Lion (and Saturday House at large),
This sounds wonderful.
I am writing because several folks from the Seattle Dorkbot (CCed
because I am not sure they are on the Saturday House list) are also
working on a plan for a permanent community work/meet/learn space much
like what you are describing.
Our goal is to foster the technology/art crossover, and to provide
access to equipment normally out of reach of individual makers.
We have been discussing a multi-purpose place with some rental desks and
some shared workshop facilities.
Perhaps it would be good to get together to compare notes and combine
efforts?
Josh
Lion Kimbro wrote:
> Hello, Saturday House!
>
> 3 Announcements:
>
> 1. We're looking for a place on Saturday!
> [Possibility: Daniel's house.]
>
> 2. Saturday House Description:
> Community, Action, Business, and School
>
> 3. Planning for a "Seattle Bucketworks"
> (rough plans)
>
>
> == Location ==
>
> Do you have a location we can use on Saturday? Saturday House needs
> you! (And your living room!)
>
> Presently, we're looking at using Daniel's apartment this Saturday,
> but we're not sure if that'll go through.
>
> Help!
>
>
> == Saturday House Description ==
>
> I'm looking for help and reflection on a Saturday House description
> for our website. While I have moments of being inspiring, now, at
> 9:10 PM, is not one of them. {:)}=
>
> All help on the description will be greatfully appreciated.
>
> Here are the 4 key elements I'm working with:
>
> * Community -- Saturday House is a very large community of people.
> The boundaries is not "Who comes on Saturday," or even "Who's on
> the list?" It is large.
>
> * Action -- We are working to become action oriented. We have
> recognized that the "slow and steady death" scenario of Saturday
> House is when everyone has laptops out. When we are active, our
> voices become joyful, youth returns, friendliness increases, and
> form strangers draw in closer -- so we have observed. Our idea
> is, "If we become more active, will these good things increase?
> How can we stir more action?" Presently, we persue two routes:
> Activity days (on the 1st Saturday of the month,) and Projects
> (activities focused on each Saturday.)
>
> I invite YOU to lead an Activity day or a Project. My offer is
> to help to ensure that it happens -- to help collect resources
> for you, to announce it (if you like,) to connect you with
> people, to help in coordination however I can. The same goes
> for projects as well.
>
> "Action" is to be interpreted broadly: Even research questions
> and meditations can make "action." But it requires some locus
> of focus.
>
> * Business -- Saturday House has a long tradition with business
> society in Seattle. Business is a focus of Saturday House,
> though I myself have not been much involved in it. The Six Hour
> Startup community grew from the space made available by Saturday
> House, and has grown much larger, beyond the Saturday House.
> Nevertheless, this theme is very much a theme served by the
> Saturday House.
>
> * School -- Saturday House began with the inspiration from the
> Sudbury School method. The idea is that we are all learning,
> both by ourselves, from self-study, and from and with others.
> Some prefer the metaphor of the "Academy," others a "College."
> Regardless, the theme is of study, learning, and growth, in
> service of the larger society of the world.
>
> I'm presently working to develop this into an articulated page for
> "About Saturday House." On that page, too, there well be key words,
> with everything from "Open Source" and "Electronics," to
> "Mathematics," to "Sustainability," to "Drawing," to "Learning" and
> "Reflection," and on and on.
>
>
> == Planning ==
>
> Finally, our intention is to make a space, inspired by Bucketworks,
> (perhaps even *called* "Seattle Bucketworks," James willing,) and
> involving many, many, many communities in the larger Seattle area.
>
> My plan is to visit, with others (including Daniel,) every community
> we can think of in the Seattle area, and invite them to discussion
> about locating a space. (We presently have a list of about 20
> groups, and I invite all of you to send me still further people to
> add to the list -- or add it to the EtherPad or Wiki.) I'm
> presently talking with several groups, and will greatly expand that
> number: I hope to talk with at least one new group a week, myself,
> and I hope that effort will be matched (at least in part) by others.
> We will arrange a dinner gathering, to discuss a shared space, and
> then later, the financing of such a space. We will need a space
> large enough for all of our dreams, and enough money to pay someone
> to staff it full time.
>
> It will be *AWESOME.* We'll talk about this space on the list in the
> relatively near future (say, within a month or two,) but please hold
> off for now. That said, I invite you to talk about it with us on
> any Saturday at Saturday House.
>
> The plan is roughly:
>
> 1. Begin, immediately, talking with as many groups as possible
> about our plans, and asking if they could see themselves
> participating in it.
> 2. Near the end of July, or in August, convene for a large group
> dinner or gathering of potential stakeholders, leaders from
> different communities, to get to know one another, to share
> enthusiasm about the space, and to share dreams. Hopefully we
> will have worked out the technology of sharing dreams by this
> point.
> 3. In September or October, collect funds for initial payments, and
> find the space. My thought is that the process of actually
> acquiring the space should proceed fairly quickly. That's how it
> was with the SODO space at least, and that's my understanding of
> how houses are bought as well: It's a quick process.
>
> I do not know yet who will staff the space, and how that will work.
> Obviously, there is much I need to learn to make this real.
> However, there are many among you who are skilled, who have done
> things like this before, and I have the support of other communities
> (such as Bucketworks) who have done what we aim to do. These plans
> are not final, and I am happy to hear any input, though preferably
> in person.
>
> It's going to be an adventure!
>
>
> Sincerely,
> Lion Kimbro
>
> >
>
>
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