[Chapter-delegates] Application to form a Chapter in Panama

[Sabrina Wilmot]

Dear Colleagues,

The following application for a Chapter in Panama has been received. It is being sent to this list for peer comment and review.

Please note that the Chapter is not yet formed and has not officially been recognised by ISOC.

If there are people on this list that know the individuals proposing to establish the Chapter, feedback is especially welcome.

The period allowed for comments is two weeks and the deadline is January  9, 2011.

Please do not hesitate to contact me on or off list.

Best regards,

 Sabrina Wilmot
 ISOC

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CHAPTER APPLICATION 

A. Proposed name of the Chapter
Panama Chapter of the Internet Society (ISOC Panama Chapter)

B. Community of Interest the Chapter will to serve
This Chapter will serve people in the Republic of Panama with special interest in The Development, Policies and Technologies around Internet and Topics Related.

C. Purpose and Scope of Chapter
● To educate in the importance, uses and risks of Internet and to forward the goals of the Internet Society to our community. 
● To gather people from different areas that somehow are interested in serving the same ideals we do. Being part of a well recognized Association such as the Internet Society will give us the support to reach our goals, and moreover, it will allow us to share knowledge and experiences with people from different regions.
● To be a channel partner for industry, education, public and private sectors. 
● To promote professional development in all Internet related topics.

D. Founding Members of the Chapter
Rodrigo Romero III 
Karla Arosemena 
Edwin Dominguez

E. List of Supporters
We are in the process to bring representatives from: 
● National Domain Registry (nic.pa), 
● National Science, Technology and Innovation secretariat (SENACYT) 
● Government Innovation Office

The role for the representatives of these entities will be as observers. No real supporters are to be determined as to the moment, but given the moment supporters will be required to subscribe as Organizations and the role of support will be talked in a per-case basis.

F. List of Requirements
Civil Associations like Internet Society do not have any mandatory requirement as dictated by the civil and commercial codes in the Republic of Panama. However, there is an implicit requirement to have commercial presence to open bank accounts and open contracts in the name of the Society so we will follow the recommendation and constitute ourselves as a not-for-profit corporate entity adopting the same by-laws used for the chapter creation. This process will be started by January 2011 to start a fiscal year and concluded in March 2011 with the appointment of the first official term officers due to the charge of a tax in full that starts with calendar year. This gives the Chapter enough time to start events and receive funding to perform this legal procedure as well as the ones to open a check bank account and buy paper imagery.

G. Additional Information
The group will use a created LinkedIn Group to develop discussions, events planning and schedule, polls and a general membership control.
We will create a provisional Board of Officers that will continue the process of the chapter creation; this process is scheduled to be finished in full by march with the elections of the First Official Board that will transition in that month, starting in full by April 1st, 2011.
No additional information to report to the moment besides the fact that the Chapter will start with no funds and go from there to get the funds needed.

H. Your Contact Information
Name: Rodrigo Romero III 
Name: Karla Arosemena
Name: Edwin Dominguez
(contact details on file)

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