[Linux-aus] Proposal: *voluntary* paid membership

[Mary Gardiner]

Hi all,

First up, a note: the current Council has NO PLANS to re-introduce paid voting
membership in Linux Australia. Voting membership will remain free.

Our 2010 survey showed though that there are a reasonable number of people out
there who would be willing to pay a small sum for Linux Australia membership.
So what we'd like to discuss is creating a category of "Supporting Member",
carrying a small sum fixed at the beginning of the year.

One option we considered for using this money is that the Supporting Members
might be donating to a particular thing each year. For example, the Supporting
Members might fund a Regional Delegates Programme for LCA, or something of
about that size. Each year the cause that Supporting Members donate to would be
discussed on this list in advance and announced at the beginning of the LA
year.

Supporting Members would be a subset of voting members, that is, all supporting
members would be voting members, but not vice versa.

Supporting Members might get access to some small benefits (group discounts at
retailers and such) but it wouldn't be a priority, the motivation to become a
Supporting Member for a year would be some combination of liking LA and liking
the chosen cause.

What do you think? Are there details of this you think should be changed?

We're yet to determine for sure if this requires an amendment to the LA
constitution; it might do.

-Mary