When we were recognised as a chapter by the Foundation we got
permission to use names like "Wikimedia Wales", "Wikimedia
Scotland" (plus other language derivations) with the thought that some
day they might be useful to have. We haven't yet had the need or
opportunity to use them, but there are a couple of things coming up in
the pipeline where it may be useful to brand ourselves "Wikimedia
Cymru" and "Wikimedia Scotland" respectively rather than Wikimedia UK.
I was thinking through how we could do this, and i was wondering if it
might be a bit too much to just use the name without any kind of
justification for the Welshness / Scottishness of the organisation.
This is the idea I've come up with, which can be implemented with
minimal effort and still justify, if we need to, to the outside
world, our use of the terns. Please let me know what you think:
1) All members would automatically be allocated to a branch when they
join based on where they lived
2) Any member could choose to switch to a different branch if they
wanted to
3) The first branches would be England, Wales, Scotland and Northern
Ireland (could discuss setting up more if the need arose in the
future)
4) The board of Wikimedia UK could appoint a branch chair (and more
officers if need be) from one of the members of that branch.
That way we could brand things:
xx xx
Chair, Wikimedia Cymru
followed by a contact address in Wales
rather than:
xx xx
Secretary, Wikimedia UK
with a contact address in England
This would be particularly helpful when dealing with, for instance,
Welsh language projects or devolved governments.
Some time in the future - size and activity permitting - these may be
able to evolve into fully fledged autonomous branches - or even
independent chapters.
For the constitutionalists among readers, I'd propose we establish the
branches through an Article 28 resolution of the Board, ratified by
the next AGM.
Please let me know what you think.
Andrew