<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing
{mso-style-priority:1;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:1423650065;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:1339750418 67698705 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-text:"%1\)";
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:alpha-lower;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-number-format:roman-lower;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:right;
text-indent:-9.0pt;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-number-format:alpha-lower;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-number-format:roman-lower;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:right;
text-indent:-9.0pt;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-number-format:alpha-lower;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-number-format:roman-lower;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:right;
text-indent:-9.0pt;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNoSpacing>Brief: Congratulations to our new volunteer Board of Directors, thank you to the Voting Members who have elected me their Chair (person); first acts – call for reconvention of the First Annual Meeting and first Board Meeting.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing>Dear Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team Global Community,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing>To every single individual that has even the slightest of interest in the endeavors of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) – including Voting Members, Volunteers, Donors, Partners, Beneficiaries, and the Public at large – I, Russell Deffner, have been entrusted a great responsibility by the beautiful, courageous, and patient 63 Members of the Voting Community: <a href="http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Humanitarian_OSM_Team/Members">http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Humanitarian_OSM_Team/Members</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing>I have written many emails over the last week or so, my fingers and brain are tired and therefore this message will probably be shorter than it should be, but on behalf of your Voting Members, consider that we have all had to read at least one encyclopedia volume (anyone remember those?) worth of material since our election began. To you, members, sorry; and it is ok if you feel like this is just another (too) long email – one last super huge thank you!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing>To be blunt, we collectively made an ignorant decision to learn the hard way, in just about a week, how to ‘get along’; collective silence on the matter before hand, the root of cause in my opinion. But I am happy to report to you that we made an incredible amount of progress on this; we are not there yet, no. But to those of you who are now really interested in how this organization (HOT mess) works ‘behind-the-scenes’ I am also happy to present to you our first attempt in explaining things, our HOT Membership Code:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><a href="http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/File:HOT_Membership_Code--proposal_for_annual_meeting_2014.pdf">http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/File:HOT_Membership_Code--proposal_for_annual_meeting_2014.pdf</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing>And our apologies up front, we have much work to do on our governance; the Membership Code does not explain everything. It is however, a start, and if I can briefly talk directly to the public on behalf of the membership – the key thing to take away from the Membership Code is that we now require those who consider themselves part of our community to live by our Code of Conduct as best you can; will we try to do the same. And yes, there are currently things under debate, or in temporary limbo (elections of our officers, see below) regarding who has the authority to do what. I ask that you be patient with our organization and know that the collective membership has selected from those among us that we trust will appropriately lead us, and collaboratively distribute the traditional authorities of a corporate entity among individual(s) and/or group(s); and that we currently support prior Board majority to appoint Kate Chapman as our Executive Director. However, I think I rightfully speak for the majority of the membership community – we do not want to be ‘just’ a traditional non-profit/corporate entity; we are a global community first; and in order to fulfill our mission we must allow for collective decision to potentially radically alter the norm. I honestly am not sure what all that means, yet; but I hope I can rely on your good will as I ask that you trust in our Members; we are working hard to ensure that we both figure that out, and that we will work within all legal restriction, responsibility, and means to operate a valid and professional ‘business’/’organization’/’whatever we end up calling it’; for now, simply – Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing>I now will make my first actions as Chair of the Voting Members:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>1)<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]>I call upon the new volunteer Board of Directors, speaking directly to (in order of nomination): Mikel, Heather, Schuyler, Severin, Harry, Claire, and Jaakko: Between the time period of no sooner than one week, and no longer than three; the board shall announce the date and time of your first meeting no further than one month from today; in which you will elect Officers. As we have learned, our Bylaws allow for some Officer positions to be filled by non-Directors, therefore I make this additional requirement: you must use Mumble, or propose an alternative solution, that allows both for an “open door” session that the membership _and public_ can use to “view” (minimally listen) to appropriate proceedings, and allows Voting Members an opportunity to address the Board.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>2)<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span><![endif]>I hereby set myself officially as crazy ;) I said that we would reconvene the Annual Meeting next week, same place, same time; but I think I owe it to our Voting Members to do better. So I officially postpone the reconvening of the Voting Members at the Annual Meeting until further notice. All – what that means is I’ll be working ‘behind-the-scenes’ with my fellow members to try and find the most appropriate day of the week and time for us to actually reach a quorum of members – so we can actually do stuff, not just talk – and I want to see what they think about letting the public attend. Members, I also think it prudent we reconvene after the first board meeting, please send your thoughts to the membership mailing list (this list is not public, so you don’t have to hear us argue)?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing>One thing I have learned throughout this election is that I have not met, and do not expect to meet, a Voting Member who is not unconditionally willing to do whatever it takes to help. I hope I speak for all of us, but absolutely, 100% from the bottom of my heart – as long as the membership (‘family’) will have me, may my ‘door’ always be open to you.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing>May the global membership community always win!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing>=Russ<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Russell Deffner<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Chairperson of the Voting Membership<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:Russell.Deffner@hotosm.org">Russell.Deffner@hotosm.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://hot.openstreetmap.org/">http://hot.openstreetmap.org/</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>