SCN: RE: Now what?

[sc at sdf.lonestar.org]

On Sat, 9 Jul 2011, Steve Guest wrote:
> 3) the use of web based email was stopped by SPL because they
> did not want the increase in traffic on their network,

Yes, this is a huge red flag. SPL's intention has seemed to be
for SCN to remain below a small nuisance level of bandwidth,
ever since the late 90s when I was in an SCN delegation at a
couple of meetings with their people who were lukewarm at best
on that.

If SCN could do technically and societally interesting and
current stuff, I think you'd have a lot more people willing to
volunteer and contribute again. As far as board members having a
dreary and onerous duty to go out and do fundraising, it's only
if SCN doesn't do anything that interests or excites a lot of
volunteers that there becomes a "need" for other types of
fundraising from City grants or foundations or larger donors.

I see the role of board members as one of making sure that
interesting, worthwhile and exciting stuff can and does happen,
stuff that the members would be overjoyed to see happen and that
they'll gleefully support with loads of volunteer time and
membership support.

There's nothing wrong with aiming to have $25,000 in $25 yearly
dues from 1,000 people, as SCN did have. That's an indication
that a thousand people value what it's doing. I'm not quite so
certain what a City grant means, but even if SCN were completely
fundraising-funded at the same dollar level, without at the same
time having any real support and interest among the volunteering
public, SCN would not be going in the right direction.

If you can be swayed by what enough volunteers feel they need or
wish for badly enough that they'd eagerly contribute to building
and doing those things, then volunteer time and monetary support
for those projects should follow, as it did before. Decline to
engage people in such a way for whatever reasons, and any talk
about processes and policies and board duties doesn't make much
difference. Thus ends my rant about what board members should
focus on.

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