How to give a great Core report

This document is largely intended as guidance for new officers, although project managers may also find it helpful.

1. Start early. You get the agenda document on Sunday - that gives you two full days and then some to make your report as good as possible. Do a quick writeup off the top of your head Sunday or Monday, and revisit it and revise as needed until Wednesday night. By the time Core starts, your report should be substantially done.
2. Ask yourself whether your report is meaningful to the other people in the room. Is this going to affect other teams? Did you reach a cool milestone (or have a learning moment?) Did you highlight any action items for other Core members with clear steps to take? Follow up important action items with a separate email to the mailing list soon after the meeting.
3. Keep it concise. There's a lot of content covered in Core as is - people won't remember all the details, if they're paying attention at all - so just provide the necessary context, hit your major points, and be prepared to answer questions from the floor from those that are interested. That all being said, if you have an important and complex topic, take the time to explain it - Core is the time and place to discuss these things.