Talk:Wikimedia Chapters Association/Membership

Date of board deliberation

Should we indicate the date the board decided to support the WCA, or the date that the representative was chosen?--Pharos (talk) 17:09, 1 July 2012 (UTC)

Decisive is the date at which the chapter's request to join was accepted by the committee, or the Council Member. There are no representatives, the term in the charter is Council Member. Representatives have been at the chapters conference in Berlin. Ziko (talk) 18:16, 1 July 2012 (UTC)

OK, "Council Member" it is. (I did not mean to imply that individual members shouldn't act on their own consciences; this is the case also with many "House of Representatives" in national parliaments.) Regarding the date, have any chapter requests actually been *officially* accepted by the WCA committee?--Pharos (talk) 20:09, 1 July 2012 (UTC)

Hello, a "Deputy Council Member" does not exist. But a board can replace the council member.Ziko (talk) 17:33, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Our board has designated someone simply to serve as substitute in case the Council Member is unable to attend a meeting, or a portion of a meeting. This person will have no authority when the Council Member proper is present, but will serve as a fully empowered acting Council Member in their absence. Obviously we cannot have a board vote every time the Council Member may called away by exigencies during a very busy conference, so we have chosen to designate our second choice ahead of time.--Pharos (talk) 04:43, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

I'm not sure that's really permitted under the WCA charter; see, for example, articles B4 and B5:

Art. 3 [Members]: The Council consists of its Members. Each Chapter selects one Council Member, by announcement of the Chapter to the Chair of the Council. Council Members serve for a term of two years. Each Council Member has one vote.

Art. 4 [Replacement of Council Members]: A Chapter may replace their Council Member for the remainder of the term according to their internal procedures by announcing a replacement Council Member to the Chair of the Council. Council Members can be removed by the Council for severe misconduct with a two third majority vote. If a Chapter leaves the Association the Council Member leaves the Council.

(emphasis mine) Even if we assume, for the sake of argument, that what you're doing is actually replacing the selected Council Member rather than appointing a "substitute", such a replacement would need to be officially communicated by the chapter; it would not, in my opinion, be permissible for a Council Member to simply switch positions with their deputy in the middle of a meeting.

Now, personally, I don't actually have a problem with having deputies and allowing them to replace missing council members; but, if that approach is to be permitted, it needs to be made clear that this option is available to all chapters, rather than being done on an ad-hoc basis. Kirill ^[talk] 12:26, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Good remarks, Kirill. There must be in any case a clear communication to the Chair, and a Chair should not accept exchanges like every hour. Otherwise we might have a little chaos. And a new Council member has full rights for a term of 2 years. After that, a new appointment is necessary (no "substituted" who comes back). Greetings Ziko (talk) 03:07, 9 July 2012 (UTC)

Membership

Could the chair or vice-chair make sure that the membership page is appropriately updated (chapters being members + representative names) ? Thanks Anthere (talk) 11:17, 18 July 2012 (UTC)

I will update the page soon, with Chapters, Council Members and other information. Ziko (talk) 11:53, 19 July 2012 (UTC)

Is it necessary to add photograph? Salvador alc (talk) 18:57, 19 July 2012 (UTC)

¿What are you counting only 20 member chapters for? If were 25 who signed the Berlin Agreement. ¿You are counting only who was in Washington meeting? ¿Why? Salvador alc (talk) 19:10, 19 July 2012 (UTC)

Hello, I heard someone saying that pictures would be very useful to recognize and memorize people. / I counted, in accordance with Fae, all the chapters that had a CM in the meeting of July 11th. One of them, Sergey (RU), was not on the previous list, but he personally confirmed to me that he is the CM. I talked on Wikimania also to Chantal (CH) and Itzik (IL), who both missed the meeting for a couple of hours. I think that it is important to be sure who is the CM, and if the Chair or Deputy Chair did not talk to a CM in person, there should be a confirmation otherwise. / About the Berlin Agreement: it is here in the upper list indeed mainly for historical reasons - the B.A. is only about the intention to join. In the lower list, with the chapters that did not join, the information with regard to the B.A. makes more sence, in a way. Kind regards Ziko (talk) 13:35, 20 July 2012 (UTC)

Additional note: for the sake of simplicity, we should consider the 2 year term of a CM to start with July 11th. Ziko (talk) 13:38, 20 July 2012 (UTC)

Well. WMMX declared his intention of join in the B.A. I was declared as representative since July 10th.. Then, I assume, we only need write the letter in order to obtain our full recognition as C.M. Is this correct? Salvador alc (talk) 15:38, 20 July 2012 (UTC)

Hello Salvador, yes; it would be great to accept te Mexican capter as a member of the WCA and you as Council Member. Ziko (talk) 05:51, 21 July 2012 (UTC)

Wikimedia Norge support to the WCA

I have made this edit changing the position of WM-NO from "no" to "support" for what I can understand from the supporting WM-NO board resolution WM-NO is actually supporting the WCA and have also nominated a representative, in the resolution is also added that the general assembly has granted the board of WM-NO the power to withdraw from the WCA if they think is needed. Since I could not read the original board resolution and I could be in error I would like that somebody from WM-NO confirm this. Thank you. -- CristianCantoro (talk) 21:22, 19 July 2012 (UTC)

From the minutes from the first meeting it can be seen that WMNO indeed had a Council Member present and joined the WCA. Ainali (talk) 22:11, 19 July 2012 (UTC)

Sorry if I made any mistakes, or was not complete. Thanks for corrections. About the Norwegian chapter: I didn't see it on the list of the signers of the Berlin Agreement. If it signed it later, that's ok and should be explained in a footnote.Ziko (talk) 13:20, 20 July 2012 (UTC)

"Berlin Agreement"

Is the first column in the table, which is labeled "Berlin Agreement", intended to show whether the chapter's representatives signed the agreement (in Berlin), or whether the chapter ratified the agreement (or, more precisely, ratified the WCA charter)? The reference to board deliberations suggests the latter, but there seems to be some confusion nonetheless. Kirill ^[talk] 00:50, 25 July 2012 (UTC)

I suppose it is enough if a chapter declares that it joins WCA (that also means it agrees with WCA charter). --Perohanych (talk) 21:21, 25 July 2012 (UTC)

Signing the Berlin Agreement (by representatives who had the right to do so) was only a declaration of the intention to join. It is now of historical interest. / A chapter has joined after the Chair has accepted the chapter's declaration to join and altered the list. Ziko (talk) 21:29, 25 July 2012 (UTC)

Is this list up tp date?

I just tried to figure out the status of chapters. In the "other members" section, I find three chapters that have already appointed a Council Member. What is hindering their membership? --Mglaser (talk) 22:28, 25 February 2013 (UTC)

I can look at this on Wednesday, but not before that due to my commitment to being on an interview panel. If someone else can review the situation, or the Chapters involved summarize, I would be grateful. Thanks --Fæ (talk) 22:49, 25 February 2013 (UTC)

Just sent out emails to the named CMs. --Mglaser (talk) 23:19, 25 February 2013 (UTC)

Thank you, Markus. It must make absolutely clear that only a chapter that has actually joined can appoint a Council Member, and that all other persons - whatever their chapters call them - are no Council Members. I write this because there has been some confusion in the past. If in future the WCA thinks that there should be alterations, it can do so by changing the Charter accordingly. Ziko (talk) 23:29, 25 February 2013 (UTC)

Thanks for following this up Markus. I have already had an email back from Wikimedia India, and I hope they can get a statement back to me this week to put forward a Council member. --Fæ (talk) 22:38, 26 February 2013 (UTC)