2009-06-26 Meeting Notes

In Attendance

• Kelly
• John
• Matt
• Mark
• Sylvia
• Jon L

Minutes

• We met at 7pm in the Golden West bar
• We discussed the search for a space.
  • Kelly showed pictured from his visit to a place around the corner from the Charles Theater.
  • Jon L talked about calling the owner of a store front at 432 E 32nd St.
  • There was agreement that the 2980 Falls Road location would be a good fit, but the price (estimated at $1300 a month) was too high. We may be able to bargain for a lower price or smaller piece of the available space.
• There was discussion of the process for becoming a 501(c)3 and a review of Mike's email on the subject. The filing costs for MD paperwork is $170 and the 501(c)3 application fee would be $750. Both are one time fees.
• We discussed the benefits of having a board of directors (guidance, connections, credibility)
• We discussed the need for bylaws that define how our organization will run. e.g. electing officers, voting, dues, quorums, etc. The bylaws are distinct from operating procedures and policies that we will establish later.
• We discussed the need for a concise mission statement. This, along with a board of directors and bylaws, are necessary for establishing ourselves as a 501(c)3.

Decisions

• We will move towards becoming a 501(c)3 organization.
• We will have a board of directors and officers
• We will produce a mission statement and bylaws

Action Items

• Create a wiki page to start drafting our mission statement (Mission Statement)
• Look for some bylaws templates and create a wiki page with a first draft. Look to bylaws of other hack spaces for inspiration. (Bylaws)
• Create a wiki page to start brainstorming candidates for the board of directors (Board of Directors)
• Document the process of becoming a 501(c)3 on the wiki. The page should always reflect where we are in the process. (501(c)(3) process)

Next Meeting

Next weekend is 4th of July, so we won't have any sort of official meeting. However, some discussion of ideas and interests over drinks is always a good idea. We can discuss the time and place on the list.