I'm familiar with user groups that operate on $0 funding levels. Here in
Portland there is the Portland Linux/UNIX Group (aka PLUG), which has
operated for years with no real source of money -- just volunteer labor
& donated server resources & using public spaces to meet in. For years
it was vital to more than the few of us interested in Linux & UNIX,
because it was one of the venues people interested in technology could
meet & exchange ideas. PLUG was one reason O'Reilly held their Open
Source Conferences in Portland for several years. (One restaurant in
downtown Portland liked to host our meetings because it brought in more
customers than their Monday Night Football specials.) Nevertheless, the
man who led PLUG, David Mandell, was well informed about how important
being an incorporated non-profit was, & had ownership of the
incorporation papers for another, now defunct, non-profit for the time
it made sense that PLUG become a more formal organization.
My concern in my previous email was that all of the labor & money to
become a non-profit was about to be wasted because someone had decided
to drop out without completing the paperwork to keep the Cascadia UG in
good standing, both with the Foundation & the State of Washington. Maybe
at the moment the Cascadia UG doesn't need to be a formal group; that's
fine. However, there are certain benefits to being a formal
organization. Saying that one is a member of a formal group opens
certain doors that saying, "I'm a Wikimedian & I make edits to this
Wiki" doesn't. Another benefit is that if one needs money to do
something, having a formal organization to handle the grants or
contributions makes life much less complex.
Lane, so if missing a report this year isn't going to sabotage the
Cascadia UG, that relieves a lot of worry on everyone's part. Although I
believe it would be good for all in the long run if someone from the
Foundation were to explain to the person involved that while a volunteer
can walk away from any of the projects at any time with very little
effort, there are certain responsibilities in life that when assumed one
cannot just walk away from before they are done. And the financial
reporting is one of them. Especially when, in your words, it requires a
couple of hours a year of work.
One reason I want a Cascadia UG -- or a US Wikimedia Chapter, or some
kind of formal group in North America -- is that it provides a sense of
community that an online Wiki fails to provide. For one thing, it's been
documented that a healthy online community flourishes when there are a
lot of off-line back-channels. Another is that IMHO a lot of Wikipedians
would be more interested in advocacy or partnering with outside groups
if they knew of similar work being done near them; not everyone is eager
to be a solo pioneer setting off into unexplored territory with no one
to support or even be aware of their work. Sometimes we simply want to
share one of the minor successes in making a contribution to Wikipedia
(or a similar Wikimedia project). The other week I shared with my wife a
success in getting one of my articles on Roman consuls figured out, only
to have her blandly reply, "So?" And there's a large amount of unwritten
knowledge around the Wikimedia projects that either is not documented
online, or will never be documented online, that each of us knows;
sharing it would only benefit us all.
I'd also like to hear more about what my fellow Wikimedians are doing.
Even if it's unrelated to outreach or advocacy. Boast a little on this
mailing list. Especially since there's no good place on any of the Wikis
to do this, & we all need to brag a little once in a while. IMHO, doing
that can inspire others to take on tasks that need doing.
In other words, anyone who spends more than a little time away from the
computer working on a Wikimedia project knows that such activity is
socially isolating. This UG could address that issue to some degree. And
this is why I find watching the Cascadia UG fall apart over a trivial
matter discouraging.
P.S. To Jason -- Pete Forsyth & I met the other week & were discussing
ideas about outreach & how to support Wikimedians in ways the Foundation
either won't do, or is unwilling to do. You should join us in our next
discussion. One reason I'd like to restart Wikimeetups here in Portland.
Geoff Burling
en: llywrch
On 2018-03-14 09:11, Jonathan Morgan wrote:
Agree with Lane and Joe that we should keep this going since it's easy
and
valuable. I know I'm not that active, but as long as we're talking
about
doing what's necessary to keep the organization afloat, rather than
active
program management and administration, I am happy to use my convenient
dual
staff/volunteer role to attempt to expedite any necessary communication
or
coordination stuff between Cascadia and WMF. Let me know.
- J
On Wed, Mar 14, 2018 at 8:24 AM, Lane Rasberry <[email protected]>
wrote:
Hello,
Pine, I think that you have much higher personal standards for Wiki
Cascadia than the Washington Secretary of State has for organizations
or
than the Wiki Affiliations Committee has for official partner
organizations. When you were on the board you set ambitious goals for
Wiki
Cascadia. Even now with its challenges it ranks favorably against other
registered wiki groups, being easily among the top 50%, likely in the
top
25%, and perhaps in the top 10%. Most wiki user groups are casual
operations and I feel that Wiki Cascadia already accomplishes beyond
the
norm. I am happy with the ongoing activities of Wiki Cascadia.
llywrch - typical Cascadia group events are organized by committees of
2-4
people. The board does not centrally review programs, and instead
provides
a centralized project space for announcing and reporting any events
which
are aligned with typical wiki community interests. Wiki Cascadia teams
have
done some interesting and innovative projects but nothing that I would
call
radical and in need of thorough oversight. Almost anyone engaged in any
wiki project in the region can affiliate with Wiki Cascadia if they
like.
This governance format is usual for wiki user groups at the ~$0 funding
level.
If there is any winding down ever, then probably winding down WMF
affiliation would come before disbanding as a nonprofit because the WMF
has
higher standards for reporting than the state government. If Wiki
Cascadia
stays in good standing with the WMF then it can meet the lower
expectations
of the state government.
The administrative burden for an organization with near 0 budget is
about 2
hours/year from the perspective of the Washington Secretary of state.
If
there are challenges with this then the answer is to pass the work on
through the network of Wiki Cascadia supporters. While I personally
have
been hands-off for administration, I see a lot of value in the
organization, and am here to help sustain the organization and identify
other board members if there is a crisis and the organization needs
some
support. There are other people like me who care and would support if
asked.
I anticipate being in Seattle in mid-April and would meet with anyone
to
talk about next steps. My schedule is not yet firm, but to the extent
that
I am able I would show support. There are always ways that I and others
would support remotely.
Thanks,
On Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 3:46 PM, Pine W <[email protected]> wrote:
Hi Joe,
I haven't heard anything from Peacray about this in awhile. However, he
appears to be active on English Wikipedia (see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Peaceray), so I
suggest
that you ask him on his talk page.
The impression that I get is that he and Brian lack the time and
interest
to continue with the Cascadia organization, and if that is the case and
no one else is interested and willing to keep the organization alive,
then the organization should be wound down and any remaining assets
(like the camera and camcorder) should be handled in the manner that's
specified in the
bylaws:
"ARTICLE XIV - DISSOLUTION
"Vote Required. The Corporation may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote
of
the Board.
"Donation of Remaining Assets. Upon the termination, dissolution or
final
liquidation of the Corporation in any manner or for any reason, its
assets, if any, remaining after payment (or provision for payment) of
all
liabilities of the Corporation, shall be distributed to, and only to,
one
or more organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable
or educational purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt
organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code as
the Board shall
determine by majority vote. Such distribution of assets shall be
calculated to carry out the objectives and purposes stated in the
Articles of
Incorporation. In no event shall any of such assets or property be
distributed to any member, Director or Officer, or any private
individual."
I wish that I had better news. :(
Pine
( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine )
On Sun, Mar 11, 2018 at 10:14 AM, Joe Mabel <[email protected]>
wrote:
It's mid-March. Has something been filed without the Board having a
chance to review? Or has nothing been filed?
JM
On 1/30/2018 8:16 AM, Joe Mabel wrote:
Is anything happening on this?
JM
On 12/29/2017 9:40 AM, Raymond Leonard wrote:
Joe & all,
I am still working on this. Right now I have a $16.49 discrepancy
that
I need to figure out before it will balance.
Yours,
Peaceray
--
[email protected]
On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 11:34 AM, Raymond Leonard <
[email protected]> wrote:
Joe & all,
I've been preoccupied with holiday activities w/family & friends
since
the annual meeting, & I am currently in Portland. I will be
returning
to Seattle this afternoon & will work on this, hoping to complete by
tomorrow
morning at the latest.
Peaceray
--
[email protected]
On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 9:56 PM Joe Mabel <[email protected]>
wrote:
At the annual meeting we were told that the financial statement
would
be available in time for Board members to review it before the end of
the
year and sign off. I realize we are just coming out of a holiday,
but
there are only 5 days remaining in the year, 2 of which are another
holiday weekend. If the report has been posted, I don't see where.
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_Wikimedians/2017_report
still
says "To be posted."
JM
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Lane Rasberry
user:bluerasberry on Wikipedia
206.801.0814
[email protected]
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