[H-GEN] Re: Support to change Humbug's constitution.

[Willie Yeo]

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	Maybe I should point out why I am writing to gather support and why I am 
doing this.

	Firstly, I have no direct involvement with the committee, except with 
thanks for the support and help that each one of them had offered me.

	Secondly, like Brent mentioned, Humbug is a club of interest. I considered 
it a non-profit organisation, and it is a user group that binds people of 
the same interest together, i.e. Unix(y) operating systems; unlike Lions 
International, Rotary, or the Red Cross. Their membership system and 
criteria does not remotely be applicable in Humbug. Humbug does not 
directly impact on the greater community, nor does Humbug carry out 
charitable work or community work similar to Lions.

	The reason being, at the previous 2 Humbug AGMs, a sufficient quorum is 
not met at the stated time of the meetings, and we have to ring and call 
and locate members to submit their proxies in order to achieve quorum. This 
is very ineffective, as well as time wasting. And being a growing club, 
ultimately the numbers will get too large and getting quorums will be a 
pain in the neck. I does not happen just to Humbug, it happens to other 
similar computer user groups.

	Humbug charges nominal membership fees, which is pretty much the lowest I 
have seen in a user group, for the ongoing maintenance and costs of running 
the club.

	Legally, we require at a SGM (or AGM), which we have quorum, to vote for 
the motion to amend the constitution. Of course, we have to give the 
mandatory notice of the SGM and the purpose of the SGM.

	Hmmm ... "active member" very hard to define, is it ones that attend 80% 
of all meetings ? Then "active membership" cease to be effective if the 
person has his attendence less than 80% ? I think not.

At 08:48 AM 29/11/2000 +1000, Brent Wesley wrote:

It is all well in good to say at the time of joining up with HUMBUG that 
"Yes I will
be an active member".  I my experience will the club, this usually does not 
stay that
way. A general "excitement" about the club is usually displayed at the 
start but then
dissipates. This is because HUMBUG is a club of interest.  Usually people 
come and
join up to server a purpose.  Once that purpose is met, often the member 
stops coming
on a regular basis. (obviously this is not always the case).

 From personal experience this is not the Case with Lions clubs. What works 
in one
club, often does not work in another as you have to examine what the trends of
membership are.

As much as creating classes of membership might sound good, I don't think 
that it
would work.

I actually support the suggestion of Willie's.  It has become to hard for 
us to make
quorum and a change is necessary. But we have to look at the legality of it.



----------
Willie Yeo (Network Engineer)

connect.com.au Pty. Ltd.
Level 30, Riverside Centre, 123 Eagle St, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia.
Phone: +61 7 3834-9945   Fax: +61 7 3834-9938


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