Imminent Death of BayLISA / July Board Meeting Invitation

Tue Jun 15 12:09:41 PDT 2004

I got a verbal one-line blurb from our backup speaker via cellphone
last night.  Not even an email, just a cellphone call.

In 2001 we celebrated BayLISA's 10th anniversary as the oldest sysadmin
organization, predating the founding of even SAGE or New Jersey's
venerable #group.  Here in 2004, we can't seem to even get speakers
lined up more than a week in advance of the meeting.

This sucks.  This sucks MIGHTILY.

Membership is at a historic low, people aren't showing up for meetings,
and even the board members aren't showing up for meetings-- or making
much effort to read their email or hand off their action items.  I'm
as guilty as anyone, despite trying to take the ball and run with it
for a few months.  It's a bit too disheartening when ALL of the
board officers punt on most of their responsibilities.  We're all
friends here, we're all chronically overbusy, and we try to be
understanding rather than rag on each other.

But if this organization is going to LIVE, that's gotta change.

Let's all get together and clean house.  All meaning all-- past Board
members, past and current general members, and most especially
anyone who gives a darn but has held back or pulled back from becoming
involved because they could see the slow, leisurely death-spiral building
over the past few years.

If we want there to be a BayLISA, it takes work.  If people don't care,
they should just say that it's outlived its usefulness.  We can consult
our legal advisor and make some provision for dissolving the group and
handing its meager assets off to some other nonprofit, and our tape
library off to the Computer History Museum.

So?  BayLISA or no BayLISA?

Start the discussion now, and join us on JULY FIRST for a discussion
with the Board.  Our Board meetings are always open, but this time
I hope that we'll pack the halls and GET THINGS DONE.  Bring speaker
contact info, suggestions, volunteer to lend a hand, commit to
running for Board in the November elections.

Strata Chalup
BayLISA Board member 1997 - 1999, 2000 - 2004
BayLISA past president 1999

-- 
========================================================================
Strata Rose Chalup [KF6NBZ]                      strata "@" virtual.net
VirtualNet Consulting                            http://www.virtual.net/
  ** Project Management & Architecture for ISP/ASP Systems Integration **
=========================================================================