[Foundation-l] A new proposal regarding US chapters

[Anthony]

On Tue, May 6, 2008 at 4:37 PM, Henning Schlottmann
<h.schlottmann at gmx.net> wrote:
> Anthony wrote:
>  > They've got well enough support for a chapter.  Telling them set up a
>  > mailing list and invite other people from around the United States in
>  > order to get this chapter formed doesn't make any sense.  I bet at
>  > least half the people who will show up at that June 1 meeting wouldn't
>  > even read the mailing list, let alone participate on it.
>
>  If NYC is the frontrunner, then have them set up /the/ national chapter
>  for the United States. I don't understand why anyone would want to have
>  several incorporated chapters in the USA. One should be enough. All
>  local or regional activities can happen under that umbrella.
>
First of all, I never said the local chapters had to be incorporated.
They'll probably want to be, but if they really want to save the $70
or so and organize as unincorporated associations, that's their
prerogative.  They should understand though that once their
unincorporated association starts collecting money, incorporated or
not, they have to account for that money, file tax returns, and do
pretty much all the other tasks that incorporated organizations have
to do.

But frankly I don't even understand what you mean by having all local
or regional activities under a single umbrella.  If I, in Tampa, want
to run a "scavenger hunt and free content photography contest", why
should this be organized by someone in New York City?  Do I get a
checking account here in Tampa to buy the refreshments, or do I have
them send me a check from New York City?  I guess I have to have a
checking account, because when someone donates $10 in cash towards the
event, I'm not sending the cash through the mail, and I'm not buying a
money order or sending it Western Union.  I guess I could put it all
under my pillow.  Let's hope all of it gets spent on project funds,
cause there's no way some bureaucrat in New York City is going to
figure out if it doesn't.  After all, the national organization, run
out of New York City, has to appoint me as an officer, so that I can
have checkwriting privileges.  And most likely without even having met
me.

How does any of that make sense?  Shouldn't those of us in Tampa
decide these things?  Shouldn't the local donors decide who is most
trustworthy to entrust with their money, and shouldn't they have at
least the opportunity to meet with the people in charge in person?
Are the board members all going to be from New York City, or are we
going to send the board members on planes all over the country so they
can have their board meetings?  Or maybe we'll just do everything by
email, I'm sure that'll *really* facilitate working together.