On-Site Evening Meeting Agreements
After review and much consideration, we’ve decided not to post the entire transcript from the Sunday evening meeting, taken with great skill by Missy Wilreker at Phoenix Fire ’06 (thank you, Missy). The original purpose of that meeting was for the Council to listen to the feelings of the community at large, not to make any decisions. Despite that, some proposals were made and agreed to, and the Council took and takes those agreements to heart. However, we felt it would not be useful to publicly re-air that the emotions and frustration expressed in the meeting and reflected in the transcript.
Portions related to specific agreements made by the Council appear here, with notes about current status (as of late March, 2007).
Two approved proposals:
1. Process for By Laws:
By September 1st, a preliminary set of bylaws, with a companion explanation document, will be posted on line.
30 days for review by community and feedback to council
15 days for council to re-write and publish revised version
15 days for final community review
5 days for council to create final copy
Status report: While the timeline spelled out here turned out to be completely unrealistic, the draft bylaws were posted in the Files section of the Fire Family Discussion e-group in early September of 2006. There was a small amount of feedback, and after review by legal counsel and the then-current Council, the bylaws were adopted and the Articles of Organization and bylaws were filed with the state of
2. Process for nomination of initial board:
The current council shall name the initial board of directors for the non profit corporation we are forming. That we will include new people who are not currently on council and some subset of the existing council as that initial slate of board of directors. This will be done in a timely manner with a call to community for nominations.
Status report: The Council, or the board of the new organization, was named at the retreat in February of ’07. Of the former Council’s active members for Phoenix Fire ’06, Jason Charleton, our medic, stepped off the new Council, though he will continue to serve as gathering medic and as advisor as needed. Tao Starbow stepped off the Council following the retreat, and continues to serve on the staff team as web master. Raven Marquez accepted the invitation to join the Council as a new member. As of March, 2007, the Fire Family Council is: Jason Cohen, Jasper Starbow, Jimi Two Feathers, Morwen Two Feathers, Raven Marquez, Rodger Osgood, Shimmering Wolf, Sylvia Brallier, and Una Gallagher.
There are two additional people being considered now to be formally invited to join the Council this summer. Members of the community at large are invited and encouraged to self-nominate or nominate someone to the Council by contacting a member of the Council to indicate interest; qualification and election will be determined by the Council and terms of office generally will begin at the annual meeting immediately following the gathering each year. A job description and qualifications for Council membership may be found in the meeting notes of the retreat. The specific process for bringing on new Council members is being developed by a Council committee and will be posted in its entirety when completed, no later than the August ’07 Fire Family Gathering.
A committee structure is being developed for the production of the annual Fire Family Gathering. Members of the community at large are invited and encouraged to participate in these committees, and in the teams that will be co-creating the gathering infrastructure on site. While the Council will entertain any nominations for Council from the community, as a practical matter qualification for Council membership is gained by experience working on committees and/or teams. Please watch the Fire Family web site for committee details as they unfold.