[lug] Ideas to Improve This List

[Nick Golder]

On 03-04-16 17:01 -0600, the infamous J. Wayde Allen uttered:
> 
> Actually, I think that BLUG really needs to establish an elected
> administrative body.  Without such a mechanism it is too easy to get
> locked into a task here.  There really needs to be a graceful way for
> administrative tasks to turn over.
> 

An administrative body can be a both a curse and a blessing... but
mostly a blessing. ;-]  When I was in Ames, IA, I saw our LUG evolve
from just that, a Linux user's group to a much wider encompassing group
that embraces ALL Open Source and Free Software along with the BSDs.  It
also started out as a public group but soon became a student run
organization, that, while limiting administrative candidates (only
enrolled students of ISU) was still open to all for membership.  Dues were
collected to allow for a voting body which also, consequently, allowed
for a little spending cash for socials, server hardware (we had our own
server that ISU's AIT facilitated), as well as advertising for
installfests.

If my memory serves me right, we:
1) Collected dues to form a voting body (something like $5 for a year).
2) Adopted a constitution to be governed by (drafted by a committee, 
ammended by members and finally adopted).
3) Elected officials... President, Vice-President and Treasurer.

The transition was difficult for those that weren't students/faculty
and directly involved with the university.  It was more of a FUD
syndrome than anything else.  The group had about 6 months of stagnant
activity and then exploded with weekly meetings, bigger installfest and
more exposure.  Last summer we had an Iowa unplugged camping trip where
all the state's groups met up for a weekend of RR.  We've also had joint
meetings with different groups from around the states either physically
or via video conference.  All kinds of goodies.

It also helped tremendously that ISU started supporting Linux
university-wide (there are packages for getting Kerb5, OpenAFS,
Kerberized telnet, print support and more).  They are also offering a 
clustering course in their engineering department and will be offering an 
Intro to Linux in the CS department (open to ALL students with one minor
prereq).

Obviously a group in Boulder is going to have MUCH different style do
to logistics alone.

Just my $.02.

-- 
-Nick Golder
http://www.hiveportal.net