[Foundation-l] Chapter-selected Board seats - brainstorming

[Alison Wheeler]

On Sun, May 4, 2008 03:23, Pharos wrote:
> The primary (if not only) reason we have separate copororate entities
> internationally is because a US-based foundation can only create
> affiliates within the US.
>
> I can only see a huge waste of resources in creating 5 or 10 new
> corporate entities in the US, when the one we have now works just
> fine.

I'm sorry to have to point this out, but you are completely off track
here. The Foundation will *never* "create" affiliates (ie Chapters) as
that would mean they are creating a legal connection between the people
comprising that Chapter, The Foundation can "suggest" that a Chapter is
formed, it can "hope" or "assist" that one is formed, but in every case of
a new Chapter it *must* be legally separate from the Foundation (and,
indeed, other Chapters).

So far Chapters have been based on nation states; countries. Just as the
UK is covered by a single Chapter (WMUK) even though it covers multiple
and separate legal systems (ie. Scotland) the same is true to a similar
extent for the USA. Yes, the USA will also have multiple
regional/metro/state/whatever sub-groups within its nationwide Chapter, as
it should be, but it shouldn't get special treatment just because it may
one day be larger or shouts louder. The Wikimedia projects are virtual;
the size of your country doesn't matter!

We have a mechanism for piping information and advice between Chapters and
the Foundation; the Chapter Co-ordinator (Delphine) and I see no reason to
change that.

Alison Wheeler