<p>Just a small note to add to Miloh's wonderful words:</p>
<p>At the Foundation Center for non-profits, they tell new 501c3's that the #1 purpose of the board is to raise money for the nonprofit.</p>
<p>I think that'd be a marvelous sole responsibility for the board.</p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Jan 27, 2012 12:59 PM, "miloh" <<a href="mailto:froggytoad@gmail.com">froggytoad@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
I rescinded my membership when I was put on the noiseboard about three<br>
years ago. I thought it was important to reinforce the idea that the<br>
board wouldn't have power in the consensus process at Noisebridge.<br>
Also, it made noisebridge free for me. Free as in beer. Interesting<br>
experiment, but not much came of it, as there's a lot of free beer<br>
everytime Noisebridge consents on a new member.*<br>
<br>
Since that first year on the noiseboard, I returned to paying member<br>
status at Noisebridge AND got approvalvoted to stay on the board. Are<br>
you READING the WORDS COMING OUT OF YOUR WEBMAIL?!?! I got consent<br>
from current members to REjoin the Noisebridge member rolls in a great<br>
celebration of delicious COInsensus.** The principled ones had their<br>
chance to block or talk me to death just then, and they missed it!<br>
<br>
:-)<br>
<br>
I'm imagining a great and powerful noiseboard, one that could wreck<br>
your puny consensus with just a tiny pinky. But actual board duties<br>
are sehr langweilig. Not much is explicitly tasked to the board, but<br>
we end up performing duties on the board that I don't see others<br>
jumping up to do. In addition, I feel a personal connection and<br>
responsability for the space (it's sick, I know). I don't want to see<br>
it fail or cease while I have any ability to prevent it with my<br>
double-vesture of hallowed membership + hallowed noiseboard seat. It<br>
was a busy year keeping Rubin from dancing in the ashes of<br>
Noisebridge. Perhaps as a result of just worrying about these<br>
distractions, or because you are all lucky, the culture of the<br>
noiseboard hasn't been about manipulating people to steer Noisebridge<br>
by cabal.***<br>
<br>
In fact, you might be suprised to find out Noiseboard barely meets<br>
IRL. And when we communicate online, it's about bills. Instead of<br>
investing any undue powers in the board, there's an unwritten<br>
expectation that the we continue the commitments Noisebridge (that's<br>
you!) made to maintain a 501c3(cross your fingers!), to pay the<br>
landlord, SFPUC, PG&E, Recology, Sonic, MonkeyBrains, our insurance<br>
provider, our accountant, and last but not least to deal with<br>
commitments to donors(you again!).****<br>
<br>
So far, the board isn't expected to wield life-changing bolts of power<br>
or weave webs of intrigue and deceit, it's expected to pay the bills,<br>
move lettes & boxes from A to B, and it's officially supposed to<br>
organize an election and membership meeting (or something, sorry about<br>
not being all up on that!).<br>
<br>
I'm all for changing the bylaws to mesh these realities with, well,<br>
with real-eality! I'm also curious who thinks board members who are<br>
also members of Noisebridge should give up consensus when that<br>
happens. Changing the bylaws is going to be a big deal, why shouldn't<br>
we try to get *more* people involved and not less? How about trying<br>
to get more people who are quiet members to regularly participate in<br>
the consensus process? Oh well, I'm imagining a few quiet members<br>
will come of the woodwork anyways when they hear about opportunities<br>
for hijacking Noisebridge, err I mean, changing the bylaws.<br>
<br>
Seriously though, about these approvalections: when looking for a new<br>
noiseboard, why not find a board committed to finding new members that<br>
we can consent to, starting new events and groups at Noisebridge, and<br>
working on improving the space? Why don't we make this moment the time<br>
when we find the people that excite *everyone* to take these tasks on.<br>
<br>
So what if these people don't exist, this is /my/ utopia of<br>
Noisebridge, I think it's okay to try asking more of people, instead<br>
of less!<br>
<br>
that said:<br>
PLEASE DONT ELECT TOM TO THE BOARD :-)<br>
Noisebridge needs people committed to participate, not evacuate!<br>
<br>
While you are at it, don't approval-vote for me either! Don't elect a<br>
board! Reject the board, free yourself from the chains of 501crocacy<br>
and just do your thing! IT WILL ALL BE FINE. CONSENSO TOLD ME.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
--Learning Noisebridge detachment since 2009,<br>
Ronald Miloh Alexander<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
* I suggest: elect a board that will abstain from free beer for the<br>
duration of their membership.<br>
<br>
** does anyone remember that night? It was free, as in free ice cream<br>
sandwiches. Can't use the 'drank too much for consensus' excuse there.<br>
<br>
***hey you! empower yourself!<br>
[board]<br>
<mailing list><br>
Join the noiseboard mailing list! Low Volume and cut-rate Hacks!<br>
<a href="https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/board" target="_blank">https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/board</a><br>
<archive><br>
Read the noiseboard archives! Your Not-quite Daily Cabal!<br>
<a href="https://www.noisebridge.net/pipermail/board/" target="_blank">https://www.noisebridge.net/pipermail/board/</a><br>
<br>
****and then, in the end, most of the noiseboard work gets transmuted<br>
to Treasurer work, who has always had the hardest job at Noisebridge.<br>
The equation is something like [Treasurer work] = [Noiseboard<br>
work][avg. age of noiseboard]<br>
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</blockquote></div>