Nathan, reflecting on your comments I get the feeling that many of the ideas that were brought up maybe should have been considered but saved for further discussion when more volunteers were present. Maybe the problem is the conundrum of spending so much time and email to get a meeting date and then having a meeting with 5-6 people - I think we were looking at the turnout and really wanted to try and come up with something consistent so that people who want to come will know when it is, just like open hours. Having the meeting(s) correspond to open hours seemed like a natural fit since it's already the schedule people know. In retrospect I think you have a good point, though.<br>
<br>The impression I got on the Procedural Meeting was much like other smaller, focused meetings, in that the date was flexible for others who couldn't attend. It seems no one remembered you were one of the bottom-liners, but one of the things we DID discuss was going over previous notes and being accountable on who's taking on what, and here we have a perfect example as to why it's important to do that because that's a conversation you should have had a part in. I think also that there were a lot of agenda items, fewer people = fewer opportunity for concerns and maybe in general it got a little carried away? ^_^<br>
<br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Jan 14, 2011 at 7:09 AM, MO xvx <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:xveganarchistrvax@gmail.com">xveganarchistrvax@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div></div><div class="h5">Hey Flying Brickers! You are currently receiving messages in a Non-Digest Form. If you'd like to receive messages compacted into one e-mail a day, just visit your listserv homepage and change your settings to the Digest Version. Questions? Just ask!<br>
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</div></div><br>Hello!<br>This was my first Flying Brick Meeting, and because I was also doing Open Hours yesterday I wasn't even actually present for the agenda setting part of the meeting. I didn't know about any of the things that you brought up. And while I reckon there wasn't a formal facilitator it definitely seemed like Megan and Ramey took that on. Megan going down the agenda because she had it typed in the notes. In terms of procedure, at least everything was concensed on- we had lots of thumbs ups. <br>
<br>The part that we decided on which might help in the future was the idea of typing uup and printing off all meeting notes to be read at the beginning of the next meeting and kept in a binder that I can get to yall ASAP. Maybe the beginning of all meeting notes could include a section on how yalls meetings function? That was new people would find out, old people would be reminded etc.<br>
<br>Just a though<br>ALL OF THE LOVE!!!!<br>Mo<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Jan 13, 2011 at 11:03 PM, Megan Osborn <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:mrosborn1@gmail.com" target="_blank">mrosborn1@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;"><div><div></div><div>Hey Flying Brickers! You are currently receiving messages in a Non-Digest Form. If you'd like to receive messages compacted into one e-mail a day, just visit your listserv homepage and change your settings to the Digest Version. Questions? Just ask!<br>
<br>
</div></div><br>Nathan,<br><br>To be honest I did not know of any of this or things probably would have gone differently. So, how do you suggest we go about addressing your concerns? <br><br>I would suggest that we could contact the remaining volunteers that were not present at the meeting about the 2 meeting a month decision and hear their concerns. I do think it would be helpful and perhaps necessary to have a regular meeting time for the volunteer meetings for several reasons.<br>
<br>I do know that we all decided on not having a formal facilitator because
the meeting was small. Informally through my personal observation it
seemed like Ramey and I were the main people that "facilitated" (ie kept
the meeting on track).<br><br>I don't feel as if I'm able to comment on the other concerns since I'm lacking in background knowledge of the situation and how the Brick has operated in the past. Perhaps someone else could chime in?<br>
<br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Jan 13, 2011 at 10:11 PM, Nathan Stickel <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:incoherentnickle@gmail.com" target="_blank">incoherentnickle@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
Hey Flying Brickers! You are currently receiving messages in a Non-Digest Form. If you'd like to receive messages compacted into one e-mail a day, just visit your listserv homepage and change your settings to the Digest Version. Questions? Just ask!<br>
<br>
<br>So I don't really know what happened, but I think some stuff hasn't gone like it was supposed to....<br><br>ON MEETING SCHEDULING:<br> - We have had the policy of 1 general meeting a month, scheduled by the availability of people contacted since very early in our re-opening. I think this should change, but I don't think a meeting of 7 out of 65 total listed volunteers can make the decision without first getting the opinions of those it would effect. While the idea to have 2 meetings a month was partially my idea, I had no intention for this meeting to be the meeting it was decided on. <br>
- The Procedure Meeting was supposed to be scheduled AFTER getting people's availability, not with the few people at the general meeting. I can't make the meeting on the 17th, I have to work. I think this is pretty problematic since I am 1 of the 3 bottomliners. I had no say in the scheduling of the meeting, and I am very passionate about this subject, as I know there are a couple others who are, that aren't back in town from the holidays.<br>
<br>ON PROCEDURE<br>- When the library was re-opened, it was agreed that the meetings would function under formal consensus with a facilitator. Was there a reason this didn't happen? I think it is important to have a facilitator at our meetings, but if there was a reason I'd definitely like to hear it.<br>
- There were a few other procedure items discussed and passed, that I only remember brainstorming and discussing with the other bottomliners, I had no intention or idea that they would be proposed at this time. The bottomliners haven't even been able to meet all together to chat, so I didn't imagine any of these things would be ready to be put to a vote. That is what the procedure meetings would be for. I thought I mentioned to folks that I would really like to see our bylaws written up through the meetings and made available to ALL volunteers a month BEFORE voting to pass them. This way people would have plenty of time for voicing concerns, even if they couldn't make meetings. If I wasn't clear about that, I apologize, but I really don't think things should change so drastically at the drop of a hat.<br>
<b></b><br>Please don't take this as an aggressive message, I know how long e-mails can come off as serious or dramatic, I just really don't agree with some of the proposals, and since I have been at work all day and couldn't go to the meeting, I am a little confused how all of this happened. I just want to understand the reasoning on these items, and if I was to vague about some of my ideas or gave anyone the wrong impression, I sincerely apologize. <br>
<br>All the events look great, and I am stoked for them. Thanks for endorsing the Burial Ground actions and the VPA March!<br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Jan 13, 2011 at 8:06 PM, Megan Osborn <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:mrosborn1@gmail.com" target="_blank">mrosborn1@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">Hey Flying Brickers! You are currently receiving messages in a Non-Digest Form. If you'd like to receive messages compacted into one e-mail a day, just visit your listserv homepage and change your settings to the Digest Version. Questions? Just ask!<br>
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<br>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p>1/13 General Volunteers Meeting Minutes<br></p><p>
</p>
<p>In Attendance: Mallory, Megan, Ramey, Jen, Ellen, Matt, Mo</p>
<p>Facilitator: none</p>
<p>Notetaker: Megan</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Agenda items:</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Regular meeting day(s)</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">How to set agenda items</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Procedure meeting</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Shelving</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Budgeting/Reimbursement</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Lips event date change</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Incomplete items from last meeting</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MLP Speak Out event</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Lips release</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Tshirts</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Friends of AK Press, PM Press, etc</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Endorsing VPA and Burial Ground actions</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">International Sex Worker Rights
Awareness Day</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Volunteer log</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Meeting minutes</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Eating Disorder Awareness Week</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br>
</p>
<ol><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Regular
meeting day(s):</span>We thought that we could have two volunteer
meetings a month, especially for some people that are not able to
come to one meeting. Fixed meeting dates may be easier to plan
around, will save emails flooding inboxes, and will save a lot of
planning and phone calls each month trying to find a good meeting
time.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Meetings on the first Monday of each
month at 12:30pm and the third Thursday at 6:30pm. Passed.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Our next volunteer meetings will be
on Monday, Feb. 7th at 12:30pm and Thursday, Feb. 17th at 6:30pm.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Meeting notes and decisions made at
the meetings will be sent out to the listserv. If there are any
objections to decisions made at a meeting, we thought it would be
good to have a certain amount of time for voicing concerns, and if
there are no objections, move forward. <b>Two days timespan for
voicing concerns was passed.</b></p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">How
to set agenda items:</span> Who is bottomlining open hours will be
decided during the first meeting of the month who is bottomlining
for the following month. Passed.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Planning for events for the following
month should be open to both meetings (for example, both Feb.
meetings are open for planning March events). Passed.
</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Procedure
meeting:</span><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">brainstorm
ideas for a mission statement and foundational things about the
library that weren't completely finished when the library reopened.
</span><b>Procedure meeting will be Monday, January 17th at 6:30pm.</b></p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Shelving: the open area has been
measured for building our new shelves. $100 budget for new shelves.
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Passed.</span></p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Budgeting: Ellen will bottomline
keeping track of Flying Brick expenditures on a spreadsheet and
talking to Robert about opening up a house fund bank account for the
library.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Reimbursement: Ellen bought “Defying
the Tomb” for the library. Consent on full reimbursement.</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Lips movie screening event change:
<b>Change the date from the 22nd to the 29th from 7-10pm. </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Passed.</span></p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Incomplete tasks from last
meeting: Jen is still on the lookout for a coffee urn. She will also
talk to Jeff Wayside Center facilitation and consensus items.</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MLP speak out event: <b>speak
out/potluck/benefit on February 19th, potluck at 6pm, event starts
at 7pm.</b> Passed.</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Lips release: was originally
scheduled for Valentine's Day. Agenda item is shelved until more
information is gathered about the event.</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Tshirts: Setting a budget for
getting bulk blank t-shirts so that we can have Flying Brick
t-shirts to sell. Shelved to the next meeting.</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Friends of AK Press/PM Press, etc:
these shelved to next meeting until we have the expenditure
spreadsheet together. Ramey will bottomline getting ahold of AK
Press to see about getting Friends of AK Press discount for the
library.</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Flying Brick endorsements: Flying
Brick endorsement of VPA: Passed (Nathan said in the past that he
will contact them). Flying Brick endorsement of Burial Ground
actions: Passed. If people are interested in getting involved in
burial ground actions, contact Nathan.
</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">International Sex Worker Rights
Awareness day: (March 3rd?)-Ramey and Mo will bottomline researching
past events.</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Volunteer
log</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;">:</span> reminder
to use the volunteer log and write in it, go through the log if
there is nothing else to do, if there are any suggestions written in
the log remember to bring it up at the next meeting.</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Meeting
minutes:</span><i> </i><span style="font-style: normal;">Notetaker at
each meeting will bottomline </span>printing out the notes and
leaving copies at the library. Passed.</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Permanent agenda item for every
meeting: Reading the previous meeting notes at the beginning of each
meeting. Passed.</p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Eating disorder awareness week:
(last week of February) Need additional speakers, especially those
that have experienced eating disorders firsthand, find good
documentary to show, decide a date. Of those present, Matt, Ramey,
Mallory, and Megan are interested in helping to plan the event.
<b>Event tentatively scheduled at the Library for Thursday Feb. 24
during open hours.</b> Passed.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Planning meeting for the event on 1/22 at 11am.</b>
Preference for where we meet? Coffee shop? Flying Brick? Black Hand?
Somewhere with heat!</p>
</li></ol>
<br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Megan Osborn<br>
<div><i></i> </div>
<div><i>"When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained." -Mark Twain<br></i></div><br>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Always with Solidarity<br><br>Nathan<br>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Megan Osborn<br>
<div><i></i> </div>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Anarchy, Not Charity<br>Mo Karn<br><br>Richmond Food Not Bombs, Richmond Really Really Free Market, Richmond Zine Fest, Richmond Anarchist Black Cross<br><br>804 300 0023<br>
<br>The Wingnut Anarchist Collective<br>804 303 5449<br><br><br>PO Box 6025 <br>Richmond, VA 23222<br><br><a href="http://www.rvaradicalendar.blogspot.com" target="_blank">www.rvaradicalendar.blogspot.com</a><br><a href="http://www.thewingnutrva.wordpress.com" target="_blank">www.thewingnutrva.wordpress.com</a><br>
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