[Board] Potential Vietnam Chapter

[Jeff McKenna]

Hi Tyler,

Thanks for your background.

As I understand it, Venka has made several trips to Vietnam since 2006, 
to try to get the process going, but I am sure he too can provide 
background on these years of discussions.

So to me, with all this history, now is the chance to help them make it 
happen.  And I'm now requesting to move forward on it.

By the way, I can't seem to remember anyone else making a similar 
request like this.  Can someone point to me the process for deciding how 
we spend OSGeo budget on travel?  What is the process for these 
decisions?  How do we decide how the budget is spent on travel for OSGeo 
  members (Directors, EDs, officers)  I must be missing these email 
threads with those travel requests...I just see messages about notice of 
travel, but never do we vote on what events are important to spend 
budget on.  I guess I am missing something here?

-jeff



Tyler Mitchell wrote:
> Hi Jeff, hope your visit there is going well!  Here's a bit of 
> background for the rest of the board, and maybe you, on the whole 
> Vietnam discussion and why I started it.  I'm doing this with various 
> potential local chapters and other international contacts, by the way...
> 
> Earlier in the month, I approached some Vietnam contacts (including 
> Venka) to see how things were going down there since last year their 
> gov't adopted an encouraging stance toward open source - with 
> commitments to migrate their IT infrastructures and staff over to FOSS 
> in 2010.  I was curious on how the local folks saw implementations 
> happening and was asking how others of us outside could help.  Sounds 
> like some encouraging things going on and my main reason for contacting 
> them was to get up to date from the local members on the ground.  One 
> thing led to another and there is a general invite to come and meet with 
> them, which Jeff is referring to.
> 
> My hope though, in the end, was sort of like what Ravi has proposed. 
> Where a local chapter can arrange a meeting/workshop/round table 
> discussion and invite and !fund! for guests to come.  That's occurred in 
> the past elsewhere (e.g. when Michael went to China) and will happen in 
> the future as well.
> 
> It's obviously not my call on the funding question and where that fits 
> into the budget, but thought some background might help set the stage 
> for where this came from.  I recommend focusing on local sponsors to 
> fund such an event.
> 
> Hope that helps,
> Tyler
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jeff McKenna <jmckenna at gatewaygeomatics.com>
> Date: Thursday, February 11, 2010 7:42 pm
> Subject: [Board] Potential Vietnam Chapter
> To: osgeo-board List <board at lists.osgeo.org>
> 
>  > Hello fellow Board members,
>  >
>  > Some of you may be aware that there are discussions of a
>  > possible
>  > Vietnam local chapter formation occurring now.  In fact
>  > there is talk of
>  > bringing the important players together in Hanoi Vietnam on
>  > March
>  > 10-14th to discuss the potential reasons and benefits of forming
>  > an
>  > official OSGeo local chapter.
>  >
>  > I am writing this message to you, since I am currently 'in the
>  > area' of
>  > these meetings (Japan) and I would like to go attend the Vietnam
>  > meeting
>  > as an OSGeo Director.  I am requesting that some funding be
>  > provided for
>  > my travel there, as well as local travel for 2 important
>  > representatives
>  > in Vietnam.  The meetings will take place in Hanoi.
>  >
>  > Some of you may have traveled in SE Asia, and you know of the
>  > respect
>  > shown there towards OSGeo delegates.  So it will mean a lot
>  > to the
>  > Vietnam representatives to have a current OSGeo Director in the
>  > meetings.  Venka (another former Director) will also attend
>  > the meetings
>  > in Vietnam (he is providing his own funding).
>  >
>  > I am not requesting for spending money, I am requesting that my
>  > actual
>  > travel (flight from Japan to Vietnam, and hotel) be covered, as
>  > well as
>  > local travel for 2 Vietnam delegates.  I will provide
>  > receipts for all
>  > travel.  The estimate is:
>  >
>  > Flight:       700 USD
>  > Hotel:        300 USD
>  > Local travel: 600 USD
>  >
>  > (hotel is very cheap in Vietnam)
>  >
>  > I think this is a great opportunity, especially since I happen
>  > to be in
>  > the area.
>  >
>  > Please provide your thoughts, and let me know how we can move
>  > forward.
>  > Thanks.