[chapter-delegates] Serious Discussion on Chapters Role

[Lynn St.Amour]

Hi Franck,

Please see my comments below.

At 9:20 AM +1200 3/15/05, Franck Martin wrote:
>Lynn and James,
>
>We have at the moment a huge thread on our members list about people 
>suggesting that we should break away from ISOC.
>
>Would you please write to me and I will relay it to all our members 
>why we should stay with ISOC?

Very simply, because you believe in and want to support ISOC's 
mission and purpose (see below).  ISOC was founded to be an 
organization that engaged in activities that supported the open, 
democratic development of the Internet.  Members and Chapters support 
ISOC and participate in ISOC/ISOC supported activities because they 
share that purpose.  This stands in contrast to more traditional 
Member organizations which center their activities around direct 
benefits to their members.   I think much of the tension we see today 
is because of some of the differences around these points.

- Please see ISOC's Mission: http://www.isoc.org/isoc/mission/

"To assure the open development, evolution and use of the Internet 
for the benefit of all people throughout the world."

And please note also the supporting points at the link indicated above.

- Purposes: from our original Articles of Incorporation 
http://www.isoc.org/isoc/general/trustees/incorp.shtml

3.  The purpose or purposes for which the corporation is organized 
are as follows:

To be a non-profit corporation (without capital stock), which shall 
be operated exclusively for educational, charitable and scientific 
purposes. Such educational, charitable, and scientific purposes shall 
include carrying on activities:

	A.   To facilitate and support the technical evolution of the 
Internet as a research and education infrastructure, and to stimulate 
the involvement of the scientific community, industry, government and 
others in the evolution of the Internet;

	B.   To educate the scientific community, industry and the 
public at large concerning the technology, use and application of the 
Internet;

	C.  To promote educational applications of Internet 
technology for the benefit of government, colleges and universities, 
industry, and the public at large;

	D.   To provide a forum for exploration of new Internet 
applications, and to stimulate collaboration among organizations in 
their operational use of the global Internet.

For completeness: ISOCs by-laws can be found at: 
http://www.isoc.org/isoc/general/trustees/bylaws.shtml

>What is the added value proposition of being part of ISOC.

Please see comments above.

Franck, as you know ISOC is currently engaged in developing a 
framework to support decision making with respect to our mission and 
purposes - the Strategic OPERATING Plan (SOP).   We are still in the 
early days of this effort and a very draft(y) SOP was sent to chapter 
delegates by David McAuley and Jim Galvin on March 3rd.  To date, 
there have been very few responses and we are sincere in wanting to 
hear from you.   In particular, Lyman Chapin and David posed three 
questions and this might be a good way to start our discussion.   So, 
I would like to request that chapter delegates work with their 
members to provide feedback on the SOP, the earlier the better.

And finally, given comments I've received privately from others on 
this list, I'd also like to ask that everyone make an effort to keep 
the discussion as constructive as possible.  The aggressive nature of 
many of these postings inhibits many from participating.  To date 
very few chapters have been heard from, as a percentage of the whole. 
This makes it difficult, if not impossible, to get a representative 
view of all of ISOC's members and Chapters, something I'm sure we all 
want to facilitate.

>
>You see we have been running for years this group (more than 10 
>years) and the members suggested about 6 years ago, that joining 
>ISOC will bring us some benefits. It would not change much to go 
>back to the original setting.
>
>I think the PICISOC membership is waiting to hear from you. I know 
>some of the value proposition but It will be better presented by you.

I look forward to your comments on the above.

Best regards,

Lynn

>Send the e-mail to me and I will post it on the PIGNET list (unless 
>you want to subscribe to it).
>
>Thanks in advance.
>
>--
>Franck Martin
>ICT Specialist
>franck at sopac.org
>SOPAC, Fiji
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