[AUUG-Talk]: AUUG AGM Update & RFC

[Lawrie Brown]

Hi everyone

Firstly, a reminder that the Annual General Meeting of AUUG for 2008 will be
held in Canberra in a couple of weeks on Wed 10 Dec 2008 at the CSC Office
in Braddon.  Further details and agenda are provided in the notice on the
website at: http://auug.org.au/news/notice-agm-2008.shtml

In terms of the business to be transacted, what seems most critical is to
resolve where we want to take AUUG in future. There is general agreement
that the existing AUUG has both lost its purpose, and people willing to make
things happen. However there are also still a number of people who wish AUUG
"the community" to continue to have a role into the future, albeit likely
rather different to that previously.

The options for achieving this, under active discussion, seem to be:

1) to continue with the existing AUUG Inc., altering its constitution and
aims to reflect a new role, and also regularizing its status with CAV.
Whilst there was some discussion that this was the "easier" option, given
the ongoing problems with its incorporation and CAV, I do not believe this
is the case.  If the members decide that they do wish the current AUUG Inc.
legal entity to continue, then some Melbourne resident is going to need to
commit to spending a likely considerable effort working with CAV to resolve
this situation (and noting that previous attempts to do so have failed). I
would also like to make it clear that after some considerable discussion the
board do not believe this is the best solution, and none of us are willing
to pursue this option. So others would need to step forward if this option
is chosen.

The other two alternatives recognise that the future AUUG is going to be
distinct and different to what has gone before, and that there should be
a clean break.

2) One approach to achieving this is to form a brand new incorporated
association, the "AUUG Preservation Society", along the lines proposed by
Stephen Rothwell in his postings to the lists, and then discussed on the
auugps mailing list. It would inherit AUUG's electronic and paper assets,
and provide a means for them to continue to be available.  AUUG Inc. could
then be wound-up and its other assets appropriately distributed.  Apart from
likely being easier to manage given the incorporation rules in the ACT are
much simpler for small turnover associations, this provides a clear and
clean break between what AUUG was and what it shall become. And provides a
way to draw a line under the issues with CAV.  When we discussed these first
two alternatives, the board thought this was the better option to pursue.

3) The other approach to this end was to use another organisation, most
likely Linux Australia, as an umbrella for legal purposes to "own" the
domain name etc, and have a SIG/sub-committee of it to manage these as the
"AUUG Preservation Society". This alternative was presented by Peter Miller
in his postings to the lists. The effective result would likely be similar
to having a new association, at a cost of a less distinct identity, but
advantage of not having to worry about the overheads of incorporation.  If
the members decide to pursue this alternative, then this will be handled by
moving an amendment to motion 5a naming "Linux Australia" as the recipient
of the electronic and paper assets, rather than AUUGPS.

Its also pretty clear that for any of the options, AUUG will need much less
funds than it currently has. Hence the AGM will also discuss who best to
gift AUUG's excess funds to, so they can be used for some good in a means
consistent with AUUG's aims.

If you have a view on these options (or indeed on any of the business for
the AGM), please post a message to this list presenting your views and
supporting arguments, so they can be considered by those participating in
the AGM.

For your consideration and discussion.

Regards
Lawrie Brown
AUUG President