Spok, WA Working Copy of By-Laws

You know Casey, I'm getting pretty sick of your poor attitude, the last meeting was going ok until you started acting like a pissy thirteen year old. We were having a decent, reasonable conversation, and you turned it into a pissing contest, over what? titles? officers? if you don't care about this stuff, then DON'T CARE ABOUT IT, and stop worrying about it.

If you don't see the point in having dues or officers, then leave it to someone who does see the point. So far you're the only person, that I can think of, who's said that they think officers are a bad idea. No one else has a problem with it, so why don't you just accept the fact that the group is going to try and be organized whether you like it or not.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm getting tired of your little "mood swings". You're taking this way to personally and way to seriously... If this SW group has such a radical impact on your life, maybe you need to take a good long break, and hang up the armor.

So in other words, you just want to sit around and play Halo all the time? That sounds pretty productive, a good way to spend our meetings, but I guess that wouldn't make us a Star Wars group anymore, would it? What would you suggest we do to have fun at meetings?? The floor is yours Casey, you get all the attention you're fishing for, tell us, what is FUN? What should we be spending our meetings doing? Bottom line, if you're not having fun, it's because you're not LETTING YOURSELF have fun. As soon as you're ready to join the rest of us for a mature, fun time, we'll be waiting.

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Now, on to much more important matters. I hear everyone's concern about the titles "active" and "inactive" and that we should just label them "paid" or "unpaid" instead, but isn't that a bit self-defeating??? we're just using different titles... wouldn't being called an "unpaid" member be a little degrading?? Maybe I'm missing the point though.

I'm fairly certain that A) in order to become "active" there was also a meeting attendance requirement in addition to the payment of dues, and B) the reason we were labeling them "active" and "inactive" was so that people would want to get the "active" status... You have to want it, otherwise it's pointless to have it.

 

Perhaps we should table this discussion until we meet together again. Things are getting too heated for us to communicate properly.
Labels are an issue because people care about them. If it might hurt their feelings/ give them the wrong impression we should be careful how we phrase them.

 

Indeed. And it should be stated, for the record, that if you're not at the meeting, your voice WILL NOT be heard, that's just the way it is.

 

Unless they talk to a Council member first and present their concerns to be heard.

 

Well, that never gets us anywhere, at least, it hasn't yet.

 

But, that's one of the reasons that we're here.

 

Ok, Jarus and I have been privately discussing this and I have come up with an idea that might solve our problems.

Ok, let's go back to the REASON for dues: parade insurance, and other high cost items for club use. Now, we can argue that our club never needs to do a parade or that we can always find some way to do a fundraiser to get funds. Well, I don't think we would ever get around to fundraising, and I personally DO want to see our group do a parade. So, idea is to let your money vote.

I'm sure we all have seen those donation graphs that look like thermometers or objects that slowly fill up with donation money. My suggestion is that we set up donation pots for each item our club would like to buy(insurance, props, large signage?) and members can ANONYMOUSLY donate to their prefered cause. If you don't want to have the group participate in a parade, then don't donate. This will also eliminate the need to vote on how funds are used. Once you have donated to a cause, it is non-refundable and can only be used for that specific cause. A caveat to this might be that if a donation pot has not raised over 50% of the funds needed within a year, maybe 2 years, it is then rolled over into a pot for non-specified expenses(this would be a pot that would require voting).

Here is how I see the rules working for this "program":

SUBMITTING ITEMS FOR DONATIONS

1. Any member can offer a donation item to the club for consideration, we can decide whether we vote on its inclusion or just allow all items anyway. Please note that no one is obligated to donate to your suggestion. A submiting member may remove an item for consideration at any time, but only if it has not received any donations.

2. I would suggest that we have a limit on how many items we have up for donation. The records(treasurer) officer will of course be in charge of the donation funds, and we don't want over burden this person with 20 pots to keep track of. I would suggest 5-6 items up for donations or less.

3. Items submitted must have a specific amount of money as a goal, and documentation must be provided as to the actual cost of the item. Items will be purchased by the club, not by members for the club.

4. A member can submit an item they made for the group(example: the cantina table John made or the signs Chris is making for the RadCon table), or an item purchased for the group. There is no guarantee that the club will want to purchase this item, and making items just to try to sell to us is discouraged. Please see "special pots" for other rules.

DONATING TO AN ITEM'S POT

1. While donations will be anonymous to the group, I would suggest that the recording officer record who donated what. I suggest this only for the situation in which a pot is rolled over to the non-spec pot. Please see the "special pot" section below.

2. All donations will be given to the records officer, who will credit the donation to the item of your choice, and these funds will be directly deposited into the club account.

3. The records officer will then contact the webmaster to update the donation graphics on the website and on the physical graphs.

4. All donations are NON_REFUNDABLE, no exceptions. Therefore, please donate carefully. If a member should leave the group, donations will not be refunded. Also keep in mind that you run the risk of having your specific donation rolled into the non-spec pot(see below) if your goal is not met. No complaining if this happens!

5. Non-members or visitors can feel free to donate to a pot, but the donation remains non-refundable.


SPECIAL POTS

1. I suggest that we have a non-specified item pot, to be used for yet unforseen club expenses, or items that require immediate purchase(flyers, other printing, ?). This pot requires different rules because the use of these funds will require a club vote. I would suggest that all donations to this pot be used like company shares. $1 equals 1 share. The amount of "shares" you purchase gives you that many votes to cast as to the use of the pot

 

P.S. This IS the best way to discuss things. If you had been at the last meeting Erich, you would know that in person, things can get even worst. Voice inflection and facial expressions can inflame passions even further and prevent everyone from voicing their opinions in a precise manner. And this way, everyone can read the discussion. That would not be possible in a meeting in person unless we video taped it.

 

/offers video camera
Donations are a good idea, though, Kelli. It eliminates the "active/inactive" debate, and allows for greater flexibility on the part of the members.