[Foundation-l] A new proposal regarding US chapters

[Henning Schlottmann]

Jimmy Wales wrote:
> I don't find this line of thought compelling at all.  There is no need 
> for a separate legal national organization, and indeed this would be 
> confusing and counter-productive.
> 
> I can see an argument for US chapters not need a legal organization at 
> all (just use the Foundation for this), and I can see an argument for 
> each of them having their own legal organization (this seems better to 
> me), but I can't see having one non-Foundation organization for multiple 
> chapters.

I see a wish for and some advantages of a membership organization. The 
Foundation can't be that, as it is international in scope and 
international membership is not feasible.

But I don't understand why anyone would want to have several 
incorporated chapters in one nation if one could be the umbrella for all 
local and regional activities. Is this a control issue? A 'not invented 
here' issue? Why shouldn't Pennsylvania be the regional (unincorporated) 
organization of a national chapter, incorporated in NYC? Or the other way?

Be smart. Think before you act, or there might be half a dozen 
incorporated chapters on US soil within a few months - and in two years 
most of them might fail, because their base is not large enough to find 
board members, they started uncoordinated projects and can't cover the 
expenses and so on.

Henning