For those that know me, this is likely to be long but hopefully worth the read.
I want to say how thankful I am for having the opportunity to serve this group. I feel I was a leader and an organizer when this group needed it most and I think I will be leaving the group better than I found it. No, I am not fishing for compliments or back-patting (so please refrain, it's embarrassing), I know I did a good job. I could have done some things better or different but I don't have any real regrets. My opinion is that things that are worthwhile, take time. While CLUG isn't everything I think it should be, I think it is on the right track. I hope the group is in better shape and better able to be sustain itself than it was. I was not alone, I had lots of help. I could have used more but there were a lot of things I did not want to let go of because either I felt I would do a better job or it was too laborious a task to pass on. I am very encouraged by the number of people who have stepped forward and accepted nominations for the Executive positions. Anyone else sitting on a fence out there, please consider it, it is a rewarding experience. This group needs your help, needs your vision and as the saying goes "many hands make light work". It is not always dull dealing with the politics of this group. There's some real opportunity for change now and I hope that we take it. I endorse Shawn as my successor. I know him, I know he cares about the group and has been involved with the Avro Museum and he knows some of the ins-and-outs of being in a Society. Please do not judge him by his involvement in the Programming SIG, that is completely unfair. I know he is still mulling over his nomination and I hope he stays the course. I also believe that Niels is an excellent candidate notwithstanding his recent mistake. I have always found his emails to be well thought out, thought-provoking and usually right on track. I do hope he formally accepts his nomination. This should hopefully show that I harbour him no ill will, nor should any of you. I want to say something profound and inspiring but nothing but Tolkien quotes come to mind. :D This group relies on the efforts of volunteers. It is a commitment of more than just time. There are so many directions we can take this group. It's hard to tell which are the best for everyone. It is impossible to please everyone. I got involved because I wanted to see the group change and change it _we_ did. I like what CLUG has become but that does not mean that it should stay the same. I agree with a lot of the suggestions that have been put forward for the past six months or more. I would like to say that there is some na�vet� out there, that just suggesting something will make it so or that the Executive can wave a magic wand and make it happen. Without help a lot of the things that people suggest become Herculean tasks. I want you all to remember this the next time you suggest something. Also, please do not take the more experienced users for granted. They are not bound to do anything for anyone just because they show up. They are not CLUG's indentured servants and they have lives and projects of their own. In a perfect world we could set up a one-to-one mentoring program but the reality is that not all the experienced users are that giving of their time or expertise. Not all nubes are ready to take the challenge. A lot of nubes suffer from Immediate Gratification Syndrome(TM) and have forgotten that there is a learning curve with everything. Everyone deals with things differently, there is no set way of learning something. Everyone learns things differently at different paces. Does this mean it is not worth doing? Hell no! But it does mean that what you expect of CLUG and its members should be somewhat based in reality and practicality. Be patient, if you don't get what you are after out of the group there's several things you can do. Make suggestions. Get involved, participate, we are a friendly bunch once you get to know us. Ask Questions Effectively(TM). Share. Something you learned can be cemented by imparting it to others. Don't let your struggle be for one person, chances are someone else is grappling with the same problem. The fruits of your labour can sustain more than yourself. The last thing you should do is quit. I believe we are trying to build a community and as such we need to try and focus on the communing part. People need to be less standoffish. Are you seeing a theme here? Everyone is not an extravert but with a little practice even the staunchest introvert can come out of their shell from time to time. I could start spouting more clich�s but nobody wants to hear that. CLUG is everyone's group; let us see how we can make it better. If you are not able to commit serious time, think of something small that needs to be done and do it. Ask questions; see if there is something you can help with. Make an offer. Before Tony Robbins comes looking for his motivational books I should close here. Jarrod Major CLUG President Registered Linux User: #224211 GPG Fingerprint: FA4A 1EA3 A0EE A842 07BB 804C 0090 14F6 BE6E DE3D _______________________________________________ clug-talk mailing list [email protected] http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) **Please remove these lines when replying
