[AUUG-Talk]: Re: AUUG Financial membership

[Christopher Vance]

On Tue, Dec 11, 2007 at 04:33:48PM +1100, David Keegel wrote:
>If members put in credit card details on the web site before the AGM,
>and then AUUG decides at the AGM to start winding up soon, would it
>be reasonable not to process the $125 charge to their credit card?

I'm trying hard to make sure that all people who've filled in the form
before the AGM are processed before the AGM, so that they can
participate.

I will obviously need a cutoff some time either tonight or tomorrow.
People whose information is received after my last processing, but
before the AGM, will be treated as financial, and their payment
processed sometime, regardless of the outcome of the meeting.

Sometimes in the past I've kept things for a week or even a month
before processing, but I'm trying to make things unambiguous for those
filling in the membership form.

>I'm not really asking for myself.  (Sorry!)

That's okay.  Do you mind if I post this exchange to talk@?  I can
anonymize before forwarding if you wish.

>I was thinking that some members may be put off from renewing
>because of the risk that AUUG could be dissolved shortly.
>
>If a few people pony up $125, but not enough for AUUG to continue,
>then those people can basically kiss goodbye to their $125.

Yes.  I would note that people have been paying in the immediate past,
and I've been processing them.  I banked today, and think I have to go
again tomorrow.

>If the treasurer were to say that credit cards charges from now
>won't be processed at least until after the AGM, and won't be
>processed at all if the AGM decides to dissolve AUUG soon,
>that would overcome a key barrier to members becoming financial.

If they aren't intending to pay until after they see what the AGM
does, they can wait until after the AGM, and know that they didn't get
to vote on it.

When I process a payment, the actual transaction obviously occurs when
I get around to it, but their membership is processed identically
regardless of my delay, as at the date the form is filled.

If the payment information is received before the end of the second
month after their expiry, their membership is extended to one year
after the previous expiry.  If they expired before then, they are
treated like new members, recycling their old membership number if
known, namely their membership extends to one year after the end of
the month in which they offer payment.

I believe that people who expired on 31 October or 30 November are
still eligible to vote at the AGM.  I'm not sure if they can stand for
election unless they are already financial again.

People who expired on 30 September, or before, are not eligible to
vote or be elected.

>I'm assuming that members who put in credit card details before
>the AGM can be treated as (tentatively) financial for the AGM.

I don't believe the AGM can itself vote for winding up, but can only
decide to ask the members to vote on it.  A member is either financial
or they're not.  I don't think I can do "conditional".

One possibility tomorrow is a new board and the AGM deciding to keep
AUUG going.

Otherwise, I expect the meeting and/or the board to resolve to ask the
members (probably requiring paper mail) to vote about winding up.

That would take a while to organize, and people would still need to be
a financial member by the time of that vote to be able to participate.

It is possible that any vote to wind up could include a prorata refund
of overpaid membership, but I don't think it would be automatic
without a motion to that effect.

>Sorry if I'm wasting your time.

Not at all.

-- 
Christopher Vance