[volunteers] SVLUG elections

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Ron Guerin (ron at vnetworx.net):

> Well, I think the goal of the coup will be realized.   Those involved
> don't much seem to care about how it all looks in public and now have
> their incorporation to claim legitimacy.

I'd be surprised if that convinces anyone, though the Board might be
convinced it'll convince everyone.  All they've really bought themselves
is the need to have new bureaucracy they never had before:

o  The need to have a mandatory treasury, which was optional before
o  Annual filings of New York's equivalent to the California tax 
   authority's form FTB-199N about annual gross revenues.
o  Probably bi-annual fliings of New York's equivalent to the California
   Secretary of State (corporate divison)'s form SI-100.
o  Annual filings of IRS form 990-N about annual gross revenues.
o  Keeping records of who's the CEO, CFO, and Secretary, and what 
   street addresses (PO boxes not allowed) for the 'main business
   office' and 'agent for service of process' for the SI-100-equivalent.

More important, they're also about to find out that the venues that
asked for 'incorporation' before they'll give NYLUG meeting space are 
_probably_ going to also insist on getting a photocopy of your IRS
501(c)(3) determination letter.  Rearranging the group's affairs, and
then doing the paperwork, and then waiting a very long time, for the
501(c)(3) determination, and then ensuring that you never do anything
that violates that status's strict requirements, is a HUGE pain in the
ass.

> I have gotten enough private mail from volunteer organizers of user
> groups to know this sort of thing happens all too often.

Sure -- though, in general, people are reluctant to come across to the
public as thieves and usurpers.  If you think about it, pretty much the
only property a LUG has that is problematic to replace is its Internet
domain registrations.

> As NYLUG was essentially SVLUG circa 1998 exported via Jim Gleason,
> NYLUG's definition of membership was deliberately lifted from your
> policy.  I'm trying to give the members under the existing definition a
> say in the matter, but I'm not that hopeful.

If it'll help, you're welcome to forward any of my mails on these
subjects to anyone -- typos and all.

In fact, as you doubtless realise, all four e-mails (plus yours) became
immediately part of the public record via the public SVLUG Volunteers
archive, which you could also point people to if that's useful.
http://lists.svlug.org/archives/volunteers/