[Ambassadors] Re: What Fedora makes sucking for me - or why I am NOT Fedora

[Gerold]

> Good evening everybody,
^^
also a good evening Robert,

many time is gone since we meet each other in person and had a fine
conversation. But I'm glad that this will happen tomorrow and we'll have
the possibility to talk together (above not Fedora related items) ...

I personally would like to answer you and also the ML my thoughts about
your topic regarding the NPO (after a long working day; misunderstooden
mails between door and table in a training, personal issues and so on) ...

So I hope it's OK for you if I delete all other stuff you mentioned
because there are other people more responsible than me.

>
> Fedora EMEA e.V. also seems to be a mostly dead tree. Of course we have
founded the association as legal vehicle. But it would be nice to see
where
> my money, my membership fee, the 128 Euro per year are spent to. I now
could assume, that the money is just collected and nothing happens or
some
> guys of the board are buying and eating ice cream with, but I really
hope
> that's not true.
^^
To be honest, Robert; we're still active. We had conversation with several
suppliers supporting Fedora and get a taxreductable receipt on the one
hand; on the other hand we're working close to fairs getting more space,
value and effort to our "presentation at a fair"; staying in contact with
a Store who can be maybe an "official licenced Store for Europe" with
supporting us with swag, producing for us and also supporting us with
money ...
Please don't say or write that we're dead; that's not fair. But as a
member of the NPO you have ever the right and also the duty to ask, what
the board is doing and WHAT you can do for YOUR association; instead of
asking "What does the association for me" ;-)
Be active in your role as member; WE need you!

> Fedora EMEA e.V. really needs to communicate a bit more
> to
> its members what they're doing and how the money is handled.
^^
we'll do as it is written down in the statues; trust me! If YOU as a
member are not satisfied with the answer the Treasurer gives you, come to
me and we'll find a way to help you getting the information, you need!

> Organisation
> is lacking much transparency and about their activities.
^^
I'm sorry, that is my personal fault! After Linuxtag in May I had a lot of
personal workload to move and rebuild a complete DataCenter for my
business and I forgot to inform the members, what we're doing in the back.
Hope you can accept my apologize.

> AFAIK, a mailing
> list for the members of Fedora EMEA e.V. was created, I think it never
was
> used yet.
^^
Can be correct; I don't know exactly; BUT as you are involved in the
discussion we said, we want to be "upstream as upstram can" and want to
use officialy ways ...

> 128 Euro per year is IMHO too much for the current level of what seems
to happen with the money. And for that money I could support the Free
> Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) with multiple membership fees per
year.
^^
Sorry that I can't accept that point of criticism. The membership meeting
at the foundation voted for that amount and to be honest, either me nor
the Board can change this amount. This is a legal part and must be changed
by the yearly membership meeting. Hope you can understand that point of
view.

> And sorry, just one cool bathrobe isn't a good reason for spending 128 Euro
> away per year. Without enough transparency and communication, it's like
throwing the money out of the window of my room.
^^
I totally agree with you, saying such a sentence, because we as Board
decided to produce such a exclusive bathrope ONLY for members of Fedora
EMEA e.V. and you only get it once in your life; and it is not the only
value you'll earn.
Maybe you were part of the last FAD in Schloss Beuggen where I asked the
Ambassadors attending that FAD to give me a little money that we can pay a
train ticket for a Ambassador who was (or is still) student with no income
that he'll get reimbursed. With your membership fee and mine and other
members AND the support of Red Hat hopefully it is no longer necessary
that a small group (who attend) help in such a situation because of all
members will help whereever they can with their small support of EUR 120 /
Year as a full membership fee (also you remeber, that we have a step down
for students, military, families e.g.).

And please one other thing to everybody (to whom it may concern): If
something went wrong with the Fedora EMEA e.V. please use my E-Mail Adress
and if you don't trust me, take another member of the NPO who elected
myself as their President.
Stop try blaming our work here in the mailing list, this is not the right
and correct forum for the work the NPO did; also not the same forum for
the french NPO (which is more silent than this one).

Friendly yours and hope we're friends for a long time

Gerold