05.13.03
Roboto Monthly Meeting - Minutes for the 5/13/03 Meeting

(1) Introduction

(2) Old Business, see March meeting minutes

(3) New Business

PR/Secretary (Jeremy Hedges)
- Renewals are continuing to go well. We will be reaching the end of the second renewal period for the year on the new system, so Jeremy will be emailing those people who need to renew by the end of June very soon. Please continue to bring your membership card with you if you haven.t updated your information at a show recently. Also, renew if you haven.t, pleases.
- Jeremy is continuing to work on an information pamphlet to have available at our space and distribute throughout the city to give people a better idea of what exactly The Mr. Roboto Project is. This will include information on our space, its ideology, history, membership, booking information, and directions. If you have any ideas for this project, please email info@therobotoproject.
- If you have any old newspaper articles about Roboto, photos from old shows, old show flyers, or any related material, Jeremy will be constructing a scrapbook of sorts detailing the history of the space. Help!

Finances (Mike Q. Roth, esq.)
- Our balance currently sits somewhere around $3K. Given his busy schedule at Take 2 Video on Atwood St. in South Oakland, Q didn.t have time to visit an ATM machine for a more accurate balance - so please forgive this .rough. estimate!
- The accountant who did our $300 taxes for 2002 received his payment of $550. You figure that one out.
- The previously discussed .bad debts. list, containing the names of promoters who have not settled their overdue fees for the rental of the space, will be finalized at the end of May and sent to other venues in the local area.

Facilities (Jen Briselli)
- Code Brown has been reduced to Code Yellow regarding the toilet situation. Everything seems to be working . Jen is happy, so we.re happy.
- The window/door situation (they.re cracked yo) has been endlessly deferred to our landlord, who has yet to issue a statement regarding his stance. We wait in anxious anticipation.

Booking (Joe Wilk)
- Joe is working on creating a promoter calendar accessible via the web so that promoters can coordinate with one another on events. He has emailed everyone presently booking shows in order to gain permission to make available their contact info. If you are interested in booking at Roboto, feel free to email booking@therobotoproject.org to learn more.
- It has come to our attention that bands have had shows listed on their tour schedules without any previous contact for reservation by a promoter. This practice is highly discouraged as the summer schedule is much like an amoeba: it doesn.t stay in one place. It is constantly changing and morphing, dates become filled and/or dropped. So having a definite date set and reserved before confirming with a band is a practice that should be followed.
- Additionally, promoters seeking to reserve a date are strongly encouraged to have some lineup confirmed beforehand. Reserving a date without any ideas as to bands is detrimental to the hordes of nationally touring acts looking to perform at Roboto. Please keep this in mind when reserving dates.

(4) Open Forum

- Q and Jeremy have previously discussed the idea of finding a new space for the Mr. Roboto Project and put this idea out at the meeting. The landlord has mentioned the possibility of selling the building, and although our lease must be honored until its end, this may be an opportunity for expansion and development of the Roboto space. We decided to keep our eyes/ears/tongues open to possibilities, but this is simply a preliminary search to find out what our options might be.
- Two structural changes were brought up. First, adding an anonymous suggestion box to the wall so that people who might feel uncomfortable bringing up issues in person could submit their ideas/criticisms/thoughts/questions/concerns and the suggestions would be discussed by the board members and by the membership at the monthly meetings. Second, hinges will be added to the boards covering the entrance to our window displays, allowing easy access and the possibility of suggestion boxes attached to them permanently and without spillage.
- The Roboto Speaks newszine is set for its next publication in June. We absolutely NEED submissions of show descriptions (for shows occurring in June) and any sort of news, essays, rants you might want to include. Email robotospeaks@therobotoproject.org to submit, or ask for more info. Submissions are due by May 30th.
- Joe mentioned a traveling art exhibit featuring interested in displaying art for sale during a six week period following an initial exhibition/show on July 24 that will include workshops on screen printing. It was decided that this should definitely happen; the details will be worked out at a future time.
- Matt Singerman (our lovely webmaster) and Jeremy will be looking at prices for a digital camera. Yes, that.s right! The Mr. Roboto Project is entering the digital age! This camera will be used to take photos at events, to display the lovely beaming faces of the board of directors in the space (which will give people who might feel uncomfortable a person to talk to/ask questions of/rock out with), and generally make our webpage a little less bland.
- DSL is coming soon to a Multi-Tool space near you!