Tentative Agenda - August 28, 2018

Agenda - August 28, 2018

PORTLAND COMMUNITY DANCE

MERAKI MEETING

AUGUST 28, 2018

7-9 PM

Maine Center for Taijiquan & Qigong

T E N T A T I V E

AGENDA

ANNUAL MEETING NOVEMBER 2018

SPRING RETREAT 2019

NEW YEARS EVE 2018

CULTURE OF CONSENT

CAPACITY

Notes from the Meeting on Building a Culture of Active Consent

Members Present:

Chloe Urban

Martin Steingesser

Nicole Gallagher

Neil Sattin

Oracle

Jason Ames

Basic Agenda:

How do we structure a larger community conversation about building active consent on and off the dance floor?

1. How do we inform new dancers?
2. How do we inform existing dancers?
3. What process is in place to address issues? Is it predictable and standardized?

Proposal from the committee:

We propose to have two separate facilitated conversations. Suggestion is to have a male-identified group, and a female identified group, in order to foster safety. And then each group can select delegates to come together to share the results from each group conversation.

The goal of the meeting is to talk about ways that we can promote consent on the dance floor. How do we get permission for a dance? Within a dance (i.e. as a dance continues)? How do we avoid (re-)traumatizing people who have come to the dance not necessarily to be “social,” but instead to find themselves through the dance?

How do we ask for a “yes” instead of waiting for a “no” (which would mean, generally, that a boundary was being crossed)?

How do we educate our community?

And what process do we want to have in place when boundary violations do occur?

Idea is that each meeting would consist of potluck/conversation - and potentially dance as well. Ideally the two meetings happen on the same night (different locations).

While we want the groups to come up with their own ideas for solutions, we also came up with some “seed ideas” that we thought would be good to be considered on their own. Those are:

• New poster that clearly communicates community expectations - to which new and existing dancers are directed by the greeter.
• Could potentially have a second “greeter” whose job it is to point out board, talk about consent, etc - so it doesn’t all fall on the one person there taking money.
• Video that people could watch that illustrates some “don’ts” and “dos” on the dance floor.
• Workshop that helps us engage in consent for/during dances.

We also talked about the possibility of having bracelets on hand that people could wear to indicate simply that they wanted to dance alone. If you’re wearing the bracelet, you don’t want people to approach you for dances. If you’re not wearing a bracelet, then you’re in the “grey zone” - where the consent conversation becomes more nuanced and necessary.

It seems like any of these items could simply be adopted by the Meraki - and at the same time because we want to foster community conversation, awareness, and participation, that we would go with the potluck idea. The meetings also allow for possible healing in any way that the community needs to voice what’s going on and feel supported by other community members.

ADDENDUM/COMMENT SUBMITTED BY ORACLE REGARDING REPORT

While I (Oracle) agree with most of what Chloe and Neil suggest, for the written
record, I do differ on a few points that I believe are important.

1) This is a society wide, cultural issue.  The dance community(ies) seem to
handle it better than society as a whole.  It is an opportunity to provide
some sort of service.  Framing it as a problem is, well, a problem!

2) I feel outside facilitators with broader experience rather than PCD-only
facilitators would be helpful from the start.

3) Likewise, I'd like to see us involve other Portland area dance communities
in this effort rather than limit it to PCD only.  We can only invite, so it
may or may not work.

SPRING RETREAT 2019 - AUGUST MERAKI, DETERMINE BY OCTOBER


FOR THIS TO HAPPEN, NEED VOLUNTEERS/COMMITTEE TO COME FORWARD.

20180828 Annual Meeting November 2018

PREPARATIONS FOR THE NOVEMBER PCD ANNUAL MEETING

Responsibility of PCD Board:


PIKA - PRESIDENT
POLLY - TREASURER
JUDY - SECRETARY


* Discuss at August meeting
* Nominating Committee for new officers
* Space Rental at Avant
* Communications to membership
* Other.....?


Submitted by Judy 8.21.18

20180828 NEWS YEARS EVE DANCE 2018

NEW YEARS EVE DANCE

***SOMEONE STEP UP TO PLATE TO LEAD THIS EFFORT BY SEPTEMBER MERAKI***


PCD needs a volunteer chair to lead this effort soon or it will not happen.  The chair will need to recruit volunteers and assume overall management of the event which includes:

* Finding out if the space is available and the cost (Kari has done some preliminaries on this)

* Getting commitments in September from DJs (a priority unless we go with canned music)

* Other aspects of managing the event:  finance (break even, cost of event), marketing event, EventBrite for registration, food, greeter line-up, set up (lights, decorations, etc) and clean up etc.

* Volunteer chair needs to debrief with last's year volunteer committee around what works well, what need to be modified for 2018

(submitted by Judy with information provided by Kari and Mellen) 8.21.18

CAPACITY - ISSUES AROUND INCREASING ATTENDANCE/MEMBERSHIP - ORACLE

Lots of new dancers
2018-0805

a) Just so we don't get blindsided but have time for forethought....  And not
complete thoughts or anything like that.

There are increasing numbers for new dancers.  There could easily come a day -
for weather or calendar - when there are too many on the floor.

How do we want to prepare for that?

b) Despite the increasing numbers, there seems to be a decreasing involvement
behind the scenes helping out.  Same old crew getting older.  Perhaps the changes
in the Meraki process might help.

c) How does this affect the container?  Behavior changes as container changes.

d) what other effects?  2nd greeter?  Safety?  Consent?


Oracle  (who is only putting this out food for thought)

Meeting notes July 24, 2018

LOCATION:  Maine Center for Taijiquan and Qigong

ATTENDEES:  John, Lindy, Judy, Martin, Oracle (no quorum; quorum is 6 members)

JUNE MEETING NOTES RECAP:

AGENDA ITEMS:

• Sound System 
• Meeting Structure
• Governance
• Annual Meeting (Nominating Committee/Selection of Officers)
• Spring Retreat 
• New Year’s Eve (WIZ, availability of space, deposit, report at August meeting from WIZ
• Culture of Consent 
• Increased attendance (new to PCD) 

SOUND SYSTEM:

Sound system is purchased, delivered and a mobile cart built for it and being stored at Jason’s studio.  Follow up between Jason and John for a process to handle “accountability” of this PCD asset. 

MEETING STRUCTURE:

Discussion of Meraki’s current (historic?) meeting structure and two suggested alternative structures; one proposed by Marin (the “wave”), another by Oracle. So 3 structures on the table; how to proceed from here?  Lindy acknowledged the time, thought and energy both Marin and Oracle have put into their recommendations. There are aspects of each of them some like and some they don’t. There seems to be agreement that having more skilled/trained facilitators for meetings would be beneficial. Also having a timekeeper (a separate role from the facilitator). Also discussed have a meeting “greeter” like we do at dance, and “vibe-checker”.

July Meeting notes

In August, we will try out Oracle’s recommendation, of preparing a tentative agenda in advance of the meeting (final agenda subject to approval of the Board) with links to supplementary information/reports by members proposing an agenda item. Members will have an advance notice of what topics will be discussed, and if topics are new or complex, have the time to thoughtfully prepare in advance of the discussion. 

GOVERNANCE:

Currently is “potluck” ~ not working (the core group attending is in and out and difficult for continuity).  Perhaps a traditional non-profit (9 committed board members) should be implemented. As of now the only vested group are the 3 current board members. This would ensure a core group to carry out the responsibility of attending meetings and doing the work required to keep PCD running. There is recognition that there is a difference of opinion about what is working and what is not working with how PCD makes decision. It is good to review what PCD has to do (the ByLaws, then develop the structure that works to support the requirements). Also discussed other alternatives like small board and committees who do work, meeting frequencies, calendar of annual responsibilities.  These items may be perfect for a committed board to do versus the existing “Meraki” structure.

TABLED UNTIL AUGUST

• Annual Meeting (Nominating Committee/Selection of Officers)
• Spring Retreat 
• New Year’s Eve (WIZ, availability of space, deposit, report at August meeting from WIZ
• Culture of Consent 
• Increased attendance (new to PCD) 

NEXT MEETING:  TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2018, 7-9 PM, MAINE CENTER TO TAIJIQUAN & QIGONG, 500 FOREST AVENUE

Meeting notes July 24, 2018