[Picnic Announce] Picn*x XVI Linux Picnic update

[Ian Kluft]

Picn*x XVI, the Linux Picnic, is this coming Saturday at Sunnyvale Baylands
Park in the Meadowlands and Indian Grass Circle picnic areas (turn right at
the entrance.)  11AM-4PM for guests.  9AM-5PM for volunteers.
   http://www.linuxpicnic.org/

We're approaching 300 RSVP's and expect the number to continue to go up
as the day approaches.  We'll cut off the RSVPs at 5PM Friday or at 600
total, whichever comes first.  Though right now we're guessing the total
will be between 400 and 500.

If you're planning to come and haven't already RSVP'ed, please do so.
We need the information in order to plan things like, umm, food.
T-shirts were ordered today.

All of Open Source is Welcome!
------------------------------

The original Linux Picnic was on the 10th anniversary of the Linux kernel.
We decided since then that Picn*x is to celebrate the accomplishments of
all Open Source Software since the first Linux kernel was released in
August 1991.  The names Picn*x and Linux Picnic are used interchangeably.

Acknowledgments
---------------

We'd like to acknowledge those who are helping to make the picnic come
together.

Sponsors:
  * Oracle Technology Network (gold sponsor)
  * BayLISA (bronze sponsor)
  * GroundWork Open Source (bronze sponsor)
  * No Starch Press (prizes/give-aways)

It isn't too late to be a sponsor of the picnic.
   http://www.linuxpicnic.org/twiki/bin/view/Picnix16/SponsorInfo

Sponsors cover the costs of the picnic such as the park reservation,
food and t-shirts.  So let's thank them for their support!

Open Source Partner Organizations:
  * BayLISA - Bay Area Large Installation System Administrators
  * Haiku OS - Open Source OS based on BeOS
  * LUGOD - Linux User Group of Davis
  * sbay.org - South Bay Community Network
  * Smaug - Santa Cruz Microsoft-Alternative User Group
  * SVWUX - Silicon Valley Wireless Users & Experimenters

If your organization belongs on that list or you'd like to add it, we can
add any non-profit Open Source related organization who promotes the picnic
on their web site and mail lists, and encourages their members to volunteer.
   http://www.linuxpicnic.org/twiki/bin/view/Picnix16/OpenSourcePartnerOrganizationList

Consider participating in the Linux Picnic Steering Committee
-------------------------------------------------------------

Are you volunteering for the picnic?  Are you with one of the Open Source
organizations partnering to put on the picnic?  Either way, please consider
whether you might want to participate in a leadership and advisory role on
the Linux Picnic Steering Committee.  We're taking volunteers now and will
select the Linux Picnic Steering Committee following this year's picnic.

The South Bay Community Network (sbay.org) is providing an organizing
umbrella as a California non-profit corporation, organized similar to
other Open Source organizations like Apache and OSGeo.  Our 501(c)3
approval from the IRS is expected this month or soon after.  That will
make future and possibly current picnic donations (or unreimbursed
participant expenses) tax-deductible, depending on when the IRS sets
the effective date in the determination.

Both the IRS and the State of California want non-profit organizations to
have their governance rules written down.  We've written the charter for
the Linux Picnic to preserve the role of Linux and Open Source community
organizations who are the roots of the Linux Picnic.  Ideally, the picnic
itself should continue to look the same to guests and volunteers.  The
Steering Committee will consist of
* up to 6 members elected by Linux Picnic participants
* up to 6 members selected by Open Source Partner Organizations
* up to 3 members selected by the sbay.org Board of Directors

If you'd like to be a leader of the Linux Picnic, please let us know you're
volunteering for the Steering Committee.  If more than 6 participants
volunteer, we'll narrow it down to 6 with a vote.  If Open Source Partner
Organizations nominate more than 6, the rest of the Steering Committee will
work with them to narrow it down to 6.  The full proposed charter text is at
   http://wiki.sbay.org/twiki/bin/view/SIGs/LinuxPicnicCharterDiscussion

We'll still have one person be the Picnic Coordinator.  As each year's
Steering Committee forms, it will choose one of its members to be the
Picnic Coordinator and the chair of the Steering Committee.

The relationship goes both ways - picnic participants are also a big
part of the sbay.org Board of Directors.
   http://corp.sbay.org/board.html