[Foundation-l] Volunteer Council - A shot for a resolution

[Florence Devouard]

Ray Saintonge wrote:
> Ziko van Dijk wrote:
>>> way to get the views of the community heard. Whether the board will be
>>> bound by the decisions of the council or not (and if they are, in what
>>> areas) is one of the details that people disagree on.
>>>     
>> The size of the council would be a detail, but the character (advisory /
>> decision-making) is the main question. I do not want an organ that has a
>> voice but no responsibility.
> That's a reasonable concern.  It's clear that the Board cannot do it 
> all.  We would want to develop a reasonable division of responsibility 
> between Board and Council.  Some of the relative responsibilities seem 
> obvious: The Board would still have essential control over finances, 
> hardware and legal affairs; the Council would be more concerned with 
> community matters, and the very broad threads of policy.  What the 
> Provisional Council needs to establish between the time it is named and 
> the time it becomes a fully functional council is that it is capable of 
> responsible decision making in the way it runs its affairs.  Whether it 
> can should be evident in its September report.
> 
> Ec


This said...

If we set up a council to deal with community affairs, and mostly let 
the board to deal with finances, hardware and legal affairs..., I am 
sure it occured to you that most community members do not have much 
expertise with regards to finances, hardware, legal, audit etc... 
considerations.

This would suggest that the board could evolve to be a body essentially 
populated with professionals rather than community members.

With the co-existence of two bodies, both with a decision making authority.

If so, the important question then left is essentially, what should be 
under the authority of who ?

With a bunch of minor questions such as
"how does it fit with the usual structure of a US based Foundation"
"how does the ED deal with two bodies rather than one"

Ant