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Bellingham Makerspace Newsletter

March 2023

Hello from the Makerspace! We have exciting news for you!

Featured in This Issue:

Bellingham.Codes March Meetup
Laser Engraving Photos on Wood
Arduino Hydroponics Workshop
Laser Cutter Office Hours (free to members)
Whatcom Cultural Arts Festival
Board Meeting Minutes
Volunteer Meeting Minutes
Volunteer Brainstorming Session Minutes
Upcoming Classes

Bellingham.Codes March Meetup

Bring a sample project and/or your curiosity to a free meetup with Bellingham.Codes, Thursday, March 2 from 6:30-8:30pm at Bellingham Makerspace. For more information or to sign up to attend, visit the online description here.

Laser Engraving Photos on Wood

Learn how to use the Makerspace laser to engrave your photos onto wood to make one-of-a-kind decor and gifts. This class meets Wednesday, March 15, from 6:00-7:30pm. Sign up here.

Arduino Hydroponics Workshop

Learn how to use various sensors and controllers to manage a hydroponic garden. This class is Friday, March 17, from 2:00-6:00pm. Sign up here.

Laser Cutter Office Hours (free to members)

Laser Cutter Tool Champion Jason Davies answers your questions about your laser projects. Free to current members and volunteers. Wednesday, March 22, from 4:00-6:00pm. Reserve a spot here.

Whatcom Cultural Arts Festival

The Makerspace has a table at the Bellingham Ferry Terminal for the Whatcom Cultural Arts Festival, March 10-12, 11:30am-6:30pm. The address is 355 Harris Ave. Register for the event here.

Board Meeting

There was a board meeting on February 16. As requested, the full minutes are available online here.

Topics:

Number and type of members
Garth Johnson's resignation from the board
Cameras and who has access
Proposal for fixing email, comms, website
Wiki training
Volunteer management software
Getting rid of ancient IT equipment
Classes
Tool champ office hours
Sexism/DEI concerns
Volunteers
Allied Arts Fair
Severance pay
Finance update
Public and open hours
Woodshop update
ARDC grant -- returning funds?

Volunteer Meeting: The Whiteboard of Problems

The February 11 Volunteer Meeting consisted of a brainstorming session about problems at the Makerspace and potential solutions. The full list of problems and potential solutions is available here.

Problems:

Organizational structure
Overall communication
Communication with volunteers
Finances
Woodshop and the lack thereof
Ombudsman/Ethics Committee (DEI)
Sexism within the Makerspace community
Missing volunteer data/tracking
Code of Conduct and incident report transparency
Documentation and accessibility
Safety concerns: tools
Safety: crisis scenarios
Consumables and supplies
Makerspace hours

Volunteer Brainstorming Session

A special meeting to brainstorm solutions to problems identified at the previous meeting gathered on February 18. The full minutes are available online here.

Topics:

Volunteer shifts
Keycards
Communication
Software
Training and orientation sessions
Code of conduct and incident reports
BMS insurance
Woodshop
BMAG
Allied Arts Fair
Makerspace hours
Mall hours
Who elects board members
Finances

Upcoming Classes

For a list of Classes offered at the Bellingham Makerspace, click here.

Laser Engraving Photos on Wood: Mar 1, 15 or 29 - 6pm
Intro to Vector Graphics: Mar 3 - 6pm
Intro to Sewing: Mar 4 or Apr 1 - 2pm
Intro to 3D Printing: Mar 5 or 19 - 3pm
Laser Cutter Office Hours (free to members): Mar 8 or 22 - 4pm
Intro to the Vinyl Cutter: Mar 9 or 23 - 6pm
Volunteer Meeting (free): Mar 11 - 12:30pm
3D Printing for Kids: Mar 12 or 26 - 3pm
Arduino Hydroponics Workshop: Mar 17 - 2pm
Intro to Vector Graphics: Mar 17 or 31 - 6pm
Intro to the Laser Cutter: Mar 22 - 6pm
The Co-Op Factory (free): Mar 30 - 6pm

This is a newsletter from the Bellingham Makerspace, brought to you in part by Grizzly Tools, inc.

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