Cream & Sugar - 2014.02.26

Cream & Sugar is the report of what happened at that week's Coffee Talk event.  On the 3rd Wednesdays, Board Member Sayer Johnson debriefs the group with what happened at the latest board meeting and solicits feedback from members of the community (especially, but not exclusively, active volunteers) regarding concerns which they have about The Center.

Mokabe's Coffehouse provided coffee for our 2nd weekly Coffee Talk session.  We appreciate it!  Attendees included:

• Calvin C.
• Chris M.
• Donna H.
• Jim G.
• Kathryn P.
• Terry M.
• Tom D.

We began by identifying the interests/priorities from the list of agenda items posted in the facebook Coffee Talk Event for February 26, 2014.

We agreed that we should place a sign-up sheet (and announce in the Friends FB group, requesting facebookers to re-post onto their own walls) soliciting volunteers to help with The Center's participation in Pride STL 2014.

Andy and Chris will be initial contributors to The Center's new Blog...

Goal for future Coffee Talks:  move meetings to the Coffee Shop partners... rotating, instead of picking up coffee and bringing to Center...  Need to change time from 1:00 starting to 2:00 starting (to accomodate busy lunch times at venues).

Need to create/obtain fundraising template (possibly from Mokabe's or Hartford) to generate sample for RISE Coffeehouse and Blissful Vapors

Executive Team Concept

• Rotating leadership (1-month terms for Team Leader)
• Electronic journal with editorial control by Team Leader; but, with read-only access provided to rest of Team (and, of course, the B.O.D.)
• Chris M. to prepare 1st draft for discussion by Coffee Talk (2014.03.05)
• Members of the Exec. Team to receive per diem (on as-needed basis)
• How do we determine need?
• Will we require proof of income (or lack thereof)?
• Who makes the decision that an applicant qualifies (or doesn't qualify)?
• How would such funds be disbursed?
• How do we prevent abuse of this program?
• Provide example(s) of a similar system already working in another organization (i.e., does a model like this already exist?)
• Where has it already been successful?
• A similar model exists in the City Council of ____ ... as discussed
• A similar model existed in MAEOPP...
• What are the pitfalls to watch out for?
• What are the successes in this type of model?
• How would the B.O.D. supervise such a position?