[SWLUG] Not-for-profit formalisation?

[Neil Jones]

Geraint Edwards wrote:
> Sam Radion <sam at samradion.co.uk> said
> 		(on Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 11:14:04PM +0000):
>   
>> I don't know about a geek's drinking club, but I view it as more a geek
>> social meet.
>>     
>
> Different strokes for different folks.
>
> It seems to me that people are trying to get the cart to lead the horse -
> suggesting solutions before identifying problems (proposing organisation
> without saying what needs organising!).  I suggest, instead, that we throw
> around some ideas of what we would like to (see) organise(d) and get a feel
> for who supports what - then (and only then) can we explore what organisation
> may be needed.
>
> My expectations/hopes from a local FLOSS organisation[1] are manifold:-
>
> - social meets (all work and no play makes for a dull community);
> - lightning talks (share knowledge/experience);
> - installathons/fixathons (get practical on your OSS);
> - advocacy (have a spokesperson for those seeking soundbites);
> - translations/i18n (we are Welsh, we could translate things);
> - development (does Wales need a local app/service that FLOSS can provide?)
> - volunteering (we can aim any of the above at helping charities and non-profits);
>
> I'm happy to help organise these, where others show interest.
>
> So, to quote from 20-year-old brain cells, let's do requirements analysis
> before jumping into designing a solution.  :-)
>   
I took it as read that all of these things are possible. The problem we  
have is a lack of continuity and direction.
Why is it for example that our Swansea meets are continually failing? 
The last time I went to a Swansea meeting late I asked here who had 
actually gone.
There was no reply.
We could actually be doing some interesting things, but we are not. It 
is nice to sit in the pub and socialise but we could actually  be 
learning some nice geeky things from each other.

Incidentally forget about needing to register as a not for profit org. I 
know all about these. I am/have been on boards of several. one has a 
turnover of about £10 million! We don't need to do this.
I throw this into the ring for suggestions. Again I suggest some of us 
meet up to organise some ideas.

http://tldp.org/HOWTO/User-Group-HOWTO.html


Neil