Talk:Local Chapter Guidelines

Review
As posted by FrankW to International-Discuss and the board list. Please send all major edits on this page also to mailto:international-discuss@osgeo.org.

Concerns and Suggestions

 * Local chapter does not need to have a voting member of OSGeo involved

Suggestion to have 2-3 "levels" of chapter.

Level one
Category Interest Groups
 * does not need to have any "official" existance
 * does not formally represent OSGeo organisation
 * mailing list
 * wiki pages

Level two
Category Project
 * Official existance
 * Formally represents a foundation project
 * reports to the board
 * no OSGeo funding or management (I don't understand this point. how is it different from 'normal' OSGeo projects?)
 * mailing list
 * wiki pages
 * web pages
 * Documents directory
 * SVN(etc.?)

Level three
Could be 'Regional Chapter'? The following are just suggestions and are not required.
 * Official Organization in the country where it is formed
 * no OSGeo oversight of finances
 * own chapter board
 * own bank account
 * own funding
 * local conferences

Groups working on building some momentum to form a chapter might start in level 1, and might never get past that level if there is no need.

General Guidelines
Some local chapters that are essentially very local "social and support" groups. For instance the OSGeo Ottawa Chapter would be focused around a local group that meets regularly as opposed to a "language"-based or "regional" group that might not meet in person frequently.

OSGeo needs to ensure that local chapters are behaving in a manner congruent with the OSGeo mission, and not otherwise bringing the foundation into disrepute

Beyond that OSGeo shouldn't need to interfere much.

FrankW likes the idea of language based chapters acting as an advocate for translation into their language.

According to other docs and definitions, we would first call the Ottawa Chapter "the OSGeo Ottawa Regional Interest Group"?