Exit Recommendations for AHA - ahashop_directors

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Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2012 02:22:43 -0400
Message-ID: <CA+n=kdQoG1vdX0cBWeVUgNFhyNkKQvRZGiXT5xxYJnuWH55...@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Exit Recommendations for AHA
From: Josh Williams <joshd...@gmail.com>
To: Alexander Honkala <alexander.honk...@gmail.com>
Cc: ahashop_directors@googlegroups.com, Dana Nelson <heibai...@gmail.com>, 
	Jenn Mann <simple.as...@gmail.com>, Tyler Worman <tswor...@gmail.com>, 
	Michael Shvartsman <michael.shvarts...@gmail.com>
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Awesome Xander, thanks a ton for writing this up.

*Lundy, Senkow, Yost, Dotz, are you guys available this Wednesday at 7pm?*

For those who are confused about what a traditional Non Profit structure
might look like, what a Board is typically responsible for, etc. Check out:
 - Governing Board vs. Working Board:
http://www.compasspoint.org/board-cafe/working-board-vs-governing-board
 - Very basic structure of a non profit organization:
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/nonprofit-basics-29948.html
 - A whole pile of good "Non Profit" basics:
http://www.compasspoint.org/board-cafe

In regards to some of the positions:
Historian: I'm talking with John Spiher about documenting & promoting the
shop on a regular basis with the help of some of the staff
Finances: For weekly data entry and monthly reports, Jess is on it. We're
about 85% done, we will have a report for this Wednesday's meeting.
Shogun: I'm happy to continue improving my involvement in this position.

 And finally, SLEEP!

 - Josh W.

On Mon, Aug 13, 2012 at 11:18 PM, Alexander Honkala <
alexander.honk...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> As you are already aware, I am leaving the board of directors so that I
> can focus my time on other endeavors. I do, however, have a handful of
> changes that I think AHA should undertake to become a more effective
> organization. It is my intention that we discuss these items at the next
> board meeting.
>
> *Overview:*
> The primary change that AHA needs to make to continue its forward momentum
> is this: do away with the board of directors in its current incarnation.
> This will require amendment of the bylaws and ratification thereof by all
> members. The board of directors (BoD) as a council worked very well when
> AHA was smaller and all members were highly invested in the organization,
> but now AHA has grown and members have extremely varied levels of
> investment in organizational outcomes and as such the lack of any
> centralized authority is now damaging. At the time of bylaws being written,
> authority was spread to a council out of the fear of someone making a power
> grab if they were elected to authority--but I assert that the last 2 years'
> experience has amply demonstrated that those with the passion to give their
> time to AHA possess far more altruism than cynicism and that this amassed
> experience renders above fear invalid.
>
> *Specific Recommended Implementation:*
> *Officerships*
> In lieu of 5 equal directors, AHA should instead create officerships with
> clearly mandated roles and responsibilities. To wit, these should include:
>
> *President*
>
> The primary responsibility of the president of AHA should be to ensure
> that it remains compliant with all legal and tax requirements. The
> secondary responsibility would be to represent AHA in public outreach.
>
>
> *Vice President*
>
> The vice president should serve in an auxiliary capacity to the President,
> assisting in legal and tax compliance issues and helping to document what
> goes on within AHA.
>
>
> *Treasurer*
>
> The treasurer's primary responsibility should be to ensure that AHA
> remains fungible. Beyond that, he or she should formulate a yearly budget
> taking into account expected expenditures and projected revenues as well as
> generate a monthly profit and loss statement to be reviewed at each board
> meeting.
>
>
> *Secretary*
>
> The secretary should be the organizational master of all the officerships'
> proceedings. This includes but is not limited to: taking meeting minutes,
> keeping minutes and official documents in an organized central repository,
> and sending out any relevant notifications to AHA's membership and
> community. Secretary should also keep track of membership currency payments
> and space access restrictions.
>
>
> *Historian*
>
> The historian should work closely with the secretary in organizing AHA's
> documentation, while also striving to document, publish, and promote what
> goes on within AHA.
>
>
> *Shogun*
>
> The Shogun is tasked with weekly shop maintenance, shift register
> volunteer cat herding, and monthly space improvements. Shogun is encouraged
> to delegate shop maintenance areas to sub-Shoguns and track their
> effectiveness.
>
>
> *Board of Directors*
> In addition, AHA should seek the formal formation of an outside board of
> directors in the traditional sense, made up of members of the local
> community who are willing to advise and help AHA as needed (with funding,
> legality, equipment, outreach, etc.). It has thus far been to our detriment
> that we have not yet done this. For this board, I recommend: Dug Song,
> David Bloom, Eli Nieburger, Bob Stack, George Albercook, Amy Sumerton, and
> Vault of Midnight.
>
> *Grants*
> Furthermore, it would serve AHA's interests well to create a grant-seeking
> commission with regular meeting dates and notes. I view this is the most
> likely way to get AHA to a place at which it can pay Josh anything
> approaching a decent salary, and would also allow AHA to expand its
> influence beyond its current borders.
>
> *Goals*
> Make them as a community, write them down, paint them on the walls, be
> loud about them and continue to do audacious things. Two years ago at the
> time of formulating bylaws, AHA asked itself what its 5-year goals were,
> and they included: expand, more tools, more classes, more outreach, become
> a vital part of the Ann Arbor nerd ecosystem, encourage and document
> innovation, lower barriers to entry into tech and entrepreneurship, and
> others. AHA is doing well on many of these, but please keep in mind that
> longer-term goals are a unifying force in all communities.
>
> I hope that you will take the above recommendations into due
> consideration. Please begin discussing any concerns or misgivings you have
> about them in this thread; we will also visit them at the upcoming board
> meeting.
>
> Thank you,
> Alexander
>

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Awesome Xander, thanks a ton for writing this up.=A0<div><br></div><div><b>=
Lundy, Senkow, Yost, Dotz, are you guys available this Wednesday at 7pm?</b=
></div><div><br></div><div>For those who are confused about what a traditio=
nal Non Profit structure might look like, what a Board is typically respons=
ible for, etc. Check out:</div>
<div>=A0- Governing Board vs. Working Board:=A0<a href=3D"http://www.compas=
spoint.org/board-cafe/working-board-vs-governing-board">http://www.compassp=
oint.org/board-cafe/working-board-vs-governing-board</a>=A0</div><div>=A0- =
Very basic structure of a non profit organization:=A0<a href=3D"http://www.=
nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/nonprofit-basics-29948.html">http://www.nolo.co=
m/legal-encyclopedia/nonprofit-basics-29948.html</a></div>
<div>=A0- A whole pile of good &quot;Non Profit&quot; basics:=A0<a href=3D"=
http://www.compasspoint.org/board-cafe">http://www.compasspoint.org/board-c=
afe</a></div><div><br></div><div>In regards to some of the positions:</div>=
<div>
Historian: I&#39;m talking with John Spiher about documenting &amp; promoti=
ng the shop on a regular basis with the help of some of the staff</div><div=
>Finances: For weekly data entry and monthly reports, Jess is on it. We&#39=
;re about 85% done, we will have a report for this Wednesday&#39;s meeting.=
</div>
<div>Shogun: I&#39;m happy to continue improving my involvement in this pos=
ition.</div><div><br></div><div>=A0And finally, SLEEP!</div><div><br></div>=
<div>=A0- Josh W.</div><div><br></div><div><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Mo=
n, Aug 13, 2012 at 11:18 PM, Alexander Honkala <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a hre=
f=3D"mailto:alexander.honk...@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">alexander.honkal=
a...@gmail.com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Hello,<div><br></div><div>As you are already=
 aware, I am leaving the board of directors so that I can focus my time on =
other endeavors. I do, however, have a handful of changes that I think AHA =
should undertake to become a more effective organization. It is my intentio=
n that we discuss these items at the next board meeting.</div>

<div><br></div><blockquote style=3D"margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0=
px"><div><b>Overview:</b></div><div>The primary change that AHA needs to ma=
ke to continue its forward momentum is this: do away with the board of dire=
ctors in its current incarnation. This will require amendment of the bylaws=
 and ratification thereof by all members. The board of directors (BoD) as a=
 council worked very well when AHA was smaller and all members were highly =
invested in the organization, but now AHA has grown and members have extrem=
ely varied levels of investment in organizational outcomes and as such the =
lack of any centralized authority is now damaging. At the time of bylaws be=
ing written, authority was spread to a council out of the fear of someone m=
aking a power grab if they were elected to authority--but I assert that the=
 last 2 years&#39; experience has amply demonstrated that those with the pa=
ssion to give their time to AHA possess far more altruism than cynicism and=
 that this amassed experience renders above fear invalid.</div>

<div><br></div><div><b>Specific Recommended Implementation:</b></div><div><=
i>Officerships</i></div><div>In lieu of 5 equal directors, AHA should inste=
ad create officerships with clearly mandated roles and responsibilities. To=
 wit, these should include:</div>

<div><br></div></blockquote><blockquote style=3D"margin:0 0 0 40px;border:n=
one;padding:0px"><blockquote style=3D"margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding=
:0px"><div><i>President</i></div></blockquote><blockquote style=3D"margin:0=
 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px">

<div>The primary responsibility of the president of AHA should be to ensure=
 that it remains compliant with all legal and tax requirements. The seconda=
ry responsibility would be to represent AHA in public outreach.</div></bloc=
kquote>

<blockquote style=3D"margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div><br></=
div></blockquote><blockquote style=3D"margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding=
:0px"><div><i>Vice President</i></div></blockquote><blockquote style=3D"mar=
gin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px">

<div>The vice president should serve in an auxiliary capacity to the Presid=
ent, assisting in legal and tax compliance issues and helping to document w=
hat goes on within AHA.</div></blockquote><blockquote style=3D"margin:0 0 0=
 40px;border:none;padding:0px">

<div><br></div></blockquote><blockquote style=3D"margin:0 0 0 40px;border:n=
one;padding:0px"><div><i>Treasurer</i></div></blockquote><blockquote style=
=3D"margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div>The treasurer&#39;s pri=
mary responsibility should be to ensure that AHA remains fungible. Beyond t=
hat, he or she should formulate a yearly budget taking into account expecte=
d expenditures and projected revenues as well as generate a monthly profit =
and loss statement to be reviewed at each board meeting.</div>

</blockquote><blockquote style=3D"margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px=
"><div><br></div></blockquote><blockquote style=3D"margin:0 0 0 40px;border=
:none;padding:0px"><div><i>Secretary</i></div></blockquote><blockquote styl=
e=3D"margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px">

<div>The secretary should be the organizational master of all the officersh=
ips&#39; proceedings. This includes but is not limited to: taking meeting m=
inutes, keeping minutes and official documents in an organized central repo=
sitory, and sending out any relevant notifications to AHA&#39;s membership =
and community. Secretary should also keep track of membership currency paym=
ents and space access restrictions.</div>

</blockquote><blockquote style=3D"margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px=
"><div><br></div></blockquote><blockquote style=3D"margin:0 0 0 40px;border=
:none;padding:0px"><div><i>Historian</i></div></blockquote><blockquote styl=
e=3D"margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px">

<div>The historian should work closely with the secretary in organizing AHA=
&#39;s documentation, while also striving to document, publish, and promote=
 what goes on within AHA.</div></blockquote><blockquote style=3D"margin:0 0=
 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px">

<div><br></div></blockquote><blockquote style=3D"margin:0 0 0 40px;border:n=
one;padding:0px"><div><i>Shogun</i></div></blockquote><blockquote style=3D"=
margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div>The Shogun is tasked with w=
eekly shop maintenance, shift register volunteer cat herding, and monthly s=
pace improvements. Shogun is encouraged to delegate shop maintenance areas =
to sub-Shoguns and track their effectiveness.</div>

</blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style=3D"margin:0 0 0 40px;border:non=
e;padding:0px"><div><br></div><div><i>Board of Directors</i></div><div>In a=
ddition, AHA should seek the formal formation of an outside board of direct=
ors in the traditional sense, made up of members of the local community who=
 are willing to advise and help AHA as needed (with funding, legality, equi=
pment, outreach, etc.). It has thus far been to our detriment that we have =
not yet done this. For this board, I recommend: Dug Song, David Bloom, Eli =
Nieburger, Bob Stack, George Albercook, Amy Sumerton, and Vault of Midnight=
.</div>

<div><br></div><div><i>Grants</i></div><div>Furthermore, it would serve AHA=
&#39;s interests well to create a grant-seeking commission with regular mee=
ting dates and notes. I view this is the most likely way to get AHA to a pl=
ace at which it can pay Josh anything approaching a decent salary, and woul=
d also allow AHA to expand its influence beyond its current borders.</div>

<div><br></div><div><i>Goals</i></div><div>Make them as a community, write =
them down, paint them on the walls, be loud about them and continue to do a=
udacious things. Two years ago at the time of formulating bylaws, AHA asked=
 itself what its 5-year goals were, and they included: expand, more tools, =
more classes, more outreach, become a vital part of the Ann Arbor nerd ecos=
ystem, encourage and document innovation, lower barriers to entry into tech=
 and entrepreneurship, and others. AHA is doing well on many of these, but =
please keep in mind that longer-term goals are a unifying force in all comm=
unities.</div>

<div><br></div></blockquote>I hope that you will take the above recommendat=
ions into due consideration. Please begin discussing any concerns or misgiv=
ings you have about them in this thread; we will also visit them at the upc=
oming board meeting.<div>

<br></div><div>Thank you,</div><div>Alexander</div>
</blockquote></div><br></div>

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