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Wikimedia Chapters Association/Meetings/2012-45

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Purpose

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This meeting is about further proceedings in the WCA process.

Minutes of Meeting Number 2

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Logistics
Date/Time
Proposed agenda
  1. Location: How to proceed --Mglaser (talk) 22:44, 9 November 2012 (UTC)[reply]
  2. Narrowing focus: What does this mean for the WCA? --Mglaser (talk) 22:44, 9 November 2012 (UTC)[reply]
  3. FDC mail about "membership fees" --Mglaser (talk) 23:02, 10 November 2012 (UTC)[reply]
  4. Chapters Conference: role of the WCA? --Mglaser (talk) 10:51, 11 November 2012 (UTC)[reply]
  5. Visibility: Chapters Overview pages on meta. --Mglaser (talk) 10:51, 11 November 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Dial-in

see Wikimedia Chapters Association/Meetings/Talkyoo

Attendees

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  • Kjetil - Wikimedia Norway
  • Aegis - Wikimedia Poland
  • Markus - Wikimedia Germany
  • Laurentius - Wikimedia Italy
  • Ziko WMNL
  • Manuel WMAT

1. Location resolution

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Fae: any questions about location resolution?
Markus there's another resolution about Geneva in preparation. How to they relate?
Fae: General resolution takes precedence
ACTION 2.1: Fae to write a bit more about what the 'sponsor' of a location is supposed to do on the meta talk page.
Markus: what are the conditions of voting? How do we avoid failing because the absolute majority is not reached. We should better aim for the relative majority.
Fae: The key point about the vote is that there needs to be a necessary quorum, this is not who votes one way or another, but the fact that 11/21 Council Members need to take part. Any Council Member taking part is automatically counted in the quorum. (I'll try and explain this better on the :meta talk page.)
Markus: after resolution "2012 Office location" was not approved, what is the "Public call for proposals" resolution about?
Fae: resolution is just about place of incorporation
Markus: office and infrastructure can be provided by some local chapters (DE, UK, etc).
Aegis:I'd like to support the notion voiced by Markus that we could use some resources (desk, phone etc.) of existing Wikimedia Chapters. So far we have proved that we can fund particular activities by direct payments done by particular chapters

2. Narrowing focus

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Fae: Sue is very open and that's good. Some things like Glam are not in the responsibility of the WMF.
Markus: How do we position ourselves to claim responsibility for areas that the WMF is backing away from?
Manuel: Technical, Financial and Project Content are three separate areas. The WCA is the umbrella but not the project content creator itself.
Ziko: Foundation board members are happy to see the WCA taking over some of the tasks that the WMF are backing away from. However the WCA should itself narrow its focus. Providing a suitable umbrella may take one or two years.
Markus: the WCA should facilitate the programmatic work of chapters, not take over.
Aegis agrees the WCA is an umbrella org
Manuel: The WCA should not do the work. Taking GLAM or WLM these are wide projects but the WCA could help with exchanging experience, support in terms of organizational support and potentially financial support. The WMF was critiscised for building up structures in India although there is an Indian chapter.
Fae: we could consider a transition plan e.g. for GLAM. Another example would be the GLAMtool with Europeana (fae adding...)
Ziko: The WCA should first narrow its focus and give itself some time until 2014, and have for then a plan or vision. In the Council there are still very different visions.
Manuel: we can issue a statement instead of a resolution to state we are aware of narrowing focus
Markus is strongly in favor of this. It also gives the WCA some visibility
Aegis: supports the notion voiced by Manuel et al that chapters can take a big number of tasks by themselves, leaving for WCA mostly facilitation and sharing experience. So far direct funding and actions done by WMNL, WMDE, WMPL seem to prove it is feasible.
ACTION 2.2: Manuel and Markus to work on a draft statement for comment on-wiki and then Fae to formally issue it on behalf of the council. (Ziko: on behalf of the Chair, Council or WCA? Fae: Council I think) - see Wikimedia_Chapters_Association/Statements/2012-11_Wikimedia_Foundation_narrowing_its_Focus

3. FDC not supporting WCA contributions (membership fees)

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Markus: This could become a serious financial problem for the WCA.
Aegis: in PL there is a legal issue as we cannot transfer funding to a second organization, so this would be a barrier to a fees mechanism. How the WCA can do more than pay for travel but employ staff and administer may become significant.
Ziko: Three ways of getting money of the FDC to the WCA. 1) Directly. 2) Via incidential support from the chapters. 3) Via a chapters contribution to the WCA.
Markus please update last column on http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Oop/Some_budget_data to get an idea of financial situation and impact
Markus: will inform
Fae: The FDC did not approach the Chair about the general funding situation of WCA, so information has been second-hand. We should prepare for Plan B — grant or some other arrangement?
ACTION 2.3: Markus report to the Council what FDC answers to Pavel Richter's request for clarification on the issue.

4. Wikimedia Conference: role of the WCA?

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Laurentius: The plan is still proceeding to host the conference in Italy.
Markus: Part of the WCA funds held by WMDE was for hosting the conference. WMDE would like to use these monies to support the conference under the name of the WCA.
Laurentius: WMIT is liaising with Nicole. There is a plan to ask the FDC for a special grant. Still at an early stage of organization.
Markus: We should share experience under the WCA umbrella. The WCA may not be helping directly but it would be useful to be seen to document the conference experience under the WCA.
Ziko: The WCA has member chapters amounting to around half of all chapters. How we deal with matters across all chapters may be an issue.
Markus the situation is similar to the relation of community members to chapter members.
ACTION 2.4: Markus/Laurentius to establish a sub-page on :meta to capture details. [Before next telecon]

5. Visibility: Chapters Overview pages on meta.

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Markus: We should have a Council profile page with more detail on Council Members.
ACTION 2.5: Markus: set up such a page

http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Chapters_Association/Tasks

Fae: The task list should supplemented by a formal action list from Council meetings (numbered by meeting number).
ACTION 2.6: Fae prepare action list [In time for next telecon]
Fae: we should structure and number our resolutions
Fae: Ziko prepared a list with bulletin items
Fae: we should use the general mailing list (chapters-l?)
Ziko: Have a bulletin for the WCA Council proceedings, in the responsibility of the Chair. Send the bulletin to the mailing lists and also place it on Meta.

Other business

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ACTION 2.7: Markus set up time for next call in three weeks

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