PUN Organizing Meeting
August 10, 2020
8-9:15pm Eastern Time

Present: Jim, Shelby, Kai, Katherine, Jordan, Matt

 

Repeat Mission Statement: PUN is a digital community that helps young people pursue self-directed learning by providing resources, mentorship, events, and friendships.

 

1. Disabling of comments on the website?
   Voted: 4/5 said its ok to disable comments on NEWS, Matt “abstain”
2. Feedback on the new email subscribe form
   No objections
3. Update on EVENTS
   – Book Club (@spacey still runs it, sometimes @Kai and @shelby run it)
   – Debate Club (@Kai switched the time… mostly a channel for discussion… wants to switch to formal debates with dates/times)
   – Q&A with Grown Unschoolers (two interviewees lined up – Bria Bloom done, Sierra Allen on deck)
   – Create+Connect (smooth, about to wrap up)
   – a.utono.me (we should start adding all our events)
4.  From last meeting: How do we remove board members?First consider other options/remedies before moving to remove a board member: personal intervention, taking a leave of absence, year-long term limits, and then impeachment.Anyone can propose that a person be impeached.
   80% or more of the board is required to remove a board member.
5. Review of Board Applications Forming a PUN board of directors.
   Reminder: initial application only goes to people who attended an organizing meeting so far, and then we’ll vote ‘yes’/’no’ on it in the next meeting to setup our first board.5/5 voted in favor of extending the deadline a month to our next meeting
6. Update on Academia Manifesto from Walker/Katherine
   It’s been updated. Katherine will post a new link in Voice/Text.  Lots more “grassroots” in its implementation/solution as opposed to being a top-down solution in the implementation/solution section.  They’re organizing around it from NYRA.Walker and Katherine are asking for feedback on it.Walker will send a two sentence intro and Jim will send to entire PUN email list to solicit feedback.

   Jim will introduce Walker to Richard.

7. Update on Arbitration Council from Kai.
   Formed the Council, members added.  It’s able to respond to complaints/concerns.   The bot is in an intermediary stage… still working to get it posted and fully functional on the PUN server.Haven’t had any “interventions” yet.
8. Update on “mentorship directory” ?Jim reached out to AERO/ASDE about the possibility of building a database of mentors. They are interested but clearly overwhelmed with other obligations right now.  We’ll plan to do another mentorship program this fall, but the “directory” is on the back burner.
9. Accessibility in SDE Resource Tool Jim will link this tool to the PUN website with a few adjustments:
   – REMOVE LAST NAMES
   – Add Create+Connect, SDE Resources to “Community” tab
   – rename “Resources” as “Library”
10. “It’s okay to LEAVE SCHOOL” campaign
    Should focus this on empowering and de-stigmatizing existing unschoolers/homeschoolers, as it’s not that realistic that those in school will really follow this until disaster actually strikes in their school this fall.
11. Confirm next meeting: Monday, September 14, 8:00-9:30pm Eastern Time