Leeds Hackspace AGM 2013 Agenda

Link to finances sheet

Money

1. Update on income and costs of current setup, thoughts on growing.
   Current bank balance: £2094.17 (£3844.17 – £1750 owed)
   Rent: £325/month
   Incoming: Around £600/month

2. How is it decided how hackspace money is spent? What does this ultimately rely upon and how can it be quickened ?
   Directors make decisions based on requests and discussions with members
   How quick do you want it?

Policy & Procedures

1. How does someone become a new member?

Very easily. Turn up on a tuesday and get to know people
Start giving us money
email directors@hackspace telling us you’re paying.
If we had membership cards, you’d get sent one in the post.

2. Can there be other methods of contact for Directors other than IRC? Not everyone uses IRC.
   I’m tempted to give out my mobile number. directors@leedshackspace.org.uk for email. Maybe setup a SIP number redirected to someone?

3. Can the above information be made readily available if someone wants to get in touch with the Hackspace in an official business like function? Or just wants to talk to someone “in charge” ? (there are people like that)
   directors@leedshackspace.org.uk or email the list asking one of us to contact you/for personal contact details.

4. Official documentation (templates for invoices, billing, stationary, all that business stuff, because even though we don’t work like that, other businesses do)
   It would be nice. who’s going to volunteer to create it?

5. Are there any rules, guidelines and regulations to using the hackspace? Everything from age restrictions to using potentially dangerous equipment and a/effecting other peoples projects and items.
   rule0; don’t be on fire. rule1: don’t be a dick. everything else as it comes?

6. Marketing policy. Is LHS advertised enough? How can it improve?

7. Storage space policy for members projects.

Membership

1. How many paying members do we have? How many active paying members do we have?
   In August, 24 paying members
   How do you define “active” members? Eg we have some people that havn’t been seen in years but who still pay every month.

2. What is a member?

3. What does it mean to be a member?

4. What is a member entitled to?
   A sense of enormous well-being and then being happy for the rest of the day, safe in the knowledge there will always be a bit of their heart devoted to it.
   -request becoming a key holder.
   -request using the space to host _bla_ (games, talks, etc)
   -request induction on the equipment

5. What can they do?

6. What can’t they do?

7. What are they entitled to if anything or nothing?

8. Why should someone be a member and not just come along on a tuesday evening?

9. How can we get more members?

10. Concessions

1. Should there be any at all?
   Yes. we want to be as inclusive as possible. Some of the most active members have been those without any cash.

2. How can this be regulated and controlled (and should it be)?
   Currently on a case by case basis, people should speak to the directors.

3. Student concessions?
   As a rule, yes. We agreed on letting students have half-price rates, but not the ability to be key holders.

4. Disabled concessions?
   I don’t see why not -case by case basis, talk to us.

11. “There should be a retrievable list of who’s currently a full paying member” or some other way of validating someone’s membership?
    We do not have a good way of tracking membership, therefore there’s no good way of retrieving a list of ‘full paying members’ (though quite how you define that, I don’t know). We were offered custom software by a couple of devs but they got laughed at as they wanted to use .NET.
    If we get to the point where all people fob in/out then this would be a very easy check to see if they are paid up members (eg lock says no) -though the admin for this needs consideration.

    Maybe membership should be a more formal arrangement, rather than just checking who’s paid?

12. How should key/RFID access be given, how do we vet new members?

General

1. When does something belong to the hackspace and when doesn’t it?
   Project boxes are private property, no-one should be looking through others’ boxen.

   Power tools and equipment are property of the space unless otherwise marked (some stuff is on loan, though it’s on loan to the space).

   Space resources (chips, solder, wire, perspex) are free to use, though if you’re using a lot please put some money in the pot so we can afford to replace it.

2. Replacing the door lock mechanism, even if we end up moving spaces, we need something that’s consistent, works and can be reproduced when we move.
   We need confirmation from Chris and the landlord that we are OK to go ahead and swap the lock. We will also need to supply them and the pedallers with some real keys as well as fobs.

3. To answer queries that were often heard of on some open nights; is the hackspace ever hiring or going to hire someone for whatever or any reason?
   No current plans. Personally I don’t see the space as something for people to be making money off’ve. Also, as I was director and unemployed for a year then if anyone was going to start drawing a wage it should be me and I’m massively unwilling. Money made by the space should be used by the space for the space.

   If any specific work is needed by a professional (e.g. roof insulation?), we can justify that as a one off, employing someone is a different matter.

4. Is there any particular direction we want the hackspace to go in? Shall it just be a technical social club? Is it going to focus on a particular specialisation? Should it work towards teaching people how to use technology? What can the hackspace do to achieve any of this?
   I fail to see why we should commit to doing anything specific especially if it means we’re _just_ doing that or specifically not doing other things. We are a technical social club. By virtue of this fact we tend to teach people on an ad-hoc basis and should teachers be willing/able we could run specific sessions. Frankly I’m happy for anyone to use the space to do (within reason) anything; if people want to come solder, sew or drink coffee, they should be welcome. In the future it would be lovely to have more space so different interests could have dedicated areas.

5. Should we run an open day on more than just a tuesday evening sometimes?
   sure. Who’s volunteering to organise, advertise and run it?

6. Winter preparation

1. Can we insulate the space and/or focus on stopping the penetrating water/damp and block up the extra vent holes while introducing controlled ventilation for the time we’re in the current space?

2. Winter’s coming. The paraffin heater and electric heaters were not enough for last year; should we be doing anything for this year or effectively closing the space?

7. Is there any insurance? What does it cover? Why isn’t there any if not?
   Not currently, we have a quote, but clarifying exactly what it covers and whether it’d cover what we actually do has been difficult.

8. Can we sort out the bins please?
   Yes. Who had the quote with the people willing to hold a key?

9. Any other business?