AGM / comments on the translation of bylaws
The aim of the translated document distributed with the notice of AGM is
to provide an exact translation of the German document into English.
Specifically, it aims to be as unambiguous as possible, without adding
any extra meaning that doesn't already exist in the German version. On
the other hand, it doesn't aim to improve any ambiguities/omissions that
exist in the German version (one is hinted at below)
If people have other suggestions for improvements or changes, they will
need to be deferred to a future general meeting or the 2014 AGM - but
there is no reason why people should not write down any
observations/concerns they have while reviewing this document, given
that people are looking at it anyway.
The regulations can be found at
http://www.admin.ch/ch/e/rs/2/210.en.pdf (jump to Chapter Two:
Associations, page 18)
It doesn't say very much about the procedure for changing the bylaws,
Art 67(3) states
"Resolutions may be taken on matters for which proper notice has not
been given only where this is expressly permitted by the articles of
association"
There is no definition of "proper notice" in the regulations or in the
German version of the bylaws.
This leaves me feeling that the only decision that Sunday's meeting can
vote on is whether to accept or reject the translation that was
distributed by Gaudenz with the notice of the meeting. This is one
issue that could be revised in a future version of the bylaws, maybe
adding a rule that allows motions to be proposed by email up to 7 days
before the AGM.
The regulations refer to this document as the Articles of Association,
we should consider using that term instead of bylaws to refer to the
document. The term bylaws may be more appropriate if the global Debian
organisation was itself incorporated and if debian.ch was constituted
within it.
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