Good evening, I understand the desire to keep SynHak a hackerspace and I didn't mean to infer anything else. I don't see these things as mutually exclusive though. Like it or not as we have described ourselves to the State of Ohio and the Federal Government is as a Corporate entity. The reason(or at least my understanding) for having a board, officers and champions is so that the majority of the membership -don't- have to worry about SynHak, Inc. affairs and can enjoy hacking, making, baking, welding, and collaborating. However if you are one of those roles unfortunately you must focus some of your time towards the concerns of SynHak, Inc.
The role I envision this document playing is this: This report will be professionally done. This is a financial report, membership report, and retrospective summary of the previous year of SynHak activity. Both the corporate activities and membership activities. Things like a write up of 'Cons we attended, outreach, classes/Speakers Bureau. This would be akin to a trade Journal. There would be dry material(financial/membership reports) but it would also celebrate the successes. Most of this we already do. The acting Treasurer has been providing excellent documentation to our cashflow so I don't envision it being any more comprehensive, just broader scope. As Omar brought up and I originally intended I would like to include member projects, but I would focus more on in depth write-ups rather than "hey I did dis" type of blurbs though we could have a page or two of project abstracts for those that didn't feel like providing full write-ups. This document would serve not only to show prospective Grant underwriters what we do and why we're worth the money but also to convince non-members to become members. Sure they might sign up for the mailing list and figure it out over 3-months but a report they can browse while at the space would complement attending meetings and following the lists. This document would also provide the IRS evidence that we have been behaving as a education charity when we have to renew our exemption. Regular publication of educational material is also a qualifier for the 501(c)(3) educational exemption. Getting community programs off the ground such as the Young Aristotles program would benefit from something like this. If we approach the APL or School district and say 'Hey we want to work with kids" it will save us some explaining and clarifying if they are able to see what we do before we get there. I know people enjoy the laid back atmosphere, I do too, but when we have to interact with other companies(insurance, Knight foundation, &c), and various levels of government it is comforting to them if we present our activities in a format they are used to seeing. In closing this report would only really affect the board members/officers and those members who wanted to contribute project write-ups. I don't want people to spend tons of time on this but it does need to be professional. in excellence, Andrew L On Fri, Feb 21, 2014 at 5:11 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > I am sorry that you feel that way. I am not one for "corporate america, > man" but I was under the impression, no, rather the direct and specific > statement that we are a community workshop with the mission to EDUCATE, > CREATE, and SHARE. First and foremost on that short list, being education. > Hence why we applied, worked extremely hard for, and achieved 501(C)(3) > non-profit CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION status. > > It befuddles me why anyone would work through all that, just to throw it > away because the idea has spread to others and more structure is needed to > keep it from crashing down. This idea, that many have donated HUNDREDS of > man hours, THOUSANDS of dollars, and have SACRIFICED time from family, > friends, and even LOWERED THEIR STANDARDS OF LIVING so they could support > it. > > SYN/HAK is far different than when we started it in the garage. But the > core concept is the same. Some come to learn, some to teach, some to share > projects, some to socialize. > > This thing, this idea has become bigger than any one of us. It has gone > directions we hoped it would, and some we had not even fathomed. But it > hasn't been all peaches and sunshine. The growing pains have caused tension > as well as feelings and egos to be hurt. > > But it can be so much more. We just have to stop holding it back and let > it. > > That is all I have to say, thanks for you time. > > Devin Wolfe > > > The SYN/HAK INC. bylaws can be found at : > http://static.synhak.org/documents/bylaws.pdf > > 3.1. Mission > SYN/HAK provides an environment for people to educate, create, and share > amongst themselves and > others within the domains of technology, art and science. > > 3.2. Purpose > This corporation shall be organized and operated exclusively for > charitable, educational, and scientific > purposes within the meaning of Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue > Code, including but not limited > to: > * Through talks, classes, workshops, collaborative projects, and other > activities, to encourage research, > knowledge exchange, learning, and mentoring in a safe, clean space > * Provide educational spaces for teaching practical skills and theory of > technology, science, and art. > * Provide work space, storage, and other resources for projects related to > art, science, and technology > that will benefit the individual members' personal growth in their fields > of interest, encouraging the > individual members to share their projects and knowledge for the > betterment of society through art, > science, and technology. > * To create, learn, and teach, individually and as a group, inviting > members of the community in the > Akron area and the world. > * To develop, support the development of, and provide resources for the > development of free and open > source software and hardware for the benefit of society. > * Collaboration across disciplines for the benefit of cultural, > charitable, and scientific causes. > * To foster, by all legal means, the common purposes of its participants > * To conduct or engage in all lawful activities in furtherance of the > stated purposes or those incidental > to them. > > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Torrie Fischer <[email protected]> > *To:* [email protected] > *Sent:* Friday, February 21, 2014 3:29 PM > *Subject:* Re: [Bizops] Annual report > > > We are a hacker space. We are not a corporation. I'm fine with us not > being an > educational non-profit if it means less stifling corporatism about "impact > and > value", "objectives", "achievements", or "strategies". > > I come to SYNHAK to hack. I don't come to SYNHAK to run a business or > "position" ourselves. > > On Friday, February 21, 2014 15:18:21 Justin Herman wrote: > > What is "OUR" culture? What are we trying to accomplish? Our Mission? > > > > because if what we want to be is just a clubhouse we are not really an > > educational non-profit. > > > > On Fri, Feb 21, 2014 at 3:15 PM, Torrie Fischer > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > On Friday, February 21, 2014 10:41:37 Justin Herman wrote: > > > > Great Idea Andrew! > > > > > > > > Photos > > > > Stories of new Makers/Hackers that we helped and HOW. > > > > > > > > Maybe here are some metrics we could use: > > > > Membership change > > > > Meeting Attendance Change > > > > Class/Speaker Bureau Attendance Change > > > > Asset Change > > > > Newsletter subscription > > > > Website Traffic > > > > > > > > Executive summary from the board > > > > Our Objectives > > > > Our Achievements > > > > Impact & Value > > > > Ambutuions & Long Term Strategies > > > > > > No offsense, but ugh corporate bullshit isn't our culture. > > > > > > > Call to action >>> ask recipients for something to help our mission > and > > > > goals. > > > > > > > > On Fri, Feb 21, 2014 at 9:40 AM, a l <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Hello board and excellent hackers, > > > > > As elections are next week I came to realize that SynHak, inc while > > > > > documents meeting minutes and has an active online presence does > not > > > > > > have > > > > > > > > a > > > > > system in place to produce a more professional and concise way to > > > > > > report > > > > > > > > how the company is doing. > > > > > > > > > > most companies produce a shareholders report. Though we don't have > > > > > shareholders as such by producing such a report it may make it > easier > > > > > > for > > > > > > > > us to acquire grants by providing a report of our annual activities > > > > > and > > > > > growth. this document would fall under the secretary's duties and > > > > > > though I > > > > > > > > may not be the secretary after next week I believe I should be the > one > > > > > > to > > > > > > > > head up preparing last years report. If anyone disagrees them I am > > > > > > just as > > > > > > > > content with the new secretary completing this task. > > > > > I mention this to everyone since in order for this report to be > > > > > comprehensive I will need subsists from many people detailing > budget, > > > > > programs completed, progress and new developments, and other > notable > > > > > occurrences in our year. > > > > > > > > > > I welcome assistance and input on how to complete this document. > > > > > > > > > > In excellence, > > > > > Andrew L > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > Bizops mailing list > > > > > [email protected] > > > > > https://synhak.org/mailman/listinfo/bizops > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Bizops mailing list > > > [email protected] > > > https://synhak.org/mailman/listinfo/bizopsg > > _______________________________________________ > Bizops mailing list > [email protected] > https://synhak.org/mailman/listinfo/bizops > > > > _______________________________________________ > Bizops mailing list > [email protected] > https://synhak.org/mailman/listinfo/bizops > >
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