...

...

On 2/6/2011 at 05:37 AM, in message <4D4E9609.1070906@dodin.org>, jdd wrote: Hello :-)

new subject, I think important.

we have to manage the foundation in a democratic way. That mean *real* elections, known membership etc.

we *can* have several layers. from top down:

* a President, secretary or chairman, that is the one people that speaks mostly for the foundation,

* a board, usually around 8 people

* a Commity (I don't know the exact english wording - "conseil d'administration" in french)

* an active membership

* a membership

usually, for example in a sport association, the membership is the people that makes sport as non professional, the active members are the people that use to have interest on organisational processes and association management, often they pay a bit more than the others.

All the members meet as a general assembly, sometime some members have a different weigth in votes than others. they elect the commity. Bay laws are decided from a special general assembly (Assemblée générale extraordinaire) and with a special % of the votes (3/4, 2/3...).

The GA are held *in person* (physically) and procuration can only be given to one people on a limited number (not to have one people having himself a majority)

The commity elects the board and the president.

This system is pretty difficult to setup for us, because we can't allow votes by mail (too easy to trick), and registered mail vote is extremely expensive. Physical encounter is not possible, of course.

So we may have to say that the foundation is *not* managed by it's lmembers, but by it's commity. This is perfectly fine in France.

bylaws, nominations, decisions are taken by the commity. Commity members are coopted (choosen by previous members).

If the initial bylaws are correctly setup, this can be a good way of life. For example we can have a 'constitution' saying that itself can't be changed by less than 80% of the commity, and internal rules modified by an ordinary majority.

The constitution can state than only 1/4 of the commity can be changed at a time (all these numbers are example, not propositions), and than the initial board (or a list of people) be member of the commity for all they life and so on.

so, first question:

* do we want a foundation directed by it's commity or by all the members (and if the second option is to be used, how do we identify the members?)

We already have elections, an election process, members and a membership process. We fine tune not throw away and start over.

jdd

-- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+help@opensuse.org

jdd wrote:

so, first question:

* do we want a foundation directed by it's commity or by all the members (and if the second option is to be used, how do we identify the members?)

The members decide what the organisation does, but by way of their elected board members. If the board members no longer represent the members' opinion and desires, it is up to the members to make sure they are not re-elected. -- Per Jessen, Zürich (4.8°C) -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+help@opensuse.org