02/26/2025: How to reach out to/invite Spokes to the 1st meeting

How to reach out to/invite Spokes to the 1st meeting

Person or group submitting

Frankie

Proposal History

• Submission Date: 12/8/24
• Vote date: 2/26/25
• Vote result: Pass

Friendly Ammendments: None

Follow up Notes: Revised after January meeting.

Motivation

For a 1st Spokescouncil meeting to happen, we've gotta let the diffuse Working Groups of Woodbine know that it's happening, and get them to send someone(s) to it.

Proposal overview slightly less tiny summary here

A subset of the Spokescouncilcouncil should reach out to all of the relevant Working Groups (i.e. groups that meet the "What is a Spoke?" criteria), let them know that a meeting will happen, ask them to send people, and ask them what they'll need to participate.

Details

Background info

Our working list of the Working Groups is here. Not all of these will need a Spoke, based on the approved "Who is a Spoke?" proposal. There is a column in the spreadsheet to indicate which will need a Spoke.

Groups this affects

Spokescouncilcouncil, Working Groups

Work required

1. Identify whether WGs marked "Not Sure" in the spreadsheet need a Spoke
2. Set a date for 1st Spokescouncil meeting
3. Solidify our "What is Spokescouncil" explainer doc + translate it into Spanish (at least)
4. Prep a set of questions / statements about Spokescouncil to send to all Spokes
5. Split up the Spokes among Spokescouncilcouncil, and a. For each Spoke, send prepped materials + questions in relevant Signal chat(s) at least 2 weeks before the meeting b. For Spokes without representation in the Spokescouncilcouncil, connect with the Spoke IRL. c. Remind all spokes 1 week before and 1 day before the Spokescouncil meeting

Individual or group doing labor

Frankie + seeking volunteers from Spokescouncilcouncil

Money required

None

Proposals

Part 1: Process

I propose that we follow the steps in the "Work Required" section. In particular, I think it'll be useful to prep uniform comms to send to all Spokes, then divy up the work of reaching out.

Part 2: Key aspects of comms

1. Comms should be sent to working groups well in advance of proposed spokes date (min 2 weeks)
2. Comms should tell Spokes a. When meeting will be b. What a Spokescouncil is (or link to an explanation) c. That any members of WG are welcome to attend, in the fishbowl d. What proposal(s) will be discussed at the 1st Spokescouncil e. How to submit proposals to future Spokescouncils
3. Comms should ask Spokes a. To send 2 Spokespeople (one talking, one listening) to the Spokescouncil meeting b. To identify 2 backup Spokespeople (in case either of 1st two cannot show up) c. What language(s) their WG members are most comfortable speaking, reading, listening? d. Are there members of your WG who would feel comfortable translating between English and another language at a Spokescouncil meeting?

comments (format: commenter name: comment)

• Ash: this feels like a good approach. a question i have is about the "proposed agenda". does this mean the wg's we invite can make ammendments and add to the agenda in advance? if so, how do they do this?
  • update: Maybe an agenda stack can be posted on page where the upcoming WG reps can add to the item list. A format like, "WG, rep name, description of item, link to proposal if relevant." Then someone/group can make the agenda for the upcoming meeting and triage items based on need.
• Ash: invitation could be a simple flyer with the explainer link and text and diagrams added into the flyer as graphics. we can make it cute and simple :)
• Ash: explainer can have a couple of suggestions for a simple way to pick spokespeople and what the spokespeople can expect
• paul: For the groups that don't (I think) have current representation in this spokescouncil planning group (gardening, yoga, food fight, research group) i think we should make an effort to do some in-person outreach to them to get a temperature check and set some expectations (I feel like I have to keep telling people "the spokescouncil does not exist yet") before/around sending them a document to read and asking them to do this stuff and show up to a meeting. also maybe I'm assuming it's a given we would do that within the groups we're a part of as well.