[Foundation-l] Wikimedia UK

Thu Aug 28 17:44:41 UTC 2008

2008/8/28 Michael Bimmler <mbimmler at gmail.com>:
> On Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 5:26 PM, Geoffrey Plourde <geo.plrd at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> It would appear that the company is facing bankruptcy and has been having problems with >the authorities.
>
> Exactly how do you come to this conclusions? It is a huge step from
> "some debts" (which the directors of the company will cover, as I
> understand) to "facing bankruptcy".

The guarantor members of the company are liable for £1 each (a token
amount), most the debts will just be written off. The directors aren't
personally liable for them.

> Further, I have not heard of any "problems with the authorities",
> could you expand?

There have been some administrative problems with keeping the
authorities (Companies House) up to date with the status of board
members, and things. I don't know the details.

>> Does she have the authority to dissolve it?
>
> No, that's why she won't do this alone. I suggest an ad fontes
> approach next time...:
> http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimediauk-l/2008-August/002081.html
>
> "As such, I am proposing with immediate effect that Wiki Educational
> Resources Ltd be wound up in accordance with Article 8 of the Memorandum
> of Association and an EGM will be called to that end. "
>
> EGM = Extraordinary General Meeting, fyi.

The members will presumably have to vote on it (I haven't read Article
8 recently), but there aren't many members (it's basically just the
board, from what I can tell). I don't know if they'll all be in
favour, but I can't see them fighting it - David has said here he
doesn't want to fight it, Arkady has said on the UK mailing list that
she doesn't want to be involved any more, so I can't see her fighting
it, that just leaves Alison and Paul Sinclair (the treasurer who
refuses to reveal his onwiki identity), and any other members that
turn up (previous board members, perhaps, I don't know of any other
members). We're working under the assumption that Alison's proposal
will go through.