It’s a busy time, here at HEUG Towers. Not only have we been decking the halls with boughs of holly and writing Christmas cards (a tradition labelled ‘quaint’ by some of my American friends) but I’m just back from our December Board Meeting in San Francisco. The December Board meeting is always notable for three reasons. First, it is the point in the HEUG year when the Board’s attention is taken by the election of a President who will take the reins from the following Alliance conference. By now you will have seen that Kari Branjord from the University of Colorado has been elected to serve as President from March 2010.
Second, as well as electing a new President, the December meeting always sees the start of the search for new Board members – again, by now, you should have seen the note from Past President, Tom Scott and the Nominations Committee starting this process. This really is something I would like you to think seriously about. Board membership, without doubt, has its responsibilities – duties such as acting as Liaison to one of the PAGs, taking a place on one of the sub-committees, perhaps Communication or Audit, being asked to undertake specific projects which can cover many topics or just being on the Board conference calls. All of these things have to have time made for them – often in ones copious free time. Challenging it may be, but, as with many things in life, the more you put in to it, the more you get out of it and Board membership can be hugely rewarding. Not only do you get to work with Oracle execs at the highest level but you get to work with a remarkable team of individuals who make up the Board, all of whom are focussed on making the Organisation work best for the membership.
The final aspect of the December Board meeting is that traditionally it is always a gathering held at the Oracle Headquarters in Redwood Shores and it features a day where we meet with a group of senior Oracle Execs who have responsibilities for products we all have an interest in. The HEUG has a remarkably good relationship with Oracle. Although we are, and always will be, completely independent of Oracle the access we have, from strategists at PAG level right through to people who have the total responsibility for E-business suite and Peoplsoft applications is almost unprecedented. In the Oracle User group world I know it is the envy of many of them. How do we do this? Being independent is important, by being the source of real, pertinent information to the product managers - from PAG members and those who get to attend Alliance plus Board members who have everyday experience of use of the products. We are never afraid of giving them a kick in the pants when it is warranted but being equally ready to give a pat on the back when things are going well. In short, by being open and honest, producing a relationship where your opinions are both valued and trusted. So the next time you think about the HEUG, spare a moment’s thought to the Organisation as a whole and remember you are part of the process that brings greater knowledge, understanding and relevancy to the applications we use every day in our jobs.
Whatever your plans are for this festive period, I wish you all the best for the holidays. Now, I’m off to finish writing those Christmas Cards!!