[Noisebridge-discuss] hear ye hear ye, Noisebridge board elections

[VonGuard]

Just a small note to add to Miloh's wonderful words:

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.

I think that'd be a marvelous sole responsibility for the board.
On Jan 27, 2012 12:59 PM, "miloh" <froggytoad at gmail.com> wrote:

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 I rescinded my membership when I was put on the noiseboard about three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