BOTLab Quarterly Members' meeting Q2 2024

Bristol Open Technology Lab C.I.C general meeting

Date/time: 19:00, 9th April 2024.

Location: Bristol Hackspace, with online option.

• Charity process - Felix
• Financial update

• Financial update
• Access control system update - Sam P

• Planer Thicknesser
• Screen printing press

A proposal has been made for the phrasing of this process:

• If the committee is made aware of a new consumable, either through a proposal or otherwise, they may hold a vote to get this consumable approved. A majority vote from the committee is required for this approval to pass.

A new committee needs to be elected. Currently the following people are running for the comittee elections:

• Finance: Nick G
• Safety: Matt G
• Infrastructure: Sam P
• Membership: Fraser H
• Community: Marsh
• Web: Chris C
• Supplies: Dave W

Should we send the minutes, or a summary of key decisions after general meetings?

We have a YouTube channel! Can you help?

Jas to give an update on recent changes.

The following members attended this meeting:

In Person

• Damian Adil
• Matt Glasspole
• Felix Howitt
• Vickki Howell
• Fraser Howell
• Marsh
• Sam Partridge
• Kathryn Proctor
• Sammy C
• Jasmine
• Aaron
• Stuart
• Bill
• Nat Hough
• Chris C
• Stefan
• Ollie

Online

• Alex Rowe
• Richard Lawrence
• James Millard

Proxies

• John H
• Eimear
• Will Chance
• Gareth
• Christian Eaton
• Caitlin
• Drew
• Dave Weldon

Application has been sent. Waiting on charity commissioner for response. There are 3 possible outcomes:

• Outright rejection
• Rejection but can re-submit with clarifications to questions
• Accepted

The most likely is the second option.

Nick G was not present to give a trustees financial update.

The system has now been live on the mitre saw and table saw for a few months. No major issues and considered an improvement over the padlocks by those present in the meeting.

Plan is to roll the system out to the table router and wood bandsaw.

Action on Sam P to gather usage statistics for the next members' meeting.

Nick G was not present to give a committee financial update.

There was a buildup of sawdust and the saw blade was blunt. Suspected that members were not using the bottom extraction. Action to update the quiz and wiki to require bottom extraction.

There were some complaints around code-of-conduct violations on the forum.

Two options were proposed, an Axminster and a Charnwood planer thicknesser. An initial vote was held to decide which one members preferred. Majority voted for the Charnwood and two abstained.

A vote to purchase the Charnwood and accessories was held. This vote passed unanimously.

There was a vote to accept the screen printing press donation on the following conditions:

• Members provide their own printing mesh screens.
• An auxillary proposal is created and approved to purchase the following auxillary items:
  • Box for inks
  • Table cloth
  • String/clothes line for hanging prints
  • Pegs

The vote for the above passed unanimously.

A vote was held to allow the committee to update the consumables according to the rules presented in the agenda. This vote passed unanimously.

No members besides the current committee put their name forward. The process went as follows:

• Meeting attendees were asked if there were any objections to the current committee. There were no objections.
• A vote was held to approve a block vote to re-elect the same committee. This vote passed with majority except one.
• A block vote was held to re-elect the same committee. This vote passed with majority except one.

It was proposed that we should send minutes after the meeting to all members via email. There were the following comments:

• There was a worry about drowning out important updates.
• There was a concern about email limits with Mailchimp. Sending more than two emails a month would exceed the free tier.
  • This was deemed to be manageable for now and we could pay if absolutely required. Shouldn't be an issue once we move to Google Workspace.
• The meeting outcomes could be put on the rotating display by the main door.
• It's important to keep members up to date about big changes at meetings.
• The forum can be difficult to use for some members.

There was a vote for the committee to send a reminder email before a members' meeting and a summary email after the meeting. The vote passed unanimously.

Trial has gone well over all. There was a minor issue with a loose belt on the motor on one or two occasions. No objections to carry on with the trial.

Marsh has started using the Hackspace YouTube channel. They have put out a call for help to provide videos, content etc for the channel. Also a request for links to shitty life hack videos that we can react to.

BCM have become an unincorperated organisation and now have their own code-of-conduct policy. Jas to send links with details.

The Hackspace committee are more than happy to provide help to BCM where needed, for example purchasing more soldering irons for workshops.

Nat has written an induction quiz. Matt G will review and approve/make changes as required. Sam P to build an access control box to wire into the bandsaw.

There were many points raised. Below is a summary of these:

• Members in attendance seemed generally happy with the current rules.
• Suggestion of regular disposal.
  • This puts extra workload on committee. Rules are written such that anyone can help manage storage/remove expired items.
• Recent purge seems to have installed fear in members and storage area is still tidy.
• Materials are stored at your own risk anyway regardless of rules.
• Some members would feel better if it was easier to contact others if their stuff has to be moved.
  • This can be done by cross-referencing the name on the label to the forum, but there's still some friction with this.
• Suggestion to improve donation rack to be more accessible. Sam P will look into a proposal to move the lab bench at the next members' meeting.
• There are safety/accessibility issues when the rack is over-filled.
• There was a suggestion to alter the wording on the stickers to make it clearer that your materials have no protection after the expiry date.