[Fsfe-ie] IFSO Rules, Draft 2

[Ciaran O'Riordan]

A few suggestions:

?? add preamble to define 1. Free Software and 2. source code),
?? (rip from 1. www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html, 2. GPL)
(similar to what Loic Dachary suggested)

OBJECTS

1. The name of the Club shall be Irish Free Software Organisation
   ('IFSO')
2. The club shall Promote and defend the writing of Free Software of
   the sort advocated by the Free Software Foundation and others,
3. Promote and defend the use of Free Software, and
4. Encourage the localisation and translation of Free Software into
   Irish. 

?? reduce 2, 3, and 4 to: "to promote and defend Free Software"
?? (this covers all of the above without restricting us)

[...]
1.2. Membership of IFSO shall comprise Ordinary, Student, and Honorary
     members. The Membership of Honorary Members may be limited in
     time.

?? remove "Student"?

1.3. All new members shall be invited to complete an application form
     for membership for consideration and approval by the Executive
     Committee. The Committee shall have the right to reject
     membership applications. 

?? 1/ Person with 20quid approaches Committee Member.
?? 2/ Committee Member acknowledges Person and goes off to make decision
??    with rest of Committee.
?? 3/ Committee Member returns to Person with decision.
??
?? (what if the rest of the committee aren't present/available?)
?? 
?? Better: Person gives committee member money, committee member takes
?? name, email address, and any other contact info provided. done.

2.7. Election of officers shall be by a show of hands and in the event
     of any dispute the Chairman may call for an election by paper
     ballot or adjourn the meeting for that issue to be determined
     separately.

?? shouldn't we include non-attendees in the voting process?
?? how would cork or U.S.-based members vote?
?? I suggest a closed paper+email ballot, with all votes published
?? after the count.  This system is fully accountable and fair.  It
?? lacks privacy, but otherwise we have to either exclude
?? non-dubliners, implement net-voting (without a paper trail), or use
?? some kind of postal voting with amazing unforgeable, traceable paper.
?? voting could take place in the week up to and including the Annual
?? General Meeting, with results announced at the AGM.

2.8. A quorum for a General Meeting held under these Rules shall be
     ten paid up members of IFSO.

?? I presume "General Meeting" should be "Annual General Meeting".

?? How about: The Committee plus 15% of membership
?? This scales up and down a lot better than "ten".

3.1. An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be convened by The
     Chairman upon receipt by him of a written request so to do signed
     by not less than six paid up members of IFSO such request to
     particularise the purpose of the request and any resolutions
     proposed.

?? Maybe: 4 members or 10%, whichever is larger
(similar to what Niall Douglas suggested)


Also, we should add an "IFSO can act on behalf of a member if that
member requests assistance" clause, as Loic Dachary suggested.

-- 
Ciaran O'Riordan - http://www.compsoc.com/~coriordan/