<div dir="ltr">Cameron, <div><br></div><div>I don't think we should get into this level of detail about the duties. The main specific reason the President is there (IMO) is to give a talk on the state of OSGeo, and in general to be a representative of OSGeo as needed (as always). <div>
<br></div><div style>I don't think that the organization of the OSGeo booth should be an automatic duty of the President. We are a volunteer organization and I would hope the work would be spread around. Since the President needs to prepare and give a keynote talk (which I know from experience is a lot of work), I would hope that in most cases we could find some other volunteers to take care of the booth. I'd expect that any board members who are at the show, President included, should spend some time on the OSGeo booth, but I don't think that is directly related to this motion.</div>
<div style><br></div><div style>I'm okay with saying that we can fund someone else to go if the President can't make it, but not sure if we need to specifically say that here, the board at the time could make that decision as needed. In practice I suspect that if the President couldn't make it, we would probably only fund someone else to go if there wasn't a suitable stand-in already planning to attend via other funding. But if the general feeling is that we should add a clause like this, I would have no problem with that.</div>
</div><div style><br></div><div style>Cheers,</div><div style> Peter.</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Jul 14, 2013 at 4:00 PM, Cameron Shorter <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:cameron.shorter@gmail.com" target="_blank">cameron.shorter@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<div>Peter, I'm in favor of the principle,
but would like to broaden the discussion before voting.<br>
<br>
1. First, I suggest that the global FOSS4G should cover the travel
expenses of one OSGeo board member to attend the conference to
speak on behalf of OSGeo, defaulting to the OSGeo president in
most cases.<br>
<br>
2. The OSGeo Advocate page has a guide for expenses here: <a href="http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/OSGeo_Advocate#Expenses" target="_blank">http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/OSGeo_Advocate#Expenses</a><br>
This includes a speakers fee (to cover loss of wages), which can
be waived. I suggest that the global FOSS4G conference should
cover travel and expenses, but not this speakers fee. My reasoning
is that I think it improves the reputation of the board's
integrity if we are not perceived to be doing the job as a money
making exercise.<br>
<br>
3. As Jeff has already volunteered to do for this conference, I
think that there should be an expectation upon the paid OSGeo
delegate to coordinate the OSGeo booth and marketing at the
conference.<div><div class="h5"><br>
<br>
On 15/07/2013 5:55 AM, Peter Batty wrote:<br>
</div></div></div>
<blockquote type="cite"><div><div class="h5">
<div dir="ltr">
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px">Dear
Board,</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px"><br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px">
I (and the Nottingham LOC) just recently found out that Jeff
was not going to be able to make it to FOSS4G Nottingham
because of lack of funding. Steven and the LOC would really
like to have Jeff there, and I would too. While I support the
growth of regional events, I think there's something special
about the global event and I think it's important for OSGeo
that our President is there. </div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px"><br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px">We
have talked to Jeff and he has indicated that he will be able
to attend if his expenses are covered. The LOC has budget for
funding keynote speakers as needed, and could just go ahead
and fund Jeff's attendance from that, which is a fallback
option.</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px"><br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px">However,
I'm raising this with the board as I think we should establish
a principle that OSGeo should pay the President's expenses to
go to the annual global conference every year (unless he or
she is in a position to fund travel by other means). I think
this is a very reasonable thing to do - like I said, I really
think it's important for the Foundation that the President
should be there each year. But it's not reasonable to expect
whoever is President to fund that from their own pocket. I was
opposed to automatically funding the whole board to go, just
because that becomes a significantly larger expense for OSGeo
and quite a number of board members, myself included, work for
larger companies who are willing to fund them to attend. And
while it's good to have a reasonable number of board members
there, I don't think it's critical to the event to have all
board members in attendance. But I do think it's really
important for the President to be there.</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px"><br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px">Financially
of course, it would ultimately amount to the same thing for
OSGeo whether the LOC just approves the expense or whether the
board approves this. But I think we should agree to do it on
an ongoing basis.</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px"><br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px">Procedurally
I don't know if I should propose this as a motion at the next
board meeting, or whether we can just have a vote via email.
Just in case, I propose a tentative motion:</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px"><br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px">OSGeo
will refund reasonable travel and living expenses for the
OSGeo President to attend the global FOSS4G conference each
year. The President has the option of declining this funding
if he or she can obtain funding from another source.</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px"><br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px">Please
let me know what you think.</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px">
<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px">Cheers,</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px">
Peter.</div>
</div>
<br>
<fieldset></fieldset>
<br>
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</pre>
</div></blockquote><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888">
<br>
<br>
<pre cols="72">--
Cameron Shorter
Software and Data Solutions Manager
Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050
Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254
Think Globally, Fix Locally
Geospatial & Data Solutions enhanced with Open Standards and Open Source
<a href="http://www.lisasoft.com" target="_blank">http://www.lisasoft.com</a></pre>
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