Excellent Kate. I had similar thought but was not sure how to word it. Last thing you want volunteer to feel is less important.
On Wed, Jan 2, 2013 at 8:47 PM, Kate Chapman <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi All, > > I would like to echo Schuyler's comment that we wouldn't be able to do > anything this without the help of volunteers. That said I would hope > at some point we could make the membership mean something (other than > just voting on the board). > > When HOT was originally incorporated I envisioned issues of importance > to the organization to be brought to the voting membership for > discussion and decision making. This wouldn't be for everyday items, > aimed more at the long term goals and strategy of the organization. > One thing that I think lays in the way of this right now are the > structural documents actually defining what membership is and a fair > process to ensure those that desire and volunteer for HOT have the > opportunity to become members. > > What I mean by that is that currently we only nominate members once > year. So far the main reason for this has been twofold. One the > administrative burden of performing the nomination process, two having > the membership be engaged in the nomination and voting process. > Perhaps this is because most people are not clear on the process or > they are happy with the ways things are with HOT and don't feel the > need to vote. Or maybe there are other reasons. > > To be clear though I would like the HOT community to discuss and > attempt to come to decisions about the organization. This can only > happen through clear dialogue. > > Best, > > -Kate > > On Thu, Jan 3, 2013 at 4:57 AM, Schuyler Erle <[email protected]> wrote: > > TL;DR: Everyone reading this is a member of HOT. Some of the people who > aren't voting members are actually more "members" of HOT than those who are > nominally entitled to vote in the organization. You are all doing work that > has the amazing potential to make the world a better place. Thank you. > > > > On Jan 2, 2013, at 12:17 PM, Schuyler Erle wrote: > > > >> > >> If you have any comments or questions about this process, or thoughts > you'd like to share on the Team and on the responsibilities of voting > membership within the Team, I wholeheartedly invite you to reply to this > message and kick off the discussion forthwith. > > > > Actually, speaking in an unofficial capacity, I'd like to start the > discussion myself. First, I hope you will note that in my announcement I > took great pains to emphasize that the election that we held last month was > specifically to induct new _voting_ members. > > > > I want everyone to note that the only reason we make any distinction at > all between voting membership and any other form of participation in HOT is > that, as a formally incorporated non-profit organization, our bylaws > legally oblige us to maintain a set list of voting members who have certain > duties. We do this because formal non-profit status makes it possible for > us to obtain donations that vastly increase our ability to fulfill our > mission. > > > > The duties of voting members merely include electing the Board of > Directors, altering the voting membership, and for approving changes to the > bylaws themselves. Voting membership holds no other responsibilities, and > no other distinction, beyond this. > > > > In a real sense, if you are reading this message, you are truly a member > of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. Everyone who has ever edited the > OSM database, or written a line of code, in the service of humanitarian > relief and preparedness is a member of our team. It's your volunteer > efforts that enable us collectively to make the world a better place, and > to support the work of those who ease the suffering of people in need. > > > > Without you, there would be no "Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team" worthy > of the name. I think I can speak for the Board certainly, and perhaps > everyone else, when I say that, voting member or otherwise, we appreciate > all of the work that you selflessly put in on behalf of the team to help us > achieve our goals and live up to our ideals of enabling humanitarian > efforts through our maps and our software. > > > > That said, I would like to note that many of our voting members barely > fail to live up to the responsibilities that are expected of them by virtue > of having been elected to such duties by their peers. I won't name names, > but the fact is that getting some of you to vote in elections, and even > getting you to fill out a simple form indicating your continued interest in > the organization, feels like pulling teeth. I feel that voting membership > in HOT begin the implicit responsibility of setting a positive example of > activism, volunteerism, and engagement for the rest of the team. I will > tell you honestly that I think some of you are terrible at this. If you > think I am trying to shame you into being more involved, you are absolutely > correct. > > > > I will also admit that I am being pretty hypocritical in leveling this > criticism at my friends and compatriots. But I think it has to be said. > > > > What is the reward for all this work for which we are not paid and > rarely thanked? It is simply the ability to go to sleep at night knowing > that you have rendered a service to your fellow human beings, that you have > made some contribution, however large, to improving the world for everyone. > The maps that we make, and the work that we do to make them, have an impact > on the world. They have saved lives, and helped communities in need. They > will continue to do so, as long as we remain committed to the the idea that > geographic information, freely made and freely shared, can transform our > world for the better. > > > > In this brief life that we share, I can think of no greater achievement > than this to claim for ourselves, and I say that you claim it for yourself > every time you exert yourself through the labors of our team. I hope that > you will all take heart in this thought, and redouble your efforts in 2013, > that we may see the world a year hence a more hospitable and more > charitable place for everyone. > > > > SDE > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > HOT mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/hot > > _______________________________________________ > HOT mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/hot > -- --- "Like a camera I use the negative to develop..uDig" "Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> *Roxroy K. 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