Assurers As Members

Comments at end; don't change the New Text unless we achieve consensus on the changes.

Intro

It was:

This was designed following a sort of "avoid the too-dead, avoid the too-live" threat model. So this avoids takeovers by too many people and by too many names not known.

Mark has proposed in this rule change this:

That has the benefit of dropping the fee, which is discriminatory (and against our principles), and includes a liveness test, because certs will probably be required to vote (refresh each two years).

Also, it is who we are, we are at core a bunch of Assurers. And it is much more representative as it brings in a potential 2400 people.

Motion to be voted on (New Text)

By inserting the following additional definitions at rule 1(1): 

 a Policy means a reference to the Policies of the Community duly passed to at least DRAFT under CAcert Community's Policy on Policy

By deleting rule 2 and rule 3, and inserting in its place: 

2. Membership Qualifications
(1) A person is qualified to be a member of the association if, but  only if:
    (a) the person is a person referred to in section 15(1) (a), (b)
        or (c) of the Act and has not ceased to be a member of the
        association at any time after incorporation of the association
        under the Act, or
    (b) the person is a natural person:
        (i)   who subscribes to the objects of the association, and
        (ii)  who is, at the time of application, an Assurer, within
              the meaning of the Assurance Policy, or has received
              approval from the committee to dispense with this
              requirement, and
        (iii) who has not previously been expelled from the association,
              unless approved by a motion at a general meeting of the
              association.
3. Application for membership
(1) An application of a person for membership of the association must be
    made:
    (a) in writing or digitally signed email to the secretary, in the
        form set out in Appendix 1 to these rules, or
    (b) in any other such manner determined by the committee from time
        to time.

(2) As soon as practicable after receiving a membership application, the
    secretary must cause to be checked that the proposed member:
    (a) is an Assurer within the meaning of the Assurance Policy, and
    (b) is not an expelled member of the association.
(3) If the secretary cannot be satisfied as to the applicant’s qualifications
    pursuant to rule 2, the secretary must, as soon as practicable,
    refer the application to the committee to determine whether to
    approve or reject the application.
(4) A membership application referred to the committee under these rules
    must:
    (a) be considered as soon as practicable, and
    (b) be approved if the application complies with Rule 2 of these
        rules.
(5) As soon as practicable after the secretary or committee makes a
    determination as to the application, the secretary must notify
    the applicant in writing or by digitally signed email, that:
    (a) the application was approved or rejected (whichever is
        applicable); and
    (b) if the application was rejected the reasons relied upon in doing so
(6) The secretary must, on approval of a membership application, enter
    the applicant's name in the register of members and, on the name
    being so entered, the nominee becomes a member of the association.

By deleting rule 9, and inserting in its place: 

9. Fees and subscriptions
Members of the association are not required to pay an admission or annual fee.

By deleting rule 33(5).

By deleting the remainder of Appendix 1 of the rules after the first occurrence of "Date……………………………………………".

Old Text

33(5) A member or proxy is not entitled to vote at any general meeting of the 
association unless all money due and payable by the member or proxy 
to the association has been paid, other than the amount of the annual

Comments

Members of the association are not required by these rules to pay an admission or annual fee. The committee is encouraged to ask for donations suitable to the circumstances, and interpret donations as positive signals.