[Chapter-delegates] ISOC Bylaws Working Group (BLWG)

Tue May 7 02:36:16 PDT 2013

Avri

The chapter delegates and president's list already are long standing
vehicles for liaison and sharing between chapters. So surely we can use
those to get things going?

I am not clear what the idea behind an advisory council as is being
called would be? Perhaps it will be made clearer after the ByLaws team
reports.

Observationally the functions that emerge from your comment below are

a - Chartering and good governance of chapters
b - Appeals by chapters
c - Liaison between chapters
d - Advisory to ISOC Board of Trustees

Is that about right?

If the organisational advisory council is the model being assumed by the
ByLaws team then it would suggest that none of the above functions are
governance in the sense that no binding decisions are made impacting one
of the members by the AC.

If that is the case it would then assume another structure makes the
ultimate decisions.

The obvious body would be the Board of Trustees.

So any chapter activity would inform, discuss, liaise provide input and
feedback and develop consensus where possible between chapters and
communicate such with the community in particular in reference to the
ISOC Board.

In that sense it would not have a governance role but would be a handy
function for what I believe does need to be in the ByLaws which is
requirement for the Trustees to support activities that inform, educate
and provide consensus development within and between ISOC constituencies
(elector communities) and in communications with the board.

i.e., I don't think the Bylaws need wait on one or another particular
structure being formally established by chapters but instead should
provide a requirement that makes it attractive for the Board to set in
motion support and resources that would assist in satisfying that
requirement.

As to appeals. I agree with you. This seems to me to be a primary role
for the ISOC Trustees which acts as ultimate appeal authority for a
number of bodies in IETF as well.

Having said that the recent experience of the board vote on ECC
structure led to a Trustee vote without presenting a draft resolution to
the community to comment at all. The ByLaws need to ensure that Board
resolutions particularly those impacting its communities of constituent
electors are given sufficient air time for comment before a vote is
finally taken. A gap of one board meeting in advance would seem one
approach.

There may be need for emergency resolutions to be passed of course and
that is acceptable but they should be subject to later review so there
is an opportunity to wind these back.

Christian

Avri Doria wrote:
> This is the response I sent on another list to the email below.
> 
>> Hi,
>>
>> This was one of the conundrums, without some sort of structure, for example a Chapter Advisory Council, there was no mechanism for collective Chapter decisions on issues like chartering and de-chartering. And the bylaws committee was not the place for designing such a mechanism.  Doing that is something that the Charters need to do for themselves. That is part of the whole process of the Chapters developing the Chapter Advisory Council and designating its role and responsibilities.
>>
>> Internet Society staff remains responsible for the process at this point, but I believe they need to work with the Chapters to figure out how this should be handled. And I understood that they were ready to do so.  I also beleive that once mechanisms have been developed, the Chapters will be able to ask for by-laws changes that might be necessary to enable the mechanisms.
>>
>> avri
> 
> Additional note: So it makes sense to me to start figuring out how the chapters are going to create the Chapter Advisory Council.  The sooner that happens, the sooner the Chapters will be able to claim they have the necessary mechanisms for managing these process with the assistance of the staff instead of having the staff managing the processes consultation of the chapters.
> 
> I still think we will need an appeals mechanism even after the Chapter Advisory Council comes into existence for there is no assurance that self rule will be just rule in all cases.
> 
> 
> avri
> 
> 
> On 6 May 2013, at 02:16, CW Mail wrote:
> 
>>>
>>> Good morning:
>>>
>>>> In the light of more than two years of past discussions of the revision of the ISOC Bylaws, allow me to draw your attention to the current work of the newly established Bylaws Working Group.
>>>> The minutes of their meeting which took place on 14 March 2013 have been posted:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.internetsociety.org/sites/default/files/BLWGUpdate15MAR20131final.pdf
>>>>
>>>> It is good that these matters are finally being addressed in an operationally effective manner. I trust that the questions of  … 
>>>>
>>>> -	Chapter Membership of ISOC, 
>>>>
>>>> -	balanced representation in the BoT, including regional diversity and 
>>>>
>>>> -	consultation of Chapters on policy development  
>>>> … will be satisfactorily resolved.
>>>>
>>>> I have noticed the following extract from the minutes of the 14 March meeting:
>>>>
>>>> <<4.	Staff has responsibility for chartering and de-chartering Chapters.
>>>>
>>>> BLWG suggested peer review appeal panel for de-charter appeal.
>>>> Should Chapter wish further appeal, it could then bring issue to BoT. 
>>>> This will be further discussed.>> 
>>>>
>>>> I would have two comments:
>>>>
>>>> 1.	It is entirely inappropriate for the ISOC staff to have sole responsibility for chartering and de-chartering Chapters.
>>>> 	(Actually, chartering new chapters is currently presented to the BoT for approval.)
>>>> 	De-chartering a Chapter may have local, national and regional, practical and political repercussions which go beyond the mandate of the staff.
>>>>
>>>> 2.	A peer review panel should be an essential element of any decision to de-charter a Chapter and should not depend upon an 'appeal'.
>>>>
>>>> It would be appreciated if the BLWG could take these comments into account. Other Chapters may also wish to comment.
>>>>
>>>> Regards
>>>>
>>>> Christopher Wilkinson.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 	
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> 
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