to prepare the ballots prior to the meeting.
Kirill
I don't see it as a logistical nightmare. Many organizations handle their elections that way. Anyone running for board would more than likely be a member anyway, and even then, you can have room for a write-in candidate. Member verification for voting purposes would be easy. If you're there for the annual meeting, that's when you'd pay your dues, anyway. If you don't submit your membership form and dues at the meeting, you don't receive a ballot. It doesn't have to be more complicated than that.
Sincerely,
Nicholas Michael Bashour
2011/5/9 Kirill Lokshin kirill.lokshin@gmail.com:
2011/5/9 Nicholas Bashour nicholasbashour@gmail.com
I suggested September because that's when our proposed annual meeting is. Anyone who comes to that meeting and pays his/her dues then would be eligible to vote. Dues could be accepted at $10 through March and at $5 through the start of the next annual meeting.
Is the intent to allow someone to sign up as a member *at* the annual meeting, then? That would be a logistics nightmare if we intend to use paper ballots for the election; with the membership not known in advance, there would be no way to prepare the ballots prior to the meeting. Kirill _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 10:16 AM, Nicholas Michael Bashour < nicholasbashour@gmail.com> wrote:
I don't see it as a logistical nightmare. Many organizations handle their elections that way. Anyone running for board would more than likely be a member anyway, and even then, you can have room for a write-in candidate.
Or seven write-in candidates, for that matter. Since, in principle, the act of nomination takes place at the meeting, would we incur any legal risk from issuing ballots that contain only a subset of candidates, and requiring write-in votes for the others?
Member verification for voting purposes would be easy. If you're there for the annual meeting, that's when you'd pay your dues, anyway. If you don't submit your membership form and dues at the meeting, you don't receive a ballot. It doesn't have to be more complicated than that.
Some members will presumably have paid their dues prior to the meeting. Would they also receive ballots at the meeting (which will presumably require checking IDs, etc.)?
Kirill
Some members will presumably have paid their dues prior to the meeting. Would they also receive ballots at the meeting (which will presumably require checking IDs, etc.)?
That's a non-issue in this case, anyway. If you have rolling memberships, you'll have people who will pay their dues at the meeting and people who paid their dues the month before or eight months before or eleven months before. On a rolling-membership basis, someone whose membership expires the day after the annual meeting would then technically be eligible to vote.
Under the annual membership platform, the earliest you can pay your dues for the current year is at the annual meeting. That way, everyone who's at the annual meeting will be paying dues. You can't have paid it before then. And since proxy voting is not allowed, per the bylaws, you have to be in attendance at the meeting anyway.
Or seven write-in candidates, for that matter. Since, in principle, the act of nomination takes place at the meeting, would we incur any legal risk from issuing ballots that contain only a subset of candidates, and requiring write-in votes for the others?
The bylaws don't state that candidates have to be nominated at the annual meeting, only that they get elected then. The board can vote to create and appoint a nomination committee 1-3 months before the election. Interested candidates can submit candidacy to the committee. You can leave room for write-in candidates on the ballot, or amend the bylaws to state that only those who were members in the previous year are eligible to run for a board position for the following year.
Sincerely,
Nicholas Michael Bashour
2011/5/9 Kirill Lokshin kirill.lokshin@gmail.com:
On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 10:16 AM, Nicholas Michael Bashour nicholasbashour@gmail.com wrote:
I don't see it as a logistical nightmare. Many organizations handle their elections that way. Anyone running for board would more than likely be a member anyway, and even then, you can have room for a write-in candidate.
Or seven write-in candidates, for that matter. Since, in principle, the act of nomination takes place at the meeting, would we incur any legal risk from issuing ballots that contain only a subset of candidates, and requiring write-in votes for the others?
Member verification for voting purposes would be easy. If you're there for the annual meeting, that's when you'd pay your dues, anyway. If you don't submit your membership form and dues at the meeting, you don't receive a ballot. It doesn't have to be more complicated than that.
Kirill _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-DC mailing list Wikimedia-DC@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-dc
On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 10:46 AM, Nicholas Michael Bashour < nicholasbashour@gmail.com> wrote:
Some members will presumably have paid their dues prior to the meeting. Would they also receive ballots at the meeting (which will presumably require checking IDs, etc.)?
That's a non-issue in this case, anyway. If you have rolling memberships, you'll have people who will pay their dues at the meeting and people who paid their dues the month before or eight months before or eleven months before. On a rolling-membership basis, someone whose membership expires the day after the annual meeting would then technically be eligible to vote.
Under the annual membership platform, the earliest you can pay your dues for the current year is at the annual meeting. That way, everyone who's at the annual meeting will be paying dues. You can't have paid it before then. And since proxy voting is not allowed, per the bylaws, you have to be in attendance at the meeting anyway.
So we're not going to allow renewals prior to the meeting at all? This will be quite inconvenient for anyone that wants to pay by, say, credit card (unless we set up the necessary infrastructure to accept those payments in person), as well as for anyone who happens to arrive to the meeting late (at which point the officers responsible for collecting the dues will be otherwise occupied).
More problematically, it means that the treasurer will potentially walk out of the meeting carrying the entire membership's dues in cash. This doesn't strike me as a particularly good idea, for any number of reasons.
Or seven write-in candidates, for that matter. Since, in principle, the
act
of nomination takes place at the meeting, would we incur any legal risk
from
issuing ballots that contain only a subset of candidates, and requiring write-in votes for the others?
The bylaws don't state that candidates have to be nominated at the annual meeting, only that they get elected then. The board can vote to create and appoint a nomination committee 1-3 months before the election. Interested candidates can submit candidacy to the committee. You can leave room for write-in candidates on the ballot, or amend the bylaws to state that only those who were members in the previous year are eligible to run for a board position for the following year.
Fair enough; we could certainly adopt a rule to have a nominating committee or something else of that sort to streamline the nomination process. This will, however, require a vote of the entire membership, which should ideally be conducted prior to the annual meeting.
Kirill
wikimedia-dc@lists.wikimedia.org
