Meraki Meeting Notes: April 16, 2024

Meeting: April 16, 2024 7 - 9 Tasha's house 52 Bellaire Rd, South Portland

Present: John (Facilitator), Jamie (Ingathering), Cory (Vibe Checker), Blair (Timer), Tasha (Notes) Nate, Mellen, Kari, Rebecca, Lily, Jimmie, Shelagh, Sunshine

How We Roll

• Call for volunteers for roles
• Ingathering
• Summarize how we roll
• Summarize previous meeting 
• Read draft agenda
• Assign times
• Agenda items
• Schedule next meeting
• Evaluation

Agenda

• How We Roll update proposal - John
• Responsibility of monitoring volume during dance - Kari
• Subwoofer update - Mellen
• Capacity Update - Mellen
• Weekly dances
• Email announcements
• Where can we dance update
• What next?

• Wiz Updates - Rebecca
• Formalized flow chart, RE-FLOW: Re-establishing Equilibrium For Lightening of Weight, to help WIZ address dancers' concerns around safety and discomfort (please review before Meraki)
• New efforts to increase presence more visibly in the community
• Other pro-active and educational strategies
• Photography on the dance floor
• New members  

• Meraki Participation - Shelagh
• Updates
• Consider different days and times
• Should we consider some form of representation?
• Retreat update - Lily
• Pride Parade - Lily
• Long-Term Planning Retreat - Tasha TABLED

How We Roll Update - John 10 min

John: We've eliminated the strong connection with formal consensus process. It's more of an inspiration. 

Mellen: Evaluation takes a lot of time. How valuable is that information? 

Rebecca: I like it. It speaks to the emotional undercurrent that connects us all in some way that honors that.

Blair: I like it. It's a glue, a reference of our good nature. It's of value when there's any tension. The value is worth the time.

Kari: Sometimes it takes a bit too much time. It does have an important purpose. Maybe it could be monitored.

Shelagh: Really important. It's like asking the importance of dance. It aligns with our mission of who we are. 

Nate: The description of Evaluation could be updated in How We Roll document to be more reflective of what it's for.

Jamie: Maybe we could come up with a word.

Kari: Noted that it's just the word "discussion" that has to be changed.

John: Propose working up changes to the Evaluation for a later meeting and vote on the changes in the proposal.

VOTE: Passed

Responsibility for Monitoring Volume During Dance - Kari 10 min

Kari: There was a meeting where DJs decided what the volume level should be, and DJs are the only people who could approach the table and ask to lower the volume. It's not the WIZ's job to monitor the volume. It's the DJs job. 

Mellen: She talks to each DJ each Sunday. Last Sunday was better. Over 85 db sustained is too loud.

Blair: It's not a WIZ job, so is it something that needs to be addressed outside of dance with a particular DJ. We don't have a process now.

Lily: Is the process written down? It's a bit murky as it is. Would like to see the policy written down and disbursed to the DJs.

Mellen: She will bring it up again with the DJs.

Kari: Even if you don't feel the sound is too loud, it still can be too loud. It's about hearing safety. 

Cory: Have DJs been talked to about it in a caring way about this issue?

Mellen: Yes.

John: Mark's volume on Sunday was much better than in the past.

Jimmie: Mark has ear issues so he's more aware. Pika's set at the retreat was below the level as well.

Lily: At the retreat, she had a conversation with a couple of DJs that were very caring and informative about volume.

Kari: After a conversation with a DJ at the retreat, she realized it's hard to monitor the sound along with everything else they're doing.

Mellen: We need to continue to reinforce it with all the DJs. And the DJs who have been loudest have been doing better.

Shelagh: What's the process for addressing volume that's too high at dance? At the retreat, there was a dance where monitor was over 90 for a long time. So what do I do? 

Blair: We can always give feedback after dance on the feedback form.

John: Can we ask DJs to come up with a process for addressing high volume at dance?

Mellen: Current process is to find a DJ during dance and ask them to go up to the DJ. She will bring it up with DJs again.

Blair: Can we announce at circle that there's a DJ feedback form? 

John: He will announce the DJ feedback form at circle.

Subwoofer updates - Mellen 5 min

John: He created a platform for the subwoofer that he'll bring to dance next time.

Blair: Should we have an insulated pad? Are we taking the platform to and from storage? 

John: Yes, and it's bulky.

Mellen: When subwoofer is on the floor, the sound is imbalanced, so it's recommended to get it off the floor. Let's try the platform John built and see how it works.

Cory: So we won't bring the pallets that are on the floor of the storage unit. :)

Capacity Update - Mellen 15 min

Mellen: Last Sunday wasn't as crowded. It was a nice day. Not sending emails seems to be having some effect. We're still in DJ training mode. Things are slow. We have 4 DJs putting together playlists. Mentor DJs are hard to pin down because people are busy and it takes a lot of time. Having more people move equipment helps. 

Kari: Where can we dance committee has one more site to look at next week.

Shelagh: We haven't been not sending emails for long enough to know if it's having an effect. I still don't like it. We've been looking at spaces for a while and wondering if there's something you need in terms of support, suggestions?

Mellen: We've looked at 62 space and they all have some kind of issue. Size, complications around renting, cost, etc. We're open to considering new space so see us if you have a new idea.

Tasha: I'm an advocate for leasing a space.

Nate: The solution to overcapacity is not to discourage people from coming.

Tasha: I'd like to bring up the idea of sending out the email messages again. 

John: Let's take it up at next Meraki.

WIZ Updates - Rebecca 15 min

Rebecca: Current members: Rebecca, Blair, Kari, Jimmie, Lily, Tim, Lori. We have 2 new members: Emily and Brian!!! 

We're going to be more visible and present by adding back the poster with pictures. We're going to add a bi-line that says we're available. We're going to stand up at circle. We're going to have 2 people up at the stage for easy access after dance. 

John: Even if no-one comes, I think you should still be there.

Rebecca: We're going to consolidate our intentions around dance and print something to hand out for new dancers around physical or emotional safety. A baby, blood, a dog! Come to the WIZ to help sort it out.

We formalized our process for handing safety issues. When is it something we deal with and when it's not? RE-FLOW. Did it occur on the dancefloor or outside? Does it affect physical and/or emotional safety or discomfort? We got feedback from a dancer on the process and it was a positive outcome.

Blair: We're going to bring up concerns such as no taking pictures, which came up recently.

John: Thank you for the new energy in addressing these issues.

Rebecca: When someone speaks to us it will be confidential within the WIZ. If someone has a concern, it must be the person who approaches us, not hearsay, which is important. 

Kari: Really proud of WIZ for accomplishing this. We're going to put together live skits at closing circle to role model some issues. One question still remains. How do we make ourselves more visible?

Nate: Matching eye shadow! For later, the people that need to get messages the most leave the dance before dance is over. 

John: Propose that we have a warmup and then announce ground rules at a opening circle like other dance communities do.

Sunshine: Second that. 

Mellen: We've discussed that before with DJs and they nixed it. 

Other suggestions: WIZ T-shirts. Purple Ribbon, Tutus!

Cory: What does WIZ stand for?

John: WIZ is short for Wizengamot, comes from Harry Potter. It came from Don Norman, a founder of PCD. Along with Meraki.

Meraki Participation - Shelagh 10 min

Shelagh: After last meeting, Tasha, Jamie, and I met to talk about how to encourage more people to participate in Meraki and overall PCD participation. We discussed what participation means and whether to allow people to send a representative. Tasha is playing with Meraki email to encourage participation. We decided to announce at closing circle what goes on at Meraki and have people raise hands to show others participation. We'd like to announce agenda items for next Meraki at closing circle. We opted not to do it last week because WIZ announcements took some time.

Tasha: We also sent an email specifically inviting people who said they wanted to come on the survey.

Nate: Voices are excluded who can't make it on Tues night. It's impossible to come on a Tues night for me and probably others. I just happened to be available this week. There's only one other day where people are available and that's SUNDAY. I really think it's worth a try to have a meeting after dance. It will encourage people to show up and see what it's like to get more participation. There's a barrier to getting people to come if it's only in the evenings.

Mellen: It's worth considering.

Shelagh: We also talked about meeting on different nights. We're meeting on Monday on Zoom for next meeting. We also talked about soliciting feedback at dance like a Feedback box, which we used to have.

Mellen: We want more people who are familiar with what's going on and how we operate to  become involved as leadership since many have been doing this for a long time.

John: Propose a Meraki meeting on Sunday June 9 dance and schedule it now.

VOTED: PASSED

Shelagh: Can we change the language to allow a stand-in representative to make a proposal?

Blair: Someone should have enough gumption to bring the idea in person. While we could allow representation, we should still encourage people to come. 

John: If there's a scheduling problem, ok.

Kari: In the past we talked about alternating Tues and Thurs.

Shelagh: We will come up with a proposal for next meeting about having representation at Meraki.

Retreat report - Lily 10 min

Lily: Planned for 60, we had 60, filled some cancellations. Netted $88! Snafus with Ferry Beach.

Kudos from all!!!

Do we have a date for next year? Do we want to go to Ferry Beach again? 

Lily: Most slots are already booked for next year. March or October are the only times available, so that means no camping. If you have ideas let me know.

John: We have alternatives in mind. We're soliciting for a new retreat committee.

Lily: Wants to step down as committee chair. Ferry Beach is hard to deal with, hard to pin down, surprise Sunday brunch. 

Cory: Did they offer any compensation?

Lily: None.

John: They under-charged on the original invoice so we're letting that ride. 

Lily: They're not holding any dates for us. 

John: We paid a deposit to hold the spot this year.

Mellen: Oceanwood in Ocean Park

Nate: We're at square on again, so we need to get retreat committee together soon.

John: Who might be interested? 

Interested in retreat planning for 2025: Nate, Tasha, Lily, Jamie

Lily: Let's make an announcement at closing circle asking for interest. 

John: He will send out an email to members to ask about planning for next retreat.

Pride Parade - Lily 10 min

Lily: Recently the parade has been very corporate. Parade is June 15. Wanted to float the idea. Don't want ownership but want to get feedback to see if it aligns with our values of expression, joy, movement, inclusion, an expression of love!

Jimmie: Fabulous idea except it's in direct conflict with keeping numbers down. It would be great to have more inclusion.

Jamie: Great idea. It wouldn't need to be a big deal. Playing music and dancing! I will help lead it.

John: Propose that PCD approves participation. 

Tasha: It costs $200. 

Shelagh: As an organization, we don't align with any other dances or organizations. So is Pride an entity?

Lily: Do we ever want to align ourselves with anything? 

John: We've chosen not to do that so far. But that can change. 

John: He will come up with the PCD's statement and share with the group. 

Cory: The intention is to be inclusive.

John: Does this fit within our restriction? Do we have energy?

Cory, Jamie, Lily, Nate: We'll bring something back for next meeting.

Long-Term Planning Retreat - Tasha 5 TABLED

Agenda Items for Next Meeting

• How We Roll - John et al
• Revisit Evaluation description to be more accurate
• Revisit process to see if it can be streamlined (eliminate summarizing previous minutes, eliminate assigning roles at the meeting, streamline agenda setting and time assignments)
• Capacity update 
• Send out email announcements again
• Process for addressing high volume during dance - Mellen
• Announcing PCD ground rules after a warmup at dance - John?

• Pride Parade - Lily
• Retreat planning for 2025 - ???
• Meraki participation - Shelagh
• Representation proposal
• How to involve more people in leadership
• Long-term planning Retreat - Shelagh

Next meetings

• MONDAY May 13 on Zoom
• SUNDAY June 9 after dance

Meraki Meeting: March 12, 2024

 Meeting: March 12, 2024 7 - 9 Zoom

Present: John and Deb (co-Facilitator), Tasha (Ingathering), Shelagh (Vibe Checker), Blair (Timer), Tasha (Notes) and Kari, Lori, Jamie, Pika, Lily

How We Roll

• Call for volunteers for roles
• Ingathering
• Summarize how we roll
• Summarize previous meeting 
• Read draft agenda
• Assign times
• Agenda items
• Schedule next meeting
• Evaluation

Agenda

• Capacity update - Deb, et al
• DJ update - Mellen
• New DJs
• DJ pay 
• Subwoofer stand 
• DJ location - Shelagh
• DJ pages on website - Tasha
• How do we respond when boundary issues arise - Deb 
• PCD participation and support - Tasha & Shelagh
• Meraki participation - Tasha 
• General participation - Shelagh
• Long range planning - Shelagh
• Board member changes - Kari
• How We Roll update proposal - John

Capacity Update 15 min

John: Strategy of not announcing dance hasn't had any noticeable impact. We're still getting lots of new people. 

Kari: Smaller closing circle this past Sunday, a little over 80. 

Lori: Some people had a hard time finding parking. There's a second parking lot associated with high school. 

John: Let's put up a sign at greeter's table and announce additional parking at closing circle. 

Lori: The WIZ will take care of making people aware of additional parking. 

Blair: Volunteers to count participants at closing circle so we have the "hard" data. 

Lori: Propose that people sign in and check a check box as to whether they're new.

Tasha: That feels too burdensome given the lines to get into dance. 

Several others in the community have expressed that they feel that omitting emails announcing dance is not a good solution to our capacity problem. 

Shelagh: Agree that it doesn't feel good to not send out emails.

Deb: How important is getting an accurate count at dance each week? General vibe is moderate.

Jamie: If most people pay, we can determine it by how much money we collect. 

Lily: Greeting is now a big deal! The clicker is in one of the bags. Some people don't actually pay, e.g., the greeters don't pay. Some people do Venmo. Some people just walk by without paying. Suggest that there's already a lot on the greeter's plate so let's not add more to that job.

Deb: Let's write how many people are at dance each week. 

Kari: We usually count the heads at circle and add 20. 

WIZ will take on counting, writing down, and reporting on the number of dancers that come each week.  

John: Brought up the proposal suggested last time that we sell tickets.

Shelagh: What now stands between us and weekly dances?

John: We have volunteers for helping move equipment. Yay!!!

Lori: We have added 3 dates in May and June. So as of May 12, we are going to weekly dances for the next couple months. 

Tasha: Propose that we send emails out again, especially given new weekly dances. 

DJ Update 15 min

Deb: We had a DJ meeting, we have 5 new DJ candidates in training, with 2 available now available for scheduling.

Deb: Subwoofer cover has been purchased. 

Deb: DJ location, what are people's thoughts? 

Pika: Because room is acoustically treated, we'd get best sound quality if speakers are on the stage. 

Deb: Appreciated DJs at the back of the room, and when stage is available it supports better sound quality on the stage. Also the subwoofer off the ground was better.

John: People have to move right in front of the speakers to get in, which can be hard on the ears, so prefers speakers on the stage.

Shelagh: Liked Deb's position at the back of the room. Hard to dance on the stage with speakers on the stage given the wires, which are easy to trip on.

Pika: Makes me nervous with speakers on the stage to have people dancing up there. Also there's a risk of people falling off the stage. 

John: Just to note that we can't count on the stage being available at every dance. 

GENERAL CONSENSUS seems to be to have DJs at the back of the room facing the stage. 

Deb: DJ pay. Mellen and Deb propose upping the pay from $175 to 200 per dance. It costs more to do things now than it did a while ago with DJs having to buy their own music. As part of the proposal, we drop the money we pay DJs who drive a long distance. 

VOTE: DJ pay increase passed

Shelagh: Please note that I'm not against DJ pay increase but just wanted to presence that a lot of people do a lot of things for PCD who don't get paid. Retreat committee, finance, WIZ, etc., etc., etc.

Deb: This brings up the question: at what point to we consider paying other people in the organization? 

Also, for those who aren't aware, it takes 10-20 hours to put together a set. Plus DJs supply their own equipment and music, which costs $, which is the source of this request. 

Pika: Agrees that there's a considerable amount of time that goes into putting a set together. 

Retreat 5 min

Lily: Registration closed today and we are full at 60. Yay!

We will all be getting a new email asking for more information from Ferry Beach, which was a surprise to us. We'll all have to provide DOB, address, and phone number.

Special thanks to John for supporting the retreat planning committee.

Boundary/Safety Issues 15 min

Tasha: Had an incident at dance on Sunday and sent an email to WIZ requesting a response. 

Deb: Someone also brought up her concern with 3 people who had a similar experience recently. We've had this conversation over the years at PCD. What we decided back then was to bring up any issues to the WIZ, but that the WIZ didn't need to respond directly to the issue if more support was needed. 

Kari: The broader scope about this issue is educating our community about 1) how to keep personal boundaries to stay safe, and 2) how to avoid creating situations that might become  unsafe. 

Deb: So there are two aspects: prevention and response. 

Lori: Safety is one issue, but another issue is personal discomfort. 

Blair: Had to address this last year, supporting someone who felt unsafe. In retrospect, he's not sure the input he offered was the correct response. He would like more guidance around how to respond in these situations, between discomfort and safety and being triggered. 

Shelagh: 

1. We have a document that's quite specific that we used to give to new dancers. Are we still making that available? 

2. At other dances, I've seen people wearing a bracelet indicating they could be interrupted during the dance to intervene, as needed. 

3. Let get this information in people's hands before dance, not after. 

4. Can we come up with more specific language that would encourage people to come forward with issues when they arise?

Kari: Lori and I are putting together a small handout on this topic which we'll bring to Meraki next time.

John: In other dance communities, there's a warmup and then a circle where boundaries and safety are discussed every time. That way people hear it before they leave. Note that attention to reading material is limited, that is, we've given out those introductory sheets and we don't know if they're being read. 

Deb: Suggests making a google form???

Blair: I would have appreciated something to refer to together when discussing an issue with someone. 

Kari: At the end of dance, we could go to a spot on the stage to make it more obvious whom you can talk with about issues that come up. 

Tasha: In addition to talking about how to stay safe and personal boundaries, we need a document that discusses the expectations on the part of dancers so people know what it means to respect others' boundaries. 

John: Do we need a safety group? WIZ says they can handle it for now.

Shelagh: Is the WIZ working on the document and procedural suggestions? 

Lori: WIZ will come up with a proposal for a document around safety and consent, as well as procedural changes around safety and expectations of all PCD dancers. 

Jamie: Suggest that we make this document required reading for all members, maybe in video form? Please be responsible for yourself and ask for support AND there are expectations for everyone who comes to dance so everyone feels comfortable. Like going to Float Harder, for example. 

Deb: We used to have people who were assigned to new people during dance. 

(Phew, that's a lot of ideas!)

PCD/Meraki Participation 5 min

Shelagh: Regarding sound equipment, sounds like that's been addressed. (Yay!) We did a survey and wonder if more people have stepped up based on that. Have heard from several people that it's hard to come to Meraki on Tuesdays and/or they don't feel welcome or called to come for whatever reason. 

Question: How important is it that we get more participation at PCD? Moderate

How do you feel additional participation has been going? Moderate/High

How important is it to get more participation at Meraki? High

Deb: When new people come to Meraki, we invest time in getting them up to speed with how we roll. So it feels important to me personally to get more people involved when it's for the long term, not just to meet a short term need.

Lori: There are ways that people can participate by taking more responsible for picking up for themselves, that is, making them feel like they're part of a community. 

Shelagh: I would still encourage new people to come even if they don't come back, because otherwise, how will they know what's it's all about? 

Deb: Suggestion: at closing circle, let's set a goal to get 5 new people to commit on the spot to come to Meraki, which also models participation for others.  

Shelagh: What specific steps can we take to get more people to come?

Tasha: Propose that we experiment with a different day of the week for Meraki. Propose that we allow people to offer their input by writing via a representative rather than requiring that people show up to Meraki, which might not work for everyone, for whatever reason. 

Shelagh: Suggest that we announce our agenda at the end of closing circle. Also Tues night is hard for many people. 

Propose having a conversation with some people to talk about the issue of participation further to come up with some more actionable items for next time. These people said yes to that conversation and/or giving input in writing: Shelagh, Tasha, Jamie, Kari, John, Deb.

Long Range Planning 10 min

Shelagh: Given the short amount of time left in the meeting, want to drop into the pool the idea of having a broader, more visionary long-range planning discussion, which feels opportune given we've just reached our ten year anniversary. And of course it's related to lots of issues we've been discussing, namely our growing community, capacity, inclusion, participation, etc. 

Tasha: We've taken a bunch of steps to address the "low hanging fruit" regarding capacity, but let's not forget the bigger picture/visionary ideas that were floated at the emergency meeting to address capacity.

Deb: Let's think about scheduling a long term planning retreat! 

So...the idea has been officially dropped into the pool!

Tabled for next meeting:

• How We Roll Update - John
• Board Member Changes - Kari

Next meetings

• Tues April 16  in person at Tasha's 52 Bellaire Rd, South Portland

• Monday May 13 on Zoom

Meraki Meeting: Feb 13, 2024

Meeting: Feb 13, 2024 7-9 Lori Harley's house, 111 Alba, Portland

Present: Erin (Facilitator), Kari (Ingathering), Deb (Vibe Checker), Blair (Timer), Tasha (Notes), Rebecca, Kari, Jimmie, Shelagh, Lori, Mellen, John, Lily

Ingathering

How We Roll

Agenda

• Discussion: Addressing capacity challenges - Deb
• Rent self-storage unit for Roadie Crew - John
• Speaker covers - John 5 min
• Retreat update - Lily 10 min
• How We Roll update proposal - John TABLED
• Board member changes - Kari TABLED
• DJ pay update - Mellen TABLED

Self-Storage Unit 10 min John

John: Proposal is to rent a self storage facility for our speakers. That way we can recruit more people to transport equipment and include more people in the process. And it would help support going toward weekly dances. Also it means we don't have a two dance commitment for moving equipment.

There's a self storage facility one exit N on 295 with combo lock. 5x10 is $90 / month. 

Shelagh: Is the unit climate controlled? What's the term of the contract. 

John: No but doesn't need to be. Speakers would have to be warmed up before using them at full volume. They've been cold in the past with no issues. 

Deb: What's the drive time? 

John: Right off the highway. 125/136 exit.

Erin: Are they covered under insurance?

John: Will look into adding it.

Shelagh: Can we afford it?

John: Yes. There are two others storage units that are way more sketchy. 

John and Blair will start off doing it, then involve others as time goes on. One person has expressed interest in helping.

VOTE: YES

Speaker Covers 5 min John

John: Proposal is to buy two nylon soft carrying cases for protecting the speakers during transport. Less than $300 for two. Not available for subwoofer unfortunately. 

Mellen: Is it worth the money?

John: It would protect the speakers. Have seen them put face down on the pavement outside of dance.

Blair: If there's a handle, that would help carrying them. 

VOTE: YES

Deb: Additional related proposal: Last dance we experimented with raising the subwoofer off the floor, which was good for sound quality. If we could find one for < $200, could we get preapproval today?

Mellen: She's seen subwoofer stands. Will look into a folding stand. She'll check in with Deb, John, Jason, Blair before buying it.

VOTE: YES

Retreat Update 10 min Lily

Lily: Email went out with details about the retreat. Big changes from last year are two additional housing options and it's a little cheaper than it could have been due to Meraki's generosity.

John: Will send a link to retreat committee for RSVP, please look at it. Also need to know what our refund policy is.

Lily: If you cancel by Mar 12, you get 100% refund. You can get back $110 up to 2 weeks before, maybe be able to refund more. 

Next committee meeting is Tues Feb 20 so if you have anything to add, bring it up before then.

Capacity 30 min

Deb: We had a special Meraki meeting to discuss things ahead of time and came up with a list of ideas. Would like to hear from some people who weren't there.

Tasha: Appreciate the efforts. Don't like the idea of raising the entrance fee.

Lily: As someone at the greeter table, we have so many new people every time; 20 at last dance! Glad we're addressing the issue.

Shelagh: Super helpful to read ideas ahead of time. Feel tension between inclusivity and wanting to keep the dance at the right capacity. Negative reaction to raising fee.

Erin: Staying at Waldorf with pre-registration sounds like an option. Raising fee doesn't sound good. Have we considered renting our own space that's permanently ours?

Mellen: Buying a place means putting down 30-50K downpayment.

John: We have one chair mover that could be used right away.

Deb: There are 4 categories of options to consider:

1. Dream options 

Buy a place, rent a place, put it out there now to get people thinking about it if we were to find something. 

2. Get a different space

That's an ongoing effort that hasn't yielded any results.

3. Low hanging fruit

Things we can do now to test to see if they have any effect.

4. Harder issues

Addressing the culture of our community, etc.

Deb: What do we most want to focus on now? She wonders what everyone's experience of dance was on Sunday. We cleared 100 people, the sound was good, the DJ table was in a new location, and the stage was open. So it felt better to me but I wasn't dancing. 

Others: Better but we still need to keep this as a hot topic. 

Mellen: We've already started to address some of the low-hanging fruit ideas. 

John is in the process of purging mailing list based on who has not opened the emails being sent out.

Last dance email announcement didn't include the date in the email subject. They have to open it, and 100 people did. 

We didn't post on the general PCD FB page. 

AND we had 20 new people last week! 

So those things haven't had any effect so far.

Kari: The idea of owning our own place, maybe renting, would require so much administrative stuff to put in place to make that happen. 

Mellen: We'd need paid people to rent the space to share the expense, which feels like way too much to take on as an organization.

John: Propose that we do presales starting next dance.

Rebecca: Two things that would help are 1) weekly dances and 2) preregistration. We'd need a lot of announcements in advance if we were to require preregistration. 

Lily: At Avant, we had 2 dance spaces, so maybe we could find a space with multiple smaller rooms. There are a number of dance studios that have that layout.

Shelagh: What if we try a one-off dance at different spaces to give them a try. We're being pushed into thinking about the big dream. What about creating a committee to think about where we want to be in 5 years.

Mellen: Like the idea of closing the doors after 10:45 because it would be easier to administer than preregistration. We could give it a try.

Rebecca: What about dancing in the room with the tables? No, probably not.

Erin: Closing the doors at a certain time doesn't feel good. Would rather know that you have to register ahead of time than being refused entry if you don't arrive in time. Being a bouncer would be a difficult job.

Shelagh: Preregistration feels stressful since I might not look at email in a timely way.

John: RSVP allows you to limit registration but it's expensive, costs 2.40 per ticket.

Jimmie: Like the idea of limiting dance to members only because it would easier to administer. 

Someone: But how do you let new people become members then?

Deb: Let's consider four categories for now: Closing doors at 10:45, preregistration, limit entry to members, hold weekly dances.

Tasha: Let'[s not forget about the PCD culture category described in the proposal.

Kari: Let's keep the broad vision in mind: what kind of dance do we want? How do we create and protect the culture we love?

Erin: Some organizations offer two different options to different groups when they get too big. 

Deb: Proposal to talk about the feasibility of going to weekly dances.

John: Will weekly dances reduce the numbers? It's an unknown.

Lori: What if we ask the community how they would respond to weekly dances?

Mellen: Recommended immediate actions: First three items have already been addressed.

Erin: Yay for us that we've created such an amazing community that so many people want to come!

Rebecca: Tension between inclusivity and keeping the dance within capacity. Let's move the chairs!

Deb: Proposal to not put the announcement on the PCD FB page, requiring people to look us up on our website and don't send out emails anymore. This would mean losing the DJ flyers, although perhaps these could be included in the calendar.

Lori: Calendar has DJ name now.

Proposal: 

1. No more DJ announcements through emails.
2. Dances are listed on calendar.
3. No posters by DJs. 
4. No PCD FB posts.
5. We will do a FB post and email to announce these changes.
6. Entrust Lori et al to make it work on the calendar page of website.
7. Reevaluate at next Meraki.
8. We let closing circle know about changes at next dance.

VOTE: YES

Tasha: This feels like a big change. Feel a lot of tenderness around it.

Erin: In the announcement email, we need to acknowledge that this is an interim thing we're trying due to overcapacity.

Rebecca: Recommend in the email that people come to next Meraki to talk about it.

Deb: Do we want or need to have a special committee for this or can we proceed with the changes through Meraki? 

Shelagh: Proposal that we have a committee for longer term vision.

Erin: Proposal to create a focus group that addresses short term and long term and culture at PCD.

Mellen: Feel resistance to "starting from scratch" with new people who haven't been coming to Meraki and so haven't been following this thread since so much work has already been put in by so many.

Tasha: Who will write this email? Mellen and Deb. 

Deb: Do we need to see it before they send it out?

No.

Deb: What if go to weekly? There are logistics that need to happen. Let's prepare for this for next Meraki.

1. Can Lori please get dates for going weekly from Waldorf? 

2. Need to talk to the DJs. When could we go to weekly? Maybe May?

Lori: She will look into it with Waldorf. They do a floor refinishing every year in summer.

John: How viable is registration option? Should I look into it?

Most: Let's hold off on it for now. 

Agenda for next time:

• Capacity update - Deb, et al
• How We Roll update proposal - John
• Board member changes - Kari
• DJ pay update - Mellen

Next meetings

• March 12 Zoom
• April 16 In-person

Meraki Meeting Notes January 16, 2024

Meeting: January 16, 2024, 7-9 on Zoom (rescheduled from in person at Lori's house due to snow)

Present: Deb (Facilitator), Kari (Ingathering), Eva (Vibe Checker), John (Timer), Tasha (Notes), John, Mellen, Kari, Lily, Shelagh, Lori, Eva, Blair, Rebecca, Jamie, Julian, Sophie, Maiki (18)

Agenda

• Survey results: Mellen 10 min

• 2024 Retreat planning update: Lily 10 min

• Retreat scholarships: Lily, John, Lori 5 min

• DJ pay update: Mellen TABLED

• DJ training update: Deb 5 min

• Waldorf sound system: Mellen 2 min

• Updates to Meraki "How We Roll": John 10 min

• How to manage future board member changes: Kari 10 min

• Request from dance: Shelagh 5 min

• Open Discussion

Survey Results

Mellen: Received 30 surveys. Goal is to find out who might be interested in helping out in various ways at dance and beyond. Mellen will send emails to people with responsibility to get support from volunteers. She will keep circulating the survey at dances.

Not much help with schlepping DJ equipment, alas.

A lot of greeter interest.

A lot of DJ interest, need to talk about with DJ committee as we now have lots of people interested.

Shelagh: Please be sensitive about sharing contact information more widely.

2024 Retreat Update

Lily: Retreat is coming up last weekend of March. Do we want to offer additional scholarships. Last year we used $500, propose $750-800.

Blair: What is the cost of the retreat? How did we give out scholarships last year?

Lily: Last year we had the whole Roland dorm available, plus camping and RVs. 180/person all inclusive for quads. More for doubles. Ferry Beach has increased prices. Proposal to increase rates by $20-30.

We said, if you're interested in a scholarship, contact us. She thinks we gave 5-6 scholarships, $50 each. We also got a couple donations for money toward scholarships.

Julian: Can we get info on the retreat? What kind of food? Can we park and sleep in cars? Lily will share info privately with him.

Shelagh: Did we set aside $ ahead of time? YES but we didn't publish amount.

Eva: Since we're having a good year financially, could we consider not raising the rate? So then we could share the wealth across the whole community.

Deb: We could offer two tiers: last year's rate and this year's rate.

Lily: Goal was that we don't want PCD to lose $ money on the retreat. Do we want to subsidize the retreat or keep it break even?

John: We have $12,000 in the bank, so doing well. We've made up for deficit during pandemic. Retreat cost $10,000. We were basically break even. He would support PCD subsidizing the retreat. We want to keep a buffer for rainy day issues.

Lily: We need to know the cost tonight!

Rebecca: What's the healthy buffer we want to have in the bank? If we drop below $7000, take action. If we go over $10,000, we would take action. We have since decided not to worry about the upper limit.

Shelagh: Likes the idea of 2-tier registration and offering subsidy.

Blair: We need to keep in mind that we might be finding a new space that will be more expensive.

Lily: Defers to financial people about offering $750 scholarship totals.

Proposal: Offer $750 in scholarships. YES

Proposal: 2-tier registration, last year's level and updated level. 

Discussion:

John: Primary concern is about registration complexity with 2-tier system. 

Blair: Break even proposal, he wants to know what that amount is.

Lily: We had 4 people cancel, we gave full refunds because we had surplus. It really depends on who registers. We could just say, let's not raise the price. 

60 registrants x $28 increased cost = $1800.

Jamie: Proposes raising it by $10. 

Proposal: Raise rate by $10. YES

DJ Training Update

Deb: We have one person well on her way to being trained. Several others also interested. Chole has put together an idea for training but hasn't put it out there yet. 

Given the number of DJs we now have, we are about to be in a position to go WEEKLY DANCES!!!

Keiko was trained in being a DJ but she never did it, and she's expressed interest in coming back, which is great.

Julian: What does DJ training consist of?

Mellen: Own a computer, versant with software, provide own music, building of the wave, dance with us for 6 months.

Waldorf Sound System plus Moving DJ to Free Up Dance Floor

We're having conversations with Waldorf about whether we can do less equipment schlepping. That's all there is to say now.

Blair: This week we couldn't get up on the stage because they had equipment there. It's a nice dance space with so many people. Could we experiment with getting smaller speakers on the stage to encourage more dancing up there?

John: We can't really control what's on their stage, so we can't count on it.

Kari: Nev mentioned having big speakers facing the stage at the back of the room with the DJ in between the doors. 

Mellen: Willing to experiment with it at the next dance when she DJs if people agree and someone would help her.

Rebecca: Likes the idea of moving the DJs to the back of the room. It would free up space on the dancefloor. 

Eva: Has anyone suggested that the DJ go on the stage?

Mellen: DJs started there, but now the stage is a nice dance space when available.

Deb: If we block off entrances on either side of the door it would help DJs to hold the space. 

Blair: Would like to experiment with moving speakers to the stage to optimize space for dance. 

Jamie: When we move the chairs, we have to LIFT the chairs otherwise they scratch the floors.

Deb: We could use more people for set up for Jan 28 to come at 9:30. Sophie, Maiki, and Kari will also help! Kari can also call some of the volunteers. 

Shelagh: Do we need to vote on this per Meraki or is it something small to try? 

Mellen: It's an experiment and a Wiz decision for now. When we make it permanent, then we can vote.

Blood on the Dancefloor

Kari: We have antiseptic in the first aid kit. 

<???> used water and paper towel. oooppss!!

Mellen: When we have blood, we should use disinfectant given blood born pathegens.

Lori: Alchohol would be better for floor than chlorox. Rebecca will buy.

How We Roll Updates

John: We're not really following the formal consensus process these days. He'd like to consider dropping saying that we "follow" the consensus model but rather we're "inspired" by it.

Proposal: Modify the document to remove reference to consensus process. YES

He will come back with it next time.

Tasha: What aren't we doing from consensus process?

John: Drop first sentence. Drop item 4. It's no longer the foundational document. 

Deb: John will updates the document in a way that reflects how we actually roll. Then maybe gather input from others.

Board Member Changes

Kari: Table it for now. Let's address it at the next meeting.

Open Discussion

Deb: It's been a while since new people have joined us. But to have new people come who are also new to dance is very special. Propose that Julian, Maiki, Sophie check in.

Mellen: How does the size of the group affect you? What's your experience with welcoming new people? 

Maiki: Marc invited him. Dance is super healing for my soul. Going to weekly dances sounds great. Grateful for making it happen. Dancing at PCD for 7-8 dances. Big group is good. The lack of pressure to do anything in particular is good, the invitation is there, which is good.

Sophie: Discovered ecstatic dance and is hooked. Gratitude for our efforts in making it happen. Lives near Farmington. Dancing with PCD 9 months. Being pulled into dancing with others is new. Appreciate the greeters, feel welcomed. It's very welcoming to ask questions at the end without pressure.

Julian: A friend introduced him to PCD. Feels very healing. Dancing at PCD about a year. Good size. Interested in hearing from us about how long we've been dancing. 

We each checked in. Many 10+ years, others 9, one officer (treasurer) only 1 year.

Next meetings

• Tues Feb 13, 2024 7 PM In Person: Lori's house 111 Alba (Mardi Gras!)
• Tues Mar 12, 2024 7 PM Zoom

Tabled Topics for Next Time

• Board member changes - Kari
• DJ pay update - Mellen

PCD Annual Membership Meeting Notes - December 3, 2023

Portland Community Dance held its annual Membership Meeting on December 3 2023 at Maine Coast Waldorf School, 57 Desert Rd., Freeport Maine

Quorum

Of 154 members, 19 attended, meeting quorum requirements of 10% of PCD membership.

Introduction

• Ingathering – Erin Powell
• Circulated attendance sign-up sheet
• Mellen and Kari entertained the membership with a skit

Reports

• Summary of 2023 – Kari Prichard, President
• Finance Update – Lori Harley, Treasurer / John Boynton
• PCD is in good shape financially, having weathered the pandemic with a surplus in March 2020
• Greeter Coordinator – Lily Nolan
• Lily is willing to continue as greeter coordinator indefinitely
• Wiz update – Jimmie Prichard
• The Wizengamot members currently are: Tim, Lori, Kari, Jimmie, and Lily
• DJ update – Mellen Deschenes
• 2023, 2024 Retreats – Lily Nolan
• 2023 retreat was a success, and took in less than $200 more than spent
• Planning underway for 2024 spring retreat, with 2 weekend possibilities: March 15-17 (St. Patrick's Day weekend), or March 29-31 (Easter weekend)
• Future Dance Location Committee – Lori Harley
• Nothing new to report on this front for a new facility that meets PCD's requirements
• Sound Equipment Sherpas – John Boynton
• He and Blair / Rebecca continue to share duties of transporting and storing sound system equipment
• Solicited for others to assist in this work, requiring a commitment for 2 consecutive dances: one to pack up and transport, and the next to bring early for setup
• How to help PCD – Mellen
• We circulated forms for dancers to express their interest in how they can help

Officer Elections

• Thanks to outgoing officers/board – Mellen/Kari
• Kari Prichard, President
• Lori Harley, Treasurer
• John Boynton, Secretary
• New Officer/Board elections – Kari
• We elected the following new board of directors and officers:
• Deb Grant, President
• Jamie Schwellenbach, Treasurer
• Tasha Salvo, Secretary
• Donning the Royal Regalia – Kari & Mellen
• Current officers ceremonially transferred hats to new officers
• Lori -> Jamie
• John -> Tasha
• Kari -> Deb (represented by Genevieve Levin, because Deb unfortunately was unable to attend due to illness)
• Out-gathering – Erin Powell
• Adjourn

Meraki Meeting Notes November 14, 2023

Present: Erin, Mellen, Kari, Jamie, Deb, John, Lori, Lily, Shelagh

Facilitator- John

Ingather/Outgo- Erin

Note taking- Deb

Time keeper- Mellen

Ingathering: 

Erin—something that brings you joy in the winter season

How we roll was reviewed

Last meeting minutes were reviewed 

Where can we dance

Lori—Reiche 78x60, Riverton Community Center 98x98

Discussed the floors of each, and other schools we have used in the past. Due diligence says keep researching these, and visit to get a feel. Recollection says these are not nearly as ideal as a place like Waldorf

Anniversary Party

Kari—Happy w/ the end results of our efforts!

2024 Retreat planning

Lily—Options are dwindling for 2025

Sentiment that we should have a retreat in Spring

March or June are possible dates at Ferry Beach

For high season we could potentially subsidize

We don’t currently have a cost/person we are aiming for

Seize March (when it’s cold and heat is questionable in the buildings)? We have October held; Lily will call a 45 min meeting

Annual membership meeting

Mellen—Kari and Mellen will co-facilitate

Mellen proposes approaching the meeting itself as perfunctory (aim for 45 min or so?), business-focused, short and sweet, especially as we recently had a chock-full and vibrant 10 year anniversary party. Potluck (rather than BYO meal). Agenda will be similar to the past. Hats/regalia will be employed

$200 Budget for Platters of food

Sign up sheet can be passed around for help for annual meeting: Set up, Clean up. Kari and Mellen will make the sign-up sheet(s)

Raffle at the meeting? Could do Royal River to entice people to join. We decided to table until next year.

Board and officers next term

Tasha is interested in being secretary- Kari will be in touch with her

Deb is nominee for President
Lori did not say she doesn’t want to be Treasurer any more

We discussed that we did not make an announcement to our community about officer election coming up. We need nominees. We need people to engage in our steering committee

Next year, let’s focus in on recruiting Meraki peeps. Post dance social?

What might we send out regularly to encourage participation

We reviewed that any future officers need to have come to Meraki meetings

Plan: 

• Email: annual meeting Dec 3; that we have candidates for Sec’y and Prez. That we need a treasurer. Option to meeet w/ interesteds after 26th Nov dance. Shelagh will write draft and send to John. Express your interest by Nov.25 by replying to sec’y. That you have attended Meraki meetings.
• In closing circle Nov.26 dance, mention the email that was sent, reminding/educating others about what it takes to run the dance

DJ Pay tabled. DJ’s need to meet/discuss

NY Eve discussion

Lori will let Mellen know about Dec 31 dates;

Mellen will put out the date to DJ’s, see what’s available

Get a read in a closing circle for a show of hands, a.m. or pm dance?

Next meeting dates:

Annual meeting Dec. 3

January 16 meeting at Lori’s 111 Alba Street, Portland

Evaluation

Future agenda items

How to get more engagement with Meraki

Meraki Meeting Notes October 17 2023

Meeting: October 17 2023, 7-9, at Maine Center for Taijiquan (Jason's studio), 500 Forest Ave., Portland

Present: John (Facilitating), Erin, Shelagh (Ingathering), Jimmie, Kari (Checking vibes), Mellen, Lori, Lily, Rebecca, Blair (Time), Tasha (Notes)

Agenda

Membership annual meeting

• Dec 3
• We need a facilitator. Mellen and Kari agreed to co-facilitate.
• We need a quarum of 150 people namely 15.
• Lori will request extra time after dance on this date.
• Potluck, members only. It can be short. 

Board officers

• Deb has volunteered to be Prez. Others could step up. 
• Kari makes a case for being Prez. It's awesome to represent this community. 
• Blair: "A turnip could do this job."
• John describes the other roles.
• Treasurer keeps track of finances. Specifically, cashing out at the end of dance. John serves as bookkeeper and will continue with it.
• Secretary: Takes notes, announces Meraki. John would like not to do it again, but would be willing to do it. John has it done it for 3 years. 
• All these people are on Board, which has ultimate responsilbity for the organization. We are required to have a Board but doesn't have. Board is supposed to be held once a quarter, which often overlaps with Meraki. 
• We need 6 people to have a Meraki quarum. 
• Board would be bottom line if we had to kick someone out of the organization. 
• Shelagh: It would be great to get new folks in these roles and encourage that. 
• Mellen: People who take these roles should come regularly to Meraki. We should be encouraging/grooming people to start coming to Meraki so they can move into the Board roles. 
• Rebecca: Has some people in mind who she would like to encourage.
• Tasha says she would be willing to be secretary if it starts after. Schedule zoom meetings. Delegate if not available.
• Lori says she is willing to remain Treasurer. 

Where can we dance (Lori)

• Mackworth Island is a new idea.
• Reiche Community Center has no windows.
• Riverton has a double gym.
• Yarmouth space has poor sound quality and was too expensive. $367 for our dance at community centers, which is expensive.
• At Waldorf we have to schlepp equipment. Idea of making a cabinet at Waldorf. For now, we are staying at Waldorf. 

DJ pay

• John proposes that we give DJs more money. We pay $175 now. Proposed $200 or $225. Also need to decide how to divide up the pay with trainees. 
• Mellen will bring this back to the DJs.
• Jimmie: How was it decided how much to pay the DJs originally? It feels like part of being a DJ is volunteering like many of us. Some DJs don't come to dance. 
• John: We decided that we don't pay for music or equipment for DJs.
• Blair: How much do we pay and take in per dance? 175 + 100 for the space + 100 for insurance. We take in about $500 per dance. 
• Mellen: DJs have to buy DJ software, mixer, and Spotify account. You now have to buy every song for $1.50 each. It takes more time to not link to Spotify. Some DJs use their own mixer. Most DJs spend about 10 hrs putting together a set. 
• Rebecca: Can PCD purchase a professional account? No. 
• John: Requests that Mellen take this discussion to the DJs. 
• Lily: How much do DJs spend buying music? Average of 30 new songs per set. 
• Kari: Playing a pre-recorded set is always an option and DJs get paid less. 

10th anniversary celebration

• Rebecca: A lot of outdoor activities planned but 50% chance of rain. If inside, cornhold, twister, wiffleball. Kari will find another twister. Planning for outdoor. Lots of fun ideas discussed for indoors.
• Kari: There will be a brief history of PCD by Deb and ice breaker for 30 min, dessert, then games until 3:30.

2024 Retreat planning

• Lily: There's no place other than Ferry Beach. We cannot camp in October though. March 29-31 is available, but it's cold and there's no heat in the rooms, just heat in the hallway and dance hall. Oct 18-20 is our current plan. Two night minimum. 2025 is already booked May - Oct 1 at Ferry Beach. Camping usually closes Memorial Day Weekend but not a fixed date. 
• Lily will put out a poll to PCD membership about how many people would come on these dates, esp given no camping in Oct and March is Easter.
• Do we want to wait an entire year for our next retreat?
• Lily will secure a 2025 date, Oct 3-5. She will ask if we can have the weekend before March 22-24.

Wiz update

• The Wiz: Kari, Jimmie, Lori, Tim, Lily, Rebecca (new member!), John (honorary member)
• They had a meeting recently. Reviewed safety/accident protocol established several years ago. We want to remember that our responsibility is only up to a point in terms of safety. Reminder that we announce that we are available and also can go up to people who look like they need support. 

Next meetings

• Nov 14th on Zoom
• No meeting in Dec due to annual meeting.
• RSVP requested for in-person meeting, text the host
• Lori volunteers to host in January for in-person meeting.