[Chapter-delegates] How many members do we have?

[Adebunmi AKINBO]

Hi.
I think we have doved of the point. Initial discuss is based on the need
for a South African Internet Chapter to sign the initial agreement for
recognition and funding.

A counter response to not signing the agreement would lead to a chapter
rejuvenation. What that would create is another new Chapter if the former
decides not to relinquish office or stand.

That stated, am I right....or am I right?


Akinbo.

On Wed, 12 Dec 2018, 4:22 pm Shuli Hallak <shuli at isoc-ny.org wrote:

> John,
>
> Well said.
>
> I would add that creating and maintaining chapter support from the top is
> a delicate balance but based on my experience here I would suggest
> empowering chapters with efficient tools. Maybe some of these already exist
> and we / I don’t know about them.
>
> Such as:
> — website templates (Wordpress or other)
> — newsletter templates
> — box accounts
> — zoom accounts
> — event training
> — legal document templates (if possible)
> — guidance on creating membership tiers if chapters would like two create
> paid memberships
>
> etc.
>
> The idea being not to re-invent the wheel if we don’t have to and to help
> chapters continue helping themselves
>
> Shuli
> (NY Chapter)
>
>
> On Dec 11, 2018, at 9:26 PM, John More <morej1 at mac.com> wrote:
>
> Dave
>
> Much of what you say is correct. Even while working to strengthen the
> Chapter structure and bringing more accountability, I have always taken the
> position that ISOC should not claim to be a “membership” organization in
> that it has never done anything to create an effective, connected
> membership. I have been a member for years.  I have even given made the $75
> contribution.  Nothing.  No regular communications are sent from ISOC, only
> from the Chapter.  There is no solicitation of donations, there are no
> calls to action, there are virtually no communications unless you sign onto
> a specific e-list of project.
>
> Sharp contrast with international organizations, like Greenpeace, Amnesty
> International, or Human Rights Watch.
>
> A friend who had been with the Physicians for Social Responsibility came
> out of retirement to lead The Rachel Carson Council.  He has re-energized
> and increased the membership by soliciting, sending newsletters, asking for
> activism, creating intern training programs and college campus councils —
> all to engage in environmental justice activism.
>
> ISOC needs more this.  And it does not require hiring consultants.
>
> The only caveat I have with what you say is that you love broadsides and
> are rarely willing to admit where things are happening.
>
> But your point is well taken.
>
> John More
>
>
>
> On Dec 11, 2018, at 6:01 PM, Dave Burstein <daveb at dslprime.com> wrote:
>
> All
>
> Andrew notes, accurately, that ISOC's membership should not have been
> claimed we had 110,000 members.
>
> *The figure was prominently on our home page, however. *Those closely
> involved in ISOC always knew it was inaccurate, but refused to take it off
> the home page even after it was brought up and discussed at the top. ISOC
> used the claim in advocacy.
>
> The home page also said ISOC was "a trusted source." Trust needs to be
> earned, not claimed.
>
> All of us want to be proud of what ISOC is accomplishing. We share the
> powerful human trait of "confirmation bias." It is very hard for anyone to
> listen to what disagrees with one's own beliefs, including that a group we
> are part of is to be admired.
>
> ISOC, almost all of us agree, can and should be doing more to bring a
> great Internet to everyone. (We disagree on how to do that, of course.)
>
> To be effective, we need to look honestly at what we are doing. In
> practice, those raising problems were told, "you're shouldn't be so
> negative," often attacked and shot down.
>
> I'm still here, because I believe ISOC, with a $30M/year subsidy from
> .org, has the potential to be the most powerful *pro-consumer* force on
> the net. But I've watched for several years as those who agreed, and
> supported issues like more chapter funding got burned out and left.
>
> I knew Kathy for years as one of the most progressive in D.C. circles and
> expected her to do much more. I know several of the board members to be
> hardworking, articulate, concerned, and of good faith. I know the same is
> true of Andrew.
>
> Can we be honest with ourselves and do better? 75% of the Internet is not
> in the U.S., Western Europe, and allies. China alone is 40% and their
> achievements remarkable. (344M have fiber home connections.) I am not naive
> about the Chinese government, but we can never be truly effective
> organizing the Internet without including them, as well as the many others
> not well-represented here.
> ------------
>
> Unfortunately, Andrew is wrong that we now have
>
> an admittedly smaller list of confirmed and clearly engaged members.
>>
>
> I wish that were true. But I know in New York the majority of our
> "members" are nothing more than people who have agreed to be on a mailing
> list. I don't think we've had a meeting with even 75 of our "2,500" members
> in at least the last 5 years. The maximum number of people who have done *anything
> at all* is perhaps 400, and very few of them are "clearly engaged."
>
> Which I, Andrew, and many others are working to improve.
>
> Dave
> (Who would much rather be discussing the right radios for rural Africa or
> the unhyped prospects of 5G, rather than wasting time in what should be
> unneeded organizational problems. If we become the "bottom-up
> multi-stakeholder organization" Kathy wanted us to be, we would be doing a
> much better job delivering what we all believe in.)
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>
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> to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
> Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org
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>
> _______________________________________________
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> to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society
> Chapter Portal (AMS): https://portal.isoc.org
>
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