[Foundation-l] Board resolutions (chapters)

[Ting Chen]

Gerard Meijssen wrote:
> Hoi,
> The territofy for the Dutch chapter ends officially at the border between
> Belgium and the Netherlands.
I don't see it necessary to be must so. As you have said, it is unlikely 
that there would be a Belgium chapter. So if the community support the 
idea, I don't see any reason why the Dutch chapter cannot be active in 
Belgium. By establishing a branch there the Dutch chapter can also 
provide the same services it can provide for its dutch members like tax 
exempt status or organize meetings and other activities. If this is a 
good thing, and has support from the community, why not?

> There is no Belgium chapter and given their
> politics it is unlikely that there will be one. The projects in the Dutch
> language include many Belgians and they are welcome to become a member of
> the Dutch "vereniging".
>   
And as far as I know none of our chapters has defined that only people 
from a certain region can be their membership. Delphine for example is 
member of the french and the italian chapter and not of the german 
chapter, although she lives in Frankfurt, Germany.

And the example of Belgium is another good example for allow subnational 
chapters.
> Ting, it is nice that you do not see what countries have to do with
> chapters. One of the main points of chapters is that they represent the
> Wikimedia Foundation in a limited fashion and, that they take care of issues
> that need to be taken care off on a local level. They are things like
> fundraising and looking for a tax exempt status for gifts etc.  When a
> chapter is nothing but a society, there is less need for an official
> connection with the WMF. The people in New York can have their own society,
> there is no need for them being a chapter and take care by necessity of
> these needs.
>   
Sure. Suppose the Foundation is not located in the USA, and there is no 
USA chapter. The NYC chapter can get for its members tax exemption, so 
this is a good thing, why not? The NYC can organize activities in their 
area and this is also a good thing, why not?

And the chapters are by NO MEANs a sub-organization of the WMF. They are 
in principle independent and of their own. There are links between the 
WMF and the chapters, yes. But as I said, we would also support all 
other voluntier activities (or societies) as far as they are affordable.
> If you say that a chapter is only a society and that this is all that
> counts, I do not understand why it is not permitted to have chapters
> covering the same space. Why not have an Amsterdam chapter if the people
> from Amsterdam think it a good idea ??
>   
The chapters has agreement with the WMF that they may in their area 
negotiate with third parties on use of wikimedia project logos and 
names. The cretiria for a not overlapping in geographical regions is 
mainly to prevent a third party to try to play one chapter against another.

Greetings
Ting