[Foundation-l] Board resolutions (chapters)

[Florence Devouard]

Ting Chen wrote:
> 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. 

Actually, that's a pretty optimistic view of the situation.
The very largest majority of chapters do not have agreement.
Afaik, only one chapter has.
When propositions are received, either we forward them to the Foundation 
and hope someone will deal with them. Or we just dump them because we 
can not negociate.

Ant


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
> 
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