<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Hi Darcy,</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">In response to your questions.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">All paid members where invited to the AGM, if you where a member in good standing you where invited.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">In our old system paying for service is tied to membership. This was one of the reasons we offered reduced memberships at the AGM to encourage members to participate in governance. Membership is also one of the key legal structures of the organization. You must be a member to exercise your vote in matters of legal importance to the organization, principally the election of the board but other major changes to the bylaws.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Your point that if people don't know about stuff it's not a good tool is inductive also of how the membership structure as it stood was not a good tool for development of the organization. We are working to make tools for Artengine that work. </div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">The reality that as an active member you choose to suggest another meeting, while the AGM was occurring, rather than encouraging participation in the process seems also telling of a need for change.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">One of the important points we raised at the meeting last night is that this is only one small aspect of how people participate in the direction and operation of the organization. There are a number of other ways including volunteering, casual conversation, discussions on this list, and even just plain use of the space. </div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">We hope the new membership will offer deeper engagement with the organization and with each other. Thanks for those who participated in the process and we look forward to speaking with everyone about how to continue to improve Artengine.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Cheers<br><br><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.231373);">Ryan Stec</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">Artistic Director</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">Artengine</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">---------</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Sent from a mobile device.</span></div></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I'm glad the meeting was a success.<br><br>Dave wasn't invited to the AGM. If people don't know about stuff then it's<br>not a good tool. Was the AGM announced outside of sending invites out to a<br>private list?<br><br>That's good to know that there's a 5 percent rule. Has that been in play<br>for the past years?<br><br>How may members are there? Nobody really knows who is a member. The member<br>list at<a href="http://artengine.ca/community/members-en.php" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="link" x-apple-data-detectors-result="129">http://artengine.ca/community/members-en.php</a> doesn't seem to be a<br>good reflection of membership. Or is it?<br><br>To know if there are 5% of members interested in something the members need<br>to be able to find each other.</span></div></body></html>