SECOND STORY MEETING #1

October 5, 2016

Growing Pains

​Everyone is anxious upon learning that we are no longer covered by a space grant.  Up to this point, we were able to rehearse for free and did not incur child care expenses.  Now we have a decision to make: should we continue to meet and pay for space ourselves or should we become an actual entity and actively pursue funding opportunities? 

Or are we done?

This crisis precipitates the realization that the team needs to clarify goals, roles, funding issues, and amount of time that each member can realistically commit to this enterprise.  So instead of rehearsing, the team decides to meet at Jonathan’s house to address a variety of strategic and tactical issues.  Every business or artistic venture has to do this eventually; now it’s our turn.

The meeting is both productive and highly motivating.  Topics discussed include:   

• Seeking consensus on vision and goals
• Short- and medium-term planning
• Funding options, including letter writing campaigns and crowd sourcing
• Marketing approaches
• Appraisal of resources: time, financial
• Delegation of tasks, including designation of a treasurer
• Creating a timeline of steps toward agreed-upon objectives

Everyone is excited by the possibilities, but mindful of each member’s time constraints.  We continually do “reality checks” to make sure the agreed-upon tasks are manageable for all.

​First up for next week: filming backgrounds and interviews for a video to be used in a fundraising campaign.  Another chance to tell our story!