[2023-11-11] - Tinker Different Board Meeting Minutes

[Androda]

November 11 2023 Board Meeting​

Attendance:​

Christian (fogWraith), Jacob (Androda), Eric (eric), Justin (jdmcs), Kai Robinson

Absent:​

Josh (Drake), Ron (Ron’s Computer Videos), Bruce (Branchus)

Agenda:​

Item 1:​

Calendar Competition

Notes:

• We've totally lagged behind schedule on this, peoples' schedules are full and it's being forgotten

Action Items:

• Eric to contact the winners and determine locations
• Figure out how prize selection works
• Get the calendar done or it'll have to be pushed to 2025

Item 2:​

Board Policy Updates, Board Elections Upcoming

Notes:

• Discussion around some points on board transition and overall procedures
  • We need clarification and official policy around positions such as those held by Eric and Christian
  • These positions are sensitive due to high degree of access
• There are questions about the duration of Board member terms
  • Given a one year term, much of that time is spent in coordination and not in getting things done
  • This is caused at least partly by full schedules as mentioned before
• Justin has spent time trying to find examples of systems like ours to draw inspiration from

Action Items:

• Questions and proposals around Board terms, policies, and procedures will be posed to the community at large when they are ready

Item 3:​

Moderator Team Updates

Notes:

• An internal process for selecting moderator candidates had been interrupted and forgotten

Action Items:

• Restart the process and try to get things moving again

Item 4:​

Donor Recognition

Notes:

• We would like to recognize those that donate to the operating expenses of Tinker Different with a badge or something similar for their username
• This will help drive awareness that Tinker Different is community funded

Action Items:

• Internal thread created for discussion of implementation

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

@jdmcs & board, I recommend a structure where the term is 4 years that cycles through all the positions.

Y1 secretary
Y2 Treasurer
Y3 VP
Y4 President

In this way, the majority of the board is intact for initiatives that span multiple years and over all makes for a more cohesive & efficient board as you are onboarding just one person a year vs a whole team. This builds a strong wheelhouse as serving board members pass through the interrelated positions. It also reduces the pressure to get things done within a one year term. Haste makes waste, so by having a longer term structure, for those initiatives that may require an investment in more time to be executed correctly, you have it built in. Also, I recommend to not limit tenured board members from entering a new term. This is beneficial as they are familiar with the workings of the board and the people/culture within it.

Good luck.

 

[Stinkerton18]

@jdmcs & board, I recommend a structure where the term is 4 years that cycles through all the positions.

Y1 secretary
Y2 Treasurer
Y3 VP
Y4 President

In this way, the majority of the board is intact for initiatives that span multiple years and over all makes for a more cohesive & efficient board as you are onboarding just one person a year vs a whole team. This builds a strong wheelhouse as serving board members pass through the interrelated positions. It also reduces the pressure to get things done within a one year term. Haste makes waste, so by having a longer term structure, for those initiatives that may require an investment in more time to be executed correctly, you have it built in. Also, I recommend to not limit tenured board members from entering a new term. This is beneficial as they are familiar with the workings of the board and the people/culture within it.

Good luck.

I second this, even if it meant onboarding 2 people and reducing it to 2 year terms. It's up to the individual of course but 2 or 4 years seems reasonable IMHO.

 

[Certificate of Excellence]

I second this, even if it meant onboarding 2 people and reducing it to 2 year terms. It's up to the individual of course but 2 or 4 years seems reasonable IMHO.

Right, I understand that 4 years service can be alot for folks but can also weed out those that really have too much going on to commit to and serve such a term as well. I have served on such board structures but at that time I was married w/o kids and in my early 30s with lots more energy lol. Now I have three young boys & am in my mid 40s and to serve in this capacity & do it well would be impossible for me right now. So it really is a question of keeping the bar to the lowest requirement to maximize potential participation or maintaining a higher bar that will certainly reduce the pool of folks who can participate but creates a more consistent, knowledgable and functional board with a slower turn.

My opinion is that maximal. participation while nice to see should not be the focus of board elections. The board serves the community and quality service necessitates consistency, competency and culture which longer, multi-role/year terms facilitate. Anyways, speaking of kiddos, I need to go fire up santas workshop and get wrapping.