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Image of pink text announcing the "Town Hall" with event details next to a microphone

Juicy Takeaways from the June Ace Town Hall

Our community conversation was a blast at the June 2022 Ace Town Hall! Our members and leaders met for an in-depth conversation about all of the awesome things happening at Ace this summer, including:

  • Our mutual aid initiatives
  • Working towards sustainability
  • Finding the leaders we need
  • The New Dirty Fab (roll-up of metal, workshop, and laser)
  • Our brand-spankin’ new CNC machine.

Here are some take-aways from our conversation.

This summer in Mutual Aid…

Image of 6 volunteers, in wearing black with mask stand in front of an apx. 6ft stack of blue DIY Filter Kits
Two thumbs up for our 500 Filters Work Party Volunteers!

We chatted about our two major mutual aid projects this summer: 500 Filters and Book Bags for Kids. (see the calendar for the August Event!)

Q: Is there a slack channel to learn about these projects?
A: Yes! #Greater-Community

Sustainability and Finding the Leaders We Need

“Are you leader curious? Are you team curious?”

Ace treasurer and treasure, Steven, kicked off our conversation with a report on “how we survived the Pando.” We also took a deep dive into how to find and recruit new leaders for our board of directors so that we can continue to survive, grow sustainably and thrive.

Q: Can we visit the board meeting?
A: Yes, members can audit any board meeting

Q: Does it (board member) have to be an Ace Member?
A: No, though in the course of onboarding and being an effective board member, a person becomes an Ace Member.

Q: Is there a financial commitment?
A: Yes. It is not a set amount. It is what feels right for you and what you can afford.

Q: Can I grow into a leadership role?
A: Yes! We (existing leadership) are down to collaborate and co-create a pathway to leadership that works for you.

Q: What training is offered for inclusive leadership?
A: We offer a series of workshops every year that are designed to develop soft skills like Micro-inclusion for Leaders, Boundaries for Better Living, and Taking Care of the New Folks…When they are not like you.

We finished up talking about leadership with a discussion about what Ace members can do to get involved and/or support creating an “attractive leadership pathway.”

  • Bring up the topic on #general
  • Start a small group discussion (platform of your choice)
  • Book time with officers and leaders to discuss more in-depth
  • Ask for questions to be added to the next board meeting and attend!
  • Recruit directly

Dirty Fab (Roll-up of Laser, Metal, and Shop)

Image of a critter cartoon holding tools stamped in black ink on a beige surface.
Tools ready for Dirty Fab?

The major thrust of our Dirty Fab conversation centered on the need for more instructors!

Q: What does Dirty Fab need?
A: Dirty Fab needs people to teach!

Now that the Laser, Metal, and Shop programs fall under “Dirty Fab” we need folks to teach:

  • Metal Shop Basics
  • Metal lathe
  • Wood Lathe Basics
  • Any Metal Class Subject

The Brand New Ace CNC

Blue Plushie with Red Mask sitting on the tracks of a CNC Router
Saying goodbye to our old CNC machine!

Ace is getting a new, higher-quality, CNC machine and will be donating our old one to either another organization or a local maker running a business.

Q: Why are we getting a higher quality CNC?
A: The Ace CNC Router is the only public access CNC Router in the East Bay and it falls short of meeting the community’s needs. It is also a pain in the ass (P.I.T.A.) to maintain and our new one will help attract and maintain stewards and teams.

Q: Will people need to re-certify?
A: Yes. When the new machine rolls out it will be a two-track approach. One for folks who are certified on the existing machine and another for folks starting from scratch.

To Be Continued…

We touched on many topics at the town hall, and there is so much to look forward to at Ace this summer, but there is always more to talk about. The conversation will, of course, continue.