I agree with Pat re donations.
Also, I find the membership rule interesting. I personally have not taken the time to
study it. It seems to me the Election Committee procedures have determined the definition
of a member but I may be wrong. Also, I am curious. Can a person work on Special Projects,
i.e. USGW Archives, without being a county coordinator? And if so, can that person vote on
Special Projects Coordinator?
Sincerely,
Mike Peterson
---- Pat Asher via <usgenweb-discuss(a)rootsweb.com> wrote:
=============
I agree that the Bylaws are extremely vague as to how one becomes a
member, and the responsibilities of membership, e.g. maintaining a
web site. However, I am not sure adding a "supporting" membership
category is the answer to the question of funding. "Members" are
entitled to privileges and benefits as well having responsibilities.
It would be hard to argue that donating money is a privilege or benefit <g>
OTOH, anyone (member or not) can give a gift to the USGW. Subject to
whatever current restrictions by the IRS, in the U.S., generally
neither the gifter or the giftee owe taxes on the gift. The
difference from a charitable donation is that gifts are not tax
deductible by the donor.
To my mind, the major stumbling block in the Bylaws is IX.B.
prohibiting solicitation of funds for personal gain as such is
defined. However, as I interpret it, the restrictions appear to me to
apply to hosting, obtaining content, and services (such as look-ups)
related to our web sites. I believe we could ask for gifts under the
current by-laws for other types of expenses such as convention fees,
booths, and supplies; trademark registration and renewal fees;
software development and maintenance, etc.
Pat Asher