Meraki on Zoom - Monday, May 18, 2026

Meraki Meeting took place on Zoom Monday May, 18, 2026, 7-9pm

Attendees: Deb (Facilitator), Kari (Ingathering), Marion (Notes), Todd (Timekeeper), Kiara (Vibe Checker), Nate, Elise, John, Felicia, Tasja, Andrew, Shelagh, Devin, Eva, Brian

Meeting format

• Choose roles (Ingatherer, Facilitator, Notetaker, Timekeeper, Vibe Checker)
• Ingathering
• Briefly review How We Roll
• Summarize previous meeting notes
• Gather new agenda items
• Set order and time for items
• Attend to agenda items
• Schedule future meeting(s)
• Evaluate
• Outgathering

 

Published agenda

•  Discussion about raising price for dance - Tasja 
•  Retreat Proposals - Elise
•  Create a PCD Retreat Account
•  Provide financial support for a fall retreat at Medomak
• Where Can We Dance update -  Devin
• Survey Proposal - Devin  - tabled
• Code of Conduct - Emily - tabled for now

Added  

• Meraki Meetings  to be held after Dance - Nate
• Fundraising event pre-planning - Deb

Meeting Notes

Meraki Meetings - to be held exclusively after Dance? - Nate

Note: The last Meraki meeting decided to ask for feedback from participants in all three modes of meeting. 

Discussion:  

Felicia: Zoom is accessible, after dance is longer transition, meeting in person is challenging for her to attend

Andrew: Yes to Zoom, meetings in person on M/T adds considerable travel time

Kiara: Likes all three modes. Would be sorry to lose the intimacy of in-person gatherings

Tasja, Marion, agree with keeping all three modes

Kari: prefers meeting after dance 

Outcome: 

This Meraki agreed to maintain all three modes of meeting. Felicia will make a proposal at the next Meraki (June 14, after dance)

 

Discussion about raising price for dance - Tasja 

Tasja reviewed her presentation from last meeting outlining the expenses/income for NYA which costs $600 per dance, rather than the $150 we currently pay. The "sweet spot" is to charge between $12 and $15 and have three dances a month.  

Note: The current price of $10 is now fixed rather than suggested. The average PCD income is $8 a dancer given those Wiz members, regular tech helpers, and greeters who do not pay.

Felicia: Suggested a sliding scale of $10 - $20 with a suggested amount of $15 accompanied by thoughtful language to help people determine their appropriate price category.

Elise, Marion: link the change of price to a change in venue

Deb - notes she has a fund raiser proposal to offer later

Shelagh - open to raising the price

Nate: Don’t link price change to a venue change but just do it. It is reasonable to make the change; it wouldn't hurt to have more money.

Kari - we can focus on letting dancers know PCD needs money

Eva - Could there be an option to pay in advance? People might then pay twice, as she often does.

John - Let's raise the price when we need to. 

Deb’s (facilitator) synopsis: Overall we are open to raising prices while keeping dances accessible. This will require good language around people’s means. The timing of the change could be linked to a reason as organizations  sometimes need funds. 

 

Retreat Proposals - Nate/Elise

Proposal #1: Create a partition in the general PCD account for all retreat related expenses and revenues . . . The retreat committee will be responsible for maintaining a positive balance in this partition, but reserve the right to ask PCD for grants to the PCD Retreat Account to support the goals listed in the Motivation section.

Proposal #2: ALSO, requesting funds for the upcoming retreat at Medomack which is a far more expensive (and nicer) venue 

Discussion:

Deb - Current retreat committee has done excellent job at managing and tracking expenses. How to ensure the same financial accountability is passed on to the next iteration of this committee?

Kiara  - NOTE: Caveat from retreat committee - Meraki will still have oversight of this account

Devin - What would Meraki have oversight over? For example, if retreat committee writes checks for venue deposits, does Meraki have a say in where the retreat will be held? 

Nate: Currently retreat committee starts each cycle with zero funds. While the goal is to break even, the committee asks Meraki for an over budget amount (to maintain accessibility) and for an amount we can offer as scholarships. 

John: makes a Proposal:  PCD to grant $2K for the Medomack retreat and $2K as seed money for retreat committee's separate fund

Group poll taken: We are not ready to vote on that proposal (#1) - continue discussion at next Meraki.

Kiara: Does PCD want to give a grant so that this retreat can be priced accessibly or does the retreat need to be self-sustaining?

John: good retreats are a solid member benefit and so of value to PCD to support

Devin asks for a breakdown of the costs with and without the grant. She notes that we do not want to set up expectations that all retreats are priced as they were at Ferry Beach, approx. $190/person.

Nate: At Medomack, $330 is the actual cost per person with 60 attendees. People will pay more than at previous retreats.  Getting the number of retreatants to 60, even at a sliding scale, will generate more income than a smaller retreat with everyone paying the $330.

John: The retreat committee has done a good job of weaving sustainability with support

Revised Proposal approved: Give the retreat committee 3K toward the Medomack retreat.

 

Where Can We Dance update -  

Devin -

Lincoln and Lyman Moore venues are possible. We have spoken with the custodial staff, who will need to be on board if we are to use the spaces. The conversations went well. The next step is working through the school department bureaucracy The plan is to submit forms before we involve the community in sound checks and visits.

Lincoln Middle School- 6400 sq ft, some natural light, no HVAC and it gets hot

Lyman Moore - also ?? 6400 sq ft? May have HVAC, is on an extensive campus so open doors for fresh air is possible, there is storage on site, custodians staff seem happy to work with us

Note: Working with Portland Public School is a long slow process.

Tasja -

South Portland Middle School: a no-go. No HVAC, no storage, no custodians and only a commitment through August

NYA (North Yarmouth Academy) is expensive at $300 a dance (twice the price of Public school) but a lovely space.

 

Fundraising event pre-planning - Deb

The proposal: Create a blueprint for a fundraising event that we can then implement quickly when a specific need is identified. One example: if we move our venue to the more expensive NYA.

The fundraising would include silent auction items - our community is filled with creative people, artists, and service providers. The pricing would be kept accessible so success would not depend on deep pockets 

Discussion:

Felicia: We might also need to financially support members of our community, given the current political situation (fundraiser for this).

Kiara - love it, The events would feed the community and build community

Eva - love it, love Deb’s enthusiasm

Elise - Love the community engagement.  As a professional fundraiser, I know silent auctions are hard to do and rarely raise a lot of money unless auctions are geared to high rollers who come to the event committed to spending a large sum.

Todd - love it for the community aspect. It’s an event where we can talk to each other unlike on the dance floor.

Nate - There are certainly people in the community who know what might sell successfully

John’s note: donations to PCD cannot be claimed as tax deductions

Felicia: Reflects that this is a proposal that puts together a committee to work on the plan and then stand by, ready to move into action, when a fundraiser is needed.

Next Meetings: 

Sunday, June 14 after Dance at 12:30 - 2:30pm

Tuesday, July 14, in person at Eva's 7-9pm

 

 

Meraki In Person - April 22, 2026 at Rebecca's

Meraki Meeting took place in person at Rebecca's April 22 2026, 7-9PM

Attendees: Rebecca (Ingathering), John (Notes), Kari, Mellen, Jimmie, Elise, Blair (Timekeeper), Tasja, Andrew, Nate, Deb, Brian (Facilitating), Marion, Devin, Shelagh

Meeting format

• Choose roles (Ingatherer, Facilitator, Notetaker, Timekeeper, Vibe Checker)

• Ingathering

• Briefly review How We Roll

• Summarize previous meeting notes

• Gather new agenda items

• Set order and time for items

• Attend to agenda items

• Schedule future meeting(s)

• Evaluate

• Outgathering

Known agenda items

• Retreat Report: Kiara (Elise)

• PCD sponsored Workshops: Brian

• Code of Conduct: Emily G

• Where Can We Dance update - Tasja

• Proposal: Meraki Meetings to be regularly scheduled for after dance - Kari

  PROPOSAL LINK

• Discussion about raising price for dance - Tasja 

   

• Proposal: Share PCD’s PA speakers with Common Floor Contra Dance - John

  PROPOSAL LINK  

• Survey Proposal - Devin

Additional Agenda items

Meeting content

Retreat Report: Kiara Elise

Ferry Beach doesn't have any fall dates; we have reserved at Oceanwood

Survey: despite problematic food, Ferry Beach was still preferred over Oceanwood

Looking at Medomak, which is beautiful, on a lake, with a post-and-beam dance barn. Food supposed to be really good; they work with local farmers. It would be a really nice container for the weekend.

Because it's so nice, it's a little more expensive: about $315 per person + PCD costs (DJs and extra food).

They are hoping for a minimum of 50, and require a $2K nonrefundable deposit. They said though that they could make it work with 40.

Holding for September 18-20, but another group is looking at the same dates.

Both Oceanwood and Medomak are holding and waiting for a reservation

Retreat committee excited about Medomak

Because of the higher cost, the supporting tier would be higher than in the past

Marion: Earlier date for Oceanwood could mean it might not be as miserable as last time.

Shelagh: didn't catch total costs.

Ferry Beach: $235/person

Oceanwood: $265/person

Medomak: $315/person

Nate: We could survey the community, but proposes that we give it a try. Would be a risk. The retreat committee would need to have some kind of guarantee of support from PCD in the ballpark of $2000 (amount of deposit). As in the past, they're planning to do sliding scale.

Marion: How many people paid supporting amount previously? (Nate: 4 this time, as well as last)

Nate: The number of people who can afford covering costs doesn't change dramatically; the low end would be a little higher ($190) than before.

Jimmie: Would PCD be willing to subsidize a higher amount? Nate: That's what we're thinking. John: that would increase the "membership benefit."

Devin: We can also offer scholarships, even with the multi-tier approach at a limited amount.

Outcome: No definite action was taken, though the mood of those assembled were supportive. (Ed: Based on this support, and because another group is considering the same weekend, John requested approval from board members, and got PCD Board (Brian, Marion, and Jamie) approval to move ahead with a signed contract and deposit.

PCD sponsored Workshops: Brian/Tasja

Tasj: It's been tabled a few times, do we want to keep tabling? Went to a workshop last weekend with Devorah. Feels that there are people in the community that are happy to offer workshops to the community. Doesn't want to see the idea dropped. Great idea; can we keep it on the agenda.

Brian: Started a new job, hasn't had the space to do more with the topic. Jason in a similar space. Brian/Jason created a structure, had several conversations. Would love additional support and someone to take lead.

Marion: Is this in service of teaching people about the PCD Way? As in aligned with the Code of Conduct?

Shelagh: Remind us that a long time ago we decided to not partner with other organizations.

Deb: A Visioning question was how to uphold and maintain culture of consent, safety, etc. This was part of that.

Tasj: How do we get the ball rolling?

Outcome: no action taken; let the Visioning committee follow up.

Code of Conduct: Brian update

Brian read note from Emily:

Please tell the folks that I’m not feeling well and sorry to not be there!

The Code of Conduct will continue to be worked on by a newly formed group, Devin, Shelagh, and Emily.

Before the COC committee begins meeting, it’s important that the Wiz takes some time to get aligned around our willingness to support and implement the Code. For it to truly work, it will need all of us to actively uphold what it outlines in our participation in the community.

We’ll be gathering in the next couple of weeks to talk together about how we want to care for the community moving forward. As part of that conversation, we may also explore a possible shift in our structure, so that Wiz members can focus on the areas of responsibility where they feel most resourced, supported, and able to contribute.

Mellen: I assumed I was on the committee, but didn't hear about it. Shelagh expressed similar confusion. Not all interested are aware of meetings that were held.

Nate: Mellen can reach out directly to Emily for clarification/coordination

Brian: Emily has experienced it as a difficult process, feels like she's somewhat alone in leading, and would appreciate more support.

Where Can We Dance update - Tasja

Tasj: we were going to write a script we'd take to prospective facilities, with all the questions we have (square footage, floor type, parking, etc. etc. etc.). Tasja, Devin, Todd, and Sunshine investigated 36 places we've looked at, ruled out 18, leaving 18 possibilities. From their perspective, there are 3-4 possible candidates:

NYA

John, Devin, Tasj visited. Available Sunday mornings. A gym. (Tasj has pictures). Expensive ($200/hr). Scattered free parking. No A/C. (No A/C or windows in any of the gyms) Outdoor space (not private) we could use. Really nice (John takes issue with that characterization).

Assuming same number of dances, etc. Did number crunching. If we had 3 dances month, charged $12/dance, we'd break even. Devin: $450/dance is breakeven based on current participation and $10/dance. 

Falmouth Community Center (Mason Motz Community Center),

Beautiful newly done hardwood floating (not sprung) floor. Arched ceiling w/ acoustic tiles. Large ceiling fans; we'd have to keep the doors closed. Not available in the mornings; not available every Sunday afternoon. 6 weeks in April has indoor soccer. Parking 50 on-site, 25 on street, not a lot of flexibility. $50/hour; Tasj paced out estimate 3000 sq. ft. Court is 60x40.

South Portland Middle School

Brand new middle school 10 minutes from Portland Regulation basketball Gym. Available Sunday AMs pending custodial staff. 1 time/quarter booking fee + hourly: $275/dance including custodial fees (check with them next time).

Holy Cross School

Church competes for parking in the morning. Gym has windows, but noise competition. 2720 sq. ft., with storage. Didn't get a price yet, but seems affordable. Lot could accommodate all of us, but parking across the street.

(Devin Possibly: Portland Public schools) Reiche (pronounced RI-KEE) is a possibility, East-End also, both pending custodial availability. Each would be $315/dance. Other schools would be $236/dance. Deb: Liked Reiche the most. Deering High another possibility. Devin following up with Portland schools. Mellen: school custodial availability is an ongoing risk. Private schools would be a better option.

Deb questions about negotiability of the rate with NYA; we checked, and there's no flexibility. 

Tasj is going to be off the committee starting in June, leaving Devin as lead.

Discussion about features and parking, etc.

Deb happy to be DJ point person for the in-person meetings. Before June if possible.

Nate: Hearing strong candidates NYA, South Portland. Let's start with those two, not worry about the other ones.

Outcome: We'll pursue NYA and South Portland as primary candidates. (Ed: Devin is also continuing discussions with Portland Public School system.

Proposal: Meraki Meetings to be regularly scheduled for after dance - Kari
PROPOSAL LINK

Kari: Last meeting in person after dance was lovely. In a practical sense, we didn't have to schedule another date and time. Noticed lack of attendance for in-person hosted and Zoom meetings. (Summarized proposal,)

The idea would be to have meetings every 2 months, always holding after dance.

Deb: likes the idea of every other (instead of every). There's a benefit of having meetings in a smaller gathering.

Beck: Likes the idea of doing more meetings in person after dance. Also: Read notes! When we skip a month, we pay for it. Every other meeting at Beth El?

Brian: like after dance, and we do need monthly meetings. Never a lack of things to discuss.

Tasj: I'm implicitly hearing that Zoom meeting are less effective - should we eliminate them?

Shelagh: I don't like this idea; history: We used to always be in person on Tuesday night. We wanted to widen the umbrella. Trajectory: Have as many roads in as possible. As neurodivergent, the bigger meeting, the more horrible the experience. Goes against what the intention was to make meetings accessible.

Beck (to Shelagh): Would you be interested to do Zoom at an in-person meeting? Shelagh: Doesn't like Zoom meetings, but easiest for her to attend.

Marion: Important to have some smaller meetings

Brian: Am I hearing that you would like Zoomable meetings? Shelagh: 2 questions: What I would like as compared to the group intention. (Lives on an island, so in-person in evening is a late night home.)

Brian: goal is to increase participation

Deb: vibe check break

Mellen: Zoom hasn't met the purpose

Nate: Hearing lots of good ideas, but no support for the proposal. Let go of it, and there are a lot of good ideas like getting rid of Zoom, etc. There's not support for this proposal.

Nate: I can offer a tidy proposal. Every other Meraki meeting after dance. Smaller, in-person meetings could have a Zoom-in option. Deb: Let's start that in September.

Outcome: Proposal not adopted. Not resolved. We'll keep it on the agenda.

Discussion about raising price for dance - Tasja

Out of time - tabled. John threw a wrench in the works by suggesting that we couple this with where can we dance; we don't need to raise fees until we need to.

Proposal: Share PCD’s PA speakers with Common Floor Contra Dance - John
PROPOSAL LINK

John presented proposal as written; discussed; Outcome: proposal adopted with the caveat that we revisit in 6 months to see how it's going.

Survey Proposal - Devin

Presented the idea, but discussion tabled. Questions about understanding the community better. Vibe check feels important. A lot of things in the work now with the new space discussion. Outcome: Devin will put together questions to bring to the next meeting.

Next Meraki: Monday May 18 7-9 PM on Zoom

Meraki March 15 2026 in-person after dance

23 Attendees (wow!): Andrew, Blair (Timekeeper), Brian (Facilitator), Emily, Emma, Felicia, Henry, Jay, Jimmy, Kari (In/Outgatherer), Kiara, Lori (Note aker), Marion, Mellen, Noah, Rebecca, Robin, Sadie, Syd, Steve, Sunshine, Tasja (Vibe Checker), Todd G

Meeting Format

• Choose roles 
• In-gathering
• Briefly review How We Roll
• Summarize previous meeting notes 
• Gather new agenda items: Survey of PCD dancers, Where Can We Dance update
• Set order and time for items
• Attend to agenda items
• Schedule future meeting(s)
• Evaluation
• Out-gathering

Published Agenda

• Retreat update: Kiara
• PCD sponsored Workshops: Brian (TABLED)
• Code of Conduct: Emily G

Added

• Survey of PCD dancers: Tasja, on behalf of Devin
• Where Can We Dance update: Tasja

 

Retreat update: Kiara

(Committee: Nate, Elise and Kiara) Multi-year planning with Ferry Beach in Saco is tricky; we will never have access to Ferry before the end of October, given the long-term preference for the other existing, recurring renters (e.g. church groups). Also, booking into the future does not procure a better price, it just ensures that space is saved for us.

Our Spring 2026 retreat currently has 45 registrants; we can go up to 60 and indeed do expect some last-minute registrants even though formal registration has closed. Even so, these 45 participants have already allowed us to break even. Reminder: we pay per room, not per person, so yes, it does behoove us to put more people into each room.

Currently holding/considering at Ferry Beach:

    Mar 19 – 21, 2027

    Oct 29 – 31, 2027

    Mar 31 – Apr 2, 2028 or Apr 21 – 23, 2028* 

    Oct 27 – 29, 2028

    *later date preferred by informal vote of those present

Next Steps: Kiara is holding the above dates until she actually sees and can review the details of the contract (forthcoming from Ferry; not available by today's Meraki). It will be up to Meraki to approve dates.

Reminder from Kiara: while it is true that there has been general consensus around Ferry having generally better amenities and location than Oceanwood Conference Center, we need not feel like we can book only Ferry.

PCD sponsored Workshops: Brian

TABLED

Where Can We Dance update: Tasja 

- Current deal-breaker for the Boys & Girls Club (BGC): they would require—but don’t presently have—a staffer to be present during PCD activity (set-up, dance, break-down).

- Brick Hill went flat (see previous Meraki notes for more details).

- Where Can We Dance committee resurrected (Devin, Tasja, Emily, Noah) motivated by Temple Beth El’s floor and its identity as a sectarian place of worship. 

    First step: culling the current list of 80 spaces down to 30 which seem worthy of follow-up (some are new, some are ancient and may have new circumstances, some have as-yet incomplete data). 

    Next step: the committee will write a script with which a broader group of volunteers will use to make those follow-up calls/inquiries. Volunteer callers: Jay, Kiara, Rebecca, Sunshine, Syd, Todd.

Code of Conduct (CoC): Emily G

(Committee which formulated the CoC draft: Emily, Alex, Mellen, Dave S, Jess) Emily described the CoC as a distinct and separate protocol from the Wiz’s existing ReFlow for how to deal with difficult issues which come up in the dance community. Also to consider: would Wiz be the sole body to follow up on CoC concerns, or might that role include others in the broader community. Wiz waiting until May to meet and speak in depth on this subject (so as to ensure more Wizzers can participate); Felicia has volunteered to help Emily continue representing the CoC since this process is moving more slowly than she anticipated and spring will pull her time and focus back to her work.

Rebecca sought and received clarification about the two notes at the end of the current draft:

• “no history of old reports”: Emily is concerned that there be access to historical knowledge of past grievances so that as new grievances arise there is a context in which to place them.
• “CoC needs ‘teeth’ to kick someone out for anonymous reports”: Emily confirmed that there might be interest in using anonymous and/or outside-of-PCD reports of grievances to trigger the ability to kick someone out. And furthermore, that those with a grievance should not have to bear full responsibility for their own safety; they should also have support from the community.

Rebecca expressed support for having two avenues to report distressing events: ReFlow supports the individual who has felt boundaries were crossed whereas the CoC could allow the community/Wiz to speak directly to the individual who has had problematic behavior. 

It is intended that a lawyer look at the draft.

Survey of PCD dancers: Tasja, on behalf of Devin

Tasja read Devin’s email to the group. Devin is interested in developing a survey which will get to the heart of what the PCD community wants—particularly in regards to space, culture, safety, and retreats. Would Meraki be interested in her spending time developing questions for such a survey? 

Without Devin present to answer questions, the group mused about the concept of a survey, what information it might gather (e.g. how does the PCD dance serve its community?), and what might be done with that information (e.g. noting that it might also help inform the Where Can We Dance committee). 

Mellen noted that three years ago, a survey successfully gathered a list reflecting people’s willingness to volunteer in various capacities (e.g. greeting, etc.).

Brian not opposed to a survey, but wanting to establish what the gathered information would be meant to accomplish.

The group agreed that it is interested in learning more about Devin’s motivation behind and vision for this survey, and would like that to happen before Devin would spend any time creating survey questions.

Next Meetings

Tuesday, April 21 in person, at Rebecca's; Note Taker: Brian

Monday, May 18 on Zoom; Note Taker: TBD

Meraki Meeting February 9, 2026 on ZOOM

 

Meraki Monday February 9, 2026 on ZOOM

Attendees: Marion, Andrew, , James G, Marc F, Kiara, Shelagh, Emily, Tasja, Jennifer D, Devin.  Deb: in-gatherer, Andrew: out-gatherer, John: facilitator,  Kiara : timekeeper, Brian: vibe checker, Rebecca: notetaker 

Meeting Format

• Choose roles 
• In-gathering
• Briefly review How We Roll
• Summarize previous meeting notes 
• Gather new agenda items : sound equipment sharing, update on review of castle, sound quality issues, 
• Set order and time for items
• Attend to agenda items
• Schedule future meeting(s)

Evaluation

• Out-gathering

Published Agenda

• Spring Retreat update - Kiara, Nate (changed to Kiara, Deb)
• PCD sponsored Workshops - Brian. 
• Reinvigorate Search Committee - Tasja
• Update on Boys & Girls Club - Tasja 
• Attendance Counting Support Proposal
• Proposal: Attendance support at dance opening - Brian
• • Have one designated person help count attendance at the beginning of dance. This person would receive free entry in exchange for counting attendees from 12:45–1:15. After 1:15, the responsibility for tracking attendance would transition to the greeter. This approach ensures accurate early counts without adding ongoing workload or cost, and supports a smoother start to the event.
     
    The purpose of this counting is to give us an accurate idea of how many people are coming to each dance. With this information we can make a better informed decisions around future planning. 
    
    
    Added Agenda Items:

•  Sharing Sound System: John B
• Code of Conduct: Emily G
• Problems with Sound System recently: Emily G

 

Spring Retreat update - Kiara/Deb

The committee is Nate, Elise and Kiara. No Contract signed yet (due 3/9). Committee is meeting weekly, currently considering whether to have Ferry Beach do the registration process or use our pre-existing registration process.  Likely they will not use Ferry Beach's registration process and opt for use ours.  

Three DJs are committed.  Several options for the 4th set: Nev is considering, Mark will offer a pre-made set but not attend.  They are not considering the DJ trainees for the retreat. They will consider another option for the 4th set: contact jam, guided movement, pre-recorded set, talent show etc.  Group solicited for ideas for the 4th set which Deb collected

John: can we schedule multi year contract for annual retreats with a set rate at Ferry?

Kiara: we can discuss this now or she can gather information about what possible dates would be available

Devin: would we get better dates if we signed a multi year contract? Consider that the campground is open in May

Kiara: consider that warmer dates could mean less attendance as people are often busier in later Spring, she will check with Ferry about availability and report back

 PCD sponsored Workshops - Brian

TABLED

 Reinvigorate Search Committee - Tasja 

Tasja: Given the recent discussion about issues holding dance at Temple Beth El, there was some general questions about whether to have a new, active official search committee.  The former committee (Mellon, Lori H, Kari) still has the  spreadsheet with at least 60 venues that have been explored. Kari is willing to serve as a consultant to a new committee. Karl L has been a significant help with assessing spaces as well.   How should we go about starting a new committee?

Devin: Is attendance committee's report relevant to this decision? What are the other reasons to change location?

Tasja: more space, decrease the accessibility issue raised by the location in a temple, and to find a more permanent home.  Will need to address whether to continue to look for sublease space vs owning a space

Emily: offers to join Search committee, 

Devin: offers to join Search Committee

John: how about Tasja?

Tasja: willing, but not available this summer

Brian: Kari has offered to be a consultant 

Deb: there may be value to an adjunct committee--others who would be willing to go look at locations with the committee.

Tasja: This raises the question of who to reach out to if we want to go look at a place?  In the past, we have contacted a group of regular Meraki attendees,  most people at this meeting have agreed to be available.  

Rebecca: could the new Search Committee gather together the names of those interested in looking at places.

Shelagh: what about lease/own options?  The Vision Committee was considering how to guide PCD's growth perhaps in that direction

John: PCD doesn't have the current capacity to consider a lease for a larger space that involves renovations/subleasing etc.  This larger endeavor would increase our scope/purpose beyond what our scope currently is.   

Rebecca: agreed, looking at lease/own is beyond the scope of this volunteer organization

Kiara: agreed, that is beyond PCD scope

Devin: This new search committee (Devin, Emily, Tasja) will focus on rental options, they will reach out to the previous Search Committee for starters. 

 Update on Boys & Girls Club/Castle - Tasja 

Tasja: Several folks were going to go to Boys&Girls Club (BGC), but ICE was active in the area and the BGC couldn't coordinate a time to meet at this point.  Tasja has seen it before. General description: Big gym, tall ceilings, light coming through windows above, sprung hardwood floor created by Maine Celtics,  their logo on the floor, bleachers. No HVAC or ventilation, no a/c.  Heated, but "can be chilly". Very affordable: $62/hour  Parking: Sunday morning downtown, unknown how difficult that would be.  She suggests we do a trial dance on a Sunday morning and see.  

Devin: churches may take up parking in the area.  Would we change the time, afternoon dance might mean better parking and some people prefer the afternoon time. 

Rebecca: do bleachers move up (prob not). Prior to Avant, we danced in 2-3 gymnasiums in the Portland area and it was a good experience

John: Castle is only a lease option, do we want to even talk any further about this?

Beck: let's add it to the Search Committee's list with the caveat that it requires renovation and a lease

Tasja:  Note that it's a rectangular space, needs some buildout, zoning likely won't allow for dance.  

Rebecca: if zoning is the limit, we could potentially figure out how we could comply with zoning regulations,e.g. there is a way for us to make a case that we do skill training/education

Jen D: She works below and is familiar with the space, the owner wants tenants and would readily work with us, it could be a useable space if we did some renovations.

Tasja: loved the space

Shelagh: encourages others who are interested in space to look through past meeting notes for more background/info

Proposal: Attendance support at dance opening - Brian  

See proposal above. Brian has done the vast majority of the counting since June, 2025 and is looking for approval of the proposal to help increase participation in counting attendance.

Tasja: Lori had the clicker and let people in at the door which helped decrease cold air coming in, nice way to greet people and keep track of numbers. 

Shelagh:  how long are you going to do this for?

Brian: count until June for a years worth of numbers

Emily: would it work to have two greeters instead?

Rebecca: do you still want to count closing circle?

Kiara: Here's another type of proposal, if we did preregistration, we would automatically take care of counting the numbers.

Brian: Good idea, but that's not what we're doing now.  He will cont to count closing circle. 

Tasja: let's do two greeters

Devin: it might be nice to get two greeters, they could cover for each other

Shelagh: supports two greeters

Brian: Let's vote on the current proposal which is just for one counter.  That's a different proposal if we increase to two greeters 

Jen D: love the two greeter idea. Let's tell the community that we're growing as a community and need more support. 

Brian/ John: Let's vote on this proposal, and add another proposal later about increasing to two greeters. 

Proposal as it exists was voted on:  passed unanimously!

Rebecca: Regarding increasing the number of greeters, please include Lil if there is a proposal to change to two greeters. She has been the Greeter Coordinator for a long time and this decision needs to include her. 

Sharing Sound System

 IntownContra  uses the same space once/month on Sunday evenings. Alex, who coordinates the group,  is interested in sharing our sound system, they have to lug their sound system in every time. 

Beck: how does it benefit us?

Tasja/Emily: Benefit is community collaboration

Kiara: how much does our equipment cost ($800 each).  Should they use their own cables?

John will bring proposal next time

Code of Conduct (CoC)

The committee met: Emily, Alex, Mellon, Dave S, Jess and created a rough draft

Emily presented the rationale for a CoC: We don't have a document that says don't harass each other, there is no formal protocol for holding others accountable to a code of conduct. With a CoC, every participant reads it and signs it.  Our community as a whole agrees to and supports these expectations of conduct.   

They are editing and reviewing their first draft, then will send it to the Wiz since it involves the Wiz's participation.  Emily will also include anyone else who wants to see the draft, Emily has the names of those who would like to review it and will send the rough draft out via email for feedback from Wiz and others.   

Devin: will a lawyer look at it? 

Emily: a Code of Conduct doesn't have any legal weight, but it could help 

Devin: it's like a waiver, people could  read it and sign it. 

PROBLEMS WITH SOUND SYSTEM

Emily noticed treble sounds that were audibly uncomfortable, especially with this last dance and also other dances.  

John: Dina asked John to attend next DJ meeting.  Every DJ has a different set up and there is some info that exists about how to interface, but there are varying degrees of expertise and setup systems.  John will assist them

Emily: is there a way to do a sound check to verify the sound system is working well

Brian:  can help with the basics, happy to learn more.  

Jen D: as a DJ in training, she saw a tech message in the DJ Chat that was offering a Sound Engineering training, Gary G and Mark could help with this as well 

John: could there be a daylong workshop where every DJ learns how to interface with our system

Devin: could there be other sound back up support positions besides John

John: Brian has been learning to do sound support

Evaluations done!

Outgathering:  Andrew read The Sacred Dance of Life by Hafiz

Next Meetings

Sunday March 15 after dance--Lori will be note taker; 

Tuesday, April 21 in person, locationTBD . John will be note taker.