On Tue, May 6, 2008 at 4:37 PM, Henning Schlottmann h.schlottmann@gmx.net wrote:
Anthony wrote:
They've got well enough support for a chapter. Telling them set up a mailing list and invite other people from around the United States in order to get this chapter formed doesn't make any sense. I bet at least half the people who will show up at that June 1 meeting wouldn't even read the mailing list, let alone participate on it.
If NYC is the frontrunner, then have them set up /the/ national chapter for the United States. I don't understand why anyone would want to have several incorporated chapters in the USA. One should be enough. All local or regional activities can happen under that umbrella.
First of all, I never said the local chapters had to be incorporated. They'll probably want to be, but if they really want to save the $70 or so and organize as unincorporated associations, that's their prerogative. They should understand though that once their unincorporated association starts collecting money, incorporated or not, they have to account for that money, file tax returns, and do pretty much all the other tasks that incorporated organizations have to do.
But frankly I don't even understand what you mean by having all local or regional activities under a single umbrella. If I, in Tampa, want to run a "scavenger hunt and free content photography contest", why should this be organized by someone in New York City? Do I get a checking account here in Tampa to buy the refreshments, or do I have them send me a check from New York City? I guess I have to have a checking account, because when someone donates $10 in cash towards the event, I'm not sending the cash through the mail, and I'm not buying a money order or sending it Western Union. I guess I could put it all under my pillow. Let's hope all of it gets spent on project funds, cause there's no way some bureaucrat in New York City is going to figure out if it doesn't. After all, the national organization, run out of New York City, has to appoint me as an officer, so that I can have checkwriting privileges. And most likely without even having met me.
How does any of that make sense? Shouldn't those of us in Tampa decide these things? Shouldn't the local donors decide who is most trustworthy to entrust with their money, and shouldn't they have at least the opportunity to meet with the people in charge in person? Are the board members all going to be from New York City, or are we going to send the board members on planes all over the country so they can have their board meetings? Or maybe we'll just do everything by email, I'm sure that'll *really* facilitate working together.