Right. So pretty much around Nov or so we start sending PMs to eachother that say things like, "Hey, are you still in this year?" and "Imma open me a thread that lets people know we're off to the races" and "These are last year's categories (primary ones) everybody good with that?" and finally "These are last years rules, everything hunky-dorey?"
Once we get a north-south from most everyone someone takes it on their part to copy and past from last years stuff, change the dates as applicable, and post up the new threads. Since its all saved in perpetuity in the UCA logged posts it's there.
Then a someone, usually not a board member, recommends to change the way of things after we're already rolling. PMs fly like wildfire between those that are interested enough to care about that sort of thing, and a general consensus of a position is more of less reached. At that point everyone collectively realizes they are taking this all a bit too seriously and feels a bit sheepish. All of this is within ten days of the nom thread opening. After the initial ten days nothing will happen for the rest of the nom period, including additional nominations.
During the first ten days board members take it in part to serve as ballot counter, truth sayer, thread browser, category decider, and general busy bodies to ensure the thread is more or less kept generally up to date.
One of the board members, whoever has self identified as having too much skin the game to back out, begins trawling the list of noms for pics and links as a lot of users can't be troubled with doing so when they make their nominations. This is the nature of the beast. Other board members will usually feel sorry for this
chump saintly fellow and contribute helpful lists of links by category, or general words of encouragement like, "Do the thing, score the points!" or "Wow, that work sure does look like work!"
After assembling the list it's another copy and past job from last year's thread, then a post-a-thon to get everything up. It takes a morning at this point.
Really it comes down to the desire to keep this thing alive, do what you and a few liked minded others think is "right" for the "community" and a willingness to put up with a lot of healthy debate which can, at large part of our own fault - or non of our own, devolve rapidly into internet slap-fighting.
After 4 years, I don't know if I'm right for the job - mostly because my willingness to have the conversation about the whys and wherefores has deadlined. I was right for it. The first year I was a tyrannical board of one calling the shots on my lonesome. The second year I called forth from the ether a team of unlikely compatriots to support and defend an idea worth of assache. The third I was a seasoned veteran, excited to take it to the next level, and the fourth I am a broken man, scared of his own shadow, crying out for the solace of anonymity and the soothing balm of apathy.
so.....
Who's up for it?!