[UK-TUG] SEGM: UKTUG should separate getting the TeXlive DVD's from voting rights and obligations.

[Jay Hammond]

UKTUG should separate getting the TeXlive DVD's from voting rights 
and obligations.  TUG does. 

Bobby Philips wrote on Dec 3rd 2011

Dear Jay,

I don't think non-voting members should be expelled. My own interest 
in
UKTUG arises from the TeX DVD that I receive annually and I have 
neither
the time nor the inclination to participate in UKTUG affairs more 
deeply.
I believe (and sincerely hope) that the small amount I contribute 
goes
towards improving TeX which has been created and distributed by the
selfless work of hundreds of people. So, I am ready to go ahead with 
the
decision(s) of the chair and his dog.

Regards,

Bobby

@Bobby Philips  and other DVD-only (I mean non-voting) members.



Dear Bobby, 

people in your position are valued and appreciated by UKTUG, its 
committee, and even me.

I think that UKTUG has valued your past financial contributions. I 
believe it should continue to support your use of TeX. If that means 
supplying you with a DVD, I'm all in favour of that too. You (we) 
should pay a reasonable fee for the DVD. Perhaps a tenner? or even 
less?  UKTUG is not going to hit the VAT threshold until we become 
much more successful. That's not a short term problem.

I appreciate your honesty in saying you don't want to vote at  UKTUG 
general meetings. 
I don't think you should have to. I think you should buy the annual  
DVD from UKTUG and not be a voting member.  Every member on the books 
increases the number required for the quorum. So every non-voting 
member of UKTUG weakens UKTUG by their presence.  By being a member 
and not voting you are giving power to those able to attend the 
location of the resumed AGM. My proxy vote at the AGM did not count, 
because the quorum was not reached. I would argue that because you 
did not vote, you helped disenfranchise me. 

So Bobby, I want (UKTUG) to support your use of TeX, and I want you 
in turn to support UKTUG by voting or if you don't do that, I want 
you to become a non-member and still  to arrange to obtain the DVD's. 
I like the DVD's too. 

What could those arrangements be?

There could be a non-voting kind of member who gets the DVD's and 
publications, but does not have a vote?

UKTUG could manage a list of DVD subscribers who pay a fee for each 
DVD, or who pay an annual fee to receive an update whenever it comes 
out. 

So Bobby and other non-voting members, do you have a preference for 
either of these ideas, or a better suggestion?

I'm happy to assist creating software to manage non-voting members or 
subscriber list management if UKTUG would like me to do it. I may not 
be 
needed, probably a spreadsheet will be enough for a few hundred 
members.

Jay


Jay Hammond

homemade at talktalk.net