Council 2009 12

When: 16 Dec 2009 / 1261019730 seconds into the epoch
Place: Free Geek
Facilitator: Martin
Scribe: laurel1.0
Minutes Checker:
Attendance: martin, Richard, laurel1.0, Shannon, Jiro, Vagrant, Laurel2.0, Ali, Cliff, Dave, Deborah, Shawn, Luiz.
Last meeting:

Minutes should be taken for the benefit of those who are not at the meeting. Avoid colloquialisms, document discussion, and make decisions clear and noticeable. Minutes are a historical record that should be understandable without extra context information.

COMMITMENTS

• Laurel1.0 - sync General Priorities lists with the work from last mtg. - DONE
• RFS - set up contact email for council info - DONE
• Laurel1.0 - send out introductory note for council info contact position - CARRYOVER

REPORTS

Marie's resignation

Marie Deatherage has resigned from the board after serving on the FG board for 4+ years. The remaining board members and the staff are working on figuring out how to address issues that led to her resignation. This leaves an empty seat on the board, the chair position needs to be refilled, and the Relationships committee is down one member.

Relations

Tap individual donations better as a funding source, find better ways to cultivate volunteers who don't want to do the standard volunteer paths. Shannon and Britney are going to interview other nonprofits around town and read some books about how this is generally done.

Staff

MK will be leaving the collective to work on her house and family, but will be able to do some work on an hourly basis to help us with the transition.

Space Cadets

The landlord will deal with asbestos upstairs in Ken's old space. Please do not inhale in that space until it can be repaired.

Financial

Currently no financial report. The budget will be prepared before the board meeting in January.

Priorities

We looked at the lists on the General Priorities page to update them; worked through the items on the Infinite resources list (all things we would want to do). We removed the items that we're already doing to a separate section of the list. It's now thinned and can serve as a starting point for figuring out what our current priorities are; what is missing? Anyway, these are the items that remain. Most of them already have some work begun on them.

1. Fundraising -- This program oversees and coordinates all FG's fundraising activities. It also informs and supports other FG committees that need money to accomplish their work.
2. Grantwriting -- The writing of grants to grant-giving organizations to get free geek money.
3. Media Outreach -- This program would systematize outreach to media outlets and social-change organizations in order to better maintain and increase Free Geek's impact in these areas.'
4. System Administration -- hire a coordinator to make sure the ASSes keep up with their duties and that the computer infrastructure at freegeek is functioning and provides for our continued needs.
5. Move to a new building -- Move to a new building that we would own
6. Coders -- recruit more volunteer coders and coordinate their efforts
7. GAP -- maintain and expand the Geek Access Point committee

Next meeting: we should have a strategic discussion about Free Geek's big picture and future to develop this list.

A bag of cheese cube product was being passed around during the meeting.

BUSINESS

Board position: Laurel1

• The council should fill the empty position in the board; please keep this in mind and seek good candidates. The Board Recruitment committee made a list of qualities and skills to look for; see the minutes:
• http://lists.freegeek.org/pipermail/minutes/2009-December/000819.html
• Potential new board members should be referred to the board recruitment committee (recruitment at freegeek dot org)

Council's Purpose

• We were not prepared to discuss this issue, but it should be discussed. Martin commits to prepare to present on this issue at the next meeting.

Council Recruitment

• This discussion is contingent on the previous item; topic deferred to next month.

REMAINING COMMITMENTS

• Martin will present on Council's purpose
• Laurel1.0 - send out introductory note for council info contact position - CARRYOVER

Next Meeting

• Facilitator: ali
• Scribe: COULD BE YOU!
• Minutes Checker: Vagrant
• Consensus training: Dave, on the moment of silence
• Date and time: Jan 20
• Place: Free Geek meeting room