TLUG's value to community ???

[G. Matthew Rice]

billt-lxSQFCZeNF4 at public.gmane.org writes:
> I don't understand why this question comes up and why it always ends up
> revolving around money.

Bill,

Read through my posts.  I am not asking any questions about money.  I'm
asking for someone from GTALUG to come forward and address the confusion over
who/what GTALUG is and what they want to accomplish and why TLUG and the
other local LUGs need/want to be involved with GTALUG.

All of the other times that I have seen a LUG move from a loose bunch of
volunteers to an official incorporated entity, there was public discussion
and inclusion of all of the members of the LUG.  Even if it was moved to a
side mailing list.


> 1) We were faced with a situation where we did not have any official status
> and thus couldn't get private and public organizations to sponsor us for
> anything. The people at IBM today are asking us why we need this, but the
> same group was openly asking why they could get tax receipts six years
> ago. Other companies were doing the same thing. This was back when we still
> had active volunteers that did talk to people about sponsoring TLUG.

We were always able to get sponsors before.  CLUE's federal incorporation
status was always made available for TLUG activities (such as the CLUE/TLUG
COMDEX booths last century).  Actually, I don't think that CLUE was even
incorporated for the first COMDEX.


> 2) The volunteer group, specifically the ones that have been doing the behind
> the scenes work have been doing it for five to seven years without thanks, or
> appreciation, and quite frankly have gotten tired of it. The incorporation
> structure allows people to come and go from the volunteer staff with little
> problems. It doesn't solve the problem of finding the volunteers, but at
> least we know when we need to fill posts.

This one makes little sense to me.  We've always filled posts by asking on
the mailing list.  


> 3) It allows some kind of order in both picking and removing people from the
> executive. In the past we have had up to four rival LUG simluateously in
> Toronto because people didn't like what the executive was doing but was
> powerless make any changes. As a member of GTALUG do you have methods of
> making changes.

We have?  What were these 'rival' LUGs?  I count NewTLUG as a separate LUG
because, AFAIK, Herb is running that show and knows nothing about what GTALUG
is doing.


> 4) In 1999 (correct me if I'm wrong about the date), Matt organized a tlug
> membership drive at comdex, and raised approximately $5000 (correct me if I'm
> wrong, I quoting George's numbers from 2001), and handed over a little less
> than $2000 to Clive, George and committee (remember the committee everyone)
> for the purposes of incorpation.

Actually, the COMDEX money went to paying for show expenses and CLUE's
incorporation (and some still sitting in the bank).  It was the first
membership drive at a ComputerFest (I think that's what they're called) that
raised the money for the incorporation.


> There have also been other 'membership drives' by other groups claiming to
> represent TLUG.  By becoming an official organization we can at least claim
> that those other parties don't represent TLUG.

There have?  Why was it never mentioned on the list?  This is the first that
I have ever heard about this.  The other side of this, though, is "Why does
GTALUG believe that it represents TLUG (and NewTLUG and westlug)?"


> We have gotten people threaten to sue us in the past because either members
> on the list claiming to speak for TLUG have tried to make deals with
> business on our behalf. We aren't obligated to honour such deals, but it
> did breed anomisity towards us for no reason.

GTALUG can get sued just as well.  I hope that the directors have appropriate
E&O and liability insurance.


> 6) The fee is arbitrary and we have control over what we charge. The $20 was
> cosen because its a token amount that most people don't have a problem
> parting with. I guess we were wrong.

I've got $20 ready for when the exec of GTALUG come to TLUG (or NewTLUG or
westlug) to do a presentation.  It isn't about the money.


> The reason GTALUG exist as a legal entity is two fold: back when incororation
> was started we were being asked by the business community to provide such
> infrastructure to facilitate donations of facilities to our cause; and the
> legal framework allows the rest of the world to be able to identify us and
> thus avoiding people who claim to represent the group.

I represent TLUG all of the time.  I am not a member of GTALUG.  Am I going
to be hearing from GTALUG's lawyers soon?

Regards,
-- 
g. matthew rice <matt-s/rLXaiAEBtBDgjK7y7TUQ at public.gmane.org>           starnix, toronto, ontario, ca
phone: 647.722.5301 x242                                  gpg id: EF9AAD20
http://www.starnix.com              professional linux services & products
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