Performance benefits from empowerment and extensive training

This definitely could make sense, but it would have to focus on very tangible results. I don't think that most of our community organizers would have time for something they don't see direct results from...

Maybe we could have trainings before bigger events (e.g. drupalcons, -camps), to kickstart team-building?

Drupalcon Szeged was a blast! Check out the video's on http://szeged2008.drupalcon.org/program/sessions

I do think we should offer training and support for geographic group leaders. Acquia made a great conribution at this with the event resources kit. Group managers are central to the Assocation's mission to spread Drupal widely. We should get to a place where we consider group managers to be semi official representatives of the community. They benefit from special training and prestige.

As an aside, grouo managers are also held to high standards. The Association is entitled to warn and then remove Managership from a person if he/she is not act according to (to be written) guidelines. It is not fair to keep a lousy Group manager in place in Foobar, USA just because he/she started the group. A bad Manager can inhibit Drupal's growth in a community.

I certainly would participate in training / mentoring / discussion on building communities and / or learning more about drupal

Joe Moraca
Florida Drupal Group
http://groups.drupal.org/florida

As Drupal Certification emerges, it would make sense that group leaders be fast tracked by waiving fees and suppling needed materials.

Group leadership training and Drupal training are welcomed. This makes sense as there is a clear conduit from group leader to group. This has to be high level training as most group leaders by title are already some-what successful at organizing a group and feel their knowledge of Drupal sufficient enough to bridge the troughs in group participation.

Related group building but not specifically training:
Uniting groups leaders seems logical too. A meeting before/after/during a Drupalcon specifically for geographic group leaders would go along way to this ends. The relationships generated between group leaders could foster new cross group interactions.

Personally I have found it difficult to come by the funds to travel to Drupalcon. Helping group leaders physically get to a Drupalcon, especially if there will be a group leader event, could facilitate Drupalcon energy returning to local groups where it may not have reached without such assistance.

Regards,
Michael Hofmockel
iMed Studios

Open Source || Open Access || Open Mind

What kind of training are we talking about?

Drupal training so that we can teach others? Like "How does the new Vies 2.0 work?"
or
Organisational training? Like "How do I find sponsors, venues, speakers for our next event?"

The first would defenitly be appreciated. I wonder how thoat would work though.
Extra training day at DrupalCons?
How would it differ from the training that is and isn't out there already?
Sure our group would be more attractive with more or more competent speakers.

The later would come in handy for organizing larger events, i.e. a DrupalCamp. "Normal" group meetings probably should work without sponsors et al.

Today I proposed a session and a BoF at Drupalcon D.C. The idea was to get experienced organizers of meetups and camps in one room with lesser experienced organizers to pass on knowledge. Effectively growing the camp and meetup network.

Maybe we could use Drupalcon as a first step towards providing some sort of formal "organizer training"?

I put up a quick blog post about the three sessions proposed.
http://jredding.info/drupalcamp-at-drupalcon

-Jacob Redding

A well trained team makes total sense, this will certainly help improve the effectiveness of the event and its success will reinforce the interest of the attendees towards Drupal.