Describe your Committee Please - because you don't want me to do it

PR is putting together a Tour Guide Handbook. This is a fantastic opportunity to highlight your committee and interests. I have been asking for this a few weeks before I became Chair of PR. So lets say 6 weeks with lots of reminders. I thank @nausser915 for answering this call. Jewelry/Small Metals will be featured.

I tried going thru the Committee Wikis, but … only a couple of committees say what they are about. Several have a “purpose”, but that’s more like a warning label. PLEASE revisit your Wiki and Truly say what excites YOU about your committee. Then make it so.

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I ask each committee to provide 3 things:
Overview of why you are fun and cool and what you do.
Tools you have to be cool and have fun
Classes you teach to make it so.

Example #2:

@Committee_Chairs PR needs your help to succeed.

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FYI:
For example #2, Auto’s description came from their Wiki page. Very good. @TLAR
I did add the last sentence.

For 3D Fab - I wrote it. I am a committee member and am involved. The new chair can make it better.

For Blacksmithing: I wrote it, but you can hear @EthanWestern saying it verbatim. Ethan and @brsims, give us more to write.

For everyone else (@artg_dms - i am looking at you), I will write the descriptions.

@uglyknees - Having heard countless tour guides say, “Creative Arts is home to everything that doesn’t belong elsewhere” we probably do need to write a better description than that.

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Kicked off a discussion internal to @Team_Vector as to what we want ours to say.

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Here’s a first draft:

The DMS Blacksmithing committee is focuses on the creating of useful and beautiful objects from metal (primarily steel) through the traditional art of Forging.

Inside the Space we, teach, use and maintain an Induction Forge which heats metal in a flameless way, through the application of magnetic fields, as well as a KMG grinder for shaping and polishing. Outside, we use two propane forges to heat and shape metal through the application of fire.

In addition to training on the required tools and methods, we teach project classes that span the gamut of items that can be made of steel.

Committee meetings are on the 3rd Sunday of every month and generally include beer.

@EthanWestern

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Would recommend: Many members bring their own cereal malt beverage to meetings. Or something like that so it is clear DMS is not providing.

VCC/SDC Computer Committee:

The VCC Computer Committee strives to provide a STEM pilot program for learning hands on about the whole computer from hardware to software and networking. Computing is more than a career or science; its a way of life. For that VCC provides the tools, labs, and opportunities for makers to build amazing things with Blockchain, Data science, Docker, DevOps, AI, Programming, and general hacking topics from gaming, case modding, home labs, and information security.

VCC Computer Committee Labs and Knowledge base articles can be found on talk.dallasmakerspace.org/c/vcc and Vintage Computer Commitee's Profile | Hackaday.io. orientation classes are held regularly twice a month with office hours every wednesday and committee meetings are held on third Wednesday of the month. The committee also holds regular CompTIA prep classes, Programming Classes, Hackathons, Start-Up Accelerator, Lan Parties, and Capture the Flag events all of which are posted to the Dallas Makerspace Calendar.

We’ll welcome any topic and subject, so if there’s a technology, programming, or infosec class or lecture one not already at the space the be sure to contact the committee and we’ll work with everyone to make sure its available.

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Sounds great to me!

Agreed DMS isn’t providing it but, I usually bring a couple six packs to share so generally works. It’s our attempt to build community, and combined with the program Brad is writing it has been working quite well

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I hate that description so much. Here is my start from the last time we talked about this. Could easily lead into each of the SIGs then specific equipment we house.

The Creative Arts Committee seeks to provide space, tools, and an environment dedicated to creative expression across many mediums. Creativity has no boundaries, so CA acquires and maintains many different kinds of specialty tools, used across several domains, based on member support.

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An exotic dancer once told me that the Creative Arts Committee seeks to provide space, tools, and an environment dedicated to creative expression across many mediums. Creativity has no boundaries, so CA acquires and maintains many different kinds of specialty tools, used across several domains, based on member support.

See how well that works?

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You might briefly list the Special Interest Groups as these can attract a specific demographic.

This exotic dancer is quite the sage.

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@denzuko Your description for VCC is from the Wiki. It was the best of the dozen+ I checked and have it in the book already.

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@Committee_Chairs

  1. I ask for the description. Your sales speech, your “we are so cool be we do this” sell.

Bonus Round:
2. Tools. What toys do you want to brag about?
PS. I’ll come back to this. Nation of Makers is a big govt thing wanting to connect peoples. Having an up to date list with our tools is a great way to bring in more peoples.
3. Classes. Yes! What do you teach? How do you empower peoples to use your toys?

I see several iterations of all this as we continually redefine ourselves. Tour books with your data will be out this Sat and every day until the next iteration.

This information also helps with Onboarding. We had a book before. This is the intro to that. Not rules and how to. But WHY we do what we love. HOW we learn this. and then lets add the WOW.

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I like to think of our group as the Fun Factory, but here is my spiel:

The DMS Machine Shop committee focuses on the fabrication of many materials into various shapes and sizes by a controlled material-removal process or machine. This isn’t limited to just functional items. Forming materials into artwork and pleasant forms is regularly done.

Machine shop uses the traditional tools and machines that can be found in most any manufacturing facility. This includes lathes, mills, grinders, drill presses, saws, hand tools and modern CNC machines.

Machining is a rewarding experience but does require dedication to learn the safe operation of the tools and the concepts of safety, measurement, accuracy, assembly and design.

Committee meetings are on the 4th Saturday of every month. Future expansion will include working with plastics and composites.

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Hatcher’s Armory is working on something for ya’ll to use … not ready quite yet

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You didn’t mention plastics SIG

It’s implied I guess. I mean we work on just about anything. Once we are actually set up in the plastics area I’d be happy to amend and highlight for plastics.

I was thinking a noob wouldn’t know, I think that’s what John is after.

It’s a nice set of objectives, but IMO it doesn’t tell anyone what CA does. The same description could equally well apply to Machine shop.

I’d suggest adding something like the following (after sentence 1 and before sentence 2): Creative Arts includes digital arts, fine arts, and practical arts including fibers, leather working, sewing, and Cosplay.

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