[AUUG-Talk]: AUUG Membership Lapse

[Greg Black]

On 2006-09-15, Stephen Jenkin wrote:

> My point here: It takes time to build - committees need support and
> encouragement - and help understanding they *are* making a difference.

Indeed.

> Here it is plainly:
> 
>   The Board, while composed of good people, capable and well-intended, is
> the major problem...
> 
> We've seen multiple Boards, and they've all delivered the same...
> 
> Fix the Board, Fix the Association.

While I agree with this, I don't want to come across as an
armchair critic who has nothing to offer but whining.  It is
easy to criticise (even when everything is going well), but it's
hard to be on the spot and the current board is trying to deal
with a period of significant change and the loss of the help
from Liz, not to mention the Conference and this sudden flurry
of drama here.

> You've all seen Enno's response to my previous e-mail.
> he quoted 2 lines and as if demonstrating my point, ignored the content -
> that the Board has consistently ingored all communications from me...

I have to agree that this is a problem, but not just with the
current board -- I've had the same experience for about ten
years.  The board has indicated that help was needed with
various things and I've put up my hand several times.  Mostly,
my emails were simply ignored.  For one matter, I got a "great,
we'll be in touch" response that was never followed up.  In that
case, I made a point of confronting the relevant board members
in person at the subsequent Conference to discuss it.  Again,
there was apparent enthusiasm, but the promised emails never
came and my attempts to reopen communication were all ignored.
At some point, you learn your lesson and move on to other
things.

I'm not in a position to do a proper job as a board member (for
a bunch of reasons that are not germane here), but I have been
willing to take on some smaller area of responsibility for years
and I'm still willing to do something.  I'd bet I'm not unique
and that if the board could just find a way of really dealing
with the membership and accepting offered help, things could be
improved.

And, at the very least, members would feel that they were part
of something alive.  It's the perception that nothing is
happening that I think is a major issue right now -- and, before
anybody says I'm dissing the good work that is being done, I'm
not; I'm just reporting perceptions.

Greg

PS: In case people are worried that I just don't know how to
    STFU, take heart from the fact that I am now behind in my
    work and will leave this to others for the time being.