March 16th Meeting Notes

Chicks on Sticks Meeting - March 16, 2014

Location: Articulture.  (Thanks, Deb!)

Chairing the meeting: Tara F.  Notes by Malia

In attendance:  Kat, Tara, Amy B, Nicole, Deb, Malia, Tonya, Soozin, Anne S.

Checkins

Kat: Great, thanks!  Cats are purring along.  Wants a different studio space.(*Soozin: Check out our studio!)  Going to Florida with Max!

Tara: Doing well. Quilts. Overwhelmed a little with work, keeping it up.  Moving into more balance, & is good.  Going into spring in a good way.  Redwing Barebones Retreat.  Enjoying moments to glide.

Amy B: Unemployment is busy!  Started teaching with HOBT.  Munich for Tri’s work, Paris!!  Teaching with Adventures with Cardboard.  Soul searching about what she wants to do when she grows up.  Tri’s health is good.  Fostering dogs.

Nicole working on Phillips project, w Mary Jo, Phillips history project.  Making jewelry.  Got into their 5^th shop, the Eclectic Goat.  Records and Rubber ties.  Chickens!

Deb: Been in Grad School world.  May 2016 will graduate.  3 classes, residency, and capstone.  Tools for helping artists and herself.  Personal self-evolution thru a business degree.  May move to NY.

Tonya: fulltime mommy.  Lillian is 4 yrs, Oliver is 16 mos.  Teething!  No sleep!  Mask over sleep deprivation.  Dad cancer.  Spending time w moms and kids.  Felting.  What’s the next chapter?

Malia: Taking a break from puppetry, though is still teaching residencies.  Healing Arts: has own practice started.  (Get a massage!)  Activism and Arts/creativity.  New ways to organize.  In a 9-month training program for Community Organizers, called “SPEAC” (Sustainable Progress through Engaging Active Citizens) at Hope Community.  Looking specifically at intersection of issues on racial equity and learning more about the issues that are up in other communities in the Twin Cities.

Soozin: crazy last year.  Mom, dad, and mentor.  What makes her happy?  Anne Carter meetings, career counciling, life-coaching.  What intentions to call into her life?  Contentment, calmness, and joy.  German heritage.Community engagement w people.  How do we get more parks?  What kind of park?  A plaza, a gathering space?  Pop-up festival wagon.  May 10, big celebration.  Reclaiming park space in front of midway Y.  Saying no to things.  Trying to get a permanent part-time job.  Interview at Episcopal Homes.

Anne S: Came back from Ithaca NY.  Mentor died suddenly, heart-attack, weaver.  What’s important?  What do you leave behind.  Was teaching too many classes at one time.  Scheduling.  Looking at that.  Finished a show.  Bejabbered.

Question on the Agenda: “Should Chicks continue to exist?”  Other questions, like values or finances, depend on answering that first.

Tara: How shall we go about talking about this?

Soozin: Idea: Post-its, name pros and cons

Anne: Can we frame it as Questions?

Tonya: Let’s start with General Conversation

Sidenote: how to twinkle-vote.  Block=fist.  One finger, ok.  # = enthusiasm,  Twinkles = totally

10 minutes General Conversation.

Amy: Where’s Sharon?  She brought it up

Tara: May be too busy working on stuff.

Tara: summarizing her concern.  Coming from a frustrated place?

Soozin: Overwhelmed with tax situation, whether we’re registered as a business or not.  Her name is on it.  Core issue seems to be about not having meetings = not having action on these issues.

Tara: A meeting got cancelled, so that added to the feeling that it’s not working.

Tonya: there’s differences between do we become a business vs. do we exist at all?  Legal responsibility?

Tara: at last retreat, 2 years ago. had thoughts about becoming a Federal nonprofit.  Became a state nonprofit, we’re in a limbo state. 

Deb:  Reading sharon’s email.  Taxes needing to get done.  “it seems most of the original chicks are busy doing their own things.  Biggest gig, children’s fest is under question, … Deb’s thoughts: We are having having trouble organizing ourselves.  Lack of clarity about values-questions could be holding us back.

Soozin: We had a retreat, and worked through with a facilitator, about some of these structural choices.  We couldn’t come to an agreement.  Since then there’s been a mix of how we exist as a group.  Some of the momentum is stuck.  Keeping the website up, keeping folks plugged into gigs.  Suggestions for teaching & doing things that didn’t move forward … had some meetings.  In 2011 we stopped taking notes and posting them to the blog-site.  There was a rally-period, then a falling back.  Tried to get meetings, not quorum.  Diff’t people have tried to push meetings forward, couldn’t decide how to spend kitty money.  We are really stuck

Kat: Who makes the decisions?

Tara: it’s about people’s availability.  If we’re not available to make time for meetings, we can’t move ahead.  It’s that simple. 

Deb: Has the stuckness affected how you feel in the project.  Lots of energy: if I’m not at the table nothing can happen-feeling.  Frustration.

Malia: not having meetings = loss of feeling of connection, sense of community.  It’s hard when the only way we communicate is email, and at gigs we see only one other person usually.  When we’re actually face to face as group I remember, oh yeah! I like being here with you.  I think we’ve let the community aspect of Chicks go, and that’s affecting our motivation.

10 minute mark.

Tara:   Process?

Kat: What’s blocking us from moving forward?  Because everyone here has shown up, it shows that this is an entity we want to be alive. 

Amy: it’s our 15^th anniversary.  I have photos.

Soozin: How much time do we have and how much time does the organization require?

Time for outreach, for teaching, developing curriculum, teaching strategy.  Time for taking care of business and administrative aspects.  Archiving, taking notes, updating website, etc.  What Chicks does, what it can do, and how much time / people do we have to do those tasks?  Another way of evaluating that.

Kat:  What is Chicks?

Deb: I came because I would be okay with closing down Chicks, but would like everyone to be on the same page.  I do want it to continue personally,

Kat: Definition needs to be more fluid.  Soozin is naming things that are beyond our current level of organization.  Otherwise it’s too big.  We can’t do that.

Soozin: Suggestion: Do a Round robin, of why people came to the meeting.

Kat: I came because I love Chicks.  I haven’t been stilting, not sure she can contribute.  Wants to be a support-person.  The whole idea of Chicks should continue to exist in some form.  Wants to get people up.  So empowering.  Doesn’t want it to fade away.

Amy: I came cause I want to see everyone.  If we are gonna end I want to be part of it.  Hoping we’ll decide to continue, and hoping it can be something broader than gigs.  We can decide on gigs without quorum.  If we choose to continue, let’s revisit quorum so we can entrust each other to make decisions.

Nicole: I came … impassioned by last meeting.  Felt invigorating, ideas, hard things.  Being able to see a light at the end of the tunnel of non-communication.  Wants to continue that.  As a face of Chicks, I don’t like to miss meetings.  It’s important to be present.  Needs to make it happen to be informed.  Was alarmed by talk of ending things.  Doesn’t think we need to end things.  It’s the longest relationship I’ve had in a collective.  Not ready to grieve that loss.  No! don’t end.  Wants to recurit and teach.

Deb:  Came, okay with ending or continuing, but desires to work cohesively as a group.  Honored to be part of Chicks.

Malia: Apologize for my role in stagnation.  Being one of those people with big dreams but not planning things well enough to make them happen.  Could step up more in terms of organizing.  In general, would feel a big sense of regret if Chicks ended, because I know it could have been more and I didn’t do all I could to make it that way.  I think about the young women and mentorship, and passing along the skills and spirit I’ve gotten from being part of this group.

Tonya: love being able to say she’s a member of Chicks.  Would like to see it continue.  Done making babies.  Yay! Can stilt again, would be sad if the group dissolved.  Also came knowing we have bumpy processes.  When that happens I think okay, there’s lots of other things I can do.  Would love to see things simplified, people feeling burdens feeling their burdens are lessened.  Came feeling it would be okay if it dissolved, because our processes have been murky, consistently.  How could that really transform.  Lowering quorum sounds like a brilliant idea.  Giving ourselves permission to make decisions.  Doesn’t have to be involved in every decision. 

Tara: Checking in.  More time!  One hour left.  15 minutes over okay?  All: Yes.  Deb: we gotta be walking out the door at 8:30.

Soozin:  Group dynamic.  Groups form, they storm, they norm.  norming phase, but then we went into a re-forming phase, and never got out of the storming phase to get back to norming.  We may be in a re-forming stage.  We have been functioning as a non-profit organization.  What would we lose if we stopped being an organization.  We’ve earned 15 years of recognition in this city.  In the past couple years we haven’t done any teaching.  Haven’t been able to get it together to make that happen.  Lose our website, our identity.  People’s individual identities, also.  She was Barebones, then went into Chicks, then into Public Domain Productions.  The time, as we get older.  In her 20’s gave her all to making Barebones happen.  Then there wasn’t space for that anymore.  With Chicks, how much of my time can I put in, and how much can I count on others to put in their time.  Looking at collectives, what are models that help them run.  We don’t have a lot of time to spend on things.  Some orgs have exec directors that are elected, to make sure things run.  Committees.  45 years old, loves to stilt.  Wants to do it til she can’t do it.  Loves performing, creating characters, helps me be in shape and be fit.  Gives money, but also that high of performing, being at a gig and representing Chicks.  Strengths.  Likes doing admin, being in a leadership role.  Also willing to assist and support as well.  Would be sad if Chicks decided to shut down.  Can also understand from a business perspective why we may have to shut down.  People have to do the administrative work too.

Anne:  Love all you!  Coming from where she just came from.  Thinking about where her time is, what lights her fire, not doing things that are stressing her out.  Loves creating pieces like what we did, performing with people.  Believes in the empowerment…. already teaches plenty.  Supports other people doing that.  Would have to feel she’s getting paid for her time.  But teaching isn’t her thing.  With the Chicks comes responsibility.  Withdrew emotionally from Chicks, got upset we weren’t able to make decisions, and all that energy and we still can’t make a decision.  There’s problems here.

Tara:  Came, a big chunk of her life in the last 10 years has been with Chicks.  Has shaped who she is as an artist and has been a powerful thing.  Would like to see Chicks continue as a way for other people to do that.  Growing pains.  Sturggle with how do we pass that energy forward and do it in a good way.  How can we be supportive of each other.  Alternative organizations like Chicks are blazing paths in important ways.  Some of these same conversations happened yesterday at Barebones.  We don’t know what’s next because it hasn’t been invented yet.  Our role is important, in finding new ways to do this collectively and have it work.  Feels like she’s moved on to teach in other places.  Has felt frustrations, barriers in Chicks, defining how we move forward.  Would like to investigate, if we do want it to continue, how can we pass that baton more gracefully?  Because new lifeblood needs to come into it.

Sharon:  Yes, it is frustrating to do the money treasurer stuff.  Brought it on herself too.  Frustration is not being able to get enough people together to make a decision.  The comraderie and creativity has gone.  It seems to be an organization that gives gigs to people.  Doesn’t want it to be that way.  If we decide to be a stilting company then we need to redefine.  And yes, we have backtaxes, etc.  We’re not going to go under financially, we’re going to go under because of lack of commitment.

Proposal:

Deb: Complete the sentence, “We want Chicks to exist, if… “(This gets addressed)

Put that on post-its.

Soozin: take turns organizing, see if we can come up with natural categories.

Process: We all wrote about 5 post-its each.  (written out below:)

Main categories: 

Decision/Quorum

Admin/Flexibility

Money

Values/trust

Membership

Meetings and commitment

Creativity: Community/Fun events (non paid) and Paid gigs

We all read them and put stars by ones that were resonating with us.

Tara:  in this short period we don’t have time to digest it all.  We need to record what’s there, and start to create some action plans about addressing blockages. 

Amy: We need to twinkle vote about whether we want Chicks to continue, to have some closure.

Soozin: 4 things had multiple stars on them.  If we move forward, that’s a good next direction to go.

Vote: Moving forward? 

Deb: adding: let’s put a time frame on it.  But we need to follow up on that in the next month.

Vote: Moving forward in the next month.  Hell no or hell yes. On a fist of 0-5.

Mostly 5’s, a few 4’s and a 3.  Pass.

Figuring out a date for a meeting.  Put 3 potential dates out there.  Narrow it down with ppl who are here.

Thursday April 10, 7-9pm

Thursday April 17^th, 7-9pm

Sunday April 13^th, 7-9pm

Space?  Articulture is nice because it’s slightly more formal.  Sunday for sure would work.

April 10 wouldn’t work.

Public Libraries let you use it.  Can’t have food.

Todd, upstairs at Nomad if we promise to buy beer.  Music wouldn’t start til later.

Soozin’s studio.

Malia will send out the notes, and the dates as well for people to respond to and decide.

Doodle works.

If it’s a Thursday, Anne will take on finding us a spot.

Sharon: Financials.

Found out we are not a non-profit, have to pay taxes.  Fed and State.  To pay state taxes we had to get an ID number, Sharon and Anne.  Anne because she’s listed on all the papers.  If she goes to jail we owe her a cake and a file.  This is the tax forms for this year.  We have to do back the past 3 years. 

$65.70 for Federal.  $43 for State Income Tax.  It looks like it’ll be about the same for the other years.  Also 1% interest and some amount of penalty.  We have $4000 in the kitty so we’re okay.  Paying website, Soozin paid $40 for Hawkhost for hosting.  Nick… pay?  It would be nice.  He charges $200.  We paid him, maybe pay again.  Gift certificate for Dakota Bar and Grill.  Not yet paid Federal Income tax.  Sent in forms.  Can’t pay with a check, you need a special account.  It has to be an electronic transfer. (has been interesting things like that).    Minnesota’s okay.  THANK YOU SHARON!!!  Can we pay someone to do it?  Tax preparer.  Went to HR block, didn’t want to deal with it.  Sharon has a friend that’s been helping.  Acting as a consultant. 

Pam Fox.  Malia will give Sharon her #.

Anne: have you taken your 5% for doing this?  Yes, but didn’t want to do a 1099 for herself.  Take Sharon to dinner.  Fancy stilt pants. 

Good process. 

Who will chair the next meeting and who will make the agenda?  Agenda: Deb and Soozin.  Choose chair at next meeting.

End: 8:20pm !

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Post-its, transcribed:

Main categories: 

Decision/Quorum

• Decision/Quorum (3 stars)
• Decisive, clear communication
• A way of making decisions in a timely fashion (at least 1x/mo), especially regarding finances
• Quorum and decision making were made simple and workable
• We have ability to make decisions (1star)
• We can WAY simplify the decision-making process (4 stars)
• If we can rework/create a new way to make our decisions (1star)
• We can let quorum go screw itself (2stars)
• We can reduce the # for quorum so we can have MOVEMENT

Admin/Flexibility

Money

• Make a strategy for how to let ppl dream and access kitty $ and a for a way to approve projects (1star)
• If we can find a better way to deal with accounts

Values/trust

• Values/trust (1star)
• We can agree on values to guide us.  Can be simple! (4stars)
• If we can talk about the ways we are disfunctional and work on that
• We can decide on some core values or a way to determine if a gig is or isn’t something we want our name on.
• We trust and empower one another (1star)

Membership

• Bring in new stilters
• We can get new energy from new blood
• New members! How to mentor and bring in more diversity too
• We can aceept more members and encourage them to participate (1star)
• We promise to make a simple written process for taking on new chicks (1star)
• We can devise a clear way to add new members (2stars)
• A straightforward, documented way of inviting new Chicks in

Meetings and commitment

• Meetings and commitment (1star)
• If we can find time to meet once a month or more
• We promise to meet next month to continue this work
• We can agree on a commitment for meetings (the February Proposal?) (4stars)
• People show up.  For reals.  (1star)
• We have more action from groups/follow through
• We can meet more often and combine efficient business meetings (every other month?) AND create informal social gatherings (4 per year?)  (2stars)

Creativity: Community/Fun events (non paid) and Paid gigs

• Community / Fun
• Creativity
• Sense of true community (1star)
• I have a regular opportunity to stilt up and explore moving with other Chicks (4 stars and a heart)
• We do more than just paid gigs (2 stars)
• If we can find an outlet for our creativity other than just doing gigs
• We can have more fun! (1star)
• Creativity—new show, dance, etc. (1star)
• We can do shows and dances
• Making creative work and performing in it (1star)
• If we can make new stilts/costumes more than once a year
• Gigs
• We keep doing gigs!  Maybe plan some fun performance event.  (2stars)
• Teach lessons, but, pay teachers.  (2stars)
• We have teaching gigs that are paid/fun (1star)
• We have projects that are paid and involve multiple people (2stars)