Hidden-Tech has Participants, Not Members…
The Hidden-Tech Steering Committee has developed ways to label and talk about types of participation as a way to reflect the interests of individuals who are involved in both the cyberspace and ground organization.
This is an estimate of the types of people utilizing Hidden-Tech services:
- About 50 percent of the 1,900 on our network are Network Users (AKA the general public). This group appears to want to utilize HT services, but not be involved in the organization;
- Another estimated 48 percent attend meetings and participate online to varying degrees. Some of this group have requested that we charge dues;
- An estimate 2 percent are actively involved in building and governing the organization.
A key concern is to allow free entry into the network for all, while allowing people to choose the level of service they want to provide and/or assist (donate funds, volunteer time). The following is a three-tiered system that offers two levels of participation:
Category 1: Network Users (the “general public”):
Services:
— Free access to on-line services that are not reserved for general, voting members or the board.
Fees: Fee-based admision to events and programs
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Category 2: Hidden-Tech Network Active Participants:
Services:
— Free access to on-line services except those reserved for voting members and the board
— Fee-based admission to events and programs
Fees and Dues: Currently no dues, although this option continues to be discussed.
Active Service: Participate in discussions, attend events, provide ideas and feed-back to Steering Committee, provide volunteer support when able, abide by the guides to e-mail discussions
______________________________________________________________Category 3: Hidden-Tech Voting Member:
Services:
— Free access to all on-line services except those reserved for board members;
— Free admission to programs
— Voting rights
Fees: No money, but time: 25 hours of volunteering (Hidden-Tech always needs help with events, publicity, planning) to help make the activities and components of Hidden-Tech successful. See the opportunities below (“In-Kind Service Examples”)
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In-Kind Service Examples
To earn 25 hours as a voting member you can:
* Serve on a HT committee such as Web development or PR/Programming and actively participate;
* Develop and run two board-approved programs from soup to nuts
* Act as a back up person for all HT programs being willing to run the door and help close the location
* Edit all Web content
* Serve as one of the sponsor ad program managers for one year
* Serve as the Blog coordinator
* Develop PR for all programming
* Develop signage for all programming
NOTE: For those who wish to devote five to 10 hours annually to Hidden-Tech you can either cut back the time allotment recommended above or propose an alternative project to the Steering Committee (AKA board).