At Roscoes.
Present: Lea Browning, Carol Jaka (notes), Simone Lima, Sharon Villines. Dodie Butler left on time but meeting ran late.
Takoma Voice reporter was absent.
1. Charging for TakomaTime membership
Pro: Would enable us to pay our national timebank dues
Con: Tracking who has paid and who hasn’t as of what date, etc., is likely to be unworkable.
Alternative: Increase the level/number of exchanges so more members are active and willing to contribute to timebank dues and weed out inactive members to keep dues at $175 level; continue to rely on contributions to pay dues
Rationale/presentation to current members:
– Send broadcast email explaining that we periodically review exchange activity, and ask members who haven’t given or received any services in past 6 months or so to reconsider whether they want to continue membership; the more members we have, the higher our dues that allow access to website, record keeping, etc.
– If you received this email, you are a member of TakomaTime
– Prefer that members become active — coordinators available to suggest ways to become active, services that can be offered/requested; suggest review current offers and requests, check listserv and/or Facebook page (to come – see below), etc. — but if you don’t think you’ll be active, membership will become inactive as of date 2-3 weeks in future
– Not encouraging members to leave TakomaTime, and can always reactivate membership
– Inactive-member email could come shortly after the next TakomaTime Update
(Carol will draft email, if no one else was looking forward to doing it)
2. Listservs and Facebook page
– Sharon will set up a new Yahoo group (in addition to KC) for the entire membership so members can view communications and activity
– Simone will set up a TakomaTime Facebook page open to nonmembers as well as members
– Will provide more open view into how TakomaTime works, perhaps encourage activity
3. Organizational memberships
Benefits:
– Increase sense of community within the organization and among its members, students, volunteers, etc.
– Potentially increase TakomaTime membership activity
– Provide additional rewards (timebank hours) for community volunteers
– Students or members of community org’n could provide services/skills through TakomaTime and donate their earned hours to the organizational member, thereby increasing timebank activity
Possible org members –
Coolidge HS (e.g., its greenhouse project, volunteer tutors), other schools, TDCNA, other interested organizations
Current volunteers could suggest to org leadership
Org could also post requests for specific needs
Org would need to designate timebank contact who would hold the TakomaTime membership
Potential drawback: Members who actively work and/or volunteer with organizations could accumulate many hours but not spend these hours; this would increase timebank’s deficit
Could be presented as pilot program of the timebank
4. Regular potlucks
Could schedule 2 or 3 annually — possibly April & Oct, or Jan-May-Sept
Could request organizer through TakomaTime
(Who wants to shepherd this?)
5. Bylaws and Operations — Sharon will start process
Additional comment:
I think we need more frequent KC meetings, say every 2 months or so at least. I’ll be working full time Mon-Fri for the next 7+ months so can’t attend weekdays. Are weekend KC meetings possible for others?