🚀 go-pugleaf

In <pjw.706684792@lobo> pjw@lobo.canberra.edu.au (Peter Wishart) writes:

>In <9214404.2221@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU> kre@cs.mu.oz.au (Robert Elz) writes:

>>In <pjw.706535063@lobo> pjw@lobo.canberra.edu.au (Peter Wishart) writes:

>I think there is a big difference between being elected for one year
>with an *expectation* of reappointment and a two year appointment.  You
>could argue that people on the committee should make progress towards
>their stated goals within the one year and then get they will get
>re-elected.  However that may be quite difficult to do and it may be
>even more difficult to show.

>Lets take a case in point.  Glenn has been on the committee for at
>least several years, he has always had a stated commitment towards
>chapter-like activities, trying to encourage AUUG towards some form of
>decentralisation (I hope I am not mis-representing Glenn here).  Yet,
>from where I sit, it has taken sometime for the members to start seeing
>any benefits of that work.

Whoa a minute here. You *are* mis-representing Glenn here. although I accept
that it isn't intentional. 

I have only been on the committee for *one* year. I have been actively 
involved in coordinating the summer conferences for many years but that was 
all ex-officio. I admit I'm not a very organised organiser, but I undertook 
that work because I believed that it was neccessary for the benefit of the 
members. It is  an ongoing process of development and refinement, not one
which I would expect to get right the first time ( I don't have all the answers,
just lots of ideas :-)

I joined the AUUG committee last year because I thought it was time that 
something was done about formalising chapters (so they don't all end up as
wine guzzling groups :-).  We in the West have a very active and successful
local user group (and have had for six years now).  I'd like to see all states
having the benefit of similar local chapters. Unfortunately my efforts will
probably benefit all other states more than they will benefit W.A. since we
already have an established (not-AUUG) user group which is unlikely to merge 
fully with AUUG unless AUUG membership bestowes substantially more benefit.
( this is my eventaul aim, I guess ).

I'm worried that your statement might (inadvertantly) harm my election cances, 
and I feel very strongly about the need to continue the work I am doing, 
so I'm going to take this chance to climb up on my soap-box. Please read on,
I think this is important...

While I guess I don't have much to show for my first year in office, I think 
I have helped achieve a number of things, not all directly related to my goals,

I have continually questioned AUUGs need to retain a public relations company at
this time.  Our publicity budget was greater than our proposed chapter budget 
for 92-93.  I can't say more about this here, but I am now satisfied with the 
committees progress in this regard.

Despite the success of AUUG91, I have continually pushed the need to listen 
to members critisism and ensure that we don't lose members who feel dissatisfied
at the directions AUUG and the conference appeared to be taking (including that
'Open' phrase :-). These things are a matter of ongoing refinement, some years 
we may not satisfy everyone. I think AUUG92 will continue to improve the 
bits that need improving.
  
I question any activity that is not directly aimed at member benefits or 
improving AUUG, particularly where the cost is out of proportion with our 
chapter budgets ( I don;t see how spending $24000 on Open Forum is better for 
the members than spending the same $24000 on suitable local chapter activities. 
the committee appears to aggree - read the minutes when they come out). 

As a result of the efforts of all of the committee, we have reviewed our 
spending on promotion, the winter conference and chapter budgets. In 1992 we 
tried a couple of new things, we listened to the flack that they created and 
we are reacting ( you may not notice or see the results for a little while). 

Our most successful experiments was taking on board Liz Fraumann. Liz is now 
doing much of the administrivia that AUUG committee members are *always* too 
busy to do. I think she is the first step towards a much needed full time
AUUG office.  Liz keeps AUUG and the committee moving forward. 

In 1993 we will be putting more emphasis on chapter activities, but we must 
first get chapters running all over the country (not just canberra and perth).
I don't see much point in promoting AUUG, or building a full time office and 
administration unless we have sometheing worth promoting and administering. 
I think it is time for AUUG to shift it's emphasis from the winter conference 
being our major activity, to viewing chapter activities as our bread-and-butter
activity, and the winter conference as our showcase.
[ the winter conference should also provide funding to subsidise chapter 
activities as subscriptions alone *cant* do it!]

The chicken-and-egg problem is that chapter activities are still very informal.
We have to encourage people to form and run chapters, we have to provide
funding for desirable chapter activities (those which meet the aims of AUUG)
and we have to be prepared to support chapter activities in small user 
communities (darwin, hobart etc) to maintian our notional standing. We also 
have to provide direction as to what AUUG considers suitable chapter activities
to be (ie. advacing the aims of AUUG).

The constitution says very little about chapters. I am now beginning to work
with a sub-committee to define a model for AUUG chapters. This model will 
include chapter structure, activities, funding and responsibilities. It is
important that we get this reasonably right (we can tidy up details as we go)
so that we can ensure that AUUG chapters are furthering the aims of the AUUG, 
and not just providing a platform for wine guzzling and socialising ( I'm not
picking on SWIGS, I like their guzzles, but it isn't really an AUUG activity.
My comments are also a bit unfair since, to my knowledge, SWIGS have self funded
all their guzzles. Or rather Softway have probably funded them.)


>I am not taking pot shots at anybody here, I am just trying to point
>out that committees (by their very consensus nature) will move slowly.
>This is even more true of committees with national representation which
>are hampered by geographic realities limiting face to face meetings.

true. change *must* move slowly. it allows you to notice and fix problems
before they destroy the whole group. rapid change can lead to disaster as easily
as it can lead to success. (don't get me wrong, I'm not saying change has to 
be too slow, just not too fast)

It takes more than one year to get programmes started, particularly when the 
committee is already occupied with other important programmes. I have just 
begun. I would like the opportunity to continue and see this thing through.
[ believe me, I'm not doing it so I can take the midnight flight to Sydney, 
sit in a committee meeting all day, lounge around Mascott Airport half the 
evening then fly home again that night ].

I dont think longer terms are a good idea. If someone is working on a longer
term project, then simply reelect them so they can continue - if you agree with
what they are doing...

Just don't vote someone out because they haven't revolutionised AUUG in a year.
Gradual change gives you the opportunity to see problems before they totally 
wreck your activity. Overnight revolution can lead to disaster as easilly as 
it can lead to success.

>>There's no need to change anything here, its not as if the AUUG members
>>periodically purge the entire committee and start with an entirely new one,
>>in fact, I suspect that there's been some pretty good continuity,
>>committee members more often retire than are disenfranchised.  

>You are right, I don't think there is a problem now.   Right now, we
>don't have hordes of people interested in standing for committee
>positions.  Members of the committee interested in continuing will be
>able to do so (because there is a lack of interested participants).
>But, if we grow (and I hope we will), then I predict that we will have
>problems.

yes we do. if we are not careful, we could get a whole new committee next
year (almost). A brand new committee takes a long time to learn what the 
old committee was doing, or else they start from scratch and do something new
without the benefit of leasons learned by the old committee.

still, it's good to see that so many people have nominated this year, it
shows that people are prepared to put themselves out for the group. 

here comes the plug. Reading the election policies, everyone seems to agree 
that local chapters are the way to go. I am committed to this as the way to
go. I am actively trying to do something about it. Please vote for me so I
can continue what I have begun. [ I hate all this politicing, but I also hate 
not knowing if I'll be around next month to continue what I'm doing]

glenn
-- 
Email  - glenn@cs.uwa.edu.au	  ,-_|\ 			 glenn huxtable
phone  - +61 9 380 2878 	 /     \ 	       dept of computer science
fax    - +61 9 380 1089   	 *_,-._/	university of western australia
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