Attending: Martin, Judy Tierney, Blair, Diane, Mellen, Nev, Natasha, Dave (facilitating), Elvis, John (note-taker)
John reviewed last meeting notes from http://pcdmeetings.blogspot.com/. Dave collected agenda items and reviewed.
Wiz Report (Blair)
- Suggestion process slipped their minds
- After-dance processing procedure/policy: Would like it to be Wiz members who are present + Martin. Wiz takes responsibility. Can delegate to skilled non-Wizzers.
- Question about who makes announcement? Wiz will designate closing circle announcer. Nev: make it the job of the person who closes up?
- Shelagh: Idea that got dropped: have designated processors visually identified.
- Judy: message about processing should be consistent.
- Mellen/Martin: Word "process" too heavy/therapeutic-ey/granola-ey. Simpler to just say "questions". Diane would use the word "process" - make sure there's a weightiness component that covers stuff coming up for people.
- Transition: Blair, Eva, Natalie, Jimmie, Kari. Chloe/Neil out; Nev out but still contributing.
- Announcements board in progress
Tax/IRS news (John)
- We're now tax-exempt. Yay!
- We also received a refund from the IRS for estimated taxes we paid.
- John sent a message today to the lawyer who assisted us, but who dropped the ball after the first draft. Wants to close the loop and say we think we don't owe any more money. He asked Len Cole (the attorney) for confirmation that our relationship is finished.
@portlandcomunitydanc.com addresses
- John bought 4 email boxes @portlandcommunitydance.com. Concern about openness of current account, not knowing who can log in.
DJ Feedback form
- John asked about the DJ feedback form. Chloe is aware of updating with comment fields.
- How to handle submitted forms? John has been forwarding to Lisa and the DJ concerned. We voted to continue doing this.
Meraki Discussion Group (John)
- John imagines that a Meraki discussion group would be helpful. Dave: in-person more in the spirit of what we do.
- Nev: cycle of discussion/decision/dilution. Suggest master document of what we've decided.
- Diane: Idea of having a larger group is interesting, but not call it a Meraki discussion group. Not decision-based, but to share thoughts about dance.
- Dave: Does John feel strongly about this? Consensus seems to not have offline discussions. Voted to RIP the idea.
- Separate issue: need a catalog of decisions
Retreat update (Diane)
- Things are looking good. 45 attendees slated, the desired amount.
- Looking for 3-4 volunteers to stay to the bitter end to help clean, etc.
- 8 scholarships
Website update (Shelagh)
- New Wiz people are on the website; looking for some bios
- All: Thanks Shelagh for helping out!
Obervers who aren't dancing (Mellen)
- People who come are asked to join in, not watch. Who addresses this?
- Mellen mentioned to Deb, who talked to them, they got up and danced briefly.
- Concern about shy people not being pushed away. Some current dancers made a slow sideline start at dance.
- Want to be able to clearly differentiate between folks who are intending to join us in the dance, however eventually, as opposed to onlooker who might be stalking or whatever.
- If a person comes with a friend, perhaps a discussion with the friend could help.
- Wiz could pick up the ball with this to flesh out a policy/procedure. Perhaps we could not act individually, but consult with another Wizzer. If taking action to ask someone to leave, make sure it's not unilateral.
- Voted: The only case we would ask someone during a dance to leave a dance would be only if there's an immanent threat to safety, and only with two or more Wizzers or their delegates.
- Wiz: consider what they would say, how they would handle this.
- John suggested that putting feet into the circle is awkward and causes people to have to pull their feet out. Why not have a show of hands?
- Voted: DJs consider asking people to raise their hands instead of putting their feet into the circle.
Thursday night clarification
- Thursday night isn't pinned down.
- Nev: we had a group identified for Thursday dance, but it's fallen apart.
- Blair: Wiz not taking active part. Should be a Wiz responsibility, but Thursday night not clear.
- Nev: strongly feel that it should be a Wiz thing. So much simpler.
- Dave: Wiz just needs to coordinate to make sure it happens.
- Mellen's sense (and John's) was that Wiz didn't feel capable of taking it on. We just need a process. See if the folks we named earlier for Thursday Night.
- Greeter coordinator discussion: Dave/John: Greeter coordinator should be under the purview of the Wizangamot because it's an operational matter.
- Blair: Let's make Thursday a simple system just as with Sunday. Consider Greeter Coordinator the Queen or King.
- Proposed/agreed: Wiz take responsibility for Thursday night operations; discuss to work it out.
- Decided: Dave, Nev, and Elvis will take responsibility for next Fourth Thursday Dance.
Bates Dance Festival offer (Diane)
- Diane moving forward with Laura of Bates Dance Festival on a safety dance.
Aesthetic Concern (Martin)
- Circle of feet picture looks awful. Like we all have some foot disease. Shelagh will take up with Chloe and possibly get original from Deb
Cataloging decisions
- Nev/Diane want to have a catalog of decisions in a form that we can refer back to. Meeting notes not in an easily consumable form.
- John suggested a hierarchical outline form would be helpful, but doesn't want to do the actual work.
- Voted: Diane and Nev to wrastle this beast.
Bumper Sticker
- Dave wants to design a bumper sticker and bring the design for us to vote on.
Revisited ideas concern (John)
- When John raised the possibility of family dance, it was because of new information. He felt shot down and would like to say that issues come up from time to time, and it should be OK for that to happen.
- Nev: It's one thing when we revisit issues with new information, and another when we revisit stuff we've discussed and forgotten about. She wants to address this with the Catalog (discussed above).
- Dave: important that we develop this method of codifying decisions for the group memory.
Next meeting: Monday June 13, 7-9PM at Natasha Salvo's, 52 Bellaire, South Portland.
