I maybe spoke too soon, but I'm banking on the possibility of being accepted to a university outside of Winnipeg :P
On 24 January 2013 15:20, Aemilianus Kehler <[email protected]> wrote: > 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/ > > > _______________________________________________ > 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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