[OSM-talk-be] Openstreetmap Foundation: the Belgian Chapter

[ivom]

On Fri, 11 Sep 2009, Kristoff Bonne wrote:

> vzw; e.g. actions to organise an event must have been taken in a formal 
> meeting of the "bestuursvergadering" and at the end of the year, the 
> "algemene vergadering" must take over the formal resposability of all 
> actions taken by the "bestuur" during that last year.
>

As far as my knowledge goest the "bestuursvergadering" is not a formal 
meeting, only the bestuurders are invited. it is nevertheless the 2nd 
meeting in a year, next to the official "algemene vergadering". So for 
some people it's 2 meetings per year, for others it's potentially only 
one,since the "algemene vergadering" is not a meeting you must not attend, 
you are invited when you are a "vast lid".

>
> Concerning liability, the question of the usefullness of being a vzw 
> depends a bit on how much you look at "worse case senarios".
> Say that you organises a mapping-event and somebody on a scooter has a 
> traffic-accident causing physical damage or even worse to somebody else.
>

an inssurance policy is something to sort out. i will have a look about 
the options for the small starting vzw. I think the "worst-case scenario" 
is accidents during mapping parties organised by the vzw. thanks for 
pointing this out.

>
> Anycase, another advantage for being a vzw is for fund-raising. No 
> organisation or company (say a university or a city-council) will fund 
> an organisation that does not have a proper "official" structure (one of 
> the reasons being that -at least- a vzw has a to do a formal bookkeeping 
> so their is a trace of where the money of the fund is going and not 
> dissapear in a black-hole or somebody's personal pockets somewhere :-) 
> ).
>

the ohter side-goal to start the vzw is, with the premise to have enough 
members, that we will be recognised by the OpenStreetMap Foundation, which 
could furthe potentially strengthen the position of the vzw during talks 
with third-party. hope this clarifies another reason to start the vzw.