Policy

This page reflects a policy and should be edited for content only with board approval (formatting and grammar fixes are okay).

In short...

• Be safe
• Be bold
• Be excellent
• Be a good neighbour

Full policy

• Community
  • This space, first and foremost, belongs to you, the community, to do what you wish (within reason). Have fun, be bold, and make cool stuff happen!
  • SkullSpace should be a safe place for anyone at all to hang out and participate in, therefore negative behaviors such as sexism, homophobia, racism, etc. will not be tolerated.
  • Members are encouraged to "be bold" when it comes to making changes to the space - the space, after all, belongs to everybody. The Operations Manager (or a delegate) should be made aware before major or potentially dangerous/disruptive changes are made to determine if they are appropriate and safe.

• Excellence
  • Members should be excellent to one another. This is in the bylaws.
  • If something you're doing might bother others, please have the courtesy to not do it around them, or to save it for when you get home. And if you're bothered by something, please speak up.

• Acceptable Use of SkullSpace Computers and Equipment
  • Computers will require you to sign in and agree to terms
    • No hate, porn, racism, sexism etc.
    • If you wouldn't do it in front of your grandma, don't do it here
    • Use your common sense and be respectful of others
  • Violation of any policy (such as not being safe, ignoring other members requests for you to stop an offensive behaviour etc.), should result in the following action(s):
    • 1. You should get an immediate warning directly from the member who witnessed &/or was offended by the action. (They should also inform the board of the warning, so a record is on file of the violation/offence.)
    • 2. A second warning/complaint may result in a written warning from the board (at their discretion).
    • 3. Future incidents may ultimately result in membership being revoked.

• Animals
  • For safety reasons, only service animals (seeing eye dogs etc.) are allowed at SkullSpace. It is not a safe place for animals to wander, and we have a number of members who are allergic to them, so we ask that you leave your pets at home when you come to the space.
  • For this to be enforced consistently, all members must be prepared to request the removal of any non-service animals which are brought to SkullSpace.

• Cleaning
  • Clean up after yourself!
  • Basic housekeeping will be done by a designated volunteer as indicated on the cleaning page
  • Clutter and unclaimed objects may be placed on the Table of Doomed Objects to be disposed of on the third week of every month.

• Dangerous / prohibited items
  • Don't bring any dangerous or prohibited items to the space. This includes weapons, drugs, alcohol, and anything else that would make other members nervous to be around for safety reasons.
  • Anything is dangerous if used improperly — please take care in using or demonstrating items of interest, and advise other members (or directors) if you feel they are doing something dangerous.

• Employees
  • SkullSpace does not have any employees. Everyone who does any work on behalf of SkullSpace does so purely on a volunteer basis. This isn't about making money, this is about building a community.

• Keys and Keyfobs
  • Keys/fobs are property of SkullSpace.
  • Keys/fobs may not be duplicated.
  • Keys/fobs must be returned upon request.
  • Keys/fobs must not be loaned to others.

• Membership fee
  • Everybody pays membership fees. There are no exceptions.
  • Fees can be paid in cash, pre-authorized deposit, PayPal, or via a pre-authorized work agreement approved by the membership
  • All memberships are $40, but student memberships are available at a discounted rate on request. All members can optionally do a monthly donation along with their membership fees.
  • To qualify for student membership you must be a full time student at an accredited secondary or post-secondary institution that leads to a certificate, diploma, or degree. Student status may be given to part time students, students not seeking a degree and those taking multiple certification courses at the discretion of the board. The student discount is for students in financial need and is the main factor the board will take into consideration when conferring student status.

• Neighbours
  • Members should respect our neighbours in the building.

• Open Source & Self-Hosting
  • SkullSpace should use primarily free and open source software whenever possible.
  • SkullSpace should adhere to Community Economic Development principles whenever possible.
  • We should try and host our own services, as a learning experience and to offer the best privacy we can to our members.

• Privacy
  • We will not publish a list of our members. However, members should feel free to create & participate in opt-in lists.
  • We will not release the financial details of any of our members.
  • We will not release a list of the emails of our members.
  • It should be noted that a dedicated individual could derive information on their own based on mailing list posts, etc.

• Safety
  • Guests may use the workshop space, other areas and equipment upon a member using common sense in determining the guest's ability to safely do so. The member must be able to vouch for their ability to use the equipment and space(s).
  • Members and guests should be cautious of debris and other hazards while in the space. SkullSpace assumes no responsibility for improper use of the space resulting in injury. Please use sound judgement when using the space and protect your feet, eyes, hands etc. as necessary when you are working on projects.

• Security
  • The last member to leave the space is responsible for ensuring that all doors are locked, including the elevator gates & doors, and the back door. Please ensure lights are shut off, and any unused electronics are powered down.
  • Members should also ensure when they leave that any remaining people in SkullSpace are either members of SkullSpace or authorized guests. Any member may request to see another person's keyfob to verify they are a current member.
  • For member safety, the second-floor door leading to SkullSpace is always locked, except during public open hours or for scheduled events. A member keyfob is required to gain access outside of these hours. Guests are able to ring the doorbell outside of the main floor building door, or telephone SkullSpace to gain access.

• Applying for Membership
  • Members should be familiar with the bylaws and member agreement.
  • Applicants must apply for membership at one of our weekly meetings. If this is truly not possible due to scheduling conflicts, alternate arrangements can be made with the Board.
  • Applicants must sign the membership agreement, and deliver it to the Board. Minor applicants must also have their legal guardian sign the membership agreement.
  • After any meeting in which an application has been received, the Board will announce the name of the applicant to announce@.
  • Once the application has been announced, there is a two week period during which members may object to the application.
    • Members must voice their objection to a Director, currently Courtney.
    • The Director will conceal the identity of the objector from everyone, including the Board, but will record the objector, applicant, and reason in a list that will be passed on to a succeeding Director, currently Courtney.
    • The Director will notify the Board of the objection and the reason given by the objector, but will not disclose the identity of the objector.
  • At the close of the two week period, if there are two or more objections from the membership, or the Board has rejected the application, the Board will give written notice of the rejection to the applicant.
    • If the application has been rejected due to objections from the membership, the written notice will not include the reasons for the objections or the identities of the objectors, but will note that the membership has rejected the application.
    • If the application has been rejected by the Board, the written notice will include the reasons for the objections and will note that the Board has rejected the application.
  • If the application has been accepted, the applicant will become a member once they have paid the first month's dues, at which time they will be given a keyfob and are required to subscribe to announce@.

• Overnight stays
  • For sanitary reasons, as well as insurance, public perception, and the ability for other members to use the space - please don't sleep there!
  • On rare occasions where you can't safely get home, it's fine to crash there, but don't make a habit of it (or complain if you get rudely woken up).