Don,
Thank you for your comments. I am providing
answers to your questions in-line below.
--
Patrick
Gannon
From: Bergeron, Donald L. (LNG-DAY)
[mailto:]
Sent: Friday, January 12,
2007 8:45 AM
To: '';
Cc: Bergeron, Donald L.
(LNG-DAY)
Subject: [legalxml-sc] Bergeron comments on the new Member
Section policy prepared for the Board of Directors.
Importance:
High
Here are my comments
on the new Member Section policy prepared for the Board of Directors. I
am preparing these comments as an individual Member Section member and as
former member and initial chair of the Member Section Steering
Committee. I do not speak for the Member Section Steering
Committee.
I will use as my
citation method the line numbers provided for that purpose. (Thank
you)
·
Paragraph beginning
line 45 -- in my correct in reading a limitation on the actions of the
steering committee where the rules of procedure are mute to on the topic?
<PG>Not necessarily.
Section 1.5 (Line 169-194) defines the prescribed activities of the Steering
Committee; also Section 1.2(h) defines that the RoP may specify "Other
Provisions" as part of the RoP, which are still subject to Board
approval.
·
List item beginning
line 173 -- this wording could be construed as a requirement to approve any
Technical Committee which requests membership and meets the requirements set
forth TC membership in the member section. I hope this is not the
case. For example if a technical committee was defined whose purpose was
onerous to the majority of the member section and the requirement for their
addition may cause the collapse of the member section. We always must
remember that technical committees are affiliations of volunteers. It
must also be noted for example that the adoption of standards often is
significantly influenced by external organizations. If those adoption
relationships are compromised by adding inappropriate technical committees to
a Member Section it could have a significant negative impact on
adoption. We have to remember that a member section is a community and
lives within a community and the goals and constraints of that community
effect the creation and adoption of standards.
<PG> That should be
interpreted to mean that the Steering Committee *must* at least vote on
whether to approve or not approve the affiliation of any TC. See
Section 4.4 & 4.5 (Line 293-300) wherein the details of how the Steering
Committee votes and it takes a two-thirds special majority in order to approve
a TC becoming affiliated with the MS. I will request to change in line
173 to substitute "approve" with "vote on".
·
List item beginning
at line 59 -- I kind of thing we've missed a major point. What is the
purpose of the Member Sections? The purpose of Member Sections used to
support the work of technical committees. These committees may exist or
not exist at a certain point in time, but, the bottom line goal is to support
the technical committee or committees individually or as a group. It may
be in the form of funding. It may be in the form of coordination.
It may be in the form of public relations. You can imply what I've said
from the two items listed, but I think the concept of support must be first
and foremost and in clear language.
<PG> If we added the
following item in that section; does this appear to be
sufficient?
c ) A Member Section may be created
to support one or
more OASIS Technical Committees through coordination or funding
of support
activities.
·
Paragraph beginning
line 262 -- I believe it would be a good idea to provide for a co chair
structure which may be a good idea for Member Sections that are public-sector
private-sector partnerships. We have not chosen to go that route with
the steering committee but some future Member Section may want that
option. It is likely also a good idea to note that the group may elect
secretaries and treasurers or other elected roles to facilitate the work of
the committee.
<PG> When you have a
steering committee, we have found it best to have a Chair. You can certainly
designate a Vice Chair (as does the OASIS Board) to step in when the Chair is
unable to Chair; but I don't think we will find much support for a "Co-Chair"
of the Steering Committee. I don't see any restriction against the
Steering Committee electing other roles, whether or not they are specified in
the MS RoP.
·
Provision 4.4 at line
293 -- wording similar to this man cover my concern raised at line 173
<PG> yes, see my reference
above.
Regards,
Don
Donald L.
Bergeron
Systems
Designer
LexisNexis
O
937-865-1276
H
937-748-2775
M
937-672-7781
