I think some context is in order here. I'm sure others will correct me if I err, but Michael, here's my understanding:
* Chapters historically came into existence to (1) process donations in local currency and (2) deal with local legal issues
* The difficulty of forming a chapter that doesn't conform to legal borders has caused tension in recent years
* The WMF Board and many in the community are aware and concerned about this
* The general solution is not so much to adapt the Chapter model to fit other cases, as to establish that other cases are fine *without* carrying the name "chapter".
The Wikimedia movement has a new approach to funds dissemination; being a chapter is not the only way to get grants or put the name "Wikipedia" (or "Wikimedia" etc.) to good use.
In other words, just because the CHAPTERS committee is lukewarm to an idea like this *as a Chapter*, doesn't mean it's a non-starter or undesirable.
-Pete
On Dec 19, 2012, at 4:49 PM, James Alexander wrote:
On Wed, Dec 19, 2012 at 4:41 PM, Michael C. Berch
<mcb@postmodern.com> wrote:
There are no legal or financial stakes, the issue of "municipalities" is an irrelevant triviality, and it just serves to annoy people.
--
Michael C. Berch
User:MCB
mcb@postmodern.com
There most certainly are legal and financial stakes. An incorporated organization costs a not insignificant amount of resources and cash to maintain even before they do anything at all. This is especially true when you are spanning multiple diverse jurisdictions (such as states or countries) and have to know at least some of the laws of each. I don't think towns/cities are a major problem. I'm sure it will be an added wrinkle given that the jurisdiction overlaps the foundations offices itself.
I'm not saying chapters shouldn't be allowed, just like I said above, I just don't like the idea of such large ones. I don't think it's that beneficial.
James
--
James Alexander
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