Unfortunately I won't have the list in front of me until much much later tonight, but I believe we've had six or seven new members since November.
Also, I do have to thank you for bringing this up. It's a great subject, especially in light of board elections just around the corner. On Thu, Jan 24, 2013 at 3:09 PM, Justin Lacko <[email protected]> wrote: > Jay, > > For the benefit of this discussion could you tell us how many members we've > gained since the start of November, when we moved? That would help to put > things in perspective. > > > On 24 January 2013 15:06, Jay Smith <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> One last thing to add: It's is ridiculously early to say our >> membership applications have plateaued. We've only had two meetings >> since Christmas holidays, and we were doing fine attracting interest >> in November and December. >> >> On Thu, Jan 24, 2013 at 3:01 PM, Jay Smith <[email protected]> wrote: >> > Alternate title: "Keynesian economics in the context of a hackerspace" >> > >> > Let's not confuse macroeconomics with microeconomics. >> > >> > We're not a stable nation that can indefinitely incur debt to >> > stimulate an economy. We're a hackerspace. Cool toys and equipment are >> > great, but the most important thing for me to invest in is our >> > members. Our members bring in new members, our members engage other >> > members, our members bring in their own cool toys, and our members >> > make each others lives all the more interesting by sharing the same >> > space. >> > >> > How do I "invest" in members? >> > How do I keep the budget process as fair to all members as possible? >> > How do I ensure that members are getting what they pay for? >> > >> > By being as strictly and uncompromisingly libertarian as possible. >> > >> > Your membership fees are for things that we strictly need to spend >> > money on to keep the space operational, nothing more and nothing less. >> > Nobody will ever feel that their money is being undemocratically >> > wasted because we're only spending it on things that are strictly >> > necessary to keep the facility operational. If members want to buy >> > cool things to make the place better, we encourage them to form teams >> > to fund them. >> > >> > But what do I mean by investing in members? >> > >> > We're currently running a deficit but we haven't even considered >> > raising membership dues (although the optional increased donations are >> > great). In fact, lowering our dues to accommodate student members has >> > been the best move for raising membership and income that we've made >> > so far. By not jacking up fees, we can free members to invest their >> > money into the space as they see fit and on their own terms. >> > >> > We all work together to build a better space. By being bold and not >> > relying on a central committee to impose high dues and make financial >> > decisions for us, we are all the more free and democratic for it. >> > >> > Mind you, in one months time our new treasurer might come along with a >> > very different philosophy :) >> > >> > On Thu, Jan 24, 2013 at 2:19 PM, Justin Lacko <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> The "official" policy of SkullSpace currently is that until we balance >> >> our >> >> budget, we can't spend on anything except the basics - such as rent and >> >> power. This is a fiscally-conservative policy. I believe we need to >> >> still >> >> have nominal spending while operating at a deficit, for reasons which I >> >> will >> >> outline below. >> >> >> >> We are currently operating at a deficit. We can pay our bills each >> >> month >> >> without a problem; we have three months of rent in our coffers. But our >> >> monthly income is less than our expenses. The targeted fix for this >> >> problem >> >> is to increase membership through whatever means available, such as >> >> advertising at conventions. >> >> >> >> When I worked on the plan for SkullSpace 2.0, I knew that we had to >> >> expand >> >> our membership base and ask for more money. Looking back since we moved >> >> to >> >> the new space at the beginning of December, we certainly have worked on >> >> this >> >> goal. Lately, it seems membership has again plateaued (I base this >> >> observation on the fact that there haven't been any recent emails from >> >> Courtney announcing new members). What I want to outline is that we >> >> need to >> >> continue to work on getting more members if we want to eliminate our >> >> deficit. >> >> >> >> I think that our current fiscally-conservative spending policy is not >> >> beneficial to the long-term goals of SkullSpace. I believe that right >> >> now is >> >> the most important time to be investing SkullSpace capital into the >> >> space, >> >> in creative ways that will bring in new members. The constant reminder >> >> of >> >> "we can't spend a penny until we break even each month" is not >> >> encouraging >> >> and dampens any creative thought for how SkullSpace can grow - because >> >> sometimes ideas/things need money. I offer the example of our >> >> now-defunct >> >> monthly $100 prize to be awarded to a worthy member-nominated project. >> >> While >> >> we may not be able to afford $100 monthly now, we could bring it back >> >> at $50 >> >> each month, or a similar level. >> >> >> >> A basic projection, without knowing exact numbers, is that it will take >> >> at >> >> least 6 months or more to break even with our income and expenses, with >> >> the >> >> assumption that membership continues to grow. I don't think that we >> >> should >> >> wait until this time before spending money. While deficit spending is a >> >> hotly-debated issue, it is beneficial as a means of injecting stimulus >> >> in >> >> order to continue growth in a stagnant economy. The current situation >> >> is the >> >> funding of a 3D printer for the space - much of which has graciously >> >> been >> >> funded by the membership. A 3D printer would arguably bring in more >> >> members, >> >> with the promise of using a novel machine as an added bonus to their >> >> membership. A $100 donation from SkullSpace hardly seems harmful, and I >> >> think that we are missing an opportunity to contribute to a really good >> >> idea. >> >> >> >> I propose that we form a committee to assist with budgetary decisions, >> >> as >> >> Jay is stepping down at the next election, and make the entire process >> >> much >> >> more membership-oriented. The job of treasurer for a fledgling >> >> organisation >> >> is one with many duties, and understandably one person can easily get >> >> burnt >> >> out with it. I would volunteer to sit on this committee. Currently, our >> >> funding decisions are resting with a single person, which is unfair and >> >> does >> >> not follow the SkullSpace mantra/rule of members having a say in the >> >> running >> >> of SkullSpace. >> >> >> >> I think that going-forward, SkullSpace is in a good position right now >> >> and >> >> we are slowly working towards our goal of breaking even and eventually >> >> turning a profit. We need to continue to spend where members think it >> >> is >> >> necessary or else we will surely stagnate. >> >> >> >> Please respond with opinions, criticisms, rebukes, death threats, etc., >> >> but >> >> I'm hoping to keep this discussion on-topic. >> >> >> >> ~Justin >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> SkullSpace Discuss Mailing List >> >> Help: http://www.skullspace.ca/wiki/index.php/Mailing_List#Discuss >> >> Archive: https://groups.google.com/group/skullspace-discuss-archive/ >> _______________________________________________ >> SkullSpace Discuss Mailing List >> Help: http://www.skullspace.ca/wiki/index.php/Mailing_List#Discuss >> Archive: https://groups.google.com/group/skullspace-discuss-archive/ > > > > _______________________________________________ > SkullSpace Discuss Mailing List > Help: http://www.skullspace.ca/wiki/index.php/Mailing_List#Discuss > Archive: https://groups.google.com/group/skullspace-discuss-archive/ _______________________________________________ SkullSpace Discuss Mailing List Help: http://www.skullspace.ca/wiki/index.php/Mailing_List#Discuss Archive: https://groups.google.com/group/skullspace-discuss-archive/
