The Current Article F Reads:

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F: Local Managers: A LM is the SPA's point person in an area, the person to contact to develop local events, and run projects through on a local level. To become a LM, all you have to do is be the first SPA member in your area to express the interest of helping develop that area. Keeping the LM position is contingent upon progress of the area. SPA Administrators will conduct a quarterly look at LM progress, and determine courses of action based on performance. LMs have the power to perform these functions in the name of the SPA:

1.) Our main support of this effort is allowing individuals the right to go around to their local comic book, record, coffee shops, anywhere you find those local newspapers for free, and collect local advertising for the printing of Local Editions of Self Publisher! Magazine. The LM Can co-ordinate this effort in their area any way they wish to get SP! into the most hands possible.

2.)The LM can create and run a local artist group, and is encouraged to work with local schools and libraries to reach talent in the area, young and old alike. This can also include setting up local classes in teaching how to make comics, and other such activities, as created and delegated by the LM and his local available talent.

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I propose to completely re-write this, to reflect a stronger and larger SPA.

My Proposed wording:

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F: Local Support Structure. The SPA is an international organization, which connects local activities and groups to a larger support network. To that end, we have created position definitions that provide backbone to the goals and projects of individual groups working within our guidelines. All F Section membership levels are considered free Gold Member status and granted SPA LEADER status for as long as the position is held, and other perks to be defined as we develop.

1.) National President. A National President of the SPA is a person who has been elected to co-ordinate and lead/develop all local activities of the SPA in a given country. They will work with all subordinate group leaders in their jurisdiction to further the goals of the group and otherwise promote a healthy growing indy press reading atmosphere. The position once filled, will be held by the person that fills it, for as long as they wish to hold the position, with the administration's reserved right to address the effectiveness of the person should need arise.
a.) No current National Presidents have been nominated or elected.
2.) Regional Manager. A Regional Manager shall be defined as a person who has been elected to manage local efforts with more than one Local Manager/Group. The RM is designated to take care of things that are needed on a regional basis that the National President has identified and delegated to the RM.
a.) No current Regional Managers have been nominated or elected.
3.) Local Manager. Local Managers are defined as members of the SPA who have stepped forward to fill Local functions of the SPA. These positions are generally considered first come, first served in an area, and do not have to specifically be group leader positions. Local Manager positions can be further defined and stated below this entry of the charter. Anyone can propose an LM position and nominate themselves for it, current leadership will review the application and fit it into local/regional/national plan as best as possibly can be accommodated.
4.) Group Leaders. Group leaders are SPA Members who have in the course of their lives, or otherwise initiated/inherited/developed organized local groups that have their own internal structure, goals, and activities, and have lead those groups to be associated with the SPA for furthering of their groups local status into international recognition. The SPA will help set up and report on Local Groups to assist in those local groups finding and increasing their memberships. These groups DO NOT have to be CALLED "SPA Local Chapters" to gain the benefits of being associated. They can maintain their own names and logos, etc. We will ask that materials produced by the groups do demonstrate somewhere that they are associated with the SPA, on a co-branding basis, and encourage their members to be SPA forum/website users, but otherwise, the group is in the hands of the group's stated individual charter. Group leaders will work with LM, RM, and National leaders, on larger agenda items, but are not required to participate in EVERYTHING to maintain their groups supported status. In most cases, we will encourage the healthy relationship of groups and the international SPA agenda, and handle any disputes and grievances amongst the leadership in the Leaders-Only forum section.
a.) There are no currently identified official associated groups.

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This is obviously a framework which will need built on, and clarified, so feel free to state your opinions and suggested re-wordings, etc. It will HAVE to change and evolve as more people and groups get involved with it, for simple presentation of it could easily get out of hand. But I think it clearly states the INTENDED size and scope of the thinking and new leadership edge that the SPA Needs to have to really take our intended purpose to the level we all want to see it become.

I turn it all over to you guys now. And please note: I do not want and will not fill the USA National President position. The Charter states me as a coordinator with veto rights as the founder of the group, and that's all I want to be. The rest, is up to you guys. To move into a position of real leadership in the minds of creators, readers, and retailers, etc, this CANNOT be "the Ian show". I need and WANT to relinquish more and more control over the general SPA activity. It's your opportunity to step into this framework, help build it from the inside, shape it, and make the network we all share a better place.

I like the direction this is going in and it does a much better job of clarifying the scope than the current language.

Especially the Group Leaders section–that has a lot of potential with affiliated networks that may or may not be directly out of the SPA (like the Gulf Coast group that I am baby-stepping into existence).

But since we're talking National, Regional, Local and Group delineations, would it be better to just call this section Support Structure and drop the "Local"? Even though local is relative, there's a lot more than what most people think of as local within the proposed hierarchy of the revision.

Hmmm, good point. Perhaps: Membership Support Structure?

Or something else?

Membership Leadership Structure?

Could it be considered 'Community Leaders'?

I don't know how specific the name needs to be, or if I'm splitting hairs here. But I'm sitting here thinking how awesome this development is, and how great it is to see a general call to arms, instead of a reboot of clicks and groups, and friends or relationships which have lasted for years. It takes alot of guts to put yourself out there and ask for help in this way, and for that I offer my kudos, for what it's worth.

Community leaders are a necessary part of any organization this large, and I think the major requisite needs to be passion. As you (or we, or us...no us is bad grammar!) spread further and further, it will become harder and harder to instill the passion, and excitement from a distant 'hub'. And that is what a community such as this is dependent on, passion and excitement. This is where the Community leaders come in. Members who not only reside in an area not yet populated by the SPA, but are also intune with the goals and general spirit of this community. You can't sell something you're not excited or passionate about. By establishing these passionate individuals in the right roles, and equipping them with the right tools, we as a community may spread our reach. My spreading our reach we will empower the SPA, as well as each individual member.

Gaaa, took me a while to get back to this thread.

I think a re-name to Community Leadership Structure is a good melding of the ideas there.

I'm going to make a last call here for anything anyone thinks should be changed or addressed before I call for a vote on it.