To reply to Harry's points:
(i) Should we enforce more checks on prospective
members?
Yes, although "enforce" is the wrong word. Perhaps "check that they are
real people who will support our objects and haven't given a fake address"
would be a better way of putting it. We have a duty to ensure that the
members of the charity are actual people, and not, for example, someone's
cats who have a vote in order to swing elections one way or another.
(ii) Should we enforce more checks on members before
we let them vote at
AGMs, whether in person or by proxy?
No. Once a member, it's too late - you have the right to vote (even if
you're a cat, I suspect). Checks really need to be done before members are
approved.
Richard Symonds
Wikimedia UK
0207 065 0992
Wikimedia UK is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and
Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Registered Charity No.1144513. Registered
Office 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT.
United Kingdom. Wikimedia UK is the UK chapter of a global Wikimedia
movement. The Wikimedia projects are run by the Wikimedia Foundation (who
operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects).
*Wikimedia UK is an independent non-profit charity with no legal control
over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents.*
On 19 November 2012 15:19, Harry Burt <harryaburt(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> Aren't there really two points here:
(i) Should we enforce more checks on prospective
members?
(ii) Should we enforce more
checks on members before we let them vote at
AGMs, whether in person or by proxy?
>
> I think the legal question is a good one. Are charities required to do
> neither/either/both? Legal issues aside, surely (ii) but not (i) is the
> easiest by quite a margin.
>
> Harry
>
> --
> Harry Burt (User:Jarry1250)
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 10:54 AM, Katherine Bavage <
> katherine.bavage(a)wikimedia.org.uk> wrote:
>
>> Hi All,
>>
>> At the board meeting on Saturday a valid point was made that currently
>> the verification process for membership applications doesn't really prove a
>> barrier to fraudulent or duplicate applications.
>>
>> I'd like to look at ways of improving this, so as we aim to expand our
>> membership numbers we're also making sure fairness is enshrined in a
>> checking process that means people can only have one vote.
>>
>> If people pay their membership fee with Paypal, this isn't so much of a
>> problem, as having a verified paypal account has already required this
>> person to link their identity to their postal address - but we want to be
>> as open as possible and so there will be people who give us 'a form and a
>> fiver'.
>>
>> What checking processes do we think would be acceptable without being
>> invasive/onerous? At a basic level, we should be confirming that the
>> applicant is the named person at the address given.
>>
>> Please flag up concerns, suggestions for services or resources we can
>> use, and so on. It may be that we can't completely eliminate the risk of
>> fraudulent applications, but we can make it more difficult and provide a
>> measure or reassurance that no individual has more power than any other by
>> being able to vote twice etc .
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> --
>> *Katherine Bavage *
>> *Fundraising Manager *
>> *Wikimedia UK*
>> +44 20 7065 0949
>>
>> Wikimedia UK is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and
>> Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Registered Charity No.1144513. Registered
>> Office 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT.
>> United Kingdom. Wikimedia UK is the UK chapter of a global Wikimedia
>> movement. The Wikimedia projects are run by the Wikimedia Foundation (who
>> operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects).
>>
>> *Wikimedia UK is an independent non-profit charity with no legal control
>> over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents.*
>>
>>
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>
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