TLUG Coup D'etat

[G. Matthew Rice]

Noah John Gellner <noah.gellner-H217xnMUJC0sA/PxXw9srA at public.gmane.org> writes:
> Matt, Can you tell me why people want to incorporate TLUG? On top of the
> initial cost, it would seem that the ongoing reporting, governance
> requirements would be burdensome

I can't tell you because I don't understand it.  The arguments that I've
heard seem to be kind of circular.

  Q: Why are we incorporating?
  A: We need to incorporate so that we have more credability when accepting
        money and donations.
  Q: What do we need money and donations for?  So far everything's been
        covered by UofT, Ryerson, idirect, iplink, ...
  A: Well, there will be costs associated with incorporation.  We need money
        for that.
  rinse, repeat...


> unless there was a real reason that TLUG needed the liability protection.

That may be a good reason for incorporating.  Although, we've been running
TLUG for 10 years with no problem [yeah, yeah.  past performance... :)].

I'm not against TLUG incorporating, per se.  I would just like to see it
followed up with something real.  Look at what OCLUG [and www.osw.ca] and
PLUG [and www.plug.ca; note the computer stuff] are doing.  It puts us to
shame.  We should have the largest LUG in the country.  Instead, we have
NewTLUG splitting off because of:

   - an unwillingness to hold TLUG meetings anywhere but the TO core
   - an unwillingness to clamp down on abuse of speakers [if fact, I met
        guy at RWL that is going to give a talk at HLUG and NewTLUG but
        was adamant that he won't speak at TLUG]

I'd be happy even if we just used the "money" to pay some of the freight to
get well-known speakers here in order to get more people out to meetings.  I
don't think that we've been able to match the attendance from Bob Young's
visit back in 1998 or 1999.


> That said, I think that it might be helpful to incorporate the Adopt
> project and create some sort of service agreement that can be used else
> there is a bigger risk of liability. Noah

I agree there.  Not many people know what you're talking about on this
matter, though :)

-- 
g. matthew rice <matt-s/rLXaiAEBtBDgjK7y7TUQ at public.gmane.org>                            starnix inc.
phone: 905-771-0017 x242                        thornhill, ontario, canada
http://www.starnix.com              professional linux services & products
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