Orientation/Maker Monday

A friend is excited to get to the orientation class this Tuesday but the event says he needs to -

Have completed at least one Class (Authorization or General classes accepted)

in order to attend. Is that correct?

Also it appears that Maker Monday and new member orientations are on different days now. Is that a covid precaution?

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I had the same questions when a friend of mine showed interest. Maker Monday is now just an open house, member orientation requires a class because they will get their key in that meeting.

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Since we are limiting participation it makes it more difficult to get signatures. Taking a class is in place of that.

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Thanks Malissa and WBM.

Yes, Maker Monday is back to what it used to be … an Open House. The Member Orientation is a totally separate thing, and so it has its own day so folks do not them confused.

The class has nothing to do with sizes or COVID. We have just chosen to make it easier for new members to get their keys. Once a member joins, we simply ask them to take at least one class before we give them a key. This does two things. First it proves that they are willing to take the step of getting involved in the community. It also gives us the ability to have an area lead or instructor see how they interact with others. They can either take a free authorization class, or they can pay for a class. We just want them to take a class.

After they have taken a class, then they are ready to sign up for the member orientation. During orientation, members sit through another presentation that is geared more towards information that members need to know. They take another tour of the building, again with information like how to turn on/off the lights, where the breaker boxes are, etc. After the tour, there is a Q/A session, or round table. The purpose of this is to let us get to know the new members. At the end of this session, the veteran members sign the key form, and the new member gets their badge. This makes it much easier to get the signatures, so the new member does not have to track down people to sign.

Hope this clears it up. If not, feel free to throw out more questions and I will be glad to answer.

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Thanks! That’s actually what I told him, that it seems odd to me, but easier.

I did enjoy meeting new members at maker Mondays and them approaching me for signatures was cool. It’s a good reason to approach a stranger and talk. Everyone was super cool when I did it and it’s a good way to get acquainted with people. Heck I remember introducing people to other members because they had a common interest and helping them get around to board members and leads.

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Lol signatures were fun!

It was like a social scavenger hunt.

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Signatures can be fun for sure! But I’m glad this is also an option. When I first joined make ict and got a key I had some ptsd from being a female at the wrong place and wrong time and so I had my mother come around with me because I was mortified of having to go up and talk to people, in perticular male individuals.
Now, I wouldn’t have such a hard time due to trauma I’ve expierenced, but I’m greatful that this is now an option!! Especially if there are any others like myself who, for one reason or another, find it very very challenging to go talk to a stranger in hopes of getting a signature.

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Invited a young couple on bicycles to the next maker Monday - they wheeled up to the garage door to ask “what kind of place is this?” They seem excited to check us out an forgot to tell them about the garden…there’s much going on these days!

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I too, rather enjoyed the process of the “signature hunt”. The Board Member Signature was all the most illusive to procure because they would almost never be at Maker Monday.
Just to be clear, there is not an “option”? The process that is in place now is the only process?

Only process

I do refer people to people.

What do you make?
I make x.
Oh lemme see!
*shows latest project *
That’s super cool! Sonso would dig this. He is the orange haired guy with the banana shaped scars

I rarely get stumped. But it has happened

Well, they certainly are welcome to take their signature sheet and go out on their own if they really wanted to, but the orientation part is not optional. So if they are going to go through that the only thing they would save is sitting in the round table for 15 minutes or so. But again, if they REALLY wanted to track down people themselves, nothing stopping them I guess.

I bet most probably didnt not sign. Probably still that way with the new procedures to be frank.

But i still appreciated the icebreaking aspect of the original sig hunt. It took me about 4 visits to get my signatures on top of my original “off hours” tour with a member.

Ill add that I like meeting new people and I wanted to meet new people. So this made it less awkward for me not to feel weird approaching people for no reason. lol

Those of you who enjoy meeting new members and talking with them are always welcome to join us for the key interview round table that occurs at the end of every Member Orientation. It’s open to any member of MakeICT that wishes to be present and is an opportunity for you to meet and talk with new members.
Membership Committee felt that the updated process:

  1. leveled the playing field between introverts and extroverts
  2. presented a clear path to a key that was not obstructed by events like a locked front door
  3. sets a reasonable timeframe in which people can become keyed members. The old system could be accomplished with the key form in one Maker Monday if you were a bold person but then, if we were following the rules, you would have to wait 30 days for your key.

Please come tomorrow and see what the process is all about. We really would like more members to be present for these.

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I agree with Jai. The aspect of meeting people is still available. It just moved to the Saturday orientation… so for gosh sakes be there! This is kind of good, because many people wouldn’t sign the first day any way and many times I had to run down people to sign so they could get in.

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As they say, the only thing that stays constant is change. :slight_smile:

Actually, they recently changed that :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

521ff4617e7ed94f3c17c9c3a3950368

Totally redeemed yourself! :rofl:

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Why aren’t committee meetings an option?

Probably something we can discuss, but the biggest issue I can see there would be how to know they attended. With classes, it is recorded in WildApricot, and we can easily check to ensure they have completed that step.