[Fg-general] Thoughts

[sean hill]

Thank you Graham for your feelings and thoughts.

I will reiterate.

I believe that the organisation you speak of is not possible as long as the
written, legal definition of membership does not extend to the people we
wish to include in our decision-making process. Without proper bylaws
defining the path to membership and the role of members and consensus-based
decision making, we will always be stuck in an uneasy balance where implicit
power structures are only held at bay by pretense, fallacy, and goodwill.

Currently, Graham, you are not a member of Free Geek. And we all need to
band together and figure out how to let you be one. If we don't, we'll
forget again and later just end up with a fresh batch of disheartened
volunteers when some new event highlights the actual shape of things.

This organisation was set up from the start to concentrate ultimate power
into a few people's hands. That was seen as the only way to ensure Free Geek
couldn't be taken over and guided astray. Unfortunately, it also left us
with some people being far too necessary and indispensible. This is not the
first time it has been noted that there is an underlying decision-making
structure, that Free Geek has bosses. The scars of these early wounds run
deep and have been passed along as people come and go.

Our leanings toward consensus, openness, and inclusion are a thin and
fragile veil across this underlying and contrary structure.

sean h


-----Original Message-----
From: fg-general-bounces at freegeekvancouver.org
[mailto:fg-general-bounces at freegeekvancouver.org] On Behalf Of Graham
Cunningham
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 11:47 AM
To: fg-general at freegeekvancouver.org
Subject: [Fg-general] Thoughts

Hi All.

At my volunteer orientation into FG (around October '08) it was impressed on
us that decisions are made by consensus here.

My experience of consensus in other groups is that everyone, from first time
attender to most experienced veteran is of equal value in decision making.

I now discover that there are some things on which I have no vote. I feel
deluded.

Perhaps someone with more energy and knowledge than I will propose that FG
becomes an organization where disputes are settled by a consensus of members
attending a regular or extraordinary meeting.

Graham Cunningham,
volunteer.
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