Re: [Fsfe-uk] AFFS conference, AGM, reform

[MJ Ray]

Apologies for the delay in returning to this issue. I have been
reading all emails and I feel that an alternative solution is
possible.

Alex believes clause 6b blocks any solution based on changing
only 6d, so I suggest that we look for a minimal solution which
changes only 6b. I think the obvious change is to add to the
end of it, so it would read something like:

6 (b) The members of the Committee shall be elected at the Annual
   General Meeting of the Association in accordance with Clause
   9 hereof. {+ If this is not possible for reasons of lack of
   candidates, quorum or otherwise, an election process in
   accordance with the Rules of the Association will be started
   at the Annual General Meeting, disregarding part (d) below. +}

Current text is on http://www.affs.org.uk/documents/affs-const.txt

I feel this does not give the committee any new ways to
disenfranchise the membership because the rules can be reviewed
by an AGM and hopefully by some opportunity in the election
rules.  I think the Rules should also specify a default failure
route (to take care of Jason's EGM point, I think) and prevent
the committee changing the rules during an election.

The first attempt at rules should be approved by the
committee. That power is given in the constitution and it's
one of the reasons why we have a committee. If we want everything
to be developed in general meeting, then we could probably just
rip out the committee and add some distributed decision process.

If they want to "lock out" future committee changes to the rules,
and/or require the same majority as a constitution amendment, then
that's their choice and both are possible, as far as I can tell.

-- 
I await comments with interest.

MJR/slef
http://www.affs.org.uk/~mjr/