The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.
(Vince Lombardi)
Each year FLOSSUK holds an AGM where we discuss the shape of the organisation and deal with the legal duties of electing representatives from the membership. As such there are usually a few changes to the council and this year was no exception. At the AGM itself and at the Council Meeting that followed the following changes were made or recognised:
- Jane Morrison will continue as Secretary and will provide Administrative Services.
- Quentin Wilson will act as Treasurer and Director.
- Ian Norton has resigned from the Board as of March 2016.
- Gavin Atkinson has stood down after completing one term and was then re-elected to the board for a second term.
- Kevin MacDonald will continue as a board member.
- Barry O’Rourke was co-opted onto Council.
- Rick Deller was co-opted onto Council.
Kimball Johnson retired from the Board and Chairman position after serving two terms of three years. I can personally state that he will be missed by the council and FLOSSUK as a whole will feel a little more empty without him in such an active role.
Mark Keating will continue on council and has been elected as the new Chairman, Mark will also take a position as Director.
For the coming year FLOSSUK Council will also take on specific roles to push forward the agenda items and manage our responsibilities across the whole council. The current roles are:
- Membership – Kevin MacDonald
- Website content – Mark Keating
- Technical Infrastructure – Barry O’Rourke (Paul Waring will continue with his role and report to Barry)
- Newsletter & Publicity – Mark Keating
- Events – leader of Spring conference – vacant
- Social organiser – vacant
- Sponsorship (Membership & Events) – Rick Deller
- Administration - Quentin Wilson
I have a public statement that follows my election as Chairman:
There are a lot more changes planned for FLOSSUK as it evolves to suit the needs of the modern world. There are new frontiers in open systems with the focus grown from being principally a software movement with legal rights campaigning to encompass hardware, data collection, electronic rights and digital freedoms.
FLOSSUK now more than ever stands for Libre Systems, the idea of a free system without bounds or restrictions and hopefully the way we hold events and support communities will reflect that.
FLOSSUK is ethically composed to represent the need for a balanced approach to the Open Technology arguments that will shape our future. Membership, participation and out-reach is now even more relevant than twenty years ago and the FLOSSUK Council are determined to address this need. We hope you will join us now and in the future.
[Don't forget that you can join in this conversation by using the comments form or by tweeting at @shadowcat_mdk]
