[Lopsa-regional-project] project start

[Jack Coats]

I suggest we have both LOPSA Chapters (a formal arrangement) and Affiliated 
Groups (a less formal, but supportave arrangement).  

If there are sucessful groups in an area, they might not want to turn 
over 'keys to their kingdom' to another group, but this might be a way to 
have currently existing groups become affiliated and, with active LOPSA 
members also being in these groups, share the benefits of networking, 
discounts, have invitations to LOPSA functions extended (members get 
discounts, others don't) to these groups and their members, etc.

Just a thought.

---------- Original Message -----------
From: Steven Tylock <stylock at gmail.com>
To: "Coordination list for the project to support regional groups." <lopsa-
regional-project at lopsa.org>
Sent: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 11:20:13 -0500
Subject: Re: [Lopsa-regional-project] project start

> I'm going to focus on this specific part of the latest post:
> 
> > der.hans wrote:
> > > Eric Eisenhart asked:
> > > Does LOPSA want to be a "parent" organization for sysadmin specific
> groups
> > > or otherwise provide help along those lines?
> >
> > I'd like LOPSA to parent regional groups. Deciding that is part of our
> > project charter. We should come up with a plan and present it to the 
board
> > for approval.
> 
> And suggest that in first reading perhaps I didn't get a full 
> meaning of what was intended...-)
> 
> GVSAGE is a local in the Rochester, NY / surrounding counties area.
> LOPSA is an international organization (as far as I can see - or at least
> the intent is...)
> 
> Yes - LOPSA wants to have local organizations - but in a final state 
> with a local in every modestly sized city and tens of thousands of 
> members, a completely flat organization may not work best.  We 
> should think of the levels of organization that we might want to a)
>  start with, b) transition through, and c) end up with.
> 
> Along those lines - every local is "the same" from many points of 
> view, but a collection of 160 different ones may not be wieldy.  I 
> can see a case for dividing into super-regions for management 
> purposes when the "flat" organization reaches (say) 40.
> 
> That is - trying to use a country / region / state organization does 
> not make sense initially; but may make sense in the final stages.
> 
> LOPSA should be able to offer the same resources if it is flat or 
> there are levels, and having a "NorthAmerica-NE" focus group may 
> allow different things to happen.
> 
> As a leader of a local, we'd look for mailing list support, and 
> possibly web site support.  We have our own domain right now, but I 
> can see that potential.  In the past, I have looked for show 
> trinkets and material to advertise the national group.  (local tech 
> shows will often donate booth space to a group like ours - adds 
> space, buzz, and we gave good tech talks...)
> 
> It would be good to be able to periodically troll on the national 
> list for the local org - and by troll I mean post "we encourage you 
> to be a member of the local mailing list for your area, here they 
> are..."  [or perhaps make the national list a collection of the 
> locals and do that automatically...]
> 
> And I agree on speakers - speakers have been asked for, and help in
> organizing would be appreciated.  [It is much work, and I cannot say 
> that attendance stays high when we have them or not]
> 
> steve
> --
> Steven Tylock
> stylock at gmail.com
> www.timelyinsights.net
------- End of Original Message -------