This is an old revision of the document!
Welcome, new member! We're excited to have you on board.
VHS is, first and foremost, a “do-ocracy”. Please introduce yourself to existing members; they want to be your friend! A great way to start a conversation is to learn where the most important things are located in the space:
- Fire extinguishers
- First aid kits
- Bathrooms (and bathroom keys!)
- Frequently used equipment (soldering irons, laser cutter, sewing machines, 3D printers, etc)
- The phone (for buzzing in members and visitors)
Once you've got the lay of the land, we'd really like to know that you know that we know that you know
- The Code of Conduct
- How to go about paying dues (Paypal, on-site, etc).
- How to clean up after yourself. Use one thing, clean up two.
- How to use the basic tools in the space.
- How to use the fancy equipment that requires training or vetting by a qualified member.
- The set-up of the craft table and what materials are open for use
- The kits that may be for sale at the space
- Our awesomely awesome calendar of upcoming events
Know the different roles at VHS:
Members
Holders of a valid membership, that awards them voting rights, a warm fuzzy feeling and access to restricted events and tools, such as members only workshops, lasercutter and workshop access.
Keyholders
Members in good standing that have been approved by the community and more importantly other keyholders for unrestricted and unsupervised access to the space.
Bottomliners
Bottomliners are the special category in here, because a bottomliner is a responsible person that opens up the space to others. This can be restricted to other members, or even the general public (“guests”). Keyholders are the only members that can actually fulfill this role. A regular member can organize workshops, but without a bottomliner the space will not be opened.
The responsibilities for a bottomliner include:
- Making sure that everyone signs the liability waiver
- Giving the safety tour
- Making sure that there are enough liability waivers
- Be a first point of contact;
- Answering the phone (for access and questions)
- Coordinate donations being brought in
- Be an “ambassador” to the space
- Be the responsible person in case of emergencies
- Close up the space in a correct manner
While a bottomliner is the responsible person for running the space while he/she opens it, a keyholder never is under the obligation to open it. If a keyholder is working with tools that require presence in the immediate vicinity, the keyholder cannot be considered to be a bottomliner. A good example is a tool like the laser cutter, or otherwise being involved with equipment that requires unobstructed attention, such as working in the workshop.
Am I legally liable for everything that goes on while I'm bottomlining?
No. VHS does not expect you to watch everything, all the time. This would be impossible. As a member, bottomliner or not, you do need to let people know if they are doing something unsafe (or let the the BoD if they continue to do it).