Now that we’re open again, it should be time for our election. The call-in meetings have had very low attendance, so we’ve been putting off the election.
I propose that the 7/1/10 meeting be both call-in and physical. I understand that the board is encouraging committees to hold meetings in Interactive so that there’s plenty of room for social distancing.
Thoughts?
I would suggest that we invite Team Ceramics to see if that works for everyone. I will be out of town and not in attendance but April and Anette have agreed to host the meeting. If the group would like to hold the meeting physically and by phone, go for it.
The room that is reserved is the large room in the Lobby area. I would bet that you all could distance in there almost as well as in interactive.
How will the logistics of the call-in part of the meeting work, so that those of us physically at DMS can hear the people? Do we need Digital Media to help in some way? Do you propose that some folks are at DMS and some folks are at home, but we are all on our phones? It seems disjointed to me without more info on the process.
Also, re: filling the position of committee chair for ceramics. I don’t see the immediate rush. Things at DMS, and the world outside of DMS are in flux. DMS, the physical space, has just reopened to members.
The committee chair position is a very important one. Yes, DMS is a member cooperative and needed equipment, supplies, changes to protocol, are brought up in the committee meeting agendas and voted on by all the attending members-
Still, every cooperative needs leadership, direction, focus- a real feel for the big picture of what DMS ceramics can be. The committee chair (and co chair) are essential for creating a culture that is positive, welcoming, inclusive- encouraging participation and volunteering. They also have to be to able to interface with the BOD.
I would like to be able to attend a couple of meetings at DMS and reacquaint myself with the ceramic group, see who is still with us after deep quarantine, put names to faces, give a little time to regroup and recoup after our long absence from the space.
I think waiting a couple meetings, until we coalesce as a group again, and then having a meeting where members who would like to be ceramic committee chair can present their ideas to the group, is a healthier path to filling this important position.
I realize that you are pretty new to us as a group. We are past due for a new chair – that post is supposed to be elected every 6 months, and was due in April. The fact that some of us felt that the very low attendance at the call-in meetings was not representative is the reason that we didn’t elect someone back in April.
If you feel that you personally don’t have sufficient data to vote, there will be another election in 6 months (or so – the closure squiffed a bunch of regular things). You can abstain from this vote, knowing that you’ll be able to vote in 6 months when you’ve had a chance to be as comfortable as you feel you need to be.
I’ve been doing my normal sit-in-the-common-room thing, and there are already quite a few people showing up to work. The split where you work in one area, and take stuff over to the other area means a lot of ceramic people walk through here.
I am fine with meeting at the space. I could even get there early and set up chairs or whatever is needed for distancing. Unsure how the calling in thing works, but those who do not want to come in, can they still call in. Also, can we vote to wait or not for committee chair voting?
Sure – I don’t know how to set up a vote thing, though.
We probably should ask digital media if they can do something. I am assuming that we can just put somebody’s phone on speaker. I know that it will make the communication a bit “special”, but it should be okay if we’re all patient.
Sounds good, I can be in too.
Agenda for July 1, 2020 meeting, feel free to add items:
https://dallasmakerspace.org/wiki/Ceramics_Committee_Meeting_20200701
Anette, there are a few items listed in the event on the calendar that should be added to the agenda. Thanks!
Ok, added to the agenda.
Anette, you may also want to add to the agenda the discussion about production vs maker. There seems to be a continued question about people being production potters. Some are more active than others and at some point we are going to need to come up with guidelines about when someone enters “production” vs maker.
Is it a number of pieces per kiln load, per month, per week? Is it the requirement to be active in the area? Teach, help around the area, kiln team? If someone can make pieces at home and bring the pieces in, what determines that they are a production maker?
There are active makers that make at the space who at times can have just as many pieces on the shelves as people who make at home and bring pieces in. How do we distinguish the difference?
Ok, I’m not at a computer right now, can you add it?
Yes, I can this afternoon
I think it has to do with how many boxes they bring in…some may bring in a few at a time and they get fired sporadically…while others bring in boxes and fill shelves and might assume that they should all be fired all together. I dont think we should limit people, but i also dont think anyone should take advantage of firings when this is a community. But that is just my take on things. We personally had 32 pieces at home during quarantine and when Trinity Ceramics opened, we paid them to have ours fired out of respect for all in ceramics.
Back when I was running the kiln, we had one sporadic production guy. While he could fill the kiln on the days he came in to throw, I never let him do that. I would make about 1/2 the kiln his stuff, and fill with everyone else’s. And then he’d get half of the next kiln. OTOH, we weren’t nearly as busy. We tolerated him pretty much using the very top shelf of the WIP shelf because we didn’t need it. Nowadays we need it.
Reminder, meeting tomorrow.
Thank you! I will be coming to DMS for the meeting! Excited! Will be my first time back to the space!
How will we hear call-in members in the room where the meeting will be held @ DMS?
Probably just from a speaker on a phone unless someone has a better idea.