[freegeek-e-newsletter] October FreeGeek E-newsletter

Sat Oct 22 15:52:36 PDT 2005

It's the Free Geek e-newsletter, coming to you straight from our email server, 
bringing you the latest news from the geek front!  This is our October issue.

If you'd like to stop receiving this newsletter, please scroll down to the 
very bottom of this email and follow the directions.

Contents:

I. Volunteer of the Month
II. Uganda Project
III. Western Workers' Cooperative Conference
IV. Penguin Day
V. Geek Aid
VI. Board Selection part II
VII. Happenings Around Town
VIII. Wishlist

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I. VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH

Every month, we recognize one volunteer for all he or she has done for Free
Geek.  This month's recipient is:

Patrick Breckenridge!

Patrick comes to Free Geek almost every day.  He's one of the few and the
proud who've completely re-made the advanced testing area.  Patrick creates
new tests, updates old ones, and teaches others to test equipment.  He
recently made a hub tester and a USB device tester.  These machines will
enable us to sell higher-quality items in our thrift store, which in turn
keeps our customers coming back for more.

Patrick's also great with the kids who come in to Free Geek to help: he
teaches them to test sound and video cards, and laughs at their silly jokes
and behaviors.

Overall, Patrick makes Free Geek a place where it's fun and enriching to hang
out.

Thanks, Patrick!

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II. UGANDA PROJECT

After many years of war, normalcy is finally returning to Uganda, and the 
country's students are eager for an introduction to the world of computers.
In answer to a request made by Gulu University in Northern Uganda, and in
cooperation with the Beaverton Rotary Club, Free Geek will be sending this
new Ugandan University a diskless computer lab (much like the one at Free
Geek) and the expertise to set it up and maintain it.

At the end of September, Free Geek Build Co-Coordinator Martin Chase led the
charge to build and send 80 diskless terminals, a few high-powered servers,
and some really nice laser printers to Gulu University.  Martin will be flying 
to the University soon to train the Gulu University IT staff how to
use Debian Linux, and how to maintain their new system.

Although Martin doesn't like the idea of dressing in pants and button-down
shirts, he's thrilled to take advantage of such a unique opportunity.

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III. WESTERN WORKERS' COOPERATIVE CONFERENCE

Free Geek staffers Richard Seymour, Shawn Furst and Christen McCurdy attended
the Western Workers' Cooperative Conference Oct. 10-12 to learn about
cooperative management and life without coffee (while the conference venue
offerred healthy, vegetarian food, they declined to offer this life-giving
bean water).  This year's WWCC was held at Breitenbush Hot Springs outside
Detroit Lake, Oregon, and our ambassadors had the opportunity to meet and
mingle with co-op members from all over the West, as well as a few visitors
from other regions.  Several other Portland collectives were represented at
the conference.

The WWCC began with a series of brief, two-hour workshops on a variety of
topics relevant to collectives, including self-management, everyday
communication, political activism in co-ops, finances, and strategic
planning. Two seven-hour intensive workshops were offered opposite each other
on the last two days of the conference -- one on consensus meeting
facilitation and one on conflict mediation.

Although Free Geek's representatives to the conference shunned the thought of
life without coffee and instead brought their own grounds and French presses,
they generally enjoyed themselves and benefitted greatly from coming into
contact with so many experienced cooperative workers.

For a nice little schedule of the workshops and presenters at the conference,
visit http://wwcoop.org/schedule.htm

(thanks to Ms. McCurdy for this section)

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IV. PENGUIN DAY KICKED SOME SERIOUS BOOTY!

Following on the heels of the GOSCON, Free Geek, along with the Meyer
Memorial Trust, Spike Source and Aspiration helped to sponsor the 2nd annual
Portland Penguin Day at Portland State University.  Penguin Day brings
together non-profits and Open Source computer geeks to share and learn about
how Open Source Software can help non-profit organizations further their
missions.

At 9:00am the 57 attendees and presenters that got together and found out a
little about each other.  After watching a great short documentary about the
Linux labs at Riverdale High School, folks broke off into the morning
sessions.  Topics ranged from the abstract (What is Open Source) to the more
detailed (Web content management using Plone).

After lunch was the Speed Geek session, where 8 presenters got to show their
stuff in 10-minute bursts as the conference attendees circled the room much
like speed dating (but with out the heartbreak of rejection).  The afternoon
breakout sessions also had several great presentations (including Open
Office, CiviCRM, podcasting and SQL Clinic).  We then came back together in a
closing circle and gave away our door prize, a new iPod donated to Penguin
Day by Mac Force.

For more info. about Penguin Day in general and about Saturday's event in
particular, check out the website at: http://portland.penguinday.org (don't
forget to check out the wiki).

(thanks to Oso for this section)

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V. GEEK AID CREW READIES FOR DEPARTURE

Geek Aid is a volunteer project to send a crew of techno-geeks into the
hurricane disaster area in the Gulf Cost states during the month of November.
We are working with the Oregon Trail Chapter of the Red Cross, which is
providing our training and our transportation to the region.

The volunteers for the Geek Aid project have begun their training with the
Red Cross. Four of us went to our initial orientations this week and will be
taking several courses next week. The way things are developing, our crew
will trade places with another technology team in the disaster area,
relieving folks who have been on the front lines for the last 2 months
without a break.  Our exact departure date is unknown at this time, but
should take place in the first week of November and our deployment should
last 3 weeks.

Our intrepid crew is:

Adrienne Davis - Free Geek volunteer
Oso Martin - Free Geek staff member
Jeff Schwaber - Free Geek volunteer
Clout Tolstoy - Free Geek intern/volunteer

The Geek Aid project is being financially supported (so far) by the Full
Circle Women's Temple and William & Vera Martin (Oso's parents). Anyone
interested in helping out financially can send checks to Free Geek, or donate
through the PayPal link on our website (please note "Geek Aid" on your check
or online donation form).

Fun fact about the Red Cross: Do you know where the Red Cross symbol comes
from?  The founder of the Red Cross was Swiss.  He was looking for a symbol
that would express neutrality on the battlefield, so he reversed the colors
of the Swiss flag, and presto -- a Red Cross!  Soldiers on all sides of
conflict have not been shooting at them ever since...at least most of the
time.

(thanks to Oso for this section)

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VI. BOARD SELECTION PART II

As you might remember from our last e-newsletter, Free Geek is in the process
of changing the way the Board is selected.  Namely, we have recently changed
our procedures from a system in which Board members elect themselves to one
in which the Community Council, Free Geek's main decision-making body (which
is open to all volunteers and staff) select new Board members.  We have
changed our bylaws in order to reflect these new procedures.  The Council
decided that this is a more egalitarian way to operate, and more in line
with Free Geek's values.

Two days ago, at its October meeting, the Council finished selecting our new
Board.  The Council tried to select board members based by looking at all of
our possible "complete slates": we wanted to have some experienced and some
inexperienced board members, some techies and some technological newbies,
some who were highly involved in the organization and some who only come in
once every month or two.  Free Geek's board is now populated by these capable
folks (drumroll please):

Bob Griggs
Joe Buckmaster
Laurel Hoyt
Marie Deatherage
Oso Martin
Seamus Campbell
Wren Thornton

Thank you, new Board members, for committing to the oversight of  Free Geek's
legal and financial integrity, and thanks for caring enough about Free Geek's
culture and values to work within our new process!

If you'd like more information about our process, feel free to come to a
Council meeting (they're on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 7:15pm at
Free Geek)!  Or you can send an email to council [at] freegeek [dot] org or
check out this index of wiki pages on the subject:

http://wiki.freegeek.org/index.php/Category:Board

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VII. HAPPENINGS AROUND TOWN

HOWL Halloween Party
Saturnite, October 29
9pm - 6am
Loveland
320 SE 2nd
$15
21+ only, please

City Repair's annual Halloween fundraiser is just around the corner!  Expect
lots of people, music, and dancing, and a very high ratio of
costumed-to-non-costumed guests. Fun, fun, fun!

- 3 stages of music to shake your scary self to all night long
- indoor and outside (heated and covered)
- musical lineup and flow assured to keep you dancing all night.
- themed local art to make you scream
- food and beverages of merriment

$15 tickets at Le Rouge (3418 SE Hawthorne), Metro (3524 SE Hawthorne & 128
NW 23rd), Frock (2940 NE Alberta) and Mirador (2106 SE Division)
Tickets can also be purchased at the door.

For more info, visit http://cityrepair.org

************************************
Terry Tempest Williams
Thursday, November 3
7pm
First Congregational Church
1126 SW Park Ave.
Advance tickets ($20.00) strongly recommended. Available ONLY at
   www.brownpapertickets.com or 800-838-3006.

Hailed as a "visionary" by Utne Reader, Terry Tempest Williams is a
passionate advocate for the preservation of the western American wilderness.
Fresh from a month-long trip to a recovering Rwanda, Ms. Williams will speak
on circles of community concern. How do they compare with each other? What
are the correspondences between the grassroots work in Castle Valley, Utah
and the healing work in Rwanda?

Presented in cooperation with Illahee by the City Repair Project. Contact
City Repair 503-235-8946 for additional information.

************************************
Anthony Marr: Turn Compassion into Action
Saturday, November 5
4 - 6pm
Old Wives Tales Restaurant
1300 E. Burnside Street
Free

A talk for budding and veteran activists alike.  In this lecture, Anthony
shares his experience gained from his successes and failures in a decade of
dedicated and relentless activism (see www.HOPE-CARE.org).  He'll talk about
how to become a 24/7-full-time activist, use direct, indirect, overt and
covert actions, conquer fears, take calculated risks, lead project teams,
launch expeditions, conduct speaking tours, handle confrontations, endure
ridicule, engage media, captivate children, forge coalitions, act abroad, and
raise funds.  All in all, the lecture will cover all the dos and don'ts of
effective campaigning.

Anthony Marr is a world-known wildlife preservationist, a vegan animal rights
activist, a dynamic campaigner and inspirational public speaker, and a highly
respected scientific philosopher and author. He has dedicated his life to
action on behalf of animals and this planet, and to further civilizing
our species, and has been extraordinarily successful in these regards.

***********************************
Volunteer and Work/Trade Night at North Portland BikeWorks
1st, 3rd, and 4th Tuesdays
6 - 8:30pm
North Portland BikeWorks
3951 N. Mississippi Ave.
503-287-1098

On Volunteer and Work/Trade Night, adults can come into North PDX BikeWorks'
shop and do a variety of projects - from stripping donated bikes to sorting
parts to building bicycles for sale.  Volunteers accumulate hours, which can
be traded in for used bicycle parts at a rate of 1 hour of volunteering to
$5.

This is a good opportunity to learn about bikes while helping out a great
local bike shop.  Due to space limitations, the shop can only handle 8
volunteers at a time, so it's important to call ahead!

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VIII. WISHLIST

You might not know it, but many of our basic supplies (like printer paper and
TP) are donated to us by individuals with big hearts and a few extra dollars
in their wallets (or good scavenging skills!).  We'd very much appreciate
donations of any of the below:

- Herbal tea for the coming cold season
- Rags
- Simple Green general spray cleaner
- Dish soap
- Cream and sugar for coffee
- Dry Erase Markers
- Hand towels
- 8.5" x 11" single-sheet white printer paper (100% post-consumer
  recycled, if possible)
- Food and drink for volunteers (especially chocolate)
- Big hugs!

** Want to be our dish soap or TP sponsor?  If you donate some or all of the
money, we'll use our People's Food Co-op discount to buy environmentally
friendly soap and TP (thus keeping these purchases in line with our
environmental ethics), and Saint Liane Kocka will pick them up!  Contact
liane [at] freegeek [dot] org if you're interested. **

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Ha!  You've made it to the end of another Free Geek newsletter.  As a reward
(or punishment, depending on your point of view), here's a joke for you:

1st person: Did you hear that they opened a new restaurant on the moon?

2nd person: Really? What's it like?

1st person: Great food. No atmosphere.

We'll see you next time!

Shawn Furst
Volunteer Program Coordinator
Free Geek
1731 SE 10th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214
(503)232-9350
info [at] freegeek [dot] org
http://www.freegeek.org

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