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<p><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">Oh, the devil is always
in the details. In Canada (and elsewhere I am sure) we encourage
"social enterprises" as a way for non-profits to attain
sustainability. These are non-profits that earn profits through
some service or product and use those profits to fulfill their
mandates. <br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"> For example, a community
network offers affordable web design and development services
and makes a profit which helps support their charitable services
-- i.e. bridging the digital divide. In this case, membership is
mainly non-commercial, focus is non-commercial. But profit
making is part of the focus as well.......<br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">Chambers of Commerce
are used as an example below -- they are not necessarily homogeneous.
Big cities -- big businesses maybe. But in small towns
supporting small family businesses, local non-for-profits,
social enterprises -- sometimes the only possible drivers
behind initiatives like community-owned broadband. Is supporting
these things truly and solely a commercial focus? I know it
doesn't exist in the legal documents, but maybe an element of
"community focus" could be introduced here. <br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">Sorry to muddy the
waters.</font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">Marita Moll<br>
</font></p>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 9/6/2017 7:13 AM, Tapani Tarvainen
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:20170906111323.GF17357@tehanu.it.jyu.fi">
<pre wrap="">Hi Joly,
Thank you for raising this.
The paragraph you noted is based on 2.2.1(4) in NCSG Charter, which
states that
"4. In the case of a membership-based organization, the organization
should not only be noncommercial itself, but should have a primarily
noncommercial focus, and the membership should also be primarily
composed of noncommercial members. (E.g., a chamber of commerce,
though it may be a noncommercial organization itself, and might even
have some noncommercial members, is primarily composed of commercial
organizations and has a commercial focus and would not be eligible for
membership.)"
As we have such a requirement in the charter, we need to have
something matching in the member removal procedures.
Now what exactly that means is the question. We discussed about it
and concluded roughly that the point is to exclude *formally*
non-commercial organizations that nonetheless have *de facto*
commercial purpose and mostly commercial members, such as a chamber of
commerce given as an example.
Where the line should be drawn is up to the Executive Committee to
decide whenever either such an organization applies for membership or
when an existing members' eligibility is challenged.
We do not intend to set up any general requirement for NCSG member
organizations to document their members' non-commercial status in
detail, although I guess it could come to that in a specific case.
As we have several ISOC chapters in our membership it is clear they
have been considered eligible despite that clause, and I see no
obvious reason to change that policy. The EC could of course
reconsider that either in general or in the case of a specific ISOC
Chapter, but for the time being I don't see any immediate need for
existing members to worry about that.
All members are of course welcome to express their views on this, as
well as the proposed procedure on dealing with ineligibility claims,
or even suggest changes to the charter to avoid potential problems
and ambiguities in its interpretation.
Tapani
On Sep 02 14:27, Joly MacFie (<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:joly@punkcast.com">joly@punkcast.com</a>) wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">As an organizational member rep (ISOC-NY) I take an interest in the
following:
4. Organizational Member is determined to not meet eligibility requirements
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">for NCSG membership. Pursuant to NCSG’s Charter, only organizations meeting
the following criteria are eligible for membership in the Stakeholder Group:
a) The organization is incorporated as a noncommercial entity (in
countries that have a provision in their commercial code) or, if
unincorporated, or if operating in a country without provisions for
noncommercial incorporation, that operates on a not-for-profit basis
primarily for noncommercial purposes
,
and b) Be the exclusive user of at least one domain name for noncommercial
purposes,
and c) Is engaged in online activities that are primarily noncommercial,
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
No problem with any of that But..
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">and d) In the case of a membership-based organization, (meaning
organized as a membership-based organization under the applicable law as
used in NCSG’s Charter) the organization should not only be noncommerical
itself, but should have a primarily noncommercial focus, and the membership
should also be primarily composed of noncommercial members.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
As an Internet Society Chapter we do not discriminate on the basis of, or
even know the majority of, our members' commercial activity. However, all
NCSG votes are taken by our (elected) board, who might well qualify, but
are elected by the mebership..
Are we, or any other ISOC Chapter, thus ineligible?
I haven't looked it up. Could you clarify '
organized as a membership-based organization under the applicable law as
used in NCSG’s Charter'?
joly
On Sat, Sep 2, 2017 at 1:49 PM, Robin Gross <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:robin@ipjustice.org"><robin@ipjustice.org></a> wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">Hello,
Please find the attached procedures for handling changes in one's NCSG
membership status, which is intended to formalize our EC’s operation on
such matters. If there are no significant concerns with these procedures,
they should go forward as an NCSG operating procedure in the coming weeks.
Thanks,
Robin
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
--
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Joly MacFie 218 565 9365 <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="Skype:punkcast">Skype:punkcast</a>
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</pre>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
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