<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-22967208-7fff-98ce-5815-322f11a0a786" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-thickness: auto; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="font" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span>Dear Linux Australia Community,</span><span></span></span></span><span><br></span></p><span><br></span><span>Pursuant to clause (15) of the Linux Australia constitution [1] we<br></span><span>hereby declare an election open and call for nominations to the Linux<br></span><span>Australia Council for the term January 2024 to January 2025.<br></span><span><br></span><span>All office bearer and ordinary committee member positions are open for<br></span><span>Election.<br></span><span><br></span><span>## Key Information<br></span><span><br></span><span> * Nominations will open from 26 December 2023 and run until 11:59pm 6 January 2024 (AEDT).<br></span><span> * Voting will open at 01:01 AM 7 January 2024 (AEDT) and run until 11:59pm 14 January 2024 (AEDT).<br></span><span> * Results will be ratified during the AGM held at 2:30pm Saturday 20 January 2024 (AEDT).<br></span><span><br></span><span>To view and participate in the election please visit https://www.linux.org.au/<br></span><span> * Click on “Login” located on the top right hand side of the page and log in.<br></span><span> * Click on “Elections”.<br></span><span> * Under “Linux Australia Council Election 2024”, click on “View & Submit Nominations”.<br></span><span><br></span><span>## What do I need to do?<br></span><span><br></span><span>First of all, make sure your details are correct at Linux Australia’s<br></span><span>website [2]. If you need assistance accessing the membership portal<br></span><span>please contact secretary@linux.org.au. Note that in line with common<br></span><span>election conventions, new membership requests are not processed during<br></span><span>the election period.<br></span><span><br></span><span>If you wish to nominate yourself, identify the positions you wish to<br></span><span>nominate for and get an understanding of what each position involves.<br></span><span>Think about what you might bring to the role and prepare a short pitch.<br></span><span>Then, accept the nomination you've been given by clicking the 'Accept<br></span><span>nomination' link.<br></span><span><br></span><span>Please note that all people elected to a position on the Council <br></span><span>must provide their current residential address, as per requirements <br></span><span>for NSW incorporated associations. They must also hold a Director <br></span><span>identification number (director ID) as per requirements of organisations <br></span><span>with an Australian Registered Body Number (ARBN) [3].<br></span><span><br></span><span>*You must accept your nomination to move to the next stage of the<br></span><span>election process*<br></span><span><br></span><span>If you wish to nominate another person for a position, you may wish to<br></span><span>contact them first and have a chat to make sure they're happy being<br></span><span>nominated. Then follow the 'Nominate' link to nominate them.<br></span><span><br></span><span>Once voting is open, you will be able to vote for candidates. Results<br></span><span>will be announced at the Linux Australia AGM to be held on 20 January 2024.<br></span><span><br></span><span>## Why should I nominate?<br></span><span><br></span><span>Being a member of Linux Australia Council is a fun way to meet new<br></span><span>people, work on exciting projects and expand your skill base. It gives<br></span><span>you excellent transferable skills to help build your career, and allows<br></span><span>you to grow your professional network. It looks great on a CV, and is<br></span><span>also a chance to give back to the vibrant Linux and open source<br></span><span>ecosystem in Australia and globally. If you're passionate about open <br></span><span>technologies and the communities that surround them, it's a great <br></span><span>opportunity to help drive and steer Australia's contribution in this field.<br></span><span><br></span><span>## What is the commitment required?<br></span><span><br></span><span>If you are contemplating nominating for a role on Council, in addition<br></span><span>to referring to the Position Descriptions provided [4], you are strongly<br></span><span>encouraged to approach current and former council members for their<br></span><span>perspective. You will find them, to a person, willing to discuss the<br></span><span>roles and responsibilities in a more informal manner.<br></span><span><br></span><span>The roles do require a time commitment.<br></span><span>* Ordinary Council Member: a minimum of 2-3 hours per week.<br></span><span>* Office bearers: 8-12 hours per week.<br></span><span>Please allow for this when considering your nomination.<br></span><span><br></span><span>## Why should I run?<br></span><span><br></span><span>If you’ve been nominated, or are thinking of nominating yourself, you<br></span><span>should give the opportunity serious consideration. Being on the council<br></span><span>is both hard and often thankless work, but it is also incredibly<br></span><span>rewarding. Linux Australia can only achieve what it does by its members<br></span><span>and helping out with the council responsibilities is a great way to<br></span><span>ensure Linux Australia continues to be successful. It is also an<br></span><span>opportunity to help the organisation grow, reach into new areas and to<br></span><span>succeed on important topics of national relevance.<br></span><span><br></span><span>As always, your feedback and questions are warmly welcomed. If you'd<br></span><span>like to have a chat with anyone on Council around what it involves,<br></span><span>please reach out.<br></span><span><br></span><span>Kind regards,<br></span><span><br></span><span>Joel Addison<br></span><span>President<br></span><span>Linux Australia<br></span><span><br></span><span>[1] http://www.linux.org.au/constitution<br></span><span>[2] http://www.linux.org.au/membership<br></span><span>[3] https://www.abrs.gov.au/director-identification-number <br></span><span>[4] https://github.com/linuxaustralia/position-descriptions<br></span></body></html>