Code of Conduct

1. Be excellent to each other.
2. Don’t do anything that would require us to write a new rule.
3. When in doubt-ask.
4. Nobody shall use hazardous equipment while alone in the space or without sufficient training. If you do not know how to use a tool you must ask for the assistance of someone who does. If you do not know if something is hazardous you must ask someone who does.
5. Please keep the space in a pleasant, clean and tidy state. Wash up any kitchenware and sweep up any sawdust etc. Pack away your projects when you're not working on them and put tools back where they belong. Items left on desk surfaces may be moved or disposed. Hot food/drink etc is allowed however please be considerate of others when consuming strong smelling foods.
6. Don't use the space for illegal or immoral purposes. 
7. Avoid doing harm to the Makersmiths reputation. Do not bring illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia or evidence of drug use to the space.
8. Restore makerspace to its default state, putting all materials, projects and tools away and leave it as good as or better than the state in which you found it, turn off all lights and tools, and lock the space before you leave. 
9. Keep entry and walkways clear of materials and debris.
10. Respect private and shared property. Don’t borrow something unless it’s understood it’s something you can use. If you do use something, replace it (Pay it forward!). If you break it, it is your responsibility to get it fixed. (Ask for help if needed).
11. Under 18s may not enter the space without a responsible adult; they can only use equipment that they have been certified on, and then must follow any and all minor supervision rules required for that equipment. The responsible adult can be a parent/guardian, or any adult member with permission from a trustee and a parent/guardian in advance. Said responsible adult assumes all responsibility for the actions and safety of said minor.
12. Members must not operate hazardous equipment while their judgement or reaction times are impaired.
13. Keep your key and/or access codes secure. Members agree to not share or loan their key or codes, even to other members.
14. All members must take appropriate training before using tools, and all members are required to attend the Membership Indoctrination course, which will be provided at least once each month. Membership Indoctrination allows members to use all “Green” tools.  Yellow and Red tools require additional training, and cannot be used until that additional training is successfully completed.
15. All new visitors to the space must sign a waiver, whether they are member or non-member. No exceptions.
16. Full Members have 24/7/365 access.  Associate Members have access to the space when there is a Full Member present.
17. Non-members are welcome in the space under one of the following conditions (Rule # 15 applies):
    1. They are a guest of a member who is present in the space, and member is responsible for any damage done by guest:
    2. They are attending a workshop or class;
    3. Makersmiths is holding an open house or drop-in session.
18. Dispose all trash in the proper place, i.e. recycling in the recycling, trash in the trash can.  Do not leave food out, nor leave trash in trash receptacles that will attract fruit flies, ants, roaches or other unwanted critters.
19. Keep the community refrigerator clean. All items placed in refrigerator should be labeled with the member's name and current date. All food that is left overnight or is unlabeled will be considered disposable, including its container. (Not applicable to fermented liquid refreshments).
20. Report any faulty or defective equipment to Makersmiths tool meister immediately (toolmeister@makersmiths.org).
21. Report any injuries, no matter how minor, to Makersmiths immediately (info@makersmiths.org).

Safety Rules

1. If you see any unsafe act or operation, YOU are empowered to stop it and/or mark the workspace as unsafe. Report it to info@makersmiths.org immediately  and David Lang immediately afterwards.
2. TRAINING. All members need to be trained in basic shop safety, tool use, and project planning. All members need to be trained on specific tools prior to working with them, or demonstrate their understanding to staff. Only members who have been trained in proper maintenance procedures are allowed to maintain machinery (change oil, blades, belts, cutting heads, etc.).
3. DRESS. Dress properly for your work. Remove coats and jackets, and roll up loose sleeves. Secure long hair, jewelry, or any other item on your person that could cause you to become caught in a machine or tool.
4. FIRE PROTECTION. Many finishing materials, thinners, etc. are highly flammable. Others are toxic. Because of this, it is important that these materials be used only in approved areas. In addition, close cans of finishing materials and thinners immediately after use. Use flammable liquids in very small quantities. Be sure the container is labeled. Dispose of oily rags and other combustible materials immediately, or store them in an approved container. ALL HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND LIQUIDS ARE TO BE STORED IN A HAZMAT CABINET.
5. FIRST AID. A first aid kit is provided in the facility.
6. EYE PROTECTION. Wear safety glasses or a face shield when doing any operation, observing another member, or any other task that may endanger your eyes. Be sure you have enough good light to see what you are doing without straining your eyes.
7. RESPIRATORY PROTECTION. Appropriate respiratory protection is required for any procedure which results in the creation of fine dust (sanding, cutting of masonry or painted wood, potential exposure to silicates or heavy metal dust) or release of Volatile Organic Compounds ("VOCs") (spray finishing, use of solvents, etc.).
8. EAR PROTECTION. Hearing protection is required in any procedure which generates loud noises and must be appropriate to the task. Either/both headphone style hearing protection and earplugs may be used.
9. TOOL MAINTENANCE. If a tool breaks or malfunctions, notify a room steward immediately. Only authorized members are allowed to perform tool maintenance or adjustment. Tools must be unplugged/locked out prior to the start of any maintenance.

Membership

To become a member, you must:

1. Attend a scheduled tour of the makerspace;

2. Be sponsored by an existing member;

3. Attend a scheduled orientation meeting;

4. Read and understand the Standing Rules;

5. Complete and submit the online Membership Application;

Memberships Plans:

Full Membership rights and obligations

1. Access to the Space to work on projects either on your own or in collaboration with other Members.

2. Permission to bring up to three (3) guests who shall remain under the control of the Member.  

   1. Any and all guest are required to have a signed waiver on file.

   2. The Member accepts full responsibility for their guests’ actions.

3. Use of all community tools and equipment within the space, subject to restrictions applicable to specific tools as noted in the Space.

4. Reduced fees to certain workshops and events (not including the cost of parts, supplies, etc.). 

5. 1 vote per membership

6. Membership may include immediate family members living at the same address, together a "Member".

7. Requires 2 volunteer hours per month

8. Considered Regular member class 

Associate Membership rights and obligations

1. Access to the Space to work on projects either on your own or in collaboration with other Members when the space is open.

2. Permission to bring a (1) guest who shall remain under the control of the Member.  

   1. The guest is required to have a signed waiver on file.

   2. The Member accepts full responsibility for their guests actions.

3. Use of all community tools and equipment within the space, subject to restrictions applicable to specific tools as noted in the Space.

4. 1 vote per membership

5. Requires 2 volunteer hours per month

6. Considered Regular member class 

Complimentary Membership rights and obligations

1. Limited to a total of 5 for the organization

2. Free or discounted memberships classify as Complimentary Memberships

3. Term = 3 months

4. Requires submission of application which shall include statements of (i) Need of the applicant and (ii) how Makersmiths will benefit from granting the applicant a complimentary membership

5. Application is approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors

6. Term is renewable but requires reapplication and approval by the majority of the Board of Directors at each renewal term.

7. The Board of Directors is authorized the flexibility to require volunteer hours, teaching of classes, etc. as a condition of the approval of  membership application and any renewal

8. Key to space issued

9. Use of all community tools and equipment within the space, subject to restrictions applicable to specific tools as noted in the Space

10. Access to the Space to work on projects either on your own or in collaboration with other Members

11. Permission to bring a (1) guest who shall remain under the control of the Member.  The Complimentary Member accepts full responsibility for any of their guest’s actions

12. Reduced fees to certain workshops and events (not including the cost of parts, supplies, etc.).

13. Required 5 volunteer hours per month but subject to upward adjustment by Board

14. No voting rights

15. Considered Supporting member class 

Honorary Membership rights and obligations          

1. Limited to a total of 10 for the organization

2. Are just that, Honorary, and are intended for persons in positions like Mayor, Town Counsel, Member of Congress, high profile community members, etc.

3. Term of 1 year

4. No key or access to space

5. Honorary Membership is given by majority vote of the Board of Directors

6. No voting rights

7. Considered Supporting member class 

Corporate Membership rights and obligations

1. Corporations pay $5K or more for 10 revolving memberships

2. All the same rights and obligations as Full Membership

3. 1 vote for the Corporate Membership

Membership Dues:

Dues for each month must be paid by the 15th of the Membership renewal date. New Associate Members must sign up as a monthly recurring membership.  Members who fail to pay their dues by the deadline are granted one 14-day grace period before their membership is suspended. Membership fees are non-refundable. Currently available plans are:

*Note:  Discounts for 6 and 12 month memberships were terminated pursuant to Board action on January 29, 2020. 

Termination of Membership

A membership shall terminate if any of the following events happen:

1. The Member resigns by providing notice in writing;

2. The membership term expires and is not renewed;

3. The Member fails to pay dues, fees, or assessments within 14 days after they are due and payable;

4. An event occurs that renders the Member ineligible for membership, or the Member is no longer able to satisfy membership qualifications, or does not maintain the responsibilities of membership;

5. The Board makes a good faith determination that the Member has materially failed to observe the rules of conduct of the Space, or has engaged in conduct prejudicial to Makersmiths purposes and interests. In the event that the Board terminates a membership, the Member shall return any keys issued to them and all other Makersmiths property immediately.

Room Rules:

1. Each room should have the room steward’s name listed prominently in the room.
2. Each room steward is authorized to have rules specifically for the room/shop.
3. Woodshop, metal shop, etc. for example, will likely have their own rules, and additional required training. 
4. Any such rules should be posted on the Wiki for the room/shop.

Meetings:

Procedures:

Many makerspaces use MIBS Simplified Rules of Coordinated Consensus through Chaos (MIBS SRC3) as the procedure to handling meetings. Version 1.0 was written by Nick Farr of HacDC who said it best when he stated: “MIBS SRC3 is designed for people who hate meetings, generally get along pretty well, but can sometimes get pretty opinionated and obstinate about thorny issues AND tend to ramble on at length. This process is designed to bring drama down to a manageable level.” 

Makersmith will closely follow the MIBS SRC3 format as the standard procedure for handling.

Regular Meetings of the Board of Directors: 

The meetings of the Board of Directors will be held on the last Wednesday of each calendar month from 7:00PM to 8:00PM in the Leesburg space.

Annual Meeting of the Board of Director: 

The Annual Meeting of the Board of Director will be held on the last Wednesday of June from 7:00PM to 8:00PM in the Leesburg space.

Regular Meeting of the Membership:

The Regular Meetings of the Membership will be held on the first Wednesday of each calendar month from 7:30PM to 8:30PM ish in the Leesburg space.

The first 10 minutes of any Membership Meeting will be dedicated to cleaning the space. 

Committees:

Definition: 

Committees are voluntary groups, formed by members in order to achieve certain goals.

Rules:

1. Committees must be approved by the Board of Directors.
2. At least 3 members are required to form a Committee.
3. Committee chairpersons are appointed by the Board of Directors.
4. The Committee chairperson will be responsible for operations of the committee, providing reports on the status and activities of the Committee at the monthly membership meeting, and managing the finances of the committee. This will include reviewing financial transactions attributed to their committee and working with the Financial Committee to correct any errors.
5. There is no limit to the number of Committees on which a member can serve.
6. If the number of committee members drops below 3, the Committee will have a grace period of 30 days in order to recruit enough members to remain active.
7. Each Committee will need to maintain a page on the wiki with at least the following information:
   1. The name of the committee chair
   2. A list of all active members
   3. A brief statement listing the goals or tasks assigned to the committee.
   4. The category tag: [[Category:Proposed Committees]]
8. By default, binding committee decisions can be made by the chairperson or by majority vote of the committee members. This governance model can be changed by majority vote of the committee members.
9. Committee meetings must be posted on the calendar and announced on Meetup.
10. Meeting minutes must be posted to the committee’s Wiki page

Active Committees:

1. New Member Orientation Committee (Chairperson John Dubelko)

2. Membership Committee (Vacant)
3. Social Outreach Committee:  (Chairperson Jessee Maloney)
4. Leesburg Facility Committee (Chairperson Brad Hess)
5. Purcellville Facility Committee (Chairperson Tom Hill)
6. Scheduling Committee (Chairperson John Dubelko)
7. Special Projects Committee (Chairperson Mike Werling)
8. Welding Committee (Chairperson Arthur 'Skip' Smith)
9. Ceramics Committee (Chairperson Jen Netsch)
10. Newsletter Committee (Chairperson Erin Werling)
11. Signage Committee (Mark Millsap*, Christa S., Brad H.)
12. Scouting Committee
13. Environmental and Safety Committee (Chairperson David Lang)
14. Custom Framing Committee (Chairperson user-17f4a)
15. Amateur Radio Committee (Chairperson (Allon Stern)

Inactive Committees: 

1. Berryville Facility Committee (Brandon B*, Brad H, Squirll)

Proposed Committees: 

Finances:

No reimbursements, regardless of amount, are made to members without documented approval by the majority of the Board and the Treasurer that is obtained prior to the date of purchase.  Any purchases for equipment, goods or services made without prior approval will be considered a donation for which a tax donation receipt will be issued.

Bringing New Tools, Supplies and Equipment into the Space

Consumables: 

Makersmiths does NOT generally supply consumables such as material for your project, nails, glue, 3D printer medium, etc  There may be some left behind and appropriately marked by other members, but please respect the rules associated with this equipment. Pay it forward.

Donations:

1. Donations of items are intended to be used or consumed by Makersmiths:
1. Must be explicitly accepted by the Room Steward in whose area the items are to be stored or used
2. The Treasurer may reject donations at his/her discretion
3. Donations not explicitly accepted will not be accepted by Makersmiths; if the donor delivers them to Makersmiths without explicit acceptance they will be disposed of as the appropriate space's Facility Committee Chairperson sees fit.
4. Donations of motor vehicles must have written approval by a majority of the board members. 

Freebie Shelf/Bin:

Placing items on Freebie Shelf//Bin: 

1. At appropriate space's Facility Committee Chairperson's discretion, a freebie shelf or bin(s) will be made available for members to give items to and take items from; if no shelf or bin is being made available, these rules no longer apply
2. Items placed on the freebie shelf/bin:
   1. Are not donations to Makersmiths
   2. Are available for members to claim once placed on the shelf
   3. The following items are specifically prohibited and not accepted:
• • CRT monitors or televisions  
  • Paint
  • Hazardous substances
  • Items that cannot be placed in the dumpster
  • Items that do not fit on the freebie shelf
  • Used vehicle parts

Claiming items from the shelf

1. Items removed from the freebie shelf/bin become the property of the member removing them, effective once the item has been removed from the shelf
2. Items left on the shelf/bin cannot be claimed regardless of verbal claims made, labels placed on items, or any action other than removal from the shelf and its general vicinity

Maintenance of Freebie Shelf

The freebie shelf is maintained by the appropriate space's Facility Committee's Chairperson, who may implement additional processes in the interest of safety and orderly operation of the freebie shelf /bin.

Forgotten Toys:  

All personal tools, supplies or equipment that are not stored in a member storage bin must have prior approval by the appropriate space's Facility Committee's Chairperson before being stored.  Anything left in a non-member storage area that has not been approved by this method will be disposed of in the following manor:

1. Placed in the Freebie Shelf/Bin at Makersmiths at which time the item is subject to the rules of the Freebie Shelf/Bin.
2. Email sent to all members to take items from Freebie Shelf/Bin as needed
3. May be removed after 30 days by either selling on craigslist or thrown out.

Events:

Classes:

Anyone can teach/host a class at Makersmiths as long as they have the passion and knowledge to share with the community.

Honorariums:

Instructors are encouraged to “pay it forward” and not take compensation for teaching.  However, Instructors that would like to be compensated for teaching classes should follow these guidelines:

1. They are a full member in good standing and current on dues.
2. They notify the board of directors and treasurer before classes are scheduled that they would like compensation.
3. The instructor is required to provide a current W-9 form if the instructor is to be paid by Makersmiths for anything other than reimbursement of materials from class fees.
4. They will split the class fees (after class supplies and other charges) with Makersmiths 50/50.
5. The instructors next month's dues will be taken out of any compensation before payment is made to the instructor.  Changed by the board on 06/27/2018.
6. Makersmiths will follow the IRS rules on compensation.  An IRS 1099 will be issued at the end of the year for those that meet the minimum requirements.  Instructors are not employees of Makersmiths and no taxes will be withheld.  The payment of the next month’s dues is considered compensation.
7. The board of directors can modify this policy on a case by case basis.

Examples:

1. Jill teaches three classes this month and has 10 students.  The student fee for the class is $50 each, generating $500. Credit card and meetup fees to host the class are $50.  She also has class supplies of $50.  The total income minus expenses is $400 for the month.  $200 would go to Makersmiths.  $200 would be paid to Jill.
2. Bill teaches 1 class and has 5 students.  The student fee for the class is $10 each, generating $50. Credit card and meetup fees to host the class are $10.  The total income minus expenses is $40 for the month.  $20 would go to Makersmiths.  $20 would be Paid to Bill.
3. Ed teaches three classes this month and has 10 students.  Ed has paid for 6 months of membership.  The student fee for the class is $50 each, generating $500. Credit card and meetup fees to host the class are $50.  He also has class supplies of $50.  The total income minus expenses is $400 for the month.  $200 would go to Makersmiths.  $200 would be given to Ed.  

Storage:

The member is allowed one 17-gallon storage bin which will be placed on the member storage rack in the basement of Royal St. or TBD at Purcellville.

1. Non-members are not allowed to store anything on site and must remove all projects when leaving the space.
2. Members cannot leave work-in-progress-projects in common areas for more than 24 hours. After 24 hours, the project will be moved into a designated project storage space and will be removed from the facility after 7 days.
3. If a member needs to occupy a working surface (workbench or desk) for more than 24 hours the member can rent the space for $10.00 per day.  This can be arranged with the appropriate space's Facility Committee Chairperson.
4. There will be member storage cabinets available at Royal St.  These are 4x6x1 ft. metal cabinets.  These cabinets can be rented for $25.00 per month for a maximum of 6 months.  After 6 months, if any material is not removed by the member, the cabinet’s contents will be put up for auction and awarded to the highest bidder.  Non-Members and Complimentary members cannot rent a full cabinet without becoming a full member.
5. There are wood storage racks setup in the wood area.  These storage racks are available for rent at $10.00 per month per shelf, allowing members to store material that they may need for their projects.  There are also a 2x2 ft. bin for wood cutoffs, but these will be thrown out on a monthly basis.
6. There will be metal storage racks setup in the metal room which will also have available storage space which can be rented for $10.00 per month for storage of materials.

Intellectual Property Rights

Makersmiths and it's officers and agents acknowledge that valuable intellectual property rights may be created by persons using its facilities, and disclaims any and all rights to that intellectual property.

Makersmiths recommends that Intellectual property rights be clarified and memorialized in writing by persons working together at its facilities so as to clearly distinguish between the project creator (the owner) and persons who merely assist in routine work (the helpers) to advance the project.