[foundation-board] Request for board approval to start working towards OKF Austria

[Jo Walsh]

On 15/11/2010 18:11, Jordan S Hatcher wrote:
> This is a group of people acting in the name of the company on whose
> board of directors we sit. This group of people could be doing
> anything, including from the well-meaning-but-legally-problematic
> (fundraising, entering into contracts) to the dishonest and
> fraudulent (theft) and some stuff in-between

I'm uncomfortable with this assumption of distrust-by-default.
I don't think that it helps. Let's stick with the ideals of meritocracy 
and tolerance?

> I care about what the OKF does, and if we are going to empower
> autonomous groups of people, unincorporated or incorporated, off in
> various foreign lands, then I am of the opinion that we need to have
> a modicum of control over them and some established norms and rules
> about how they behave.

I agree that there should be guidelines that need to be met before a 
chapter is approved. And that if there are legal issues then the Board 
should be aware of them before voting to approve guidelines.

I'm not certain that "we need" to exercise control over what chapters 
do. Which "we" are you referring to here - the Board? Do you think the 
OKF Board controls the OKF community?

> The situation with certain people claiming that they represent the
> OKF in a related thread is but one example of why we should think
> about who gets to represent us and have a process.

That discussion has nothing to do with local chapters, does it?
And again, who are "we" here? Is this view compatible with the statement 
that OKF is a decentralised and meritocratic organisation committed to 
open discussion and tolerance?

> This is all good for discussion but in some degree is moot as we've
> already voted as a board to establish a chapters process involving a
> transition of supporters into formal legal entities.

I missed the meeting at which this was discussed due to an unmovable 
commitment to a presentation session. Looking at the minutes:
http://board.okfn.org/BoardMeetings/2010-09-14

There's nothing here about a local chapter needing to be a formal legal 
entity? There wasn't a vote, just a discussion, and you and Paula 
offered to create a proposal which we could review, amend and then vote on?