Current Status
We’ve decided to incorporate as a California Public Benefit Membership Corporation.
Discussion
A preliminary draft of [[Membership_Rules|Membership Rules]], based on IRC discussion
Some ideas on how to run the hackspace, from an IRC discussion (feel free to edit for clarity & conciseness)
2:00pm albillings: I think we’re pretty comfortable with the idea that some level of dues paying people get to vote (if not all) and that voting, at least on some issues, will determine certain things, like at least the board.
2:05pm turkshead: i’m in favor of your basic american org model
2:05pm turkshead: eg, membership, determined by dues plus ?
2:06pm turkshead: a board of directors, which meets regularly and handles the ongoing business of the org
2:06pm turkshead: and a quarterly-to-yearly annual meeting
2:07pm albillings: we’re thinking maybe dues + x hours of working within needed space projects every month
2:07pm albillings: that was one idea
2:07pm turkshead: at which the board is elected, and anything that needs a membership vote can be handled
2:07pm albillings: but I’m open to see what people want
2:07pm albillings: as long as it involves voting on some level and some checks and balances
2:07pm albillings: less politics, more welding
2:07pm turkshead: as i said last night, i’m not thrilled about having a ‘number of hours’ requirement
2:08pm albillings: turkshead: ok. Well, let’s see what happens then. I understand what you’re saying.
2:08pm albillings: I need to go look at the sailing club thing
2:08pm turkshead: i think i like some kind of ‘you have to have been around for N weeks” or something
2:08pm turkshead: maybe we could have levels and a series of secret handshakes and gestures
2:09pm albillings: yeah, one problem I’ve seen in lodges is someone packs the membership with new members/friends right before a vote
2:09pm albillings: putting a clause of “you must be a member for x months before voting” would help.
2:09pm albillings: and those people never show again after electing their friend
2:11pm albillings: in the Masons, you can’t vote until you’re third degree, which means you’ve been there for a year or more, but that’s a bit extreme
2:13pm chriszf: Just as a quick interjection, I really like the volunteer hour membership rule simply because it means you won’t have people who just pay to use equipment, but are invested personally in perpetuating the group.
2:14pm chriszf: I don’t think it should relate to proration of dues or voting, though.
2:14pm albillings: it’s worth hashing out
2:14pm chriszf: Except maaaaybe in the case of students.
2:14pm turkshead: i think that hackerspaces are cool
2:14pm turkshead: and that we’ll get people who pay dues to say they’re a member
2:14pm turkshead: and won’t use the space that much
2:14pm turkshead: and i think we should take their money.
2:15pm DrShiny: what about a fairly minimal hourly service requirement?
2:15pm DrShiny: like, 15 min/ month
2:15pm chriszf: True, but I think as a new venture, stability is at a delicate stage, and I’d much rather ensure stable membership.
2:15pm chriszf: DrShiny: The CSC requirement is 2 hours a quarter.
2:15pm DrShiny: which isn’t really all that much either
2:15pm chriszf: So. I mean, that’s really not much at all.
2:15pm DrShiny: turkshead: what’s your objection?
2:16pm chriszf: But it keeps people involved.
2:16pm DrShiny: i mean, this would solve one of the big NB problems, which is cleanup
2:16pm turkshead: a) someone has to keep track of the number of hours everybody is putting in.
2:16pm DrShiny: (the secretary)
2:16pm turkshead: b) i want people to be able to be members and feel good about giving us money without having to use the space, that’s a net win for us
2:17pm DrShiny: (they can donate w/o becoming a member, or we can have classes of memberships)
2:17pm turkshead: c) it seems like we’re solving a problem before we have it
2:17pm chriszf: Well. We ”will” have a problem of cleanup. Pretty much guarantee that.
2:17pm DrShiny: yeah, i agree with chriszf on that
2:17pm turkshead: i think we should have sponsored weeks
2:17pm DrShiny: if we set things up so that there wer
2:18pm chriszf: Not that I’m calling anyone a slob. But. It will get messy.
2:18pm turkshead: and that we should have a signup sheet where you can sponsor a week
2:18pm DrShiny: then nobody has to track it; and everyone can tell if you did your bit or not
2:18pm turkshead: and that whoever’s in charge should make sure that the sheet is filled in three months out
2:18pm turkshead: and that the job gets done
2:18pm DrShiny: this is how we should implement the volunteer hour requirement
2:19pm turkshead: so you’re required to have at least two slots per N months or something?
2:19pm DrShiny: the only difference, instead of signing up, the times get rotated through the membership
2:19pm DrShiny: yeah
2:19pm chriszf: Something like that.
2:??pm albillings: I think we should be clear on breaking shit and responsibility for group equipment and keeping your mitts off of other people’s stuff unless they give you permission.
2:32pm DrShiny: “other people’s stuff” will have to be clearly marked then
2:32pm albillings: and then, once we figure out spaces, come up with guidelines on how much space individuals will have for their personal equipment, etc.
2:32pm albillings: DrShiny: I agree
2:32pm DrShiny: which has to be the responsibility of the owner
2:32pm albillings: Of course, “marked” may be “giant combination lock”
2:32pm DrShiny: so, one of the privileges of membership, then, is the ability to store large, delicate, difficult equipment at the space
2:32pm albillings: with the key given out to people trusted
2:32pm chriszf: rfid keys, plz.
2:32pm DrShiny: combination lock
2:33pm albillings: DrShiny: I think storing stuff in the space, having a locker, etc. is a priv of membership
2:33pm albillings: visitors can come to stuff and work on stuff with people but they have to take their shit unless there is a supervising member involved.
2:33pm DrShiny: we’re also talking about large space-taking things though
2:33pm albillings: DrShiny: true and I think that the group would want to make decisions on that as a group.
2:35pm albillings: DrShiny: I think if we come up with guidelines about personal storage and space and people want to get equipment that is larger than that, we have a discussion as a group about that equipment
2:35pm albillings: the same goes for crazy power use aka lasers
2:36pm dr_jesus: yeah I’m mailing all those ppl
2:36pm albillings: A lot of this depends on if we’re in a hip pocket space like NB v1 or a larger space like NB v2
2:36pm turkshead: i don’t mind the idea of having membeship == access to the space and a locker is $10 per month
2:36pm turkshead: your own desk is $100 per month
2:36pm turkshead: something like that
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