[Foundation-l] (no subject)

[Ray Saintonge]

Dan Rosenthal wrote:

>We are an American registered corporation. Because of that, we are  
>obliged to follow American laws, and abide by American standards.  
>Want to do things the euro way? Work for Wikimedia UK, or Wikimedia  
>Germany.
>
Fortunately that kind of attitude is only held by a minority or more of 
us would be screaming to move the whole organization out of the USA.  
Standard American practice may not have a majority of non-profits 
providing child care, but I know of nothing in American law that 
prevents it.  Let's not let the US situation look worse than it actually is.

>>We want the board to be a reflection of the people that make up our
>>community. We want these people be the ones that are most likely to  
>>do a
>>mature job for us. I would rather have parents on the board then  
>>another
>>bright kid who still has to learn much about the realities of life.
>>    
>>
>I would rather have a bright kid who has a relevant professional  
>degree and knows how to do the job of a board member than a parent  
>with no such professional degree, and no experience being on a board  
>of trustees. 
>
I wouldn't.  I would prefer someone with the cluefulness of real-life 
experience.  Someone who knows what needs to be done, and does it.  
Someone who has the time-management skills of making sure that her kids 
get where they need to be when they need to be.  Someone who has the 
financial skills to insure that everyone in her "company" has the needed 
resources when those resources are extremely scarce.  Someone for whom 
health care means a direct hands on 24/7 experience for whoever needs 
it.  And you would reject those skills just because there is no 
professional degree for that job.

>Come on, we already know the board, by their own  
>admission, are operating outside the way they should ideally be, by  
>having to micromanage staff and act as a "working" board. Would you  
>rather have people who don't see what's wrong with that? Or would you  
>rather have a board of professionals that will expand Wikimedia  
>projects and ensure its financial, legal, and positional safety?
>
What is preferred depends on what we are trying to accomplish.  If we 
were working  on the same old corporate for-profit model you would be 
right.  But I don't think that the micromanaging of which you speak was 
out of any desire by the Board to keep control of everything.  It was a 
matter of necessity for a while and they did what they had to do.

Ec