[ILUG] AGM Annoucement

[Niall Walsh]

Shortly ILUG will be holding it's AGM and
YOUR ILUG needs YOU to ensure it's survival!

The AGM is taking place at 2pm on Saturday October 16th 2004
in the premises of the Irish Computer Society in Mount Street, Dublin 2

WE ARE BORG

What can YOU do?

1.   TURN UP!  If nothing else, turn up, represent YOUR idea of ILUG and
demonstrate YOUR support of the ideal of ILUG. Make sure we actually have a
quorum!
2.   STAND FOR ELECTION!   If YOU have ideas, some time and the willingness
to commit to trying then throw YOUR name in the hat.   If we end up with 
too
many names, then everyone can choose the direction we wish to take.  
Announce
YOUR intention to run and tell people what YOU will bring to the
table.   There are 6 positions: Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, PRO and 2
general committee places.   I hope I am not annoying any incumbents
intending to stand but there is nothing to stop anyone standing for any of
those positions, YOU will need 2 members to nominate YOU but that's it.  
The
current Secretary has informed us that both himself and the Chairman
are standing down so the door is open for new blood.
3.   Pledge YOUR support to the incoming committee, tell them YOU are there
for them and want to help them.   YOU don't have to make specific promises
and YOU don't have to do anything YOU don't want to, but if YOUR reading
this perhaps YOU care enough about Linux enough to think of something YOU
can do to help.

Why am I shouting out about all this?

1.   I've been a "member" of ILUG for quite while now but I've had enough
2.   ILUG is dying because it has not adapted or evolved, it has grown
stagnant and seems on the verge of collapse
3.   I'm NOT willing to just sit by and let it die without a fight
4.   UNLESS you all happy to sit by and let it die in which case I'll 
let it
die in peace
5.   I AM willing to stick my neck on the line and stand
6.   I must say I have never even attended an ILUG AGM before, have you?

RESISTENCE IS FUTILE

What do I propose we do?

Rebuild ILUG afresh, from the ground up.   Make all decisions anew and
document our reasons, rewrite our constitution and put all our means of
commincations (lists and sites) together again, ensuring that it is valid
and up-to-date and also that it is something we can maintain collectively,
restructuring where we think we need to.   Reassociate ourselves with the
local lugs, perhaps encouraging more local lugs, but figuring out how to
create and maintain the ties between them so we provide the best community
for ourselves and new citizens of Irish Linux land.   Encourage our
members to start new projects and to look to each other to help out, build
a todo list for ilug so we know where we are going and what we can do!
Maintain a vital public appearance and keep channels open with the media
to ensure a balanced in the Irish media for the issues that concern us.

Can we do it?   That depends on how many of us there are!   I'm not
suggesting it is trivial or easy, but anyone who can read this far can
certainly contribute and must be willing (or what the heck are you doing
on this list and why are you still reading).

ILUG is a collective of individuals, opinions vary wildly but we all have
one common underlying connection, software.   There is no need for us to
bond into a tight unified group, in fact it would be contrary to the very
ideals upon which our connecting software is developed (the choice 
ultimately
empowered by the words "fork you" breeds diversity), but if we cannot 
simply
sit in a room together, once a year and decide where we will go next and 
who
will take us there then perhaps we should not bother existing.

DEATH IS IRRELEVANT

Linux.ie is dying, but it isn't dead. Help save it, show YOUR support.

If you've made it this far please reply to the list and tell it:

A:   To die
B:   YOU'll be at the AGM
C:   YOUR standing for ......
D:   YOU don't live in Ireland and hence won't be at the AGM
(and can't vote anyway)
E:   YOU want us to keep going, but you can't be bothered to turn up
or do anything

Let's see if anyone cares!

I'll see YOU at the AGM!

Niall Walsh