In a message dated: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 11:27:11 EST
Benjamin Scott said:
> Hmmmm. I'm not so sure we want to be that formal. I think the idea of a
>"Steering Committee" (even if I cringe with the word "Committee") fits the
>group more. Not only does it fit our laid-back attitude, but it is more
>flexible. If someone drops out or doesn't participate in a steering committee
>,the only thing lost is their opinions. But if the "Events Coordinator"
>doesn't do their job, we might be lacking in events.
I agree with you Ben. Though the word "Committee" makes me nervous, I am
reluctant to formalize this any more than it has to be. I read an article
where a group much like ours tried to formalize things; elected officers,
imposed dues, etc. By the time they were done, the only people attending
any of the meetings were those elected to office.
I don't realistically see that happening here, but I recoli at the mention of
anything formal. I believe our success as a group has been the total absence
of formality, and that we should take our lead from the head "dog" :)
> I do think we should have a "First Among Equals" person. Call them the
>coordinator, chair, president, fearless leader, high-muck-a-muck, whatever.
>Reason being: We need a place for the buck to stop. The person would have to
>be well-respected, capable of getting things moving when needed, and be able
>to delegate. Somebody to ignite combustion under backsides. This job
>wouldn't necessarily be overly hard, as it just needs someone to make sure
>people are doing things.
I kind of like this idea, but I don't think it should be a permanent officer
type thing. More like when the "Steering Committe" meets and decides upon
doing something, the individuals step forward to take action items. They can
then delegate as they see fit, or do the work themselves if they can.
That way, no one person gets all the blame if something goes wrong, and shares
the credit when it goes right :)
> I think the Steering Committee could task an "Event Coordinator" as needed.
>"Hey, Joe, you mentioned you know <mumble> and they would be interested in
>speaking to the LUG, can you setup a meeting for that?"
I second the "as needed" part. This is something that could be established at
the "Steering Committee Meetings" (SCMs). We could collect ideas from the
mailing lists about what people would like to see presentations on, and
combine that with other things. Then, various people could step forward to
either do the presentation, find someone to do, schedule the meeting, arrange
for projectors, etc. and as a group pull the whole thing together.
> I imagine we would want to have designated contacts for meeting locations.
>IOW, Rob Anderson (for example) might be the Official Person to get in touch
>with to reserve a room at UNH.
Yeah, we'll probably have to have these for each of the regionals as well.
> I would expect the Steering Committee to be in active communication via this
>mailing list. Getting together to plan things in person is difficult, but
>most things can be hashed out in email if need be. Just look at Linux.
Yeah, true, but having an SCM also gives us the excuse to "get out" and
"Discuss urgent matters" and get a beer with friends ;)
> My two cents (for a total of four).
I see your $.04 and raise you $.02 ;)
--
Seeya,
Paul
----
Doing something stupid always costs less (up front) than doing
something intelligent.
A conclusion is simply the place where you got tired of thinking.
If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right!
