The gods have spoken... Not good enough

The current Board of Directors, without even speaking with me, decided that they where not going allow me to serve as Automotive Chair. After they informed me of this decision, they later sent me a message informing me that it was not right not to allow me to even speak to their decision. They decided they would allow me to address their concerns and asked to meet- which never happened.

I have not been given a written rationale for this decision, although one was promised weeks ago. I gave an account for issues that had come up in our conversation via email but to this day- I still do not know what or who submitted complaints about me and/or what the specifics of those complaints where.

I won the Automotive Chair election unanimously, with over 143 votes. I have served as vice-Chair of Automotive for the past year and I have taught 70+ classes, attended multiple expansion ‘work days’, and served in numerous other ways. I have mopped the Automotive committee area more than anyone else at the space for the past year.

I made it clear to the Board that I felt their actions where insulting, but not one of them has even engaged me in a one on one conversation.

While I know their is very little I can do to appeal this decision, I feel compelled to ‘vent’, as this Board continues to work outside of any transparency, even though they promised to do so.

In the last email, they referenced the fact that I borrowed an Automotive lift, which doesn’t belong to the space; with the permission of the previous Chair and owner of the lift- Tom Tansey.

The Board accuses me of being too argumentative, but yet I do not see any requirements for ‘social graces’ in the Chair requirements. This Board doesn’t seem to require rules.

I my mind, this Board decided they did not like me, and that I was not good enough for them. I feel this is a very arrogant attitude and not one which we should accept from our Board.

As for my response, they have taken a member which has volunteered at almost every opportunity to created a member which will not raise a finger to help anything associated with this Board. They continue to create conflict with out and they don’t seem to care.

We have a few members which want to ‘rule’ over everyone, and I’m getting sick and tired of those members being given a voice by this Board. The ‘whiners’ should not be the people who are rewarded.

If anyone needs my help with their own projects, please let me know; but until this Board is gone- it will not be organizing tools, cleaning, teaching, and/or doing anything beyond cleaning up after myself and helping my friends.

I attended the Chair/ vice chair session last week, and it appears that most of the people share a distain for this Board. The machine shop chair stepped down and has stopped teaching because of this Board.

Mark Salas has stated that he feels he has been attacked by the Board and Lance, who taught numerous classes, has left the space. Is this want we want from our leadership. In the past month, the Board has driven off four committee chairs, and has lost multiple teachers. The Board chooses to judge me on decisions I might make in the future, but I’m stating we should judge them by the decisions they have made over the past months.

I am very close to quitting, but I refuse to ‘go-away’ because that’s what they want, so short of quitting; what can we do?

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Board picking whoever they like as chair has happened many times over the years and is nothing new.

You have lots of options on what to do

  • Find a new hobby
  • Plot to start a new makerspace
  • Stop volunteering your time at DMS
  • Run for the board next year
  • Get a puppet to be official chair for you
  • Whatever you like
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I understand the Board has this power, but to tell me that they are going to meet with me with a list of concerns and then not follow through is at the very least disrespectful.

I do not agree with everyone at DMS, but I do my best to give respect and do what I say. As Board members, at the very least, they should do what they say they are going to do and if your going to insult someone, you should at least explain why- especially when you promised to do so.

In my mind, the fact that this happened and they way it was addressed was completely disrespectful, insulting, and they didn’t follow through with the commitments they made.

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Hey Joe,
Get thyself to a Board of Director Office Hours slot. Next one will probably be next week or at least by mid-month. If they have reason, work on you. If they have a misconception, work on them. If it’s both, work on your part since that is where you have the most control.

And get over being mad. Life sucks sometimes. Sun still always rises in the East. Whatever issues/differences exist … learning can happen. You can’t make others learn squat, but an individual can always learn for themselves. You don’t want your tombstone to read: “He showed 'em with the best sulk ever!”

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unless something has changed I was in the last board meeting and they said they were investigating some complaints before they confirmed you, not that you were rejected. I could be wrong, I usually am.

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Shouldn’t you be making a mad scientist fusion reactor or something

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The vacuum pumps don’t seem to be working or we have an issue with our vacuum gauge, a very good friend of mine is a semiconductor technician and we are meeting him next week to discuss our problems with the Fusor, hopefully we can resolve it!

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