Wikimedia Australia/Draft Rules

This document is incomplete

Preface

1. This document forms the rules for Wikimedia Australia and should be read in conjunction with the organisation's constitution and mission statement.
2. Wikimedia Australia is an FORM OF ORGANISATION incorporated under ACT in the state of STATE
3. Wikimedia Australia is governed by the laws of the state of STATE
4. While Wikimedia Australia supports the work of Wikimedia Foundation Inc, a non-profit company incorporated in Florida in the United States of America, Wikimedia Australia is not legally an entity of the Wikimedia Foundation. Wikimedia Australia represents the Wikimedia Foundation morally but not legally.

Definitions

1. The act means the ACT
2. Wikimedia Australia means LEGAL TITLE OF THE ORGANISATION
3. The Foundation means Wikimedia Foundation Inc, a non-profit company in Florida, USA.
4. Legal entity means an organisation incorporated under various corporations, associations and co-operatives acts throughout Australia.

Abbreviations

1. Wikimedia means, unless stated otherwise, the Wikimedia Foundation in the United States of America.

Membership

1. A members register shall be kept by the secretary of the organisastion and must list the following information:

• Member's full name
• Member's username(s) on Wikimedia projects
• Member's date of birth (for a natural person)
• Member's Australian Business Number (for a legal entity)
• Member's address
• Member's type of membership
• The date the member became a member
• The date a member ceased to be a member
• The period upon which the member has paid their dues for

1. Membership shall be open to any person who supports the objects of the organisation and who agrees to abide by these rules
2. There is to be the following types of membership:

• Junior member: available to individuals under the age of 18 years
• Member: available to individuals aged 18 years or older
• Founding member: the same as a member except that the member has been a member since the organisation was incorporated
• Corporate member: available to organisations

1. To become a member, a person must apply in writing using the form given in Appendix 1
2. The applicant is then to forward the completed form to the organisation's secretary who shall forward it to the management committee for their consideration
3. A membership application is to be voted upon using the process for an ordinary motion of the committee
4. If the membership application is accepted, the secretary is to notify the applicant and request that the member pay their membership fee (if any).
5. Once the member has been accepted by the committee and pays their membership fee they become a member and the secretary is to enter that member's details in the member's register and provide the new member with a copy of these rules.
6. If the membership application is rejected, those who voted against the application are to give reason as to why they voted against the application. This is to be recorded in the minutes for the meeting. The secretary is then required to notify the applicant that their application was unsuccessful and provide the reasons for the application being rejected.
7. A junior member becomes a member automatically when they reach the age of 18 years. The member is not required to pay the difference between the junior membership and membership fees for the period upon which they had paid as a member.
8. A member shall cease to be a member under the following conditions:

• They are removed from membership by the committee for breaching the organisation's rules or not acting in the organisation's interests
• They resign membership by giving the secretary 14 days notice in writing
• They die
• They do not pay their membership dues within 60 days of them becoming due

1. In the case of a member having their membership terminated by the committee, the secretary shall give the member notice within 7 days of the decision being made and the reasons for the decision. The member shall then be given a 30 day period to appeal the decision in writing to the secretary who shall submit the appeal to the management committee for their consideration. The committee may decide to reinstate the member's membership or may hold their original decision. If the original decision holds CAN WE FIGURE THIS ONE??
2. Upon the cessation of a person's membership, the secretary shall record the date the membership ceased in the members register.
3. If a founding member's membership ceases and is later regained (through application), they will no longer be recognised as a founding member.
4. Rights and privelleges of membership:

1. Are not transferrable to another person or legal entity, and
2. Terminate upon the cessation of membership.

General Meetings

1. The secretary must, at least 14 days before the date fixed for the holding of the general meeting, give notice to each member specifying the place, date and time of the meeting and the nature of the business proposed to be transacted at the meeting.
2. No business other than that specified in the notice convening a general meeting is to be transacted at the meeting.
3. A member desiring to bring any business before a general meeting may give notice in writing of that business to the secretary who must include that business in the next notice calling a general meeting given after receipt of the notice from the member.
4. A general meeting may be held in person or on the Internet. If such a meeting is held on the Internet, verification procedures are to be used. ELLABORATE ON THIS...
5. A minimum quorum of 33% of the total membership or 10 members (whichever is the greater) is required to hold a general meeting.
6. The president is to preside as chairperson at each general meeting of the association.

1. If the president is not present or is unwilling to act, the members present must elect one of their number to preside as chairperson at a meeting.

1. Members and founding members are entitled to one vote at a general meeting.
2. Junior members and corporate members are not entitled to vote at a general meeting.
3. A motion becomes a resolution if it receives a two-thirds majority at a general meeting.

Annual General Meetings

1. The organisation must have its first annual general meeting within 18 months of incorporation.
2. The organisation shall have an annual general meeting in October of each year.
3. The annual general meeting in addition to any other business must:

1. Confirm the minutes of the last preceding annual general meeting and of any special general meeting held since that meeting,
2. Receive from the committee reports on the activities of the organisation during the last preceding financial year,
3. Elect office-bearers of the organisation and ordinary members of the committee,
4. To consider and receive financial statements of the organisation during the last financial year.

Special General Meetings

1. The committee may, as it sees fit call a special general meeting of the association.
2. The committee must, upon receiving a written request signed by at least 5 percent of the total membership requesting a special general meeting, cause such meeting to be convened within three months.
3. A requisition of members for a special general meeting:

1. Must state the purpose or purposes of the meeting, and
2. Must be signed by the members making the requisition, and
3. Must be lodged with the secretary, and
4. May consist of several documents in a similar form, each signed by one or more of the members making the requisition.

Special Resolutions

1. A resolution of the organisation is a special resolution if it is passed by a majority which comprises at least three-quarters of such members of the organisation as, being entitled under these rules so to do, vote in person or by proxy at a general meeting of which at least 21 days’ written notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution was given in accordance with these rules.

Finance

1. The financial year of the organisation shall begin 1 July and end 30 June each year.
2. The funds for the organisation shall be derived from membership fees, donations, other fundraising activities and government grants.
3. All money received by the association must be deposited as soon as practicable and without deduction to the credit of the association’s bank account.
4. The association must, as soon as practicable after receiving any money, issue an appropriate receipt.
5. Subject to any resolution passed by the association in general meeting, the funds of the association are to be used in pursuance of the objects of the association in such manner as the committee determines.
6. All cheques, drafts, bills of exchange, promissory notes and other negotiable instruments must be signed by the treasurer or employees of the association, being members or employees authorised to do so by the committee.
7. No member of the organisation is liable to contribute towards the payment of the debts and liabilities of the association or the costs, charges and expenses of winding up the association other than the balance of their own membership fees.

Common Seal

1. The organisation shall have a common seal.
2. The common seal of the association must be kept in the custody of the public officer.
3. The common seal must not be affixed to any instrument except by the authority of the committee and the affixing of the common seal must be attested by the signature of the public officer.

Custody of books

1. Except as otherwise provided by these rules, the public officer must keep in his or her custody or under his or her control all records, books and other documents relating to the association.

Inspection of books

1. The records, books and other documents of the association must be open to inspection, free of charge, by a member of the association at any reasonable hour.

Appendices

An applicant must apply using the following form (may be copied and pasted):

1. Full name
2. Username on Wikimedia projects
3. etc. tbc