[Ottawa_users] Proposal to expand Chapter

[Scott Mitchell]

On 4-Oct-07, at 16:28 , Frank Warmerdam wrote:

> Scott Mitchell wrote:
>> At the same time, I would welcome a Canadian chapter, and imagine  
>> that many of us would be active in such a beast.  Maybe we could  
>> instead discuss how to get our colleagues across the country to  
>> get in involved in a NEW (additional) Canada chapter?
>
> Scott,
>
> I think it might be sufficient for the time being to establish a
> canada at lists.osgeo.org mailing list for Canadians interested in  
> addressing
> Canadian issues.
>
> If that mailing list feels there is a need for a more formal Canada  
> wide
> chapter, then that could be pursued.  For I'm not sure that degree of
> formality would be of benefit.
>
> If the idea has appeal, I can setup the mailing list.
>

Hey, I'm all for going slow/informal, and for letting a more formal  
national group "come out of woodwork" through its own momentum, if  
indeed such a community coalesces.  A mailing list sounds interesting  
in that regard, and I'd be interested in helping to engage  
potentially interested participants.

In asking if we should try for a national chapter, I just meant that  
although I'd be interested in some form of participation in a  
national level activity, I don't particularly like the idea of a  
wholesale "conversion" of our local chapter to a national one.

And Jeff McKenna wrote:

> no no no.  we need to stay together on this.  I did not start this  
> discussion to start a different chapter.
>
> Let's stop being typical canadians, worrying about politeness and  
> how others will think.  Let's represent.

For me, politeness isn't the point at all - it's that I think that  
"converting" to a national chapter would throw away the valuable  
attributes of frequent, local activities.  Or at least in my opinion,  
a "true" national chapter would have to throw away our local  
advantages, or be a farce.

If we just declared ourselves a national chapter and kept acting the  
same way we have been (i.e. meeting frequently, only in Ottawa), it's  
not that I am worried about what the rest of the country would think  
about it, but in my opinion it would be a farce to say we're a  
national chapter -- we can't just "represent" by declaring that we  
represent -- whether or not other people across the country cared or  
not.

Cheers,
Scott