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<p>Thomas</p>
<p>While having a "FWG" would undoubtedly be good (and it has been
suggested more than once), we have more than enough unsustainable
working groups as is, and simply creating one would not magically
make people appear that want to spend time working on the subject
matter. <br>
</p>
<p>If at all, because we are paying for the actual accounting and
bookkeeping, the situation is slightly better that with say the
OWG, LWG, and other "must have" WGs.</p>
<p>Simon<br>
</p>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Am 22.09.2018 um 18:24 schrieb Thomas
Barris:<br>
</div>
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cite="mid:1537633364.local-454cea24-d96f-v1.4.2-f587b7b7@getmailspring.com">
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<div>Hi Frederik,</div>
<br>
<div>wouldn't it be good to have some kind of Financial Working
Group for that? I tend to assume that the importance of OSMF's
financial topics will growth in future. Having it concentrated
on one person is some kind of risky as the organisation will
loose a lot of knowledge when the only guy familiar with these
topics goes, regardless how good the takeover will be prepared.
You announced your "retirement" well in advance but maybe the
next treasurer will leave for any reasons without notice. </div>
<div>I mentioned it to you already, I think that OSMF's backoffice
structure may need to develop somehow. </div>
<br>
<div>Kind regards</div>
<div>Thomas</div>
<br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote_attribution">On Sep 18 2018, at 1:50 pm,
Frederik Ramm <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:frederik@remote.org"><frederik@remote.org></a> wrote:</div>
<blockquote><br>
<div>
<div>Hi,</div>
<br>
<div>I am currently serving on the OSMF board of directors in
the "treasurer"</div>
<div>role, which means that I watch our bank accounts, pay
invoices, provide</div>
<div>the necessary paperwork to our accountant, try to set up
spending</div>
<div>budgets, and provide financial reporting to the
membership. I also do a</div>
<div>little paperwork, like setting up donation agreements or
providing</div>
<div>receipts to donors who need them. And it's me who has to
listen to the</div>
<div>bank's telephone hold music when our account is blocked
once again for</div>
<div>making a totally legitimate transaction that somehow
seemed odd to them ;)</div>
<br>
<div>(For the first time this year, the 2017 finances have
been audited by a</div>
<div>volunteer auditor and there will be a public report about
his findings</div>
<div>soon!)</div>
<br>
<div>I will not retire this December, but likely in December
2019, and at the</div>
<div>very least in December 2020 (the way elections to the
OSMF board work,</div>
<div>it could turn out either way). I will not stand for
re-election.</div>
<br>
<div>I would like to pass on the treasurer job to someone who
is not only</div>
<div>interested in OSMF work generally but also interested in
dealing with</div>
<div>the monetary aspects. Looking forward, the OSMF treasurer
might have to</div>
<div>deal with questions like "do we have/want to register for
VAT", "how do</div>
<div>we manage our Euro and GBP funds", "should we aim to
become a registered</div>
<div>charity or maybe a CIC". Generally such things will not
be decided</div>
<div>solely by the treasurer but the rest of the board is
likely to trust the</div>
<div>treasurer's advice in financial matters. Also, a future
Microgrant</div>
<div>programme and/or additional paid staff might be
developments that will</div>
<div>involve some treasurer work. Brexit and its consequences
for our</div>
<div>finances are also a huge question mark.</div>
<br>
<div>It would be ideal if whoever succeeds me in the treasurer
role actually</div>
<div>had one year of overlap with me on the board so we could
get everything</div>
<div>set up and transferred nicely.</div>
<br>
<div>Being in the UK or at least in Europe isn't strictly
necessary but makes</div>
<div>some things easier. (I'm in Germany and this worked ok
mainly, except</div>
<div>some minor glitches like PayPal insisting on a +44
telephone number or</div>
<div>the bank wondering why I was calling from abroad. At one
time I had to</div>
<div>physically mail my VISA card to a contact in the UK so
that they could</div>
<div>have the PIN re-set, which only works in UK ATMs.)</div>
<br>
<div>Now I don't get to decide who the next treasurer will be.
The treasurer</div>
<div>is a full OSMF board member so first he or she has to be
elected to the</div>
<div>board by the OSMF members. Then the whole board will
decide who does</div>
<div>what job. Maybe you sign up wanting to become treasurer
and later</div>
<div>everyone thinks you're better as a chairperson, or one of
the other</div>
<div>existing board members suddenly fancies the treasurer
position (they</div>
<div>didn't when I last asked them).</div>
<br>
<div>Anyway, I am saying this early in order to get people
thinking if they</div>
<div>could see themselves in that role, and then if the time
comes, stand for</div>
<div>election.</div>
<br>
<div>Bye</div>
<div>Frederik</div>
<br>
<div>--</div>
<div>Frederik Ramm ## eMail <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:frederik@remote.org">frederik@remote.org</a> ## N49°00'09"
E008°23'33"</div>
<br>
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