Minutes:13 APR 2022 Members Meeting Agenda

Meeting begins: 1910

Meeting ends: 2110

Participants: Nate Y., Erin H., Andrew C., Joe D., David G., James K.

Agenda

• Announcements/new business - 10m
• Operations
• Financial
• Membership
• Outreach
• Education
• Old business

Minutes

• Announcements/new business:

• Operations:
  • COVID-19 policy revisited
    • We agreed to revisit this policy again after a month. Any changes needed?
      • No change needed at this point -- will revisit next month, or sooner, if needed.
  • Election updates - Nate
    • Two nominees confirmed (James and Joe); need at least one more nominee still!
    • Bylaws refresh, and scope of refresh for membership vote at upcoming elections:
      • Priority items are removing term limits, extending Director terms to two years
      • Other modifications needed? - James and Nate
  • Tool library updates - Joe
    • What things do we need to do to help this thrive?
      • Signage for folks in space
      • Adwords
      • "Tool library-only" membership tier?
      • Post about it on Reddit, nextdoor
      • Coordinate with AADL since they already offer tools
  • New equipment donations
    • Testing donated equipment
      • What training curriculum is needed?
        • Hold a day where folks take "ownership" of the tool and document how to use it (documentation/wiki party!)
    • Plans to retrieve remaining donated equipment - Nate will try to coordinate for next week with Sam F. and others
    • Plans for sorting/organizing new donations
      • Have another space organization day

• Financial:
  • Financial health outlook: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MTjgdvGJI9-FI7OFxkDdw-hJbirdUaxwBpERWVGVSQs/edit#gid=0
    • Current Profit and Loss https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zyFGgMt1vwGwDnciNzjhT5_X7A4ackqJ/view?usp=sharing
  • SBA loan updates - Nate
    • Loan has gone through!
  • Inaugural budget committee meeting recap
    • Allowances to spend a limited number of money per month, review this on a quarterly basis.
    • Initially we have budgeted $50/mo. for tools, $50/mo. for consumables (cleaning supplies, office supplies, etc.), and $100/mo. for marketing
  • CPF grant/pivot (see also: A2Zero item in Outreach) - Nate
    • Nate would like to focus in more on the ideas presented, but didn't have enough time to do that for this grant. Will look for ways to integrate this feedback with future opportunities to work with the City of Ann Arbor.

• Membership:
  • Gained one reduced member (at the time of this meeting we have 16 standard, 10 reduced, 2 sponsors, 3 volunteers)
  • Membership drive/new rates - James, in time for April meeting, to go into effect sometime in May. Will send emails about it prior to the April meeting.

• Outreach:
  • Promotional stickers - David
    • Some other options are sticker giant, sticker app, sticker.stick
    • Group decides to order 250 stickers @ ~$150 - David
  • Maker Show & Tell survey - David
    • Started work on the questions, but not finished yet. Nate will remind in a few weeks.
  • Email blast with fundraiser update/upcoming events - Joe
  • Ann Arbor A2Zero/Circular Economy interview recap - Nate
    • City of Ann Arbor interested in working with groups that have experience with getting the most out of their things. AHA has a long history of doing this already, via the general hacker/maker culture of trying to do self-repairs where feasible, and through public outreach efforts to this effect, like Repairsday.
    • Hopefully the interview will yield a promo video, with some b-roll footage taken in the shop.
    • Also hopefully will yield more opportunity to work with local government to strengthening our ability to foster a circular economy.
  • Chelsea Ham Radio/Vintage Electronics Swap Meet (6/5) - Nate
    • Lots of opportunities to network, and a cheap table ($20). No brainer, so Nate already signed us up.
  • Ann Arbor Art Fair (7/21-7/23) - Nate
    • Application and payments submitted
    • Will need at least one representative from AHA to attend the mandatory Washtenaw Non-Profits meeting (TBA)
    • We've invited a handful of regional MI/OH/IN hackerspaces to send us promo materials, and/or volunteer to join us in running the booth
    • Purchase a fire-rated (NFPA 701) 6'x6' tent with zip-down panels to secure against bad weather?
      • Use this as the core of our outreach/events "Go-Kit"
      • Everyone thinks this is worth it. Nate will research options.
      • Schedule a planning meeting for fleshing out this, specifically for Art Fair - Nate will schedule
        • Ideas for things to do, and planning any power-supply needs (punted to the aforementioned meeting-to-be-scheduled)
        • Running extension cords is not likely to be an option (punted to the aforementioned meeting-to-be-scheduled)
  • Start monthly member social events? - Nate
    • Have theme ideas? (e.g. microcontroller projects, electric vehicles, music, etc.)
      • Come up with a quick description and get this in the Observer. First proposed gathering would be 5/21 coinciding with open hours, could go on later if needed. - Nate will work with James to get this in the Observer
  • Maker meetup for regional makerspaces! Talk shop about how to run hackerspaces better. Reach out to those folks and see if there's interest - Joe, Erin
    • Also we have the Nation of Makers - Sustainability and fundraiser roundtable every other Wednesday, #hackerspaces on Librera - Joe will forward info on this to chat, in case folks would like to join.

• Education:
  • Start advertising training classes again
    • Put together/refresh curriculum for 3d printers, laser cutter, CNC routers, vinyl cutter, others?
      • Laser is the only tool that would need this now, and the documented knowledge is still relevant
    • Require students to demonstrate their proficiency as part of the training?
      • Consensus is that we should be doing this
      • After the class is done, students get some concepts to study at home, then can schedule a return visit to demonstrate proficiency in using the machines a week or two later.
      • To accomplish this, there needs to be a simple checklist of things we evaluate on, and a final "project" to tie all the concepts together, ideally this is the same "project" that is demonstrated as part of the initial class.
      • Come up with evaluation materials, and pilot this concept with existing members
        • Joe will do laser, James will do CNC, Nate will do 3d printers, Andrew will do it for the Roland CNC.

Old Business:

• Operations:
  • Nate will sit down with volunteers to expand/freshen job board - Nate still will plan to do this ASAP, perhaps this Thursday.
  • James will reach out about Fuel Cell after today's meeting

• Financial:

• Membership:

• Outreach:

• Education: