[Osmf-talk] Update of Articles of Association

[James Livingston]

On 19/07/2011, at 11:29 PM, Simon Poole wrote:
> - I don't see any reason not to allow legal entities to join as normal members (with exactly one vote). With the current member count it is possible that "normal" members could be out numbered, it's rather unlikely and will hopefully only be a temporary danger.

Conversely, I haven't yet heard any reason for allowing them to join. I'm not saying that it would be bad, just that I don't recall hearing any benefit that allowing it would bring.


> - I would support explicitly allowing the board to invite non-board members to their meetings, but I don't really see the utility of having non-voting and/or co-opted members (been that myself more than once, makes for nice business cards, but otherwise?)

One organisation I'm part of traditionally invites the immediate-past president to join, to give some continuity and let them finish off things they started. That makes sense because the president is more than just the chairman, and the whole board changes every year.

As I mentioned in another mail, I'd really like to see some concrete examples of what it would actually be used for.


> - I would consider it a good idea to -not- skimp on the local chapter issue. In the current and planned model the OSM-F is competing both for money (even if it is a small amount) and attention with local chapters. Some thought should go in to trying to see if we can't find a solution in where there is at least some representation of the mappers that are just organized in local chapters. A number of reserved board member seats could be a solution (if there is one at all, I spent a good decade of my life observing the constant bickering between a central and local organisations in a very similar context). 

I think sorting out local chapters is very important too. Most associations I've been part of that are large enough to have chapters, have the central body being the "association of local clubs", and they don't take individuals as members. If OSMF wants both ordinary members and chapter members, then we need to think hard about how that actually works.

You don't want to end up in the situation where people gain an advantage by leaving their local chapter to join OSMF directly (can they be members of both?) and you don't want people disadvantaged because they like in a remote area so won't have enough people to form a chapter.

-- 
James