Minutes 2012-07-26

Present:

• Fæ [Fæ]
• Doug Taylor [DT]
• John Byrne [JB]
• Mike Peel [MP]
• Jon Davies [JD]
• Richard Symonds [RS]
• Joscelyn Upendram [JU]
• Chris Keating [CK]

Roger Bamkin sent his apologies.

The meeting started at 20:00.

Chair's Report

Report from WCA first meeting

Including financial support for the WCA in the rest of this financial year.

Fæ gave a summary of the meeting, which is recorded in the minutes from that meeting (see meta:Wikimedia Chapters Association/First meeting/Minutes). There was discussion about the initial (rejected) draft budget, and the high costs of employment it contained.

Providing interim funds from this financial year for the WCA was discussed, and was generally supported, but a budget is needed from the WCA first. There was also discussion about the general funding mechanism, whether a 'tax' is the best way to go or not.

Risks

QRpedia

Fae has been discussing this by email, and is planning an hour-long phone call on Tuesday between involved parties to create a final version of an agreement. A further meeting on Friday may be needed.

There are also questions about MonmouthpediA as a brand, and the agreement between Monmouth and the Wikimedia Foundation - and how these relate to future projects like that. These issues will be followed up after QRpedia.

Spending

JD raised the issue that we need to look at the budgets that are currently underspending, and to come up with new approaches for those budgets, or move funds between budget lines.

Fundraising agreement

JD explained that some negotiations are ongoing, including the financial audit, and a question about how US laws about lobbying apply to donations we receive in the UK. No pressing issues.

ACTION: RS to check that we have sent the Foundation everything they need for us to participate in the FDC.

Actions from Arbcom en.wp ban on Fae

Including proposed board statement.

This was discussed in-camera. It was agreed that the following statement would be issued:

As some members of Wikimedia UK will know, our Chair, Ashley Van Haeften, user name Fae, has been the subject of sanctions by the Arbitration Committee of the English Wikipedia (Arbcom), the volunteer committee that exists to provide binding remedies to Wikipedia disputes. In particular, he has been banned from editing the English language Wikipedia for at least the next six months, after which he can appeal the ban.

The Board of Wikimedia UK notes the decision of Arbcom.

The Board is united in the view that this decision does not affect his role as a Trustee of the charity. His work at Wikimedia UK has always been enthusiastic and diligent. In particular, his knowledge of charity governance, and his ability to bring about consensus at WMUK's board meetings, have been particularly valuable.

The Board points out that the editing issues were fully public before, and during, the recent elections to the board, and were openly and publicly discussed. Our membership placed their trust in him by electing him as a Trustee. He was then elected unanimously as Chair of the Board. He continues to have the full support of the Board.

CE report

Due to a lack of time, the CE report was not discussed.

Treasurer report

Annual Audit

More work is needed on this before it is approved. There will be a mini exec meeting around 4pm on Tuesday 31 July to discuss these.

Pensions

• Decision on pension provider and delegation of responsibility
• CE recommends approve recommendation of Stephen Gardner, Templar Financial. CE to manage, Richard to administer.

JD and Stephen Gardner's recommendation about pensions was accepted.

September meeting

This was not discussed due to a lack of time.

Any other business

BL Digitization project

The British Library digitization project was agreed.

Roger report at Reports 26Jul12

This was not discussed due to a lack of time.

The meeting ended at 22:15.