October 4th Meeting Notes

A total of 14 members and 3 guests attended the meeting.

BarCampMilwaukee6 Wrap Up

Our “Learn to Solder” booth at BarCamp was a smashing success!  We had nearly 60 campers solder up either a Milwaukee Makerspace Logo Board or the Maker Shed Robot Board.  Our location out in the loading dock also put us close to the 3D printing group so we better got to know people from PS:One, Sector 67, and TC Maker.  On Saturday, we ferried people from Bucketworks over to our space and gave 30 or so people a tour.  The whole weekend was a great event and we’re glad we were invited to be a part of it.  Pictures from BarCamp6 can be found on the Flickr photo pool.

Electric Car Club Meeting Sunday, October 9th

CNC Machining Club Proposed

Ron has announced that he intends to start a CNC Club for those interested in computer controlled milling, routing, machining, and fabrication.  Meetings will likely occur on Sundays, but specific days are yet to be determined.  Stay tuned for more information!

Black Friday Make-A-Thon Revisited

Last year Milwaukee Makerspace hosted an all day “make-a-thon” at Bucketworks where guests were invited to make light-up Christmas tree ornaments and other small trinkets rather than go out and fight the crowds at department stores.  The group discussed possible projects for this year and garnered interest for a 2011 event.

Innovation in Milwaukee – MiKE

A new organization has been formed in Milwaukee that promises to foster innovation, technology and design, entrepreneurship, and collaboration.  MiKE’s partners include General Motors, Kohl’s, Briggs & Straton, Spreenkler, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, and many others.  An introduction meeting is scheduled for Thursday in their new space in Grand Avenue Mall with an open house to immediately follow.  More information is available on their website at http://www.innovationinmilwaukee.com/

By-Laws and Voting

The mailing list has been buzzing with talk of how to best make fair and informed decisions regarding the direction of our group.  The discussion Tuesday clarified several procedures and reiterated how our by-laws work.  In short, the major points included were:

  • Any member can propose a vote be taken or require that vote be delayed
  • Members will be notified prior to a vote taking place, usually one week
  • Those who put items to a vote will be expected to express why a vote is necessary
  • Voting by proxy is allowed since not everyone can attend every meeting
  • If a simple majority agrees, votes can be re-examined
  • Typical topics requiring votes include membership, purchases, and major rule changes

For more information on our organizational structure and operations, refer to the By-Laws Page.

Officer Elections and Other Business

After the discussion on policies and voting, the group voted on new officers.  The roles of President, Vice President/Treasurer, and Secretary were opened for new nominations and votes cast.

  • Royce remains President
  • Jason G. replaced Tom G. as Vice President/Treasurer
  • Brant remains Secretary

The attendees also approved a budget of roughly $450 for 500 custom PCBs and parts for new Makerspace “Learn to Solder” Boards since we have exhausted our handmade supply during past events.  Royce is handling the pricing and ordering.  A budget of $20 was also approved for a rubber logo stamp so we can mark guests’ Hackerspace Passports when they visit from other spaces.  Pete is leading the stamp project.