The Lounge

For newer members and the uninformed these threads contain a lot of non factual commentary. I am working on compiling everything I can. However my priority has been contributing to the move of the Makerspace.

Minutes to our meetings for a considerable time have always been available in the documents section of the website and linked to many times on the forum despite conspiracy theories around "transparency" Please post in the forum if there is trouble accessing documents. It may be a while before it can be addressed, however in due time it will be. Record keeping and distributions is done 100% by people working for free and there are challenges. We aim to do our best, we have real life jobs and obligations that can impact administrative tasks.

Thank you for filling in more of the information of the history of the Kamloops Makerspace. Like Donald and others, I appreciate history and context and the more that can be done to leave a bread crumb trail of what has happened before, the better. When the first Makerspace Forum was deleted and the first years of that history were memory-holed, the history and context of much of what has developed since was lost, unfortunately.

On that note, I do not see a database of Board and Member Meeting minutes anywhere; does such a compendium exist? I can only speak to the 2 years I was Secretary and 1 year Chair and say that we used Google Docs and saved it all there. I still have those years on file, but all the others I cannot find. As a diligent board member and Secretary of a Society, partly entrusted with the management and well-being of a non-profit society, I always felt that at least adequate documentation and transparency of what had happened, was happening, and was going to happen was key in growing a faithful and credible organization. Perhaps these records exist and I can’t find them; they should certainly be available for Members to review.

Anyway, I wanted to reply to the response to my “Makerspace Reflections 2023” post and offer additional information and some alternate points of view. Read on, if you have the time and interest:

I joined the Makerspace about 4 months after the Society first occupied the first and second floors of the Old Federal Building in the Fall of 2015. Personally, I joined to learn about 3D printing but it become much more, especially when key Members (it’s always an individual or core group of members that actually get things done, imo; their work attracts others and momentum is therefore created) brought the LASER, which was an awesome effort on their part and set the stage for an exciting period at the Kamloops Makerspace. I taught Laser 101 for a period of time; at one session I signed up ELEVEN new Members, which was quite thrilling and proved the wisdom of a brave development and acquisition program. Those were good times.

The decision to take on the 3rd floor of the Old Federal Building was based at first on the development of the Design Lab, which hosted dozens of workshops and learning opportunities for Members, visitors and hundreds of young people that we had in from local schools. The 3rd floor also hosted the Arts and Textiles Room (formerly the ‘Craftorium’, a name that was changed when the room was remodeled and repurposed into a textiles-centric room), which was an initiative of a group that no longer participates in the Makerspace. Also on the 3rd floor, we were able to get a sizable grant, and attract the required talent, to create the Clayspace Pottery Studio, the Kiln Room and the Classroom.

Personally, I do not remember the decision to make these new areas a ‘contentious subject’; folks were excited by the Makerspace evolving and developing capabilities that attracted a more balanced Membership (as decided unanimously by the Members and the Board). When I consider all the wonderful activity I’ve seen on the 3rd floor, especially the pottery studio, it’s hard to see it as a negative, but apparently some do.

Contrary to what some are saying here, in my opinion a robust and diverse program of workshops was the key to our best years: as I’ve outlined previously, these workshops provided the “ramp-in” opportunities that are so key to getting new members, the training on equipment, the social media activity, the new faces and Members and the creative diversity needed to have an inclusive and interesting space the benefits the community and Members.

I did not personally see these programs and workshops ‘burning out’ volunteers; I saw them driving new memberships, an exciting social media presence, diverse and creative activity and revenue. The space was alive with activity, laughter, innovation and possibility. I have hundreds of photos of hundreds of people loving Makerspace workshops and 101’s. Yes, that much activity and success creates logistical issues, but you cant have one without the other. As a person who did many 101’s, workshops and helped many others do so, I find the suggestion that these programs are ‘part of the problem’ to be non-sensical, back-handed and unsupported in reality. Since these programs died off (due to a variety of factors), so has the Makerspace’s membership numbers and activity.

This is not to say that community outreach is not also an excellent and necessary sport, and we did lots (see year in review below, as an example), but to maintain and develop the ‘crew’ to do that requires a dynamic and creative workshop and 101 program within the walls of the Makerspace itself. It’s mandatory for success, in my opinion.

(I will post below an ‘overview’ of one of our successful years; readers are encouraged to consider what that looks like.)

The suggestion that the Makerspace “evolved into what it is today against the wishes of many Members”, is an interesting one. While it could be taken as true by some people, that truth would be different from different points of view. I certainly know many former Members that could speak to it! It is also true that what has been happening at the Kamloops Makerspace for the past few years is not working in a sustainable way, but when I attempt to review the meeting minutes from the last few years to get a sense of the strategic plan, I can’t discern one.

I apologize for any negativity in this message; I felt that my response was necessary to other negativity and lateral blaming I am sensing here. As my previous ‘Reflections’ post made clear, I am focusing on what has been shown to work and the successes of the Makerspace, not on pointing fingers, casting blame and selectively highlighting one biased point of view that enjoys an imbalance of power.

Having said that, I certainly wish the Society well going forward – it’s been a remarkable period and I thank each and every one of the people and organizations that have been part of it.

As I mentioned, I will post a ‘year in review’ below, that is meant to illustrate successful Makerspace programming – its not rocket science; most Makerspace’s use much of this model because it works.

Take care, be kind and May the Force be with You…..Always.

Vaughn

www.vaughnwarren.com

Kamloops Makerspace 2017 Year in Review Jan. 14, 2018

Sponsorships:

City of Kamloops

Social Planning Council

Arts Commission

Scorpion Technologies – tech support, laser loan, thermoform

KMS Tools – Table Saw and Dust extraction

iTel Networks – phone and internet service

SSP Plywood – 19.5 mm formply

RONA – plywood donation

Home Depot – wood donation

M3 Developments – Classroom drywall + general support

Sherwin Williams - paint for Clay Space and Classroom

Senor Froggy – food donations, 50% off Maker Monday

Partnerships and Networks etc:

City of Kamloops

Insight Support Services

Skeetchesen School

4 Directions Aboriginal School

Christian Heritage Online School

BC Lotteries Corporation

Community Arts Council

Hot Nite

TRU LEAP

New Life Community

Kamloops Innovation Center

Rotary

Kamloops Open Gamers

Ongoing Programs:

Maker Monday Vollie hours? Calories consumed?

Hack Night Vollie hours? Unique visits?

Events:

100th Hack

Art in the Park

Pride Parade

Family Day

Hot Nite in the City

Rivers Day

Culture Days

Art in the Dark

Games Night

DWIT at Henry Grube

Fundraisers:

3D Printer Social Planning Council $1150

Clay Space Grant Arts Commission $5200

Hot Nite in the City Nicholas and a ton of vollies $1200

Haunted Courthouse TRU Leap / Nicholas $5000

Duffy’s Dinners Duffy’s Pub / Megan

Lasercut pins Art in the Park + events

Lasertube appeal Facebook / Forum

101’s and Workshops:

Build your own PC Hack, Lounge – Darren and Derp 1 sesh

Ocilliscope 101 Lounge – Colin 1 sesh

Laser 101 Lounge/Design Lab/Fab Shop 4 sessions

Airbrush 101 Design Lab - Vaughn 3 sessions

Vectors 101 Design lab - Vaughn 3 sessions

Vinyl 101 Design Lab - Vaughn 2 sessions

Laser 203 Box Making Lounge, Fab shop - Kile

Pin Cussions Craftorium - Megan 1 sesh

Cosplay 101 Craftorium -Megan 1 sesh

Arduino 101 Lounge/BCLC - Kile, Ron 2 sesh

Coil Pots Clay Space – Amanda 1 sesh

Clay Alchemy 101 Clay Space - Janet 4 sessions

Wheel Demo’s Clay Space - Amanda 2 sesh

Plaster Casting Clay Space – Amanda 1 sesh

Pottery Glazing Clay Space – Amanda 1 sesh

Monsters & Mermaids Clay Space – Kathleen Raven 1 sesh

Lasercut Christmas Dec Lounge - Ashley 2 sesh

Future Flux Amanda Eccleston 1 sesh

Norse Wire Weaving Chainmail Dave 1 sesh

New Equipment:

Sawstop Table saw KMS Tools

Scroll Saw Vaughn donated

6” table belt sander Dennis Mullis

1” belt sander Vaughn loaned

Chopsaw upgrade Bradley?

Prussa 3D printer Social Planning Grant, Grant Fraser assembly

Programmable kiln Janet Whitehead long term loan

Pottery Wheels Potters donated

Scorpion Mill (pending) Scorpion

Thermo-former (pending) Scorpion

Rooms developed or upgraded:

Mud Room Cleaned, new shelves and tote system, rewire

Clay Space New pottery studio with custom worktable, lighting and shelving

Kiln Room New Kiln Room with programmable kiln, glazing bench and sinks

Classroom New drywall and floor, restored ceiling, pendulum lighting, table

Woodshop New table saw with runout cabinet, wood storage, dust extraction

Lounge Space status indicator, eye candy, flat screen install

Arts and Textiles Funky painted shelving and cubby storage

Wishlist:

RFID door system

Steamlined Membership signup/payment/tracking

Members Intro Package

Finish Safe Space Policy

Dish Washer

Finish Plan Genie Process

Signage upgrade

Flag on flag pole

Vaughn

www.vaughnwarren.com

Thanks so much, Vaughn, for this post, this is valuable to me understanding the Makerspace, I'm a firm believer that understanding history is important to knowing today.

Thanks so much, Nicholas, for this history and assessment of the current state of the Makerspace. I've only been a member for over a year, this is very helpful for me in reflecting upon I'm seeing today.

I joined the Kamloops Makerspace well after many of the most enthusiastic members had burned out. Through organizing a workshop and bouncing new (to me) ideas of existing members I learned just how thing the remaining members were stretched, and how many of the ideas that I had for improvements had been implemented but fell down for lack of communication, clear policies and consistent enforcement. My experiences within the organization closely reflect the struggles Nicholas has given a brief overview of in his reply.

A Little background on the development of the Makerspace as I was present for most of what is presented here. Kamloops Makerspace has evolved from programming run by the Kamloops Innovation and Itel. Hack Night was started as a place to share ideas and knowledge. It was held in the basement of the Brown Family Building at TRU. Now called the Generator. Here a group met and established Mod Lab and sought out creating a space. Half the founders at this time sought a more private business-focused space. The other half was looking for a more community-focused and accessible space. When we broke off from Mod Lab another individual had tried to get a Makerspace going and joined the board. Bringing with her the Kamloops Makerspace Branding we all now know. During this time we met frequently at Red Beard on the North Shore. At the time we moved into the space, she and another board member left as they were also looking for a more business-focused space.

The location at 207 Victoria St was brought to us after an extensive search for a space. It was chosen due to being free for 6 months to help us get going. Many hours of volunteer time went into making the space habitable as a large amount of copper had been stolen and squatters were constantly breaking in. Some members had an interest in restoring and caring for the building (myself included) however it was the majority opinion that the building was a conduit for hosting the Makerspace and it was not our mission to restore the building. We originally occupied the lower floor and the woodshop space. The floor that houses the Clayspace Classroom etc. was unoccupied. Opening up this space was a very contentious subject as there were concerns about drifting from our original mission and capacity for maintaining and paying for a larger footprint. Challenges that unfortunately came true.

During our time running Hack Night at the Generator, we did hangouts, movie nights, and workshops. Most importantly we did outreach. We attended any public event we could to raise awareness of Makerspaces and the maker movement in general. In my time on the board, cumminty outreach saw the greatest return in new members and opportunities.

Workshops were taught almost exclusively by amateurs and any cost was solely for materials. They were informal and meant to build comradery. Later workshops focused on revenue generation and recruitment and did not meet the original intent of workshops at the Makerspace. They burned out a lot of the volunteers needed to support them and interrupted members making things. (The original intent of the Makerspace)  

The space has very rarely survived on memberships and has mostly existed on fundraising efforts and the extreme generosity of its members. A small number of members have covered our costs. especially in the last year. They have wished to remain nameless however donate both their time and money without needing control or attention. Thank you to those have have been doing this!

The original motto of the Kamloops Makerspace was "Two Rivers Many Hands" The founders realized that all members, not a "core group" as posited above were required for our success. Many members left the space due to being bullied into doing more than they were comfortable or able to do. Situations have arisen over the years and have not, as mentioned above been resolved as there is considerable hurt in the community. Some continue to stay members of the organization and many do not. Many who stayed do not volunteer with the rigor they once did due to this and we have lost a lot of vibrancy we once had.

We evolved into what we are today against the wishes of many members, and unfortunately, it is not working. I believe a lot can be done to correct the apathy we see today and made a post about it a year ago. You can see that here. We need to go backward to move forward.

All true, Brad - thanks for replying!

My post was written prior to current events; it is not meant so much as an argument for staying in the current location as it is a summary of the ingredients that had the Makerspace succeeding prior to Covid (and other challenges).

Having said that, I think that a unbiased cost/benefit analysis of staying in the Old Federal Building vs. moving leaves the right choice unclear, for a myriad of reasons.

I printed a copy of the post below and left it in the Lounge for others who are not on the Forum to read and consider. Unfortunately, the document was almost immediately removed by someone, for some reason.

I would like for members posts and shares, whether here on the Forum or in paper copy in the Lounge, to be left for people to consider instead of summarily thrown away - this Society needs more communication, not less.

Vaughn

www.vaughnwarren.com

Some challenges I see with the current location

-Parking

-Neighbours (problem to some but not all) but hard to get new members in the door

-Not acceptable to all floors

-Very expensive when it comes to utilities

-Building needs a lot of work even though we have done a lot

-heat in both summer and winter (landlord has a lot of updates to do to heating system)

-

Background:

The Kamloops Makerspace Society is a non-profit society registered under the BC Societies Act in 2015. The purpose of the Society is to foster the development and operation of shared space and tools to pursue individual Members' various creative, technical and craftsmanship pursuits. The collective enables access to space, tools and resources that might not otherwise be available and therefore Members are attracted to pay a fee for membership - currently $80 for individuals and $110 for families, per month. The Society is managed by an annually elected board of 5, who fulfill the necessary roles of record keeping, policy development, and Treasury management. The Kamloops Makerspace is otherwise run by volunteers (a core group of which has evolved over the years as people come and go) who do their best to keep the space open, clean, organized and operational.

The Kamloops Makerspace leases space in the Old Federal Building at 207 Victoria St. West – a historic and unique structure in a light-industrial area just outside Kamloops’ downtown. This building is in a ‘colorful’ neighborhood that includes services for the homeless and socio-economically challenged which is at once an advantage and a disadvantage: an advantage because it keeps the rent low for a rather large and centrally located building; a disadvantage because members (or potential Members) are uneasy about the ‘flora and fauna’ of the neighborhood. While there have been very few actual instances of problematic occurrences onsite (such as theft, harassment or other serious threats), there is a general perception that the area is ‘skid row’ and is therefore unsafe, which is a legitimate problem in terms of the Kamloops Makerspace presenting an inviting and accessible image.

Over the 7 years of the establishment (2015) and development of the Kamloops Makerspace there has been a giant amount of effort and resources expended by hundreds of volunteers and entities to improve the Old Federal Building (built 1900) and fill it with the useful capabilities and features that attract the Members who sustain it. From the early days of a small group meeting at Red Collar Brewery weekly to visualize a Makerspace, to a growing group that acquired the Old Federal Building (an admitted ‘white elephant’ of a building in a unique neighborhood), to the process over years of taking over most of the building, floor by floor, and filling it with equipment and capabilities, it has been an odyssey of unique development that stands out in Kamloops and beyond.

During this time, there has been much debate, discussion, collaboration and consensus on how the Space should develop and how it should be run. Overall, it has led to the intended outcome: a well equipped and affordable Kamloops Makerspace that is open to all. This success should be kept in mind as we go forward and make the Space even better. Over the years, the collective has evolved as Members come and go (and sometimes come back), situations arise and are resolved, challenges and opportunities present themselves and the purpose of the Society is advanced. Covid has presented the most existential threat to the Space so far and as that issue recedes, the Board and Membership should be congratulated for surviving it.

Ingredients for Success:

While there will always be new challenges and adaptations to be addressed, the primary ingredients required for a successful Kamloops Makerspace are fairly easy to identify:

• A membership base of about 50 individuals who enjoy growing Membership benefits and are encouraged to volunteer to maintain them.

• A clean, well-equipped and lit, safe and dynamic Space that is responsive to Members needs and that upgrades and improves over time.

• Well thought out and realistic policies that guide the activities of the Space, designed to be effective, inclusive and inspiring.

• A steady flow of inspiring social media (free advertising, essentially) that showcases the Space, its Members, its programming and its network; constant posts about Members builds (which are a particularly golden opportunity for content), Open House, workshops, 101’s, materials availability, new tools, etc.

• A healthy and happy Board of Directors that evolves and isn’t over-worked.

• The pursuit and implementation of a sustainable funding model to hire a full time coordinator.

The core method of sustaining the Kamloops Makerspace is the acquisition and retention of Memberships which currently pays the bills, supplies the volunteers, utilizes and animates the Space, and provides fresh feedstock of potential volunteers, Board Members, ideas, networks, energy and activity. With a healthy Membership base the Makerspace is able to find the volunteers and energy to do what it has to do to meet the requirements for success.

How does the Kamloops Makerspace attract and retain Members, which is essential to its success?

• By providing benefits for Membership, including but not limited to:

o Affordable access to space, tools, skills and resources;

o Opportunities to learn, collaborate, meet and network with diverse individuals;

o The opportunity to host or attend workshops and 101’s that benefit the Member hosting AND the Space by offering free or low cost opportunities as a Membership Benefit and attracting non-Members to experience the Makerspace;

o The opportunity to promote their projects and builds through an accessible, vibrant and well-viewed social media framework;

o By promoting a friendly and dynamic environment that is flexible, non-judgmental and inclusive, with a minimum of intrusive and unnecessary oversight that inhibits spontaneity and inspiration.

o By selectively providing a platform for Members tools or equipment that are available for use by other Members.

• By promoting itself through:

o An open and active framework social media architecture

o Weekly Open House tours and access

o Participation in community events and other promotional vehicles;

o Partnering with the many local organizations and businesses that love what we do

o Media engagement and other advertising

The Kamloops Makerspace enjoys copious advantages when one considers how to deliver the benefits to Members, which is essential to attracting and retaining them:

• A large and centrally located building, open to Members 24/7, that has room for additional use;

• Good infrastructure, such as RFID access, compressed air, dust extraction, etc;

• An ever-expanding array of valuable tools and resources;

• An effective core of (arguably overworked) volunteers;

• A Space that has never been cleaner, better equipped or more organized;

• 7 years of operation, which informs what works and what doesn’t

• A favorable reputation and purpose in the community, enabling access to many organizations, corporations and supporters that are willing to help.

As the Kamloops Makerspace and the community at large emerge from the Covid Epidemic, there is a need to get the programs and policies back on track that we know are essential to success.

Challenges and Issues: To be added later

The Tech and Arts Connection: To be added later

I hope this information is found to be informative and useful - thanks for reading it.

Vaughn

www.vaughnwarren.com