[Lopsa-regional-project] Bylaws (aka "...the horror, the horror...")

[Michael Tiernan]

> Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:44:54 -0500
> From: Travis
[...]
> What benefit does having bylaws and a mini-board bring to a local chapter?
[...]
I have to ask the group two questions:
1) Is there a *harm* in having bylaws or a board (mini, maxi or extra medium)?
2) What makes you think that *your* view of a local chapter is the
same as someone else's? What *if* someone wished to create a local
chapter that had more than a half-dozen drinking buddies looking for
an excuse to get out of the house? Should LOPSA (or any other
organization with assets and liabilites) just say "Ok, knock
yourselves out."? I don't remember the LOPSA purpose to be a 'USA'
only organization so what if a group of guys (and/or gals), from say
South Africa want to have a meeting here but exclude members who have
different quantities of skin pigments? Should LOPSA (or any other
organization) say "Sure!"? And don't give me that BS about "within
reason" as being an unspoken rule, if it's not in writing, then who
the hell is to say that it's a rule? And don't tell me "Oh, the
local/state/federal gummint ain't gonna let it happen." You're right
but by the time they get involved, the value of the name of LOPSA (or
any other organization) has been dragged through the mud and has cost
its members mucho bucks to defend against the legal wranglings of an
ambulance chaser. So where's that BS about "within reason" now? Are
you going to tell me that you don't think that this can/will happen?
How about a local Catholic/Christian/Jewish/Islamic center offering us
a meeting hall, with oodles and oodles of computers to use as we see
fit, any day of the week (except _________ ) and we can do what we
want there except allow members who are not
Catholic/Christian/Jewish/Islamic. How do you respond to their offere?
Maybe the organization has a resource that can be called apon to
handle the response for us?

Ok, so let's assume you're right and no one is going to run a meeting
where "you" (fill in unique quality to base descrimination on) can't
attend. So what about the group that wants to meet at the local
personality lubrication station and after lots of discussions and some
primo micro-brew someone wraps their car around a tree afterwards
taking a minivan with a familiy with him/her? Does LOPSA (or any other
organization) have a liability in this case? Again, this is going to
cost big bucks to get out from under. By then, what's the organization
going to be good for? "Oh those drunken louses."

So, why don't we, instead of finding what's wrong with the idea, apply
those unique system administration skills to the question and provide
positive effort to making it all better?

Someone else replied with:
> I'd like to see a very informal ruleset (or better guideline) on what
> LOPSA would like to see. At least one doesn't have to start from scratch
> this way.
[...]
> Documentation :)
I agree. Just for laying down the groundwork of what is and isn't
permitted would be a good start (to take my own advice above).

State, in writing, in nonequivical language, who we are, what we're
here for, and what our responsibilities are (and aren't).

Again, I lost the attribution in the dust somewhere, my apologies.
> Informal doesn't mean there aren't any rules.
Good point. And it also means you're not exempt from any rules.

And Adam M said:
[...]
> someone would have to make a really good
> argument for how LOPSA can help BBLISA before it would be worth our
> while to undertake what for us would be such a massive effort.
[...]
Not directed at Adam directly but I have to ask, who the hell said it
would be a massive effort? What if the "effort" was to read a ten page
document that says "why", "do", "don't" and "who" and act accordingly?
What if someone OTHER than the BBLISA type group wishes to create a
local LOPSA organization? What do they do? Follow the BBLISA handbook?

We're supposed to (pending confirmation by the LOPSA by-laws)
encourage the development and advancement of the professional system
administrator and the professon of system adminstration, again, what
if a college who teaches SA wishes to become more than a loosly packed
bunch of ($favorite-operating-system) geeks looking for a good time?


> IN MY OWN AND PERSONAL UNHUMBLE OPINION, I can see having a simple
> document like:
>
> "We are {mumbledefudge}, a local chapter of LOPSA, a national
> organization.  We have the required number of national-joined weasels
> (whatever it is this week) to be an official chapter.  As such, we at
> this time:
>  - have no dues  (or charge $5/meeting.) (or "have a bin for voluntary
> donations to help cover expenses") (or "WHATEVER")
>  - have monthly meetings (when possible)
>  - encourage local chapter members to join LOPSA but do not require it
>  - follow the basic goals and missions of LOPSA
>
> We will meet annually to revisit these bylaws to either modify or ratify them."
>
> "Bylaws" does not have to mean "Legalese mumbojumbo offputting 99% of
> the universe."

Exactly! Where's the harm in this? Why does this cause so many to rail
against authority?

Thanks for the opportunity to speak.
</EndOfRantAndRamble>
-- 
 << MCT >> Michael C Tiernan.
 Is God a performance artist?
 EGO hack vivo quod ago accido.
 http://www.linkedin.com/in/mtiernan