CC Meeting 25 July 2016

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COMBUSTION CHAMBER MEETING

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2016

FACILITATOR: Monkey

STACK: Pixie

SCRIBE: Kati

ATTENDEES: Henry, Bonobo, Monkey, Blister, Pixie, Kat, Kati, Beth, Clover, Decibel, Clovis, Edie Cosmos

TOPICS: Planning the Next Respect Talk; Standardizing Dates for Town Halls; Date of Flipside; Land Search Survey

RESOLUTIONS AND ACTION ITEMS

MOTION: At this time the CC does not recommend that the LLC change the date of Flipside. MOTION PASSED

MOTION: Fall Town Hall will be held, typically, the 4th weekend of September. MOTION PASSED

MOTION: Spring Town Hall will be held, typically, the 1st weekend in February. MOTION PASSED

MOTION: 1st CC meeting in June and November the Town Hall date will be confirmed. MOTION PASSED

7:55pm MEETING BEGINS

7:58pm LLC UPDATE (Blister)

  • Volunteer coordinator has created a volunteer database/management system. Discussed last Tuesday.

7:54pm AF UPDATE

  • 3 candidates will be interviewed for 2 positions.

7:55pm TOPIC: Planning the Next Respect Talk (Kat)

  • Do we want to have the discussion before or after TownHall. What kind of time is needed? Do we do it as World Cafe round table or full lecture/discussion? Who was here last time (out of towners, new people?) Last discussion was well attended for short notice. Approximately 40 people — some out of towners, some people who had never been to CC? Is it better to be separate (different wknd) than TH so people aren’t burned out or is it good to have it close so people are available. Workshop style would be a learning platform of interaction to make it inviting to people who don’t want to be talked at, combined with better timing and promotion. In last, Kat began with talking and then there was a great deal of talking by participants in the room. If it is directly after TownHall, you’ve got people from out of town, as well as people who are excited about Flipside because they just finished TH. People can be encouraged that if you are interested in FLipside, this is also an important conversation to join in the community. People who are from out of town, who have shown interest, will be in town so can can participate in an event they’ve shown interest in attending. Whichever one we pick, let’s stick to it so that people know there will always be important discussion after TH. We always have parties & tailgating, let’s talk about something important to our community is conjunction with TH. In light of out of towners, can we address it in a way that they can take this back to their communities — a crash course in the topic so they can share it back home. This way we can focus on message growing into San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, or wherever so people don’t always feel pressure to be here. Second on the idea of important community conversation attached to TH — great opportunity for “newbie classes” such as Burner Charm School as well as bigger conversations.
  • This conversation is also about the vocabulary so people will have the tools to begin the conversations of respect. If we break out in groups, we need to have 4-6 hours to thoroughly move from vocabulary to practice. Can we have food budget for a 4-6 hour course so people will be able to stay and be fueled? Is this a one part conversation or something broader that can be split into two groups. A deeper conversation about history of racism can certainly happen, but we can have a respect “beginning” conversation one or two more times first, as well.
  • Idea: If there are a certain number of words, if we could display & use them for additional discussion and can be used periodically to simply read them in the meeting room. Other thought, is it possible to have something split out – 101 and 201 or 101 and World Cafe. If we do it over time, we can do the 101 and later in the day have a 201. Another thing that might be beneficial, is to have a 101 and then a set date for 202. Maybe before that, training for people who want to facilitate. That might be good to do in the morning, to have it within a World Cafe situation.
  • Date for Respect Discussion: Sunday, 25th September
    • Noon: Discussion facilitators training
    • 1pm: Respect 101
    • 3pm: World cafe style discussion
    • 4pm: Respect 102
  • Announcement on official channels: Announce Submission form will be channeled to Announce and Flames, Burning Flipside Facebook, Flipside website.

8:27pm TOPIC: Standardizing Dates for Town Halls (Adam)

  • It is nice to have it mutable to account for special occasions of one-off needs.
  • Having a set date makes all of the other planning easier so we can always plan on that date in advance.
  • Set a firm date, with three (arbitrary number) exceptions that it can be moved for.
  • LLC likes to say “rules or dumb, but rules of thumb are not.”
  • If we would successfully post dates for the year would there be less conflict, especially if the dates were stuck with for the meetings/events. There are so many regional events that establishing a date will allow others to plan around the bigger events. Houston March, San Antonio likely in April, Freezerburn in January, so TownHall in February fits in well. Also, there is a Texas burn organizers calendar so everyone can see what dates are filled. Seems like a rule of thumb is the direction we are moving, but is this the meeting where we are discussing if we have a rule of thumb or where we actually set a date FOR the rule of thumb? If this is about the community, it is something that the rule of thumb should be flexible for other events in the community, but regularity allows the ability for community to join the event — almost like a New Year’s. If we are going to have a mutable date, we need to be able to announce that by a certain date, say three months out, the date will not be changed.

MOTION: To halt the discussion of TownHall date until the date of Flipside conversation is completed. MOTION PASSED.

8:45pm REGIONALS UPDATE (Clovis)

8:48pm TOPIC: Date of Flipside (Monkey)

  • This conversation is for a couple reasons: We haven’t talked about it in a long time so do we keep the sacred cow of the date or sacrifice the date.
  • There are several things that make it easier or harder, the biggest of which is weather. The rainiest month is May, followed by June and October for Austin, Houston, and Dallas. On our land, the historically highest weeks of rain are the two weeks pre-Flipside. This year (2016) was above average rainfall, but not by much, only approximately 20%. We’ve had several el nina, so these years have been drier than historical average.
  • Some participants have only experienced Flipside in the mainly conditions so it is what they know. But then a suggestion of new location came up so there is an excitement that maybe a new location would allow different weather, which leads to a different date might improve the event as well. We should consider changing it so the weather challenge doesn’t make people give up on the event.
  • The delineating mark for the rain in those months is 98the meridian, 2 1/2 inches to our 5.
  • Maybe venue is part of the deal, you have the parallel, but we have a water feature and a water feature has been historically significant — though it can be too full or too low.
  • The three day weekend is important to many because people can get the extra time off, especially many hard-core volunteers, so if we changed the date, we may have to consider shortening the event.
  • As long as I’ve been going, there has been wet, there has been dry. The date allows for college kids getting out, which might be third of our population, but families take kids out of school to go.
  • Some details that have been picked up when community members have talked about the date: Holidays are nice for three-day weekend. Memorial day: Many professional artists have to work Memorial Day because it is one of three weekends in which they make a lot of their incomes. A lot of people want holiday weekends, so it’s difficult for many to take Memorial Day because lots of people have already taken that time. As far as class, people who have the disposable income and time can often take it, but those who have less disposable income and time can’t go, often holiday or otherwise, but often less likely on holiday wknd.
  • Regarding the water, the first years at new land has always been gorgeous, then the water progressively gets less appealing. Onto scheduling, we can’t have a comfortable event in Texas May, June, July. December and February aren’t good months. But there are no sacred cows, so we have seven months, but not sure April is a good month because that rainy season moves.
  • A good portion of why DaFT was okay for 2016 is because the effigy was designed such that no machinery was needed to build the effigy because the lead knew the weather could be a factor.
  • Many issues are peculiar to date and location. When we do land search, which we should always be doing, we will be looking with a much beadier eye for history of weather and location. The process of moving location is not as big of a factor as the checkboxes for the date, it would be a pain for a couple years, but not too bad.
  • Is there a date that would be suggested? Early July has a heat index that is similar to mid-May. The best May is about the same as best July, but the best May is way better than the worst July. Rain plan however, is much easier for July. The cost of needing the right things for rain is much more cost prohibitive than getting the right things for the heat. “Magical date” is middle of July.
  • My main comment is contentious: This is a classist event regardless of the date, so it makes more sense to focus on developing new land relationships than to change the date, because the land is vital to the event.
  • I don’t think we have to be so concerned about creating the perfect burn experience.
  • This is a privileged event with a high barrier for entry, but this is also a transformational event that forces participants to adapt and react. Are we being masochistic with this land that seems to keep trying to purge us. But that is part of why I like going to burns, because it challenges me and I see what I can push through.
  • The weather for Flipside has always been fickle.
  • To LLC, is there a land search? What is actually going on for the land search?
  • Scott Sexton is leading the research for land search. If you are interested in helping – calling counties, maybe traveling to possible sites – contact him. He is creating a survey to ask the community about ideas for land search. landsearch@burningflipside.com
  • Any changes that are beginning discussion now would not manifest into a new property for 12-18 months. A location change is a long-term action.

MOTION: After a long discussion about the date of Flipside with respect to the weather, at this time the CC does not recommend that the LLC change the date of Flipside. The CC supports the organization’s ongoing quest for new land. MOTION PASSED.

9:57pm Return to TOPIC: Standardizing Dates for Town Halls

MOTION: Fall Town Hall will be held, typically, the 4th weekend of September. MOTION PASSED.

MOTION: Spring Town Hall will be held, typically, the 1st weekend in February. MOTION PASSED.

MOTION: 1st CC meeting in June and November the Town Hall date will be confirmed. MOTION PASSED.

10:05pm TOPIC: Land Search Survey

  • Does putting the land survey out to the community make it appear to be a democratic when the decision has to be made from many considerations when the decision can’t be fully democratic. Some considerations include, for example, distance from Austin versus Houston (2 to 4 hours, potentially); geographical considerations; weather patterns.
  • Just moving the event 1/2 mile could potentially completely shift the safety issues on the current land. We’d still have the weather, but safety would be improved. Location – E,N,W,S – is it convenient, how does it serve our community best.
  • The survey is going to be ultimately useful just to see how the community feels. There is not really a negative to having the community input on a decision.
  • Some people really like the idea of traveling further from their current reality to experience something different.
  • This survey lets us rely on the community to help provide ideas for possible land solutions.
  • Is there anything in particular that we need to tell Scott in regard to the survey?
  • There is a lot more on the survey than just the location. Shade, water, navigability, etc. So the LLC is definitely going to look at the survey to consider what the community wants in the land.

10:15 pm CC OLD BUSINESS

  • Doodle for CC retreat if you have not completed it, do complete. Currently, 11-13 November is the best.
  • Decision on date at next CC Meeting.

10:27pm End of Meeting

Next meeting: Monday, August 8, 2016

Topics: Survey & Consensus (Clover); Flipside as work experience (Prost)

FACILITATOR: Monkey

STACK: Beth

SCRIBE: ???