[Ottawa_users] Proposal to expand Chapter

[Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo)]

On 9-Oct-07, at 9:54 AM, Daniel Morissette wrote:

> 1- The main value I see in a local chapter such as the Ottawa  
> Chapter is the monthly get-together. Get away from your desk for a  
> few hours and chat informally with people who have similar  
> interests to yours.
>
> 2- There are already plenty of lists to discuss OSGeo technical or  
> policy questions/issues online, we don't need to replicate that at  
> a local or even national level. However all that electronic  
> communication lacks something that the local chapter can offer:  
> face to face communication.

And on a similar note, having a broad umbrella for Canucks to gather  
under, will undoubtedly help other local people find each other.   
This could help start local chapters as parts of the national  
community start to find each in a more meaningful way than simply  
asking on the discuss list.  With that in mind I encourage all  
Canadians to at least put their name on the Canada wiki page.

> 3- The main value I would see in a Canadian chapter would be the  
> same kind of get-together once or twice a year

I agree and think many others have it in the back of their mind  
hoping we'll do something.  Since there is no U.S.A. chapter, we  
could also invite them to come up ;-)

I won't belabour the point here, but there are particular OSGeo  
fundraising opportunities that could only be done, or be done better/ 
easier, if there was a Canadian chapter.  Of course this is  
administrative level stuff and not so much focused on getting people  
together.

Tyler