@Tapper is right, the Jan 26 BoD meeting changed the committee rules to where the committee has to vote on new rules.
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The only metrics that Automotive has is that there are a total of 234 people that have taken the Auto Lift class. 159 of those are still members, so there are 75 that have left DMS for whatever reason.
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Are there dates associated with these events? Is it possible to calculate the ālifetimeā of a member who took Auto Lift versus general members?
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It seems like the majority of people who get stuck in the auto square are in the non-lift bay. This doesnāt solve any problems.
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I agree with Luke. A new member can follow procedures and policies that have been properly presented. Using the lift requires a class. Thatās one chance for the policies to be covered. Maybe using automotive should require an orientation of some sort, that would cover safety, policy, and whatever else new users arenāt getting.
The Space is simply not sized to accommodate the number of dues-paying Members with an interest in performing sizable automotive work on vehicles. Itās as simple as that. Iāve wondered about the role of Automotive at the Space with regard to āmaintenanceā vs. āmakingā. They are two different things. Does Automotive want to be an auto ārepairā shop or an auto āaugmentationā shop? And as far as making and restorations? Again, I donāt see how the Space manages demand equitably.
Just my observations/opinions.
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Food for thoughtā¦is maintenance and repair really āmakingā? Itās not as clean a fit as other areas at the Space and Iāve wondered about itsā use versus itās place at the Space.
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I donāt knowā¦ Iāve made a mess when changing my oil. 
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āBut seriously ladies and gentlemen, Iām here ātil Thursday. Try the veal. Heyā¦is this mike on?ā
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Donāt get me wrong, I love auto repair and maintenance. I took auto mechanics in high school and took a rebuilt 3 speed truck transmission to State competition back in the day. I have an affinity for Automotive. Iām just curious as to itās āproject charterā at the Space, so to speak.
This seems to be the typical view held by what appears to be everyone outside of the Auto committee. āItās not making,ā they say, āitās just fixing something that already exists!ā
As if other committees donāt have their fair share of members using their facilities to fix stuff they already own. And as if people donāt use the automotive facilities to modify or tinker with their cars. This isnāt an oil change shop, itās a place for people to learn about their cars by getting dirty and working on them. Even for as long as Iāve been working on cars- including a stint as a professional mechanic- Iāve never rolled a car into the auto square and not learned something new.
If learning through sweating isnāt consistent with what DMS is about, I donāt know what is.
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This is a non-trivial percentage of what goes on in the E-lab, the common room, and the general workshop.
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I agree completely that Automotive is an educational and learning opportunity. No disagreements there.
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What, exactly, constitutes a non trivial percentage?
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Isnāt vector just fixing something non-operational? I think vector absolutely fits the DMS idea, just like automotive.
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I like the idea of a required introductory or ā101ā class. Itās obvious now that itās been brought up but Iām surprised nobody has brought this up before.
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Donāt have survey numbers, but Iāve seen enough electronics repair in the e-lab, enough troubleshooting of arduino setups in the common room, and enough RC vehicle / tool / small engine / whatnot repair in the general workshop to conclude that itās a routine usage of those locations.
If you want to strike to our tax-exempt purpose itās education, which we as an organization have separately - and only recently - deemed to be principally around making.
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Itās been brought up on occasion, but nothing has ever really panned out. Would be good for the community though, for sure.
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I support the idea of having an auto bay class but donāt support the idea of charging for it. I promote membership on tours I give by noting that I use the auto bay to change my own oil and oil filters and state that I probably save enough to pay for membership. I think itās a good selling point as long as the auto bay doesnāt get misused.
The 45 day part seems like it would set a pretty troubling precedent that could end up impacting much more than just automotive.
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