[EuroPython] EuroPython decision process

[Martijn Faassen]

Tom Deprez wrote:
[snip]
> So you would like to have the balance on eg a website? Interesting idea.
> But I've seen nowhere a conference which does that. Also PBF doesn't do
> that.

>From its statutes, to be found here:

http://www.python-in-business.org/about/bylaws

the PBF does the following:

1. At the annual meeting of the General Assembly the following items of business must be on the agenda:

...

 * Presentation of a budget by the outgoing board

 * Acceptance of budget and decision on membership fees for the upcoming year

so the members do get access to the budget, every year, at the general
assembly. How the budget is presented is not specified.

> What is the problem with the fact that somebody -when he/she's
> interested- just mails the organisation in charge of the bookkeeping? In
> this case it was P3B of which Denis is the chairman. Later it will be
> 'something else', when everybody has discussed and voted.

The problem is that it is not transparent. The P3B works for now,
but since I and many others of the *organizers* are not even a member
of that organization that is clearly not ideal. If 'something else'
gets to replace it I certainly want something in the statutes about
presentation of the budget to the members.

[snip]
> It doesn't mean that if the statutes are in french, the EuroPython
> balance would be in french too.
> As I believe, P3B wasn't build with a international idea in mind, it was
> build to promote Python in Belgium (and then I even think more in the
> french speaking part), so it's normal, the statutes were written in
> french.

Of course, I'm not complaining about the P3B at all. The present situation
is. It has served us well enough, though it was not fair to either the P3B
or to the other organizers in all respects. Anyway, now we're discussing
how we should proceed.

> I don't know what you mean with: 'P3B of course carried a lot of the
> risk too, so fair's fair.'
> It looks like you want to say that it is fair they keep it behind closed
> doors? I don't think you have to think like that. P3B is very open and
> I'm sure you can get all the information you want from their members.

All I tried to express is that I am *not* agitating against the P3B or
what happened before. That is as it is, and there is no fault.

What I am doing is suggesting steps to improve matters for everybody
involved. This involves a clearer procedure including a clearer
procedure concerning the budget.

> P3B was used as a conference host, since it was a non-profit
> organisation and was ideal for hosting the 2 EuroPython conferences.
> Aragne could have been used too, but that's just something Denis didn't
> wanted, since he wanted to have a clear distinction of the too and be as
> transparent as possible. (I do hope that I'm totally right here. Denis,
> please correct me if I'm wrong).

I agree that was a good decision by Denis, and again, I am very grateful
to both Denis and Aragne. Unfortunately there are also some problems
which have come out (unless of course everybody agrees I'm just talking
crap and I should shut up, but I assume at least some other organizers
agree with me that we can improve matters here :), so we're mapping out steps
on how to best proceed.

> Meaning: I think it is as transparent as it possibly can get. 

If you have to explain to us in an email that you don't quite know and
that I should mail Denis, this is not as transparent as it can get. :)

> the whole
> conference is handled by a non-profit organisation. All income-outcome
> are handled by this organisation. No commercial company has been
> involved.

This is good. But I'm not a member of P3B, and it wasn't made clear to
me that I should've become a member! If we decide P3B is the vehicle
for future EuroPython activities, I will certainly join up and argue
with others involved to do the same.

> So, back to my comment: 'Just ask and I'm sure you get it'. Perhaps it
> could be published on the website as well, but that's just a minor thing
> I guess.

I'm not asking for it to be published to the world. Anyway, the whole question
about how we should be able to get to this information indicates that something
can be improved concerning responsibilities and clarity.

I dare to assume that actually Denis agrees with me that a new vehicle
for EuroPython would be desirable. :)

Regards,

Martijn