<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Thought I'd status everyone on the board meeting and recent discussions.<div><br></div><div>The motion to approve the North America chapter was voted down.</div><div><br></div><div>There were many comments and a lot of discussion. At the end, many of the board members decided there was no need to rush a decision. Many, not all, encouraged that we continue to pursue the NA chapter and also a regional conference this year and that an official chapter approval was not needed to do that.</div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; ">[9:44] NA chapter<ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: square; margin-top: 0.3em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1.5em; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-image: url(http://wiki.osgeo.org/skins/monobook/bullet.gif); "><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; "><a href="http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/North_America_Regional#Official_expression_of_interest_to_form_a_North_America_Regional_chapter_of_the_OSGeo_Foundation" class="external free" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(51, 102, 187); background-image: url(http://wiki.osgeo.org/skins/monobook/external.png); background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; ">http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/North_America_Regional#Official_expression_of_interest_to_form_a_North_America_Regional_chapter_of_the_OSGeo_Foundation</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; ">much discussion</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; ">motion to approve chapter - MarkL/1, Jo/2...<ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: square; margin-top: 0.3em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1.5em; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style-image: url(http://wiki.osgeo.org/skins/monobook/bullet.gif); "><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; ">mpg -1, Frank -1, Jeff +0, Daniel +0, Jo +0, Mark +1, Arnulf (absent), Peter +0, Tim +0</li></ul></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em; ">motion failed; concerns centered on organizational structure, concerns about the conference</li></ul></span><div><br></div></div><div>Negative comments were that there wasn't enough work done on organizational structure, it seemed to reflect the work of one person (I assume that is me), that we haven't done proper coordination with all of the other existing chapters in NA, I think a few don't want an annual NA regional conference. What about revenues?. From my perspective, many of the same discussions that we have previously tried to address.</div><div><br></div><div>I'll certainly accept blame for trying to push this through. My intentions were to be officially recognized and schedule a conference that did not conflict with Beijing in the Apr/May timeframe. </div><div><br></div><div>I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts and comments on this.</div><div><br></div><div>GITA, MIL-OSS, and USGIF have all offered to include us in conferences they would host.</div><div><br></div><div>Mark</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></body></html>