I'm also willing to listen to criticism of the chapter, and I promise I'll do my best to address any issues that I can, as long as it does not fall directly within the operational remit of the staff.
I don't share the concern about the jump in membership. All the reports I have seen indicate that the membership grew because a significant number of donors simply agreed to call £5 worth of their donations a membership fee. We have quite a few regular donors, so it does not seem unlikely to me that the observed effect on membership numbers was almost wholly as a result of that. The possibility of entryism has been a concern for the Board for some time, because of low numbers of members. However, again as far as I am aware, the jump in membership was not localised to any group other the very diverse group who are our regular donors. The result of that will be to make it more difficult for any special interest group to become a significant voting block, although the proof of that will lie with the next AGM, when we see if the number of members voting goes up in line with the increased membership. I have a sneaking feeling it might not. As ever, the trustees will be keen to hear of issues that the community raises, and concerned members should always feel that they can ask any trustee for items to be raised at the next Board meeting - or earlier, should the matter be urgent. Cheers -- Doug > On 10 April 2018 at 18:57 Stevie Benton <stevie.d.ben...@gmail.com> wrote: > > " though you are right to imply that the chapter is over-sensitive to > criticism... " > > John, I must have missed that bit as I didn't see Katie imply that at > all. If anything, I think the chapter receives, and always has received, a > lot of unwarranted criticism from people who have ill-defined issues with how > it operates. Some people have always been very quick to rush to criticism > rather than gently join a conversation. Others simply have an axe to grind. > > The chapter is doing a good job. Wouldn't it be nice if we heard people > say that more often? > > On Tue, Apr 10, 2018 at 6:49 PM, John Byrne <j...@bodkinprints.co.uk > mailto:j...@bodkinprints.co.uk > wrote: > > > > > > As very often in recent years, I got a notification of my post sent > > an hour or so ago, with completely blank text. Yet Katie has clearly seen > > it, as she quotes me. Have others also got blanks? Can the rather cryptic > > instructions for replies be clarified, or is there some bug? I get the > > digest version. It doesn't exactly encourage people to contribute, and may > > be a factor in the much lower activity on this list in recent years. It > > never used to happen. > > > > No Katie, I don't think this has much to do with it, though you are > > right to imply that the chapter is over-sensitive to criticism... > > > > John/Johnbod > > > > > > On 10 April 2018 at 18:37 wikimediauk-l-request@lists.wikimedia > > mailto:wikimediauk-l-request@lists.wikimedia .org wrote: > > > > > > Send Wikimediauk-l mailing list submissions to > > wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia mailto:wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia > > .org > > > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l > > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > > wikimediauk-l-request@lists.wikimedia > > mailto:wikimediauk-l-request@lists.wikimedia .org > > > > You can reach the person managing the list at > > wikimediauk-l-owner@lists.wikimedia > > mailto:wikimediauk-l-owner@lists.wikimedia .org > > > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > > than "Re: Contents of Wikimediauk-l digest..." > > > > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: UK chapter membership numbers (Charles Matthews) 2. UK > > chapter membership numbers (John Byrne) 3. Re: UK chapter membership > > numbers (Katie Chan) 4. Re: UK chapter membership numbers (Richard Nevell) > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------- > > > > > > Message: 1 > > > Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 14:25:51 +0100 (BST) > > > From: Charles Matthews > > > To: UK Wikimedia mailing list > > > Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] UK chapter membership numbers > > > Message-ID: < > > > 1623281894.198396.1523366751569@mail2.virginmedia > > > mailto:1623281894.198396.1523366751569@mail2.virginmedia .com> > > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > > > > > > > > > On 10 April 2018 at 11:41 Fæ wrote: > > > > > > > > It appears that the jump in numbers was a one-off > > > > event, there has > > > > been no continued growth since whatever happened. > > > > > > > > > > > I don't know what happened. I did > > > > correspond with the office about a prompt to renew. One could simulate > > > > such a "one-off event" by simply asking people whose membership had > > > > lapsed to renew. I was doing this sort of thing for WMUK some seven > > > > years ago, so as an explanation it is not far-fetched. > > > > > > Charles > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------- > > > > > > Message: 2 > > > Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 17:31:33 +0100 (BST) > > > From: John Byrne > > > To: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia > > > mailto:wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia . org > > > Subject: [Wikimediauk-l] UK chapter membership numbers > > > Message-ID: < 522111329.168305.1523377893491@email.1and1 > > > mailto:522111329.168305.1523377893491@email.1and1 . co.uk http://co.uk > > > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > > > > > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > > > URL: > > > > > > --------------------------------------------- > > > > > > Message: 3 > > > Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 18:31:14 +0100 > > > From: Katie Chan > > > To: UK Wikimedia mailing list > > > Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] UK chapter membership numbers > > > Message-ID: < > > > 7mbf1d6v6k6decqn08p662nx.1523381474669@email.android > > > mailto:7mbf1d6v6k6decqn08p662nx.1523381474669@email.android . com> > > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > > > > > > > > > > > Oh I don't know, maybe this "yawning gap" wouldn't be so wide > > > if the chapter don't get criticised for both not increasing its > > > membership numbers and having increased its membership numbers. > > > Just a wide guess.... > > > KTC > > > > > > Sent from my Samsung device > > > -------------- next part -------------- > > > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > > > URL: > > > > > > --------------------------------------------- > > > > > > Message: 4 > > > Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 17:37:12 +0000 > > > From: Richard Nevell > > > To: UK Wikimedia mailing list > > > Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] UK chapter membership numbers > > > Message-ID: > > > > > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > > > > > Dear Fae, > > > > > > My memory could be failing me, but I thought it was explained > > > at the AGM > > > that the increase was a result of asking donors to become > > > members. > > > > > > It sounds like you are more interested in the 'how' of the > > > process and the > > > 'who' as you seem dissatisfied with the answer to *why* there > > > was an > > > increase. To make sure we're on the same page is that what > > > you meant? > > > > > > Regards, > > > Richard Nevell > > > > > > PS. Have you had a chance to look into the issue on Commons > > > with the > > > conflicting licence for some images from the Portable > > > Antiquities Scheme? > > > My question was archived before a reply. > > > > > > > > > On 10 April 2018 at 11:41, Fæ wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Yes, at the AGM the tripling of membership > > > numbers was explained as > > > > being due to an increase in members joining. No > > > > meaningful facts were > > > > presented to the members, but the impression given by > > > > the Chair and > > > > the CEO was that there would be more information > > > > publicly available. > > > > > > > > My question was "why". Sharing information about any > > > > discussion the > > > > trustees have had on improving protection against > > > > entryism, would be > > > > healthy for transparency, as would sharing exactly what > > > > happened that > > > > caused this massive, overnight, leap in membership > > > > totals. Currently, > > > > there is zero information on the nature of who joined, > > > > which may have > > > > been down to how they joined. As an example, if 351 > > > > people joined at > > > > an academic conference in London, then the people > > > > joining would be > > > > academics who go to events in London and if the 351 new > > > > members were > > > > found due to appeals by the CEO on Facebook, then the > > > > new members > > > > would be limited to people who follow or network with > > > > the CEO on > > > > Facebook. > > > > > > > > It appears that the jump in numbers was a one-off > > > > event, there has > > > > been no continued growth since whatever happened. > > > > Should the chapter > > > > start maintaining the published membership report > > > > again, then it will > > > > be possible for people apart from chapter employees to > > > > have access to > > > > the latest facts. > > > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > Fae > > > > > > > > On 9 April 2018 at 22:01, Richard Nevell > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > Dear Fae, > > > > > > > > > > As was explained at the AGM the increase in the > > > > > number of members was the > > > > > result of a successful membership drive. > > > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > Richard Nevell > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 9 Apr 2018 21:34, "Fæ" wrote: > > > > > > > > > > During the last UK Chapter AGM, it was asked why > > > > > the membership > > > > > numbers had radically changed, there was no > > > > > specific answer to the > > > > > question. Was any analysis done on this > > > > > afterwards? When reviewing > > > > > membership it seems likely that the charity's > > > > > trustees would have been > > > > > concerned at these figures so shortly before the > > > > > AGM, due to the > > > > > potential risk of entryism. > > > > > > > > > > Membership jumped from a total of 147 (a five > > > > > year low) in May 2017, > > > > > to the all time record high the following month > > > > > of 498, i.e. new > > > > > sign-ups that month more than *tripled* the total > > > > > membership. > > > > > > > > > > A second question - the report of membership > > > > > numbers has been updated > > > > > every month for the past five years.[1] It has > > > > > not been updated since > > > > > October 2017. Could anyone confirm what the most > > > > > recent membership > > > > > numbers are so the report can be updated? > > > > > > > > > > P.S. the links in the FAQ about the register of > > > > > members are out of > > > > > date, the companylawclub link is a 404 error and > > > > > the companieshouse > > > > > link advises to go to their new website. > > > > > > > > > > Links: > > > > > 1. > > > > > https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/Membership/Numbers > > > > > https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/Membership/Numbers > > > > > > > > > > 2. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/Volunteers_-_Frequently_Asked_Questions#Why_do_you_keep_a_register_of_members.3F > > > > > > > > > > https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/Volunteers_-_Frequently_Asked_Questions#Why_do_you_keep_a_register_of_members.3F > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > Fae > > > > > -- > > > > > fae...@gmail.com mailto:fae...@gmail.com > > > > > https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Fae > > > > > https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Fae > > > > > > > > > > ______________________________ _________________ > > > > > Wikimedia UK mailing list > > > > > wikimediau...@wikimedia.org > > > > > mailto:wikimediau...@wikimedia.org > > > > > > > > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l > > > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l > > > > > WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ______________________________ _________________ > > > > > Wikimedia UK mailing list > > > > > wikimediau...@wikimedia.org > > > > > mailto:wikimediau...@wikimedia.org > > > > > > > > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l > > > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l > > > > > WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > fae...@gmail.com mailto:fae...@gmail.com > > > > https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Fae > > > > https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Fae > > > > > > > > ______________________________ _________________ > > > > Wikimedia UK mailing list > > > > wikimediau...@wikimedia.org > > > > mailto:wikimediau...@wikimedia.org > > > > > > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l > > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l > > > > WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk > > > > > > > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- > > > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > > > URL: > > > > > > --------------------------------------------- > > > > > > Subject: Digest Footer > > > > > > ______________________________ _________________ > > > Wikimediauk-l mailing list > > > Wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia > > > mailto:Wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia . org > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------- > > > > > > End of Wikimediauk-l Digest, Vol 153, Issue 5 > > > ****************************** *************** > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ______________________________ _________________ > > Wikimedia UK mailing list > > wikimediau...@wikimedia.org mailto:wikimediau...@wikimedia.org > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l > > WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia UK mailing list > wikimediau...@wikimedia.org > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l > WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk >
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