transcription by Anna Hepworth
Header on page 4 of the SwanCon XV Progress report 3 is “Coordinated Blurb”. Actual text is as below:
Incorporation
A Pandora’s Box?
By Don Griffiths B-)
In our last progress report, the idea of Incorporating SwanCon was raised. In that report a meeting to discuss Incorporation was called. Following is a summary of the results of the meeting.
The view first and most often expressed at the meeting was that too few people were in attendance for any decisions to be taken regarding the future of SwanCon. Secondly, it was pointed out that the major expenses of SwanCon XV had already been committed to, and that incorporation at this stage would provide no protection for the current committee.
Much additional discussion followed and a general consensus was reached that the views and information obtained should be presented at SwanCon XV’s Business Meeting. This will allow a wider forum for discussion and will be useful for future ConComs.
The major drive behind the Incorporation move was to provide a financial “safety net” for the members of a Con committee, allowing them to avoid personal accountability for liabilities incurred by the convention. Opinion was divided as to whether or not Incorporation would actually provide this protection. What did come out of the discussion was a general agreement that Incorporation could detrimentally affect the manner in which SwanCons were organised.
The following is a list of options which were discussed and may provide a basis for the Business Meeting to continue discussion.
- Do nothing (continue as we have been)
- Each ConCom having the option to incorporate or not, with the resulting incorporated body winding up after the Convention.
- Incorporation on an ongoing basis.
- Incorporation on an ongoing basis with a governing body ensuring that legal requirements are met.
- Give some financial protection by taking out loss insurance.
Each of the above has many pros and cons (No pun intended). It would require many more pages to document the discussion generated by the above. Rather than attempting to present discussion, which would be coloured by my own recollection of the meeting, I urge you to make the effort to attend the SwanCon XV business session where the matter may be put to finer scrutiny.