Dear members, The RIPE NCC General Meeting (GM) takes place next week. The agenda is finalised and you can see that here: https://www.ripe.net/gm/may-2021/agenda As always, the GM is a good opportunity for us to hear from you on important issues. It also gives you the chance to ask the Board about issues that matter. And for this GM, there are also several ways to interact with those standing for election to become Board members. *Open Mic Slot* The GM agenda now includes a specific open mic slot, during which you can ask questions or share comments on topics not covered elsewhere in the agenda. We feel this has been missed by members in recent years and by adding it we hope to accommodate any topics you wish to bring up. You can also send questions for the GM in advance to <agm@ripe.net> and we'll make sure to address them at the meeting. *Charging Scheme Discussion* We have also allotted time to discuss the RIPE NCC Charging Scheme model under Agenda point 7. With this discussion, we are again starting a conversation on the future of our charging model that we hope to continue after the GM and up to the next GM in November. Among the questions to consider ahead of this discussion: - What are the problems you see with the One LIR-One Fee model? - Should charging be based on resource-intensive requests? - Should there be an administration fee for transfers? - Should the sign-up fee be lower to allow easier entry to the market as independent network operators? - Should there be charging related to ASNs or IPv6? Of course, we would also like to see discussion on this topic on the <members-discuss@ripe.net> mailing list, which we follow closely. *Interact with Executive Board Candidates* Tomorrow, 12 May at 10:00 UTC, there will be a RIPE NCC Open House where the five candidates will be able to explain why they should be on the Board, and you can pose important questions for them. You can also send questions in advance to <agm@ripe.net>. This session will be recorded. We hope to see many members take part, and you can register now at: https://www.ripe.net/participate/meetings/open-house/meet-the-executive-boar... There is also an active mailing list where you can interact with the candidates until the election takes place: https://www.ripe.net/participate/mail/ripe-ncc-mailing-lists/executive-board... The people elected at this GM will represent your interests for the next three years, so please take the time to find out about where they stand on the issues you feel are important. Their details and biographies are listed at: https://www.ripe.net/participate/meetings/gm/meetings/may-2021/eb-elections/... *Register for the GM* Most importantly, we want members to register for the GM and exercise their voting rights. You can register now at: https://my.ripe.net/#/meetings/active *Talk to Us Informally* The Board is available during RIPE 82 to hear your feedback. We invite you to meet us on SpatialChat for more informal conversations during the ‘Meet the Executive Board’ session on Monday, 17 May. You will need to register for RIPE 82 to participate in this session, and registration is free and open to all: https://ripe82.ripe.net/attend/register/ Finally, the Executive Board can be reached on <exec-board@ripe.net> if you want to contact us directly. We look forward to seeing you (virtually) at the GM and RIPE 82. Best wishes, Christian Kaufmann Chairman of the RIPE NCC Executive Board