- TheThinkTank - lists.bikecollectives.org

glueing inner tubes together?
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 06 Feb '09

06 Feb '09

does anyone know what a good glue or cement would be for gluing inner tubes together? i'm working on a diy design for waterproof shoe covers, but can't find any glue that will bond the rubber like a patch kit seems to...i'd like them to be as bomber as possible, as i'm pretty sure they'll get used and abused. thanks! josh.

6 8

Federal Bike Commuter Benefit?
by Rigel Christian 03 Feb '09

03 Feb '09

Are there any co-op shops out there that have cleared the legal hurdles to accept vouchers for this already?

3 2

BICAS is hiring for three positions in Tucson, AZ
by Erik Ryberg 02 Feb '09

02 Feb '09

Hello all, BICAS is hiring for three positions: an administrative coordinator, education coordinator, and shop coordinator. The job descriptions are below. Please feel free to distribute this widely! For those of you who have never heard of BICAS, we are Tucson's Bicycle Inter-City Arts and Salvage, or maybe Bicycle Inter-City Action and Salvage, depending who you ask. We have been promoting bicycling, DIY bicycle repair, and art for all people for nearly two decades. We are a non-profit organization with a small, active board and a staff of about ten people. We do a lot of awesome things, but community-tools, art, and education are our biggest programs. Come check us out in person in Tucson or on the web at www.bicas.org. Thank you. -------------------------- ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR BICAS, a non-profit bike recycling, education, and art collective, is hiring an administrative coordinator in our lively Tucson, Arizona shop. The position entails overseeing the finer points of keeping our organization running smoothly as well as more ambitious projects that you will develop with staff support. It will include office management duties, such as filing taxes, managing payroll and basic accounting, as well as the more interesting tasks of promoting what we do and growing our organization in a healthful and fun fashion. We anticipate this to be a 3/4 to full-time position. Salary will depend on experience. Spanish speakers are especially encouraged to apply. For more information about BICAS, see www.bicas.org or even better, come visit the shop. BICAS is an equal opportunity employer. This position is open until filled. Please direct inquiries and applications to board(a)bicas.org, with the words "administrative coordinator" in the subject heading. To apply send us a cover letter and resume along with whatever else you feel we need to have. No phone calls. -------------------------- EDUCATION COORDINATOR BICAS, a non-profit bike recycling, education, and art collective, is hiring an education coordinator in our lively Tucson, Arizona shop. The position entails overseeing our robust education program which is geared toward youth, refugees, under-served communities, and the public at large. We currently have several educational programs including an eight-week build-a-bike course, but are looking to build this part of what we do even more. The job will include all aspects of running and promoting these programs, as well as teaching the classes with staff support. We anticipate this to be a 1/2 to 3/4-time position. Salary will depend on experience. Spanish speakers are especially encouraged to apply. For more information about BICAS, see www.bicas.org, or even better, come visit the shop. BICAS is an equal opportunity employer. This position is open until filled. Please direct inquiries and applications to board(a)bicas.org, with the words "education coordinator" in the subject heading. To apply send us a cover letter and resume along with whatever else you feel we need to have. No phone calls. ---------------------------------- SHOP COORDINATOR BICAS, a non-profit bike recycling, education, and art collective, is hiring a shop coordinator in our lively Tucson, Arizona shop. The position entails overseeing our robust community tools program, which caters to all members of the public with a focus on youth and under-served communities. The community tools aspect of our shop is probably the most utilized and most hectic thing that we do, and we are excited about the possibilities of serving our communities even better than we do now. The job will include all aspects of running and promoting the community tools program, with considerable staff support. Applicants should be ready to work in a somewhat frenzied environment and should have a strong work ethic, a strong commitment to this program, and a subtle, unoffensive leadership style. We anticipate this to be a 1/2 to full-time position. The applicant should have a strong imagination for improving our ability to serve our communities. Salary will depend on experience. Spanish speakers are especially encouraged to apply. For more information about BICAS, see www.bicas.org, or even better, come visit the shop. BICAS is an equal opportunity employer. This position is open until filled. Please direct inquiries and applications to board(a)bicas.org, with the words "shop coordinator" in the subject heading. To apply send us a cover letter and resume along with whatever else you feel we need to have. No phone calls. -- Erik B. Ryberg Attorney at Law 312 South Convent Avenue Tucson, AZ 85701 phone: (520) 622-3333 fax: (520) 622-2406

2 1

Re: [TheThinkTank] your org's policy on working with kids?
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 01 Feb '09

01 Feb '09

no worries. if you found it helpful, perhaps someone else out there might as well. another option that we explored but abandoned after the "the more we do, the more we're liable" talk was looking into what the local school district's policy is, and following that, but most school districts do have pretty strict guidelines, in addition to record keeping guidelines, which some shops may find too much oversight for not a lot of return in security. On Sun, Feb 1, 2009 at 6:56 PM, Steve Klassen <sklassen(a)mac.com> wrote: > Wow, that is actually quite helpful advice. We never thought of the angle > of 2:1 but it makes sense once you said it.Steve > p.s. might be worth posting to the listserve but since it is your answer I > will leave that to your discretion > > On 1-Feb-09, at 7:12 PM, veganboyjosh(a)gmail.com wrote: > > hi steve, > > my original email got a few general responses, but i think the thread ended > up officially hijacked. > > we've got an attorney on our board, and some of the best advice he's > brought to the table has been when he points out in cases like this that the > more we try to cover ourselves, the worse things will be for us if something > bad does end up happening. > > for now, our policy is something to the effect of "youth involved in any > activities hosted by or at community cycles shall be chaperoned by no less > than two adults at all times." this is in addition to staff youth workers > all being subject to a background check prior to working with any youth. > > that's about as tight as we can make it without getting into background > checks for every volunteer, or everyone comes into the shop, etc... > > hope that helps. > > josh. > > > > On Sun, Feb 1, 2009 at 1:27 PM, Steve Klassen <sklassen(a)mac.com> wrote: > >> HI, Josh, did you get any responses to your query?We have had lots of >> challenges >> Our plan is to involve some interested people form Big Brothers to help us >> create a better setup for young volunteers >> Steve >> >> >> Steve Klassen >> Bicycles for Humanity >> c/o Klassen Family Practice >> 303-1265 Arthur St. E. >> Thunder Bay, ON P7E 6E7 >> CANADA >> >> work (807) 622-3737 >> fax- (807) 623-1969 >> paging (807) 623-7451 >> tbaybikes(a)mac.com >> >> www.b4hthunderbay.org >> >> "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can >> change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has." >> --Margaret Mead >> >> >> >> On 16-Jan-09, at 12:22 AM, veganboyjosh(a)gmail.com wrote: >> >> we're hard at work on Community Cycles' shop manual, and we're wondering >> if any of you have any formal policies for shop volunteers and/or staff that >> you'd feel like sharing. i'm imagining something to the effect of "at least >> two staff must be present when kids are around..." or something like that. >> >> on a somewhat related note, have any of you had any experience with >> someone--staff, volunteer, customer, etc--being inappropriate around kids, >> (aside from normal bad language..) that you had to deal with a parent for? >> i'd be interested in hearing about that experience... >> >> thanks! >> >> josh. >> _______________________________________________ >> Thethinktank mailing list >> Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org >> To unsubscribe, send a blank email to >> TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org >> To manage your subscription, plase visit: >> >> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… >> >> >> > >

1 0

interview of bike collective in lyon france on bike talk
by Cascadian Fox 01 Feb '09

01 Feb '09

Hello, I was interviewed on bike talk, give it a listen at ; http://archive.kpfk.org/parchive/mp3/kpfk_090124_100000biketalk.mp3 vélorutionnairement, Fox

1 0

tomorrow's bike talk!, 10am-noon on killradio.org:8000
by bike talk 30 Jan '09

30 Jan '09

killradio's been hacked. there's a bunch of gibberish at the web page. you can go to killradio.org:8000 and listen to the show by clicking "click to listen." you wont regret it, hopefully. there's a tandem dating game, the winner of which will go together on a tandem ride with our guest dater, Alesa. Then there is an interview by Jim C that you've got to hear. and Steven Bowers, Larry Hoffman, and an interview with Ryan Bowen, who's decompressing from the inauguration ride. good stuff, give it a listen. Nick -- please let me know if you want to be taken off this list. See Bike Talk! on kpfk: http://www.kpfk.org/programs/170-bike-talk.html

1 0

merch for your shop...what works and doesn't work?
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 30 Jan '09

30 Jan '09

a few of us at community cycles are looking into getting some items professionally printed. shirts, bike/skull caps, stickers... what kinds of items have you all found are popular, or not so popular? we'll be in touch with peacesupplies, as i know he's friends with and does the printing for bicas. any leads or suggestions you all can make as far as things that have worked well or weren't worth your time or money? if the person from freeride who worked on the bikebike!08 merch reads this, where did you get the hats to print onto? does anyone else have a source for blank screenable hats? thanks! josh.

5 4

Money! Autonomy! Ethics! Oh my?
by Alex Rosenblatt 30 Jan '09

30 Jan '09

Hello all! Alright, so I'm sure this has been posted to the list 54 times over. But: How do y'all make money? More specifically: Our bike co-op has traditionally been, on the front end, a completely volunteer based earn-a-bike program. We have paid staff but aside from that money is not exchanged. We are considering selling bicycles, charging a per hour rate, and selling parts but we are afraid of alienating a large part of our population. How do you balance retaining your goals, ethics, ideologies - like promoting bicycle access, providing (largely) free transportation, anti-capitalist leanings, skill empowerment - with keeping your shop autonomous and self sustaining? Thanks all! Apologies if this is an all to often repeated topic and feel free to ask for clarification. Alex Recycle Ithaca's Bicycles. (RIBS)

8 7

Smaller Critical Masses
by 1304bikes 29 Jan '09

29 Jan '09

Doug here from 1304bikes in Raleigh, NC. I was wondering what some of you folks from smaller towns who host critical mass rides do to make them more fun and to attract poeple to come ride in them. We usually only have anywhere from 10-30 poeple in our rides, which i feel is small for a city with a population of 300k. We have a small handful of regulars who always show, but then we get a lot of folks who will come once or twice, but then we'll never see them again. I think maybe a lot people are turned off by the slow pace and lack of excitement at the rides. Maybe we just don't advertise well enough. Either way, hoping for some suggesting as to what other cities without the excitement of a super large mass do to draw people out to their rides. I feel if we can grow the ride large enough, it will become fun in itself, but our mass isn't large enough yet for that appeal. Thanks for all the input! -- 1304bikes 2419 Mayview Rd. Raleigh, NC 1304bikes.org

8 7

Tax Questions regarding volunteer hours.
by Boson Au 26 Jan '09

26 Jan '09

Hi everyone.... Boson from Baltimore's Velocipede bike project here. we're in the midst of calculating our taxes (for the first time........) and we do have an accountant who is graciously helping us out for next to nothing. anyways, he asked about how much profit we make and we got a little caught off guard; besides the random part/bike we sell (for peanuts) we really don't make profit. We are entirely volunteer-run, so we don't need to pay wages. Our landlord is letting us use the place for a song, so beyond utilities and some non-recyclable parts (ie: brake cables) we don't really have much "costs" as for profits: While we do sell some used parts and bikes (of which we def. have records of) the primary way our bikes leave the shop is via the build-a-bike program. A volunteer gives us 3 hrs, and we give them a bike/frame in need of work. they then spend time at the shop fixing it. no money is exchanged. The accountant, not accustomed to this sort of "business" suggest that we consider coming up with something to represent the volunteer hours people give to enroll in the build-a-bike program, after all, they do get a bike out of it. I wanna ask the other collectives out there, how do you handle this?

5 4

potential resource for all of you...
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 26 Jan '09

26 Jan '09

hey everyone in thinktank world. we've been thinking about making some spoke cards for our youth earn-a-bike program, and it occurred to me that with the right materials, we could make them reflective. this way, we're making the bike visible, but with less of a dork factor that kids (and some adults) think come with reflectors. i asked around at many local paint shops, and about the closest they had was some glitter-y spray paint. until friday. one of the old-timers suggested i contact our county's sign shop. the place that makes the road signs, street signs, etc. of course, many of these, like stop signs and one way signs, are made elsewhere and shipped in. but street names, custom "this road under construction until may of 2012" type signs are all done in house. which means they have cutoffs of various colors of sign material. i called and approached them from the angle of running the kids program, and wanting to make the kids bikes more visible and safe. they were super into it. i have yet to get my hands on any, but they said they'd keep a box open for me, and when it gets close to full, they'll call and i can go pick up as much as i want. i don't know how often i'll be making the trip, but i am excited about this stuff. like i said, i have yet to hold it, but from the description i got, it's self-adhesive on one side, UBER

1 1

Killradio.org hacked! listen to biketalk! at killradio.org:8000
by bike talk 23 Jan '09

23 Jan '09

listen 10am-noon at www.killradio.org:8000; the regular site's messed up, but we'll be there tomorrow interviewing guests. call in! -- please let me know if you want to be taken off this list. See Bike Talk! on kpfk: http://www.kpfk.org/programs/170-bike-talk.html

1 0

Collective Insight
by Chloé Rose 22 Jan '09

22 Jan '09

Hi everybody. At the Community Bicycle Network (Toronto) we're looking at moving from a top-down management model (one co-ordinator, three paid staff) to a more collective-based model. Question is, who among you are collectives? How are you structured and organized? What advice would you have for me? Thanks Chloé

6 8

Re: [TheThinkTank] sales out of control.
by Bruce Lien 22 Jan '09

22 Jan '09

The problem with this sell,sell,sell approach is that it can put you in clear "competition" with bike shops. We want/must be friendly with the local bike shops. Additionally, unless you have a large account with the wholesalers, your account will be shut down. (I know, mine was under this sell philosphy.) --- On Tue, 1/20/09, BovineOaks(a)aol.com <BovineOaks(a)aol.com> wrote: From: BovineOaks(a)aol.com <BovineOaks(a)aol.com> Subject: [TheThinkTank] sales out of control. To: thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org Date: Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 4:45 PM Mechanics will fight this note tooth and nail. They do not believe that the knowledge they have earned makes them worthy of professional benefits. Sell sell sell if you are afraid of selling hire a sales person, Sell bikes, sell classes, sell parts, so you can afford rent, healthcare, salaries, and afford to give back to the community more than you take from it. You are not in business to get broke, you are there to give the community a resource. Earning a Bike is different than undervaluing your bike building/ repair services. If someone is give you their time you can give them a discount on your professional services. Sell your service for top dollar, give back to your volunteers and pay your employees. YOU ARE IN BUSINESS Non for Profit is not a go broke fast scheme. If you are broke all the time how can you give to the community when you are sick or injured? How can you afford to get the tools or the training you need for your staff? How can you afford to take your youth or adults on events or programs outside the shop? You are Worth a lot, charge for it, respect those that volunteer and promote volunteerism for its discounts if you feel the need to give away cheap bikes. SELL SELL SELL you are worth it. Christopher Wallace Chicago P.S. I love selling classes, it is a great way to find inspired volunteers. Adult students can become Mechanics, educators, promoters, lawyers, mentors, shippers, government liaisons, and more than you can even dream of. SELL Classes Inauguration '09: Get complete coverage from the nation's capital. -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave(a)bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.…

6 5

sales out of control.
by BovineOaks＠aol.com 20 Jan '09

20 Jan '09

Mechanics will fight this note tooth and nail. They do not believe that the knowledge they have earned makes them worthy of professional benefits. Sell sell sell if you are afraid of selling hire a sales person, Sell bikes, sell classes, sell parts, so you can afford rent, healthcare, salaries, and afford to give back to the community more than you take from it. You are not in business to get broke, you are there to give the community a resource. Earning a Bike is different than undervaluing your bike building/ repair services. If someone is give you their time you can give them a discount on your professional services. Sell your service for top dollar, give back to your volunteers and pay your employees. YOU ARE IN BUSINESS Non for Profit is not a go broke fast scheme. If you are broke all the time how can you give to the community when you are sick or injured? How can you afford to get the tools or the training you need for your staff? How can you afford to take your youth or adults on events or programs outside the shop? You are Worth a lot, charge for it, respect those that volunteer and promote volunteerism for its discounts if you feel the need to give away cheap bikes. SELL SELL SELL you are worth it. Christopher Wallace Chicago P.S. I love selling classes, it is a great way to find inspired volunteers. Adult students can become Mechanics, educators, promoters, lawyers, mentors, shippers, government liaisons, and more than you can even dream of. SELL Classes **************Inauguration '09: Get complete coverage from the nation's capital. (http://news.aol.com/main/politics/inauguration?ncid=emlcntusnews00000003)

2 1

What to do about kids' bikes
by Carl Voss 20 Jan '09

20 Jan '09

Here in chilly Iowa, we're nine months into our first year of operating the Des Moines Bicycle Collective. It seems that every time we turn around, we're tripping over another stack of heavy, Magna-quality kids' bikes (12 and 16" wheels; some 24"). Most are in such pathetic shape (neglect or abuse) that the scrap yard appears to be the only solution. Our board can't seem to reach consensus on the best way to get our arms around this and still be the good guys that keep bikes out of the land fill. I'm confident several of you will offer some first-hand solutions so we can be more productive. *It seems a shame to waste volunteer time stripping the bikes of rubber so we can take them to the scrapyard. We got $10 for our last truckload of 20 bikes. *It doesn't make sense to spend much effort tuning up a kids' bike for a $10 used sale when Walmart sells a new bike for $25-$30. *Some of us are of the mind that any decent kids' bike should be given away through Boys and Girls Clubs or similar. We currently aren't suggesting a donation to drop off any bike (youth or adult), although that may change soon if we can get a policy passed for a $10 suggested donation. Carl carlvoss(a)mac.com Mobile: 515-210-0237

4 3

You're Invited!
by Jonathan Morrison 20 Jan '09

20 Jan '09

Jonathan Morrison has sent you an invitation to 'Volunteer Bike Mechanics' -- click here to view the invitation and submit your response: http://www.usaservice.org/page/event/detail/4vzt4 --- For more information visit: http://www.slcbikecollective.org/

1 0

Compiling a best practices survey...
by Cycles of Change APC 19 Jan '09

19 Jan '09

Hi all,My name is Barry and I'm the site director for a non-profit bike shop in the city of Alameda in the San Francisco Bay Area. We operate a full service recycled community bike shop that is just over 2.5 years old. I was wondering if you would be willing to contribute some info about your org around strategic development that we can use, and that can be shared by all users of this e-group. Thanks, to Bikes not Bombs for the suggestion to post here! If you can answer any or all of them, that'd be great. And if you have any questions, feel free to email me/us directly at bikeshop(a)apcollaborative.org Take care in these crazy times, Barry www.myspace.com/cyclesapc Here's the questions... > What has been your biggest challenge? > How did you develop a long-term plan? > What do you believe are some of your best practices? > What is your mission statement? > What services do you offer? > What are your plans for growth? > What are your current / prior threats and how did you address them? > How do you balance revenue generation versus services provided? > What are your most successful hours? When are your biggest sales? > What / who is your core market? Where are the best prospects for focusing > growth? > What are your staffing levels? What is your overall budget and staffing > budget? > What was your history of growth (financially and staffing wise) > What was the "critical mass" to become successful? > Do you consider yourself successful? How do you define the success of > your shop? > How do you see the growth of the industry? Where are the biggest > opportunities? > Are you situated to take advantage of these opportunities? > What is your commitment to community involvement? > How much funding is from sales vs other sources and how does that affect > your shop? -- Cycles of Change APC (510) 898-7830 www.apcollaborative.org/cycles.htm www.myspace.com/cyclesapc

10 11

Re: [TheThinkTank] Bike sales out of control.
by an undercover cop 18 Jan '09

18 Jan '09

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 i don't really have a solution for you, other than to shut down sales or limit them to very specific hours. do just enough to meet your needs. if you sell out, you sell out, and so be it. whatever you do, don't get sucked into selling for sales' sake. working bikes in chicago is just now recovering (afaik) from a bunch of years of being overwhelmed by the demand for their bikes. i remember the shop opening at noon and being empty by 2.30 pm. - -ben > On Jan 19, 2009, at 12:08 AM, Patrick VDT wrote: > >> So we have an interesting problem. >> We have become so engrossed with raising money that 95% of our time >> is spent selling off what was donated to us. >> We are seriously putting in 100 hours a week building and selling >> but only 2-4 hours on programs. >> >> Im so fed up with it im going to start giving away all the bikes >> that would have been sold to other charities in town. >> >> Money is not an issue for a at least two years. . . . >> >> Ideas >> >> Please help, we are turning into a real shop that sells only to >> college students with $100 shoes. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iEYEARECAAYFAkl0Dx4ACgkQSfGaTCxqHXEf2wCdH1LdxrqGlsMqsswVOzl3ardA OnIAn0x5NjdJ+X2WgRipjp8J4BwWBL4z =Zexm -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

1 0

A good bike for maintenance classes
by Carl Voss 18 Jan '09

18 Jan '09

We're just about to roll out a 4-part series of bike mechanic classes (two-hour sessions). Do any of you offer a general bike repair book as part of the fee or have a recommended bike repair book that you stock? Suggested soft cover bikes include *Anybody's Bike Book (updated version that includes indexed shifters) *Bicycling magazine's Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair *Park Tool School student manual (140+ pages, spiral bound) Carl carlvoss(a)mac.com Mobile: 515-210-0237

2 1

Exploded Diagrams
by Genevieve Luikart 18 Jan '09

18 Jan '09

Greetings! Bike Saviours in AZ is looking for any good renderings you have of exploded bicycle part diagrams. We've been looking in books on our own, but we figure that many of you have already done the work for us, and if your willing to share, we could help pass on some great information. We're most interested in jpgs and or tiff files that you already have access to, and can either send or link to. Thanks for your time, Genevieve Luikart

2 1

Re: [TheThinkTank] Thethinktank Digest, Vol 29, Issue 13
by Clifford McCarten 18 Jan '09

18 Jan '09

This is a great topic, one that we could definitely use advice on. Our shop (like many are, I'm sure) is in a fairly rough section of town. High density, low-income housing=lots of deadbeat parents = lots of surly kids with nothing to do. The kids end up coming down and hanging out, sometimes working on their bikes, sometimes "volunteering"; but more often than not creating... challenges... for the actual volunteers. The other factor is the arrangement of our shop. We're in a 2000 square foot church basement, with only about 1/4 of it taken up with workstations & bike storage. The rest is a wide-open concrete floor - a dreamland for rambunctious kids who run down and grab bikes, covering the floor with skid marks & crashing into things. As a result, our policies undergo trial-by-fire tests & revisions very quickly. Since this is our first year of being formally established, we're still working out how the shop can be a productive space for the kids _without_ it being overrun/taken advantage of/creating unsafe conditions. Some things we've faced: Issue: Kids working on bikes that aren't remotely safe (i.e., they've come in to patch a flat on a majorly dented aluminum frame mountain bike with its brakes _removed_) Resolution: No bikes are allowed to leave the shop until they are safe, even if it means taking a hit on the shop's end to equip them with brakes. Issue: Kids arriving @ the shop who are much too young (10 and under) to care about (or able to torque!) the mechanics of their bike. (i.e., they just want to ride something) Resolution: This is tough -- we don't want to demand that they have a parent/guardian present to come to the shop because, if actually enforced in this neighbourhood, we would never see _any_ of these kids. Most of the time our mechanics are busy helping members & not able to drop everything to supervise, step-by-step, a kid working on overhauling a BB or something. We've suggested that they come with an older sibling or something, but this is still an unsatisfactory situation. The best thing we've been able to come up with is getting the kid (everyone under 16) to have their parent sign the waiver that we get all members to sign. This at least lets the parent know that the kid is out there, and then we (hypothetically) have their phone number for when/if the kid steals tools... Issue: Kids offering to "volunteer"; but really just cause havoc. This was a difficult situation with one kid in particular. He has a good heart & a not-good home life, so he wanted to hang out at the shop and "work" for us. Problem was that he was relentlessly attention seeking (see home life), and wouldn't pay attention or follow through on any tasks we tried to give him. He was really disruptive when new members came down. We had numerous chats with him, but ultimately nothing changed. Eventually I had to come down hard and ask him to leave. Resolution: We've resolved to only allow kids with these kinds of interests to show up _one_ day out of the three that we're open; where they are then allowed to spend time doing some organizational etc tasks we've set up for the day. They are _not_ allowed to work on bikes until they've shown an ongoing commitment to the shop & a legitimate commitment to learning. We also have a "you're only here if you're gonna volunteer" rule; where, if there's nothing to do, they can't just hang out (because this inevitably leads to grabbing random bikes and crashing them into walls/bikes/members etc. ...The big workshop is a blessing & a curse). Issue: Kids stealing & wrecking tools Resolution: Any expensive tools or delicate repairs (i.e., chainbreaks) are ALWAYS used under supervision. We are generally aware of who was using tool X the day it went missing; so we can use the waiver form phone numbers to get them back. Our wednesday nights are a sort of free-for-all, where non-members & kids can come down for free to work on their bikes. This gives us some leverage when we're talking to surly/klepto youth -- I say something like "why bother stealing the tool when you know you can always come down for free on wednesdays? It'll always be here!" Not a comprehensive list, and I really look forward to seeing what others have come up with! Cheers, Clifford McCarten Director, B!ke: The Peterborough Community Bike Shop 400 Wolfe St Peterborough, Ontario (705) 745-2103 http://www.communitybikeshop.org On 16-Jan-09, at 4:09 PM, thethinktank-request(a)bikecollectives.org wrote: > Send Thethinktank mailing list submissions to > thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.… > > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > thethinktank-request(a)bikecollectives.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > thethinktank-owner(a)bikecollectives.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Thethinktank digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. your org's policy on working with kids? (veganboyjosh(a)gmail.com) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:22:30 -0700 > From: veganboyjosh(a)gmail.com > Subject: [TheThinkTank] your org's policy on working with kids? > To: The Think Tank <thethinktank(a)bikecollectives.org> > Message-ID: > <53e5a1720901152122w1c040b10xcb8e9c8ccc958960(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > we're hard at work on Community Cycles' shop manual, and we're > wondering if > any of you have any formal policies for shop volunteers and/or staff > that > you'd feel like sharing. i'm imagining something to the effect of > "at least > two staff must be present when kids are around..." or something like > that. > > on a somewhat related note, have any of you had any experience with > someone--staff, volunteer, customer, etc--being inappropriate around > kids, > (aside from normal bad language..) that you had to deal with a > parent for? > i'd be interested in hearing about that experience... > > thanks! > > josh. >

2 1

bike talk today--hacked! alternate site
by bike talk 17 Jan '09

17 Jan '09

Hi, if you want to listen today, go to www.killradio.org:8000--we're working on it. we have tandem, Ron Milam, Liz of C.I.C.L.E., Christian of Torelli bikes, and a Jim C interview. listen. -- please let me know if you want to be taken off this list. See Bike Talk! on kpfk: http://www.kpfk.org/programs/170-bike-talk.html

1 0

Fwd: Update on Google Checkout transaction processing fees for non-profits
by Jonathan Morrison 14 Jan '09

14 Jan '09

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Google Checkout Team <checkout-merchant-support(a)google.com> Date: Wed, Jan 14, 2009 at 1:35 PM Subject: Update on Google Checkout transaction processing fees for non-profits To: treasurer(a)slcbikecollective.org Hello, We're writing to let you know that Google Checkout's free transaction processing offer for non-profits has been extended until 2010. However, in an effort to bring more consistency to the eligibility guidelines for our non-profit offerings, only those non-profits who are also members of our Google Grants program will be eligible for free donation processing. All other non-profits will transition to Checkout's standard fee structure on March 1, 2009. If you're a Google Grants recipient, please make sure to link your Grants account with Checkout by February 15, 2009 to continue to receive free transaction processing without interruption. Learn how to link your accounts: http://checkout.google.com/support/sell/bin/answer.py?answer=72722 If you're not a Google Grants recipient, we strongly encourage you to learn more about the program and apply. Google Grants awards free AdWords advertising to non-profits who meet certain eligibility guidelines, and integrates with Google Checkout to help you increase your online fundraising. Plus, if you apply for Google Grants by March 1, 2009 and you're accepted, we will retroactively credit you for any Checkout fees incurred while your application was pending. Learn more about Google Grants: http://www.google.com/grants/ If your organization falls outside of our guidelines or decides not to apply for a Google Grant, we realize this news may come as a disappointment and hope that you'll still find Checkout's ease of use and competitive rates compelling reasons to keep using our product. You'll be charged a low 2.0% plus $0.20 per transaction for all payment types (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover), and there are no monthly, setup, or gateway fees. Learn more about Google Checkout fees: http://checkout.google.com/seller/fees.html Please visit our Help Center or reply to this email if you have any additional questions. Thank you for using Google Checkout for Non-Profits. Sincerely, The Google Checkout Team Note: To be considered for Google Grants, organizations must meet the program's legal requirements and policy guidelines. Eligible non-profits may focus on areas such as the arts, disaster and relief services, education, health, youth programs, and more. Groups that have a political, religious, or commercial focus are not eligible for the program, and we have additional guidelines around other types of non-profits as well. Before you consider applying for Google Grants, please review all of our guidelines regarding eligibility: http://www.google.com/grants/details.html#eligibility Copyright 2008. Google Inc, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043. Email preferences: You have received this mandatory email service announcement to update you about important changes to your Google Checkout account.

2 1

bikebike 2009 dates?
by veganboyjosh＠gmail.com 12 Jan '09

12 Jan '09

does anyone know the fine folks at the greasepit in minneapolis have decided on dates for bikebike yet? i'm sure i'm not the only one who's mapping out my late summer/early fall plans for the year... thanks! josh.

2 1