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Membership rules summary
Posted by: MiKolar (IP Logged)
Date: June 06, 2006 01:29PM

Hi all!
Our discussion has somehow spread to too many threads (topics). So I started this Summary thread to focus it back. I tried to summarize it (again, this time hopefully with much less of new surprising formulations of mine), and put it into the attached file (simple text). Maybe you can download it, further edit it, and attach is (preferably with a different name/date) to your replies in this thread. This way we MAY arrive to some consensus, and then delete the old versions of the membership rules file?
Mirek


P.S. You can download an attached file by right-clicking on it, and choosing "Save Link Target As ..."

mk, [democracy.mkolar.org]



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/2006 01:39PM by MiKolar.


Attachments: MembershipRulesSummary_MiKolar_June6_06.txt (5.1kB)  
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Re: Membership rules summary
Posted by: EricLim (IP Logged)
Date: June 07, 2006 07:58AM

[Mirek]:
".....


There is a group of WDDM members who must administrate, organize and run the Organization.
A most appropriate name has to be established. Suggestions: WDDM Board (MiKolar's favourite), Managing Members/Group, Executive Committee, Active Members. I'll call it "Board" for short in the rest of the text.


It would be desirable if all the WDDM members could participate in the running of the organization in the true DD manner. However, the past experience shows that is is unrealistic to expect. Therefore a Board is needed. It needs to be decided how to best select the members of the Board.


Proposed rules:


Rule A: Only the Board Members shall have the powers to amend the Current Operating Rules or the Constitution of the WDDM.



Rule B: All motions, resolutions or decisions made by the Board Members only shall have primacy over those made by the Ordinary Members or by Ordinary and Board Members.
(I am not sure about this; shouldn't it be the other way round? In DD the power of all members should prevail over the power of the Board? But from the past experience this dilemma will hardly ever occur in the near future, because Ordinary members do not seem to be very active.)



Rule C: Any board Member who has failed to vote at the polls on issues required of the Board Members for more than five (5) times consecutively in a continuous period of more than three (3) months without a good reason or excuse acceptable to the other Board Members shall henceforth cease to be a Board Member and shall become an Ordinary Member. Such a person shall still be eligible to apply to be an Board Member; and



Rule D: A person shall cease to be a Board Member, if 75% of all the Board Members vote in favor of a motion to withdraw his Board Membership. He shall then become an Ordinary Member unless the motion expressly disallows him to be so.



Rule E: Ordinary Members shall have all the rights and obligations of the Board Members save those that have been vested in the Board Members by the Current Operating Rules or the Constitution.


....."



Mirek, please clarify whether there is only ONE category of members for WDDM or there are TWO categories of members as we have been discussing about them.


In other words, are your proposed "Board Members" constituted a different category of members or are they a group of members forming a board from ONE general body of Members?

Best Regards
Eric Lim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/07/2006 04:00PM by EricLim.


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Re: Membership rules summary
Posted by: MiKolar (IP Logged)
Date: June 07, 2006 09:31PM

Mirek, please clarify whether there is only ONE category of members for WDDM or there are TWO categories of members as we have been discussing about them.
In other words, are your proposed "Board Members" constituted a different category of members or are they a group of members forming a board from ONE general body of Members?


Two categories, as you suggested. I accepted your arguments. It's a different group. I've attached the clarified text below, with many typos corrected. I see this "Board" as an (possible) organization within the loose association of all (ordinary) WDDM members. I still do not know what's the best name for it. "Board" may be misleading, too. There may still be contradictions in my modified summary.


I am (we all apparently are) trying all the time to capture the past WDDM experience - there may be a large pool of "members"/suporters who want to be somehow associated with WDDM, but only the small percentage of them can afford to be active.


So "ordinary members" are simply Bruce's "e-mail members", "board" is the actual core group that will try to develop some activity. Or one can view them as 2 of the spheres of members of George's proposal.


Thus I removed rule E completely, modified rule B (removed my question below it, which only came to my mind because of the in-appropriate terminology used - we are not a model, at least not right now, of a society at large, we are a group of promoters of DD who should organize themselves in a way suitable to make some real achievements), and removed "Primary members" and the "transitional rule" completely.
Honorary members (my addition to our previous discussion) may take care of the past sensitivities, and we may return to calling various groups more appropriate names (such as using the terms "Associate Members" and "Ordinary Members" instead of "Ordinary Members" and "Board Members", respectively).


Does this make it more simple and clear enough? Please go ahead (the rest of the group) and complete the editing.


Mirek

mk, [democracy.mkolar.org]



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/07/2006 09:44PM by MiKolar.


Attachments: MembershipRulesSummary_MiKolar_June7_06.txt (4.4kB)  
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Re: Membership rules summary
Posted by: EricLim (IP Logged)
Date: June 08, 2006 08:43AM

In that case, there is no contradiction in the original Rule B as previously thought. Yes, your revised version makes things simpler and clearer.


In the final analysis, our success in making WDDM a leading DD organisation would depend on our ability to get as many “Ordinary Members” as possible to be “Board Members”. This is a bigger challenge than just writing the Constitution for WDDM. After all for DD to be truly viable, at least a sufficient majority of the members must be both informed and participating. The right to vote alone without the ability and desire to vote effectively is useless.



Spelling errors:


Para 2: iterative (?) Wiki (not Viki)


Para 4:
“… It (Board Members) consists of persons who are interested in being active in the field of the promotion of DD.”


This sentence be amended to “…. It consists of persons who are interested in being active in the management of WDDM.” Since “Ordinary Memebrs” may also be active in promoting DD in other ways.


Rule B: Ordinary Members (not Ordinary Memners)


To delete the word “probational” in the sentence immediately following Rule D as it is not necessary.


Becoming a Board Member, Para 2: Mailing address ( not Mailoing Address)

Best Regards
Eric Lim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/2006 08:45AM by EricLim.


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Re: Membership rules summary
Posted by: MiKolar (IP Logged)
Date: June 08, 2006 10:15AM

Eric thanks for the corrections/suggestions. I incorporated them, and here is the final (spell-checked) result:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


WDDM Membership


WDDM Membership (Ordinary Membership) is granted to all who complete the application form at [www.world-wide-democracy.net]
(see also the end of my post at [www.world-wide-democracy.net] for the discussion of the items in this form).
There is no approval requirements for Ordinary Members. However, their membership can be terminated, if their behaviour is in complete contradiction to the WDDM mission. Ordinary WDDM members represent a loose association of people with common interest in DD and in the activity of WDDM.


These members (Ordinary Members) will have access to the interactive facilities of the WDDM site (Forum and Wiki), and can participate in Discussions going on there and post their materials in the Wiki. They are all encouraged to become Board Members (see below).


Honorary WDDM Members are persons who initiated the idea of WDDM and were instrumental in its establishment and worked to maintain WDDM through its initial stages.
(To be clarified, may be controversial, these members would have no special role in the current WDDM, they do not even have to be the current members - this title is an acknowledgement of their historical role.)


There is a group of WDDM members who administrate, organize and run the WDDM.
A most appropriate name has to be decided. Suggestions posted/discussed so far: Active Members, Managing Members/Group, Executive Committee, WDDM Board. I'll call it "Board" for short in the rest of the text (but even "Board" does still not sound as the best choice, compatible with the next sentence).
Members of this group are being accepted/approved. This group can be seen as WDDM proper (an "organization" within the larger "association" of ordinary members). It consists of persons who are interested in being active in the in the management of the WDDM.



Proposed rules:


Rule A: Only the Board Members shall have the powers to amend the Current Operating Rules or the Constitution of the WDDM.


Rule B: All motions, resolutions or decisions are made by the Board Members only. Ordinary Members can make suggestions to the Board.


Rule C: Any board Member who has failed to vote at the polls on issues required of the Board Members for more than five (5) times consecutively in a continuous period of more than three (3) months without a good reason or excuse acceptable to the other Board Members shall henceforth cease to be a Board Member and shall become an Ordinary Member. Such a person shall still be eligible to apply to be an Board Member; and


Rule D: A person shall cease to be a Board Member, if 75% of all the Board Members vote in favor of a motion to withdraw his Board Membership. He shall then become an Ordinary Member unless the motion expressly disallows him to be so.


After a three-month period after becoming an Ordinary WDDM Member, all Ordinary Members can apply to be accepted as Board Members.



Becoming a WDDM Member


The completion of the application form at [www.world-wide-democracy.net] is all what is needed.



Becoming a Board Member


Application for Board Membership:
Any time after three months after becoming an Ordinary Member, one
can apply for the WDDM Board Membership. If they have not done so before,
the Board candidates have to give this information: the Mailing Address


To become a WDDM Board Member you must agree to the following:
I will actively participate in WDDM, by reading Forum and other WDDM correspondence.
I will post my opinion on issues.
I will vote so WDDM can make decisions.
I will make suggestions, proposals and other actions which help WDDM in its Goal.



Accepting a Board Member:
1. The Board Member Application is sent to all the current Board Members for review.
2. The Board Membership Application Review will be completed within XX days.
3. An applicant will be immediately accepted as a WDDM Board Member if not more than 20% of the current Board members have any objections to her/his Membership.
4. An applicant will be immediately rejected if 80% or more of the Board Members are against her/his Membership.
5. If none of 3. or 4. applies, the application is suspended until a consensus (either 3. or 4.) is achieved.

mk, [democracy.mkolar.org]


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Re: Membership rules summary
Posted by: BrEggum (IP Logged)
Date: June 08, 2006 07:16PM

Dear Mirek,


Thanks for the corrected version. Please Edit your original replacing it with this one.
ATB Bruce

Bruce Eggum Wisconsin USA
www.doinggovernment.com


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Re: Membership rules summary
Posted by: BrEggum (IP Logged)
Date: June 08, 2006 08:45PM

These are my suggestions:



My amendments in Re: Membership rules summary Posted by: MiKolar

Date: June 08, 2006 02:15PM
Amendments are [***** BrEggum]


WDDM Membership


WDDM Membership (Ordinary Membership) is granted to all who complete the application form at [www.world-wide-democracy.net]
(see also the end of my post at [www.world-wide-democracy.net] for the discussion of the items in this form).
There is no approval requirements for Ordinary Members. However, their membership can be terminated, if their behaviour is in complete contradiction to the WDDM mission. Ordinary WDDM members represent a loose association of people with common interest in DD and in the activity of WDDM.


These members (Ordinary Members) will have access to the interactive facilities of the WDDM site (Forum and Wiki), and can participate in Discussions going on there and post their materials in the Wiki. They are all encouraged to become Board Members (see below).
[I suggest these people are simply WDDM Members. I would call these people WDDM Members. BrEggum]


Honorary WDDM Members are persons who initiated the idea of WDDM and were instrumental in its establishment and worked to maintain WDDM through its initial stages.
(To be clarified, may be controversial, these members would have no special role in the current WDDM, they do not even have to be the current members - this title is an acknowledgement of their historical role.)
[These Honorary WDDM Members are Honored for their work developing WDDM. They are otherwise the same as all other WDDM Members with the same privileges etc. BrEggum]


There is a group of WDDM members who administrate, organize and run the WDDM.
A most appropriate name has to be decided. Suggestions posted/discussed so far: Active Members, Managing Members/Group, Executive Committee, WDDM Board. I'll call it "Board" for short in the rest of the text (but even "Board" does still not sound as the best choice, compatible with the next sentence).
[It is appropriate for any organization to have a Board and they often have administrative powers. I suggest these powers be granted a "WDDM Board". The board will than establish WDDM structure necessary to become an Organization. Than if agreed by consensus WDDM could be licensed. Thus I agree with the WDDM Board label.]


Members of this group are being accepted/approved. This group can be seen as WDDM proper (an "organization" within the larger "association" of ordinary members). It consists of persons who are interested in being active in the in the management of the WDDM.
[ It is not necessary to have a separate group of members. It is not necessary to be accepted/approved by anyone. The WDDM Board for right now is made up of WDDM Members who sign an agreement to be an active member of the WDDM Board. That is enough. Of course the WDDM Board has the power to police itself, if any board member acts without ethics etc. In the future, after WDDM is an organization and if the board gets to big to be efficient, than an election or appointment device may be needed, which can be developed at that time. None is needed now. BrEggum]



Proposed rules:


Rule A: Only the Board Members shall have the powers to amend the Current Operating Rules or the Constitution of the WDDM.
[Only, sounds elitist. Simply state:
Rule A. The WDDM Board has the authority to amend Current Operating Rules and the Constitution of WDDM. BrEggum]


Rule B: All motions, resolutions or decisions are made by the Board Members only. Ordinary Members can make suggestions to the Board.
[Rule B: All members can make suggestions to the WDDM Board following procedures to do so. ( This is the 1% DD rule I had listed before) BrEggum]


Rule C: Any board Member who has failed to vote at the polls on issues required of the Board Members for more than five (5) times consecutively in a continuous period of more than three (3) months without a good reason or excuse acceptable to the other Board Members shall henceforth cease to be a Board Member and shall become an Ordinary Member. [Correct this to simply member BrEggum]
{Delete this: Such a person shall still be eligible to apply to be an Board Member; and BrEggum]


Rule D: A person shall cease to be a Board Member, if 75% of all the Board Members vote in favor of a motion to withdraw his Board Membership. He shall then become an Ordinary Member unless the motion expressly disallows him to be so.
[Correct this to simply member BrEggum]
[This is redundant as the application for board membership states this:
After a three-month period after becoming an Ordinary WDDM Member, all Ordinary Members can apply to be accepted as Board Members.
This could be simply deleted or:
Change to; After being a WDDM Member for three months, a WDDM Member may apply to be a WDDM Board Member. BrEggum]



Becoming a WDDM Member


The completion of the application form at [www.world-wide-democracy.net] is all what is needed.


Becoming a Board Member


Application for Board Membership:
Any time after three months after becoming an Ordinary Member, one
[Change to: After three months a WDDM Member can apply for the WDDM Board Membership by completing the WDDM Board Membership application. The application is necessary so a signature is affixed to the agreement which includes mailing address etc. BrEggum]
[ Delete all this: To become a WDDM Board Member you must agree to the following:
I will actively participate in WDDM, by reading Forum and other WDDM correspondence.
I will post my opinion on issues.
I will vote so WDDM can make decisions.
I will make suggestions, proposals and other actions which help WDDM in its Goal. BrEggum]



[I ammend the days XX to 30 days. Of course if the members have consensus before than that result will be accepted. BrEggum]


Accepting a Board Member:
1. The Board Member Application is sent to all the current Board Members for review.
2. The Board Membership Application Review will be completed within xx days.
3. An applicant will be immediately accepted as a WDDM Board Member if not more than 20% of the current Board members have any objections to her/his Membership.
4. An applicant will be immediately rejected if 80% or more of the Board Members are against her/his Membership.
5. If none of 3. or 4. applies, the application is suspended until a consensus (either 3. or 4.) is achieved.


BrEggum

Bruce Eggum Wisconsin USA
www.doinggovernment.com


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Re: Membership rules summary
Posted by: EricLim (IP Logged)
Date: June 09, 2006 03:06AM

<Bruce>:
“[ It is not necessary to have a separate group of members. It is not necessary to be accepted/approved by anyone. The WDDM Board for right now is made up of WDDM Members who sign an agreement to be an active member of the WDDM Board. That is enough. ….]”


Sorry, Bruce. I have to disagree to this proposal. I thought you have understood and accepted the necessity for two groups of members for WDDM, one for anyone who supports or is interested in DD, but does not want to participate in the management of WDDM or to make decisions for it and the other for those who do.


For the first group, membership is generally open to anyone who is interested in WDDM whereas for the second group, application for membership and approval for admission by the current members are needed. (Hence the proposed application and approval procedures at the end of Mirek’s revised Membership Rules Summary to which you have no objection). Mirek has described the latter lucidly “as WDDM proper (an "organization" within the larger "association" of ordinary members)”. So it is actually not a board of the Ordinary Members. Let us be clear about this point.


The distinction between the two groups is exceedingly important because the members of the latter would be investing time, effort and resources in building WDDM hopefully into a successful and influential organisation. So it is proper and sensible that approval from the current members is needed for admission into this decision-making group while all other members are encouraged to join the group.


Do we want to be in a situation when inactive members who have little or no understanding of the current needs of WDDM suddenly walk in to be active members and demolish the good work done by the active members just because they have the number? Months or even years of hard and dedicated work would just go down the drain.


What about sleeper cells planted by the opponents of DD or true democracy when WDDM becomes prominent or has acquired resources?


In view of the above, it is not advisable to make the extensive amendments to the proposed Rules A to D as suggested by you.


The sentence immediately after Rule D may be amended to: After being a member for a continuous period of three months, an Ordinary Member may apply to be a Board Member.

Best Regards
Eric Lim


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Re: Membership rules summary
Posted by: BrEggum (IP Logged)
Date: June 09, 2006 11:42PM

<Bruce>:
“[ It is not necessary to have a separate group of members. It is not necessary to be accepted / approved by anyone. The WDDM Board for right now is made up of WDDM Members who sign an agreement to be an active member of the WDDM Board. That is enough. ….]”
<Eric>
Sorry, Bruce. I have to disagree to this proposal. I thought you have understood and accepted the necessity for two groups of members for WDDM, one for anyone who supports or is interested in DD, but does not want to participate in the management of WDDM or to make decisions for it and the other for those who do.

----------------------------------------------
Dear all, an organization is made up of members. Everyone in WDDM is a member and can be referred to as a member.


Apparently we want to honor the founders, so they are Honorary Members. (I thought honorary members, were a temporary thing, like you would make a movie star an honorary member of the foot ball team.) Perhaps they should be founding members or Honored members. ????


At any rate, a member is a member. But members have different ROLES. Thus someone who has completed an application to be on the WDDM Board, and agreed to the stipulations of that agreement, could be a WDDM Board member. That is that member's role. It is different than an honorary, or a simple member. However, the member who is on the WDDM Board is governed by the rules of the board which are the Ethics and other criteria we yet need to complete regarding the Charter etc. after we get membership completed.


No person or group can storm in and demand to be WDDM Board members. Once the WDDM Board is configured, the WDDM Board can make rules of membership, how many, who, and if they want to eventually rotate, what ever is needed.


Other members can have input by using DD criteria for proposals etc. We cannot expect the non participating members to "vote to approve" anything the Board decides, or we are back to zero.


Of course if a number criticize what the Board decides, I expect the Board would reconsider whatever issue it is.


If a mistake is made, than correct it and go on. This is a simple organization, trying to operate a website which will assist DD in being accepted by the world. That is all we are! I doubt we will be taken over, that we will need pith helmets and grenades to ward off the enemy. I could throw my oxygen tank at them; maybe they would think it was a bomb and run like hell!


Members, Honored Members, WDDM Board Members, Members who are "officers" such as chairperson, vise chair, secretary, treasurer, etc. are also members with a role to do and they will be prescribed how to do it and be restricted in the powers they have to do anything. That is why we need to have "job descriptions, to limit power. The Treasurer can only pay "approved" expenses. The chairperson functions to keep order in the meeting, not to dictate etc.


Checks and balances.


That is the requirement of licensing, to be creditable, responsible, and pay taxes if due-- eh eh eh .
All the Best, BrEggum

Bruce Eggum Wisconsin USA
www.doinggovernment.com


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Re: Membership rules summary
Posted by: MiKolar (IP Logged)
Date: June 10, 2006 09:26AM

Bruce and Eric,
I think we still have a problem with proper terminology that is the source of the most recent disagreement between you. "Board" as I used it was the source of the problem, I think.
So I changed terminology (back to the Associate and Ordinary members), and tried to accommodate your other suggestions and concerns, and with thus modified proposal started a new Thread (topic) called Membership Rules Summary No. 2.
Board could be a body within the organization of the Ordinary Members, but using this term to call so the whole organization was apparently misleading from me.

mk, [democracy.mkolar.org]


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