[Lab] AGM

Sun Oct 19 22:43:34 EDT 2014

Your note is appreciated. My questions aren't answered though.

Yes, it was awkward (but necessary) to meet with people on the AGM night.
There were people who are not in the invited group and other outsiders.
People that didn't want to attend and kicked out people. It's the law (in
terms of retaining legal status) known to some but not to most. And it's
not the law for non members, the general public and people that were just
attending modlab. I knew my meeting would receive poop though. I'm
interested in the wide community not just an inner group that controls a
specific resource.

I realize there are possible improvements to the *official *way to be a
member of the community that is artengine (and mattering). Needing
improvement is never a fault in itself.

Does the controlling group want "members" to know what's going on and have
their input?

If so it's easy (regardless of legal structure). If there's some activity
that includes both members and controlling group then it might be natural
(activity among members is good, ways of members discovering each other).
AGM might not be a good example since it represents a small amount of time
each year and not a real time for dialogue (outside of telling what's up).
If it was called the MGM that'd be different. But nobody's invited to that.

Some members (I'm assuming they are members since they say or think they
are) tell me they would not recognize numerous of the people in the
controlling group. This worth thinking about.

On that note, at the moment it's hard to know if your a member. I
personally think I might be. On one hand my membership has expired. On the
other hand, I heard a rumor that the membership was status quo till the end
of the year. Will there be communication on this? Surely I'm not the only
member (or expired member) that missed the meeting. Or am I?

A disconnect. Is this a fail of genuine interest (by the controlling group)
or just some logistical, complicated business oogabooga?

I understand private clubs and business and family businesses. I had some
hope this was more of a communal project. That's more the issue here. But
don't trivialize this as an expectation thing. Funds are given with some
communal expectation right?

By they way, don't think for a moment I think artengine doesn't do good. It
clearly does. But I feel let down on wanting to be a member of your
community and not just being a subscriber to service that comes and goes
based on someone else's interest/convenience.

Also don't think for a moment that I have not used obvious channels like
talking to people in the organization to be involved in the usual way one
would. Most of encounters were "resolved' by

-not answering my questions,
-some assertion that there are two sides, "members" and the organization
(one makes decisions the other hears about them)
-or asking for a some softness based on profound incompetence (Hanlon's
Razor).

Darcy
subscriber

--
Darcy Whyte

Software Since '88 siteware.com | Contact: darcy at siteware.com |
613-563-3634 by appointment

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On Thu, Oct 16, 2014 at 3:53 PM, Ryan Stec <ryanstec at artengine.ca> wrote:

> Hi Darcy,
>
> In response to your questions.
>
> All paid members where invited to the AGM, if you where a member in good
> standing you where invited.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> Cheers
>
> Ryan Stec
> Artistic Director
> Artengine
> ---------
> Sent from a mobile device.
>
> I'm glad the meeting was a success.
>
> Dave wasn't invited to the AGM. If people don't know about stuff then it's
> not a good tool. Was the AGM announced outside of sending invites out to a
> private list?
>
> That's good to know that there's a 5 percent rule. Has that been in play
> for the past years?
>
> How may members are there? Nobody really knows who is a member. The member
> list athttp://artengine.ca/community/members-en.php doesn't seem to be a
> good reflection of membership. Or is it?
>
> To know if there are 5% of members interested in something the members need
> to be able to find each other.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Lab mailing list
> 1. subscribe http://artengine.ca/mailman/listinfo/lab
> 2. then email Lab at artengine.ca to send your message to the list
>
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