You're leaving in September?!?!?! Whaaaa? Cheers!!
On Jan 24, 2013, at 3:17 PM, Justin Lacko <[email protected]> wrote: > The discussion is not meant to criticise any individual, I was just > interested in hearing opinions on an alternate way of managing the budget and > spending. > > If I wasn't banking on leaving in September, I would seriously think about > running for the treasurer position, with the intention of creating a > committee that could meet to discuss our day-to-day spending policies and > budget handling. I'll help out where I can until then. > > > On 24 January 2013 15:13, Jay Smith <[email protected]> wrote: > 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/ > > _______________________________________________ > SkullSpace Discuss Mailing List > Help: http://www.skullspace.ca/wiki/index.php/Mailing_List#Discuss > Archive: https://groups.google.com/group/skullspace-discuss-archive/
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