[AUUG-Talk]: Lions Chair/Dissolution of AUUG

[Christopher.Vance at auug.org.au]

On 2007-11-27, at 16:32:08, steve jenkin wrote:
> Christopher Vance wrote on 27/11/07 4:11 PM:
>> As I mentioned recently, I'm happy to check membership status for
>> anyone who asks, since I am custodian of the laptop holding the
>> definitive list.
>>
>> I guess I haven't pushed membership too hard, since I don't feel  
>> right
>> asking people to pay for something that might be going away Real Soon
>> Now.
>
> This is a crucial matter for the Board to decide.

Yes.

> Your stance seems to be that only people deemed to be Members [and  
> hence
> allowed at the AGM] will be those who've paid fees within last 12  
> months.

That's the usual definition of member in any organization with paid  
membership.

I am not now doing and have never done anything *actively* to prevent  
people joining; I just haven't gone out of my way to push membership.  
Handling membership is nominally the Secretary's responsibility, and  
I've never been the Secretary, so I don't feel particularly bad about  
this, either.

> That's OK, given this definition of 'Member' is probably written in  
> the
> constitution.
> It does disenfranchise a bunch of people who are not currently  
> financial
> due to no fault of their own.

True. But it was already that way before I joined the board, so I  
can't claim responsibility. I guess nobody took on following up  
autorenewals and other expiries when Liz left.

> And who don't see the value to throwing $100+ at something to  
> decide to
> close it down.
> I would not class that rational behaviour...

Indeed. Hence my not feeling quite right in pushing it hard...

> The Board should have the power to vary membership fees. Perhaps a
> nominal membership fee is called for in this situation.

Hmm. I actually do think continuation should be decided by people who  
are willing to put time in there. For at least some people, time and  
money might be considered interconvertible.

The way I look at it is that we don't have enough people willing to  
do the Board thing. Even free membership wouldn't fix that. And  
without some people with a reasonable level of available commitment,  
we can't really continue, even if the non-Board people want to continue.

Sad? Yes. But most of us appear to have already moved on.

-- Christopher