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November 2018 - Board Meeting

11/7/2018 - Area 515 Board Meeting
Attending:
  • President: Dave
  • Vice President: Ray
  • Treasurer: Meg
  • Secretary: Brad
  • Director of Education: Bailey
  • Director: Jason
  • Director: Tom
Also present:
  • Chris J

State of the Space

  • Solid, liquid, gas, some plasma (No! This joke will not get old!!!)
  • Have added several members in recent month, including one during the board meeting itself.
  • Total member number in high-50s, now that Artist in Residence program has ended

Financials

Benevity

  • We have received $930 from the John Deere foundation. They donate money for John Deere employee's volunteer time. (Benevity is the organization that channels these funds.)
  • Exactly which volunteers generated this money was unclear. Matt G's volunteer time was approved for $500. Ray's volunteer time has not been approved yet.

Stratysis Parts Sales

  • Tim and Bailey disassembled the Stratysis 3D printer and have been selling parts on eBay. So far we have received $990.
  • There will be at least another $195 coming
  • There is 1 part still to be sold.
  • All of this money will go to the 3D printing tool area. It will be used to purchase a new 3D printer (which costs approximately $1100), and maybe slicing software.

Financial Access Changes

  • The Treasurer, Secretary, and Director Ray now have the keys to the lock box at the space.
  • Director Ray and the Secretary will be authorized to sign checks. Chris and Don relinquish this responsibility as they are no longer on the board.

Hardware Store Shopping Trip

  • The Education Director will soon make a shopping trip to hardware stores to purchase some of the items from the Prairie Meadows grant, plus some other odds and ends.
  • Other items on the shopping list - which will NOT be purchased with Prairie Meadows funds - include:
    • Solar Panel light for outside our front door
    • Remote door bell with at least 2 chimes. Chimes will be placed in separate locations in space so that the doorbell can be heard from anywhere.
    • Chimes that provide a visual cue in addition to audio was discussed. It was decided that it would probably be cheaper to hack together a visual cue ourselves rather than purchase one.
    • White boards (aka shower board) for each tool area.

Wood Shop Budget

  • Chris J estimated the new dust collection system would cost about $570.
    • Approximately $517 for tubing, plus another $50 for grounding.
Vote to allow Wood Shop to spend up to $575 for dust collection. Money will not come out of Wood Shop Tool Fund
In Favor: 7
Abstained: 0
Opposed: 0
Result: PASSED - Wood Shop may spend up to $575 for dust collection. Money will not come out of Wood Shop Tool Fund
  • The money will come from what remains of the space moving budget, and the rest from general funds.
  • Per the August 2018 meeting, $1000 was budgeted for our move, $387.56 of which was not spent as of that meeting.
  • There was a discussion about how exactly Chris can go spend the allocated funds. The options were:
    • Take the Treasurer with you when you buy stuff
    • Take the Secretary or Director Ray with you along with a check from the Treasurer
    • Purchase items yourself and get reimbursed.

Textile Flooring

  • Bailey will contact the person who previously said they would volunteer to install flooring without charging for labor.
  • Ray mentioned he has some extra flooring material that he would be willing to donate.

Class Sets of Tools

  • The Education Director expressed interest in compiling sets of tools for classes that we could rent out to other non-profits.
    • For example, if we aquired a collection of 15 soldering irons set aside specifically for class use, we could rent that set of irons out to other organizations who want to give a soldering class (like Boy Scout Troops, for example). Training for the renting organizations could be part of the rental charge.
    • This would be a great way that the space could support other organizations in the community!

Shared To Do List

  • Many things that need to be done have a tendency to get forgotten. To combat this, the Education Director will start a list of "To Do" items in a Google Doc and share editing capabilities with the board.
  • Next to each item on this list should be a person who is responsible for getting it done.

Gear Creation Software "In for $10"

  • Ryan, the Metal Shop Steward, started an "In for $10" to purchase Gearify. A program for creating gears of different shapes.
  • He raised $40
  • Brad suggested purchasing Gearotic instead, a program for more advanced gears and is also pricier.
  • In comparing the 2 programs, Gearify is $39 and seems more appropriate for people wanting to make "artsy" gears, while Gearotic is $120 and seems more appropriate for engineers. There is also a third option: a website called Wood Gears [1] where people can design gears for free.
  • It was decided that we would use the funds to purchase Gearify as the "In for $10" originally intended. Members focused on practicality would be steered towards the Wood Gears website.

Design Computer

  • The tan colored computer in the classroom has been unofficially designated as the "design" computer.
  • Gearify is purchased and available to use on it.
  • Other design software that will be on this computer:
    • Fusion 360 - Each user will have to log in to the program with their own Autodesk account. Director Ray agreed to take the lead on installing this.
    • Solidworks educational version - Can be used only for non-commerical work and all files will have a watermark on them.
  • The space has an account with Tech Soup, an organization that provides electronics and software to nonprofits at reduced prices.
    • Corel Draw is available for $15 a year. One member has repeatedly requested it. It was eventually agreed that the space will purchase Corel Draw if that member agrees to teach a class on it.
    • Adobe CC is available for $15 a month. Though we do not see demand for it at this time.

Misc.

  • Tim will be allowed access to continue working on automating member payments.
  • Dave will contact the Greater Des Moines Partnership since Tim is no longer in charge.
  • We need more Game Nights!
    • Jason agreed to organize a Valentine's Day Game Night
    • Dave will organize an Artemis Game Night
  • "The Farming Game" is an awesome board game.
  • We scheduled the next board meeting, at which we'll need to schedule the Member Meeting for January, 2019.

Upcoming Events

Snow Day 2018

  • Stuff to be done in preparation:
    • Bailey needs help promoting it
    • Fix up 3D printers
    • Preprint examples of 3d printed snowflakes
    • The possibility of adding glass etching to the list of activities was suggested, although we would not want to do this if a utility sink hasn't been installed by the event.
    • Space Clean Up day was moved to Friday, Dec. 13 in preparation for the event. Paper will be put on the tables to protect them.

Making Things Fly Camp 2018

  • December 27 & 28, 9am - 4pm, for students in grades 6 - 8. Brad and Bailey will be teaching it, Lisa may volunteer to help over lunch.
  • We mainly need help marketing this!
  • Jason said he would tell people at his work about it.
  • Brad should get an official Area 515 email address for communicating the people about this.

2019 Class Offerings

  • Our goal is to offer at least 1 class to the public every month.
  • Many people have said that they would love to take classes at the space even though they don't want to become members.
  • Lots of class topics have been suggested, few people have volunteered to teach them.
  • We should also make an effort to take more photos and video of these classes to use as promotional materials.
  • More volunteers would be appreciated, not just for teaching, but also for background support.
  • For January a soldering class has been scheduled
    • Dave agreed to help teach this.
    • Date is set for Saturday, Jan 26 in the late afternoon.
  • No class is scheduled for February yet.
  • The following classes have been offered but not scheduled:
    • Brad offered to teach a Mechanical Clock Assembly Class.
    • Jason offered to teach a class on leather working.
    • Dave offered to teach an automotive class like how to change your brake pads.

End of Meeting

  • Paraphrased Quotes of the Meeting:
"Back when Tim became President he cleared out a lot of cruft that had accumulated." - Bailey
"Awww. I liked that cruft. I was accumulating it for years!" - Ray