Talk:Wikimedia Australia/Archives/2008

Rules for incorporation in Victoria

There are two proposals on the main page. The first, at Wikimedia Australia/Draft Rules of Association for Victoria 2, is the given model rules plus only necessary additions and changes. The second, at Wikimedia Australia/Draft Rules of Association for Victoria, is a full constitution essentially written from scratch. I want to strongly urge that we follow the first approach. Firstly, this ensures that we meet the required items that have to be included as these are in the model rules. Secondly, it will be easier to modify, if and when Victoria revises their model rules. These were written in 1981 and revised in 1996. A revision in the next few years seems likely. Thirdly, it helps to ensure that we make no legal blunders. Finally it is just simpler. The first proposal has received quite a bit of work by me and has been looked at by a Wikipedian who is a law academic at the University of Queensland. The second was written by Nathan (to whom thanks), but it has not been seriously checked by others. The first proposal does need some more work and some issues are discussed on its talk page at Talk:Wikimedia Australia/Draft Rules of Association for Victoria 2. Please join those discussions there. --Bduke 23:49, 14 January 2008 (UTC)

I have been digging around on the web pages of Consumer Affairs, and have sorted out a few matters. Of particular interest are the various fact sheets available at here. From these and other places I discovered the following:

• I see no mention of age except that the Public Officer must be over 18, with no maximum age.
• We can hold meetings outside Victoria.
• Incorporation will cost us $111.20 unless we adopt the model rules with no change, which is not going to happen (then it is $55.10).
• We can use teleconferencing for meeting, except for those that will propose a special resolution, provided they are set out in the Rules. Special resolutions are indeed special. They are "changing the name", " changing the rules", "changing the statement of purpose", "amalgamating with another incorporated association", and "winding up". In those cases, we would probably have to get a clear consensus before the meeting, and then hold a meeting in one place to formally approve the resolution by proxy voting and by members present.
• We can not hold meetings over the internet. This suggests to me that the committee has an informal meeting on IRC and then a formal meeting by telephone.
• The steps to setup are:
  • Have at least 5 members, a written statement of purpose and a set of rules.
  • Call a meeting giving 21 days notice (e-mail is OK according to Alan)
  • Hold the meeting and authorise a person to put in the application. That person becomes the first Public Officer. That person must live in Victoria. Then approve the rules and statement of purpose.
  • The Public Officer then does the paper work.
• Future Public Officers are appointed by the Committee.
• An AGM has to be held within 18 months of incorporating and then in a period after the end of each financial year.
• The Public Officer has to submit a report after the AGM to Consumer Affairs.

--Bduke 06:13, 17 January 2008 (UTC)

I have spoken to Consumer Affairs on the phone and they have told me that there is no restriction on age for members or committee members, except that the Public Officer must be over 18. Given this, do we want to consider having no age restrictions in any way? I am inclined to think yes and trust the good sense of meetings to elect members of the committee with a wide age spread. --Bduke 00:49, 18 January 2008 (UTC)

Appendix 4 of the Incorporation Rules

It has been our impression that the amount of subscription has to be specified as an appendix to the Rules. In the process of discussing our application for incorporation with Consumer Affairs, it became clear that we did not have to do that. The committee therefore authorised a change that has clearly been the consensus for some time, that the level of subscription should be determined by the committee from time to time. This avoids application to Consumer Affairs and an application fee whenever we wish to change the level of the fee. This change is now included in Wikimedia Australia/Rules for Wikimedia Australia Inc. --Bduke 08:31, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

Congratulations

I just read that you managed to get yourselves officially in existence. Congratulations! -- Jitse Niesen 15:39, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

yes! we exist! :-) Privatemusings 21:41, 30 August 2008 (UTC)

User:Auroranorth = sockpuppet (User:Littleteddy) ?

I just wanted to contact User:Auroranorth because of this page, but the link I follow alleges sockpuppetry. I do not know the details behind the allegation so I will withhold judgement but I think someone should either show weight from here and fight it if its false or someone should tag the user's name on here if its true. :)--Thecurran 20:22, 5 November 2008 (UTC)

It was all confirmed, there was a lot more involved. I just think we should let it rest, and this isnt the forumn to discuss user issues. Gnangarra 00:04, 6 November 2008 (UTC)