Free Geek Intergalactic

This is a page concerning a policy or procedure in development.
Once fleshed out, we'll consider it for adoption as official policy at Free Geek.

This is related to the Free Geek Franchise process for Free Geek startup organzations that want to be recognized as an official Free Geek or an official Affiliate of Free Geek.

Proposal

Create an advisory committee (called "Free Geek Intergalactic") to oversee a consensus decision making process for all official Free Geek organizations. Free Geek Intergalactic shall oversee both the Free Geek Startup Franchise Application process and the subseqent Free Geek Certification process for new Free Geek start-ups (official and affliate).

Free Geek Intergalactic may spin-off in the future to form its own non-profit corporation. This will give even better liability protection to the members of the Free Geek, Inc. board of Directors. Some thoughts on this below:

Free Geek Intergalatic, Inc. (a 501(c)(3) organization) shall have a board of directors and members, the membership shall elect the board. Membership shall be limited to representatives from official Free Geek organizations. Each Official Free Geek shall be required to have membership in FGI. They shall be required to send at least one representative to the annual meeting (Congress). Board members shall be elected by the current membership of the organization. You must be a board member or council member (in good standing) of your local official Free Geek to qualify for election to the board of directors. Each official Free Geek shall pay an annual dues of $_____ (on ability to pay basis) to help facilitate the operations of Free Geek Intergalactic.

Free Geek Intergalatic shall have the ability to hire staff to oversee the daily operation of the non-profit. Free Geek Intergalatic headquarters shall be based at the MotherShip location.

Role of the Advisory Committee

Maintain application forms and process.
Review and approve franchise applications for new Free Geek operations.
Maintain certification requirments, application forms and process.
Physically determine qualifications for certification (site visit).
Organize the annual Free Geek Intergalactic Congress.
Raise funds for and maintain distibution process for start-up grants to new Free Geek groups.
Report all committee activities to the portland Free Geek community council and the Free Geek, Inc. board of directors at their regularly scheduled meetings.

Advisory Committee Membership

The committee shall be made up of the larger Free Geek community. A representative from each official Free Geek shall be required as a condition of the Franchise Agreement to sit on the committee. Additional members from each official Free Geek are welcome to join. All member representatives shall be approved by their local Free Geek Community Councils. Councils should consider whether the candidate will bring good analysis and communication skills (note: need "job description" for committe members).

Legal Structure

Free Geek, Inc. is the current 501(c)(3) non-profit located in Portland.
Free Geek Intergalactic is a committee of Free Geek, Inc. tasked with overseeing the Free Geek certification process.
New Free Geek Start-ups shall be seperate entity 501(c)(3) organizations that have permission to use the name "Free Geek" in their official name (i.e. Free Geek City or Region).
Each State shall form a region when a single official Free Geek is activated in that State.
Each official Free Geek shall have at least one representative on the Free Geek Intergalactic committee.
When two (or more) official Free Geeks are activated within a state/region, they can create a regional committee that can have a single represenative on the committee.

Funding Structure

Dues

Dues are not intended to create barriers of any kind for starting a Free Geek. Dues are intended to aid Free Geek Intergalactic so it can facilitate the start-up process of becoming a Free Geek and the Free Geek Intergalactic Congress. Dues will not be used for Free Geek Intergalactic staff salaries.

Each official Free Geek shall pay dues of $100 to $1,000 per year to the Free Geek Intergalactic fund (sliding scale based on ability to pay).
Each preliminary status Free Geek shall pay dues of $1 to $100 per year (sliding scale based on ability to pay).

Grants and other fundraising

Cash grants to Free Geek start-ups.
Facilitate shipping of hardware grants to Free Geek start-ups.
Administrative costs of the committee.
Staff costs.
Costs associated with organizing Free Geek Intergalactic Congress.
Scholarship fund for financial hardship assistance for representatives travel expenses to the annual congress.

Notes

This is a proposal. The FGI committee could initially be formed by the Franchise committee already sorting things out. The FGI committee is intended to enact and give structure to the results of that process, not take it over now. This also gave me someplace to organize a legal structure proposal and how it all might relate. This section will be moved to "talk" after a few days.

The reasoning behind the seperate entity 501(1)(c)3 structure is to limit the liability of Free Geek, Inc. and its board of directors. Any criminal or negligent activitites will be the responsibility each individual organizations board of directors. This limitation of liability should work both ways and extend to each official Free Geek operation (no single Free Geek can get everyone else in trouble). This of course is my opinion and not that of an attorney, needs research.

Regional Committees are meant to be voluntary, so that a hypothetical Free Geek in northern CA and one in San Diego aren't "forced" to pretend they are a "region" if they are the first two in CA, for example.

Membership in the FGI committee is not limited to one person per group.

Committee shall meet via email/teleconf./IRC on a regular basis to review applications.