[ILUG] AGM Annoucement

[Niall O Broin]

I have kept my powder dry for the last few days about this whole issue 
but I found Niall's original mail very timely as I was in the middle of 
writing such a mail myself.

On 22 Sep 2004, at 21:42, Niall Walsh wrote:

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

This is quite true, as far as it goes. If it weren't for YOU (by 
definition, a subscriber to this list and a member of ILUG) there 
wouldn't BE an ILUG.

> 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!

Yes, please do that. The AGM is the one time per year when ILUG members 
meet F2F to elect a new committee and to debate plans for the future. 
We also try to have some interesting presentations and the ICS premises 
I think will be the best AGM venue we have yet had.

> 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.

Whether or not outgoing committee members are standing down, please, 
please stand for election if you feel you have something to contribute. 
The worst that can happen is that you'll get elected and have to do a 
little bit of work.

> 6.   I must say I have never even attended an ILUG AGM before, have 
> you?

The answer to that is NO for the vast majority of members.

> 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).

This is a bit of a leap. There are many list subscribers who are NOT 
either willing or able to help with ILUG in any further way and that's 
fine. Maybe they can answer an odd question on the list, or maybe they 
just lurk - that's fine too.

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

Well, at this stage the prevailing opinion on the mailing list and the 
IRC channel is that this is simply untrue. But the question definitely 
arises - quo vadis ILUG ?

In the last year or two, ILUG has had very few F2F activities, but the 
mailing list and IRC channel have been quite active. The major activity 
which we have taken part in IRL is the eXpo and our continued 
participation in this is a matter of some debate. ILUG has never really 
been an installfest type of LUG and frankly with the current state of 
Linux distributions, I think installfests per se have perhaps had their 
day.

In the past ILUG has had some interesting 1/2 day talks/seminars - 
perhaps this is something we could revive? But there would be very 
little point in organising these if there would be poor attendance - 
it's very demoralising for the people who have committed their time to 
talk if they're mostly talking to an empty room.

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

You can do that if you like - but I guess you'll be mostly ignored.

> B:   YOU'll be at the AGM

As I said, yes please.

> Let's see if anyone cares!

I think the response to the original mail showed that people do care, 
and most people DON'T think ILUG is dying. Come along to the AGM and 
make YOUR views heard.

> I'll see YOU at the AGM!

I'll try to be there :-)

If there is any particular issue you'd like to see presented at the AGM 
(I'm talking about a technical kind of presentation) please let us know 
ASAP. If you have a particular speaker in mind, please do say.  We do 
have a little bit of cash in the bank, so bringing in a non Irish based 
speaker from a particular project in which you're interested is not out 
of the question, but we are running very short of time.



Niall  O Broin

ILUG Treasurer