Q/A

Questions & Answers

Is the boat owned by a not-for-profit or individual(s)?

The boat is currently owned by individuals. We are in the process of foramlizing our status as an organization and will be working on getting non-profit status by next year.

How long do you anticipate working on the boat?

We hope to open to the the public next spring. We will be working to winterize this summer and fall.

How many people will be coming and going during the work period? And what sort of people (eg, flocks of volunteers, youth groups, or a small group of adults involved in the project)

Primarily, this project will be actualized by a small committed team of adults (?). We will have occassional work-days when we will invite a larger group of our friends and community members to come help out.

Are people living on the boat?

At present and for the forseeable future, no.

Are there marine people involved in this project?

We are learning. We are also enlisting the expertise and mentorship of several marine experts.

little working outline for articles/website from Paula

the empty vessel project as a reaction

since we got to brooklyn

list of projects

how the reconstruction of the boat is galvanizing a group, invigorating geography, creating a sustainable model

projected futures:

• resisdency program
• small experiments in sustainable developments - i.e. experiments that can be used as testing grounds for endeavours elsewhere such as: bio diesel, grey-water system, transforming spaces - public vs. private, dynamification of canal

bridging the gulf between the imagined and the real

creating a incubator

timeline

budget

rough draft of an organizing principle from Michael

Organizing Model

The Empty Vessel Project as well as an experiment in sustainability and creative thought is also an experiment in horizontally integrated decision making and collective ownership. We wish to show that a project that promotes democratic decision making and an open and free exchange of ideas and labor can be effective in implementing and completing a series of one time and ongoing tasks.

To that effect no one person (or for that matter group of people) explicitly own the Empty Vessel Project or the boat that bears it's name. There is however a core group of facilitators who through thier own labor, ideas, social capitol and willingness to accept ultimate responsibility have allowed this Project to happen.

Therefore this group is empowered to make decisions and guide the development and direction of EV. Major decisions( financial, theoretical, legal etc.) are made by consensus. The Core Group should be kept relatively small so as to maintain a relationship of open exchange and trust.

There is the reality however that this Project is not completely autonomous from it's parent society and that leaves some contradictions that need to be addressed. One person of the Core group shall sign thier name to the title of the boat. This does not entitle that person to individual ownership of any kind and does not alleviate the other members of the Core Group of their commitments to the boat and the Project(financially, legally, morally etc.). There is also the possibility that we may incorporate as a not for profit organization. This may mean that we will have to adopt a presupposed hierarchy of officers and a board, in line with the requirements of the law. We will do this in name only. The Core Group will assign the titles ( Director, Chairman, Head Trustee) but will retain our original decision making organization.

***It needed to be written out....signed in blood? I waited on writing about the role of our extended community of helpers, technicians & friends because we haven't really talked about it. But since we may be expanding our Core Group... Feel free to add or counterpoint.

terms and conditions

Terms:

Title: Paula

Insurance: Waivers for now [get from Owen]

Keys: The four of us, more as our ranks swell.

Decision Making: With 4 100% consensus. Will change as necessary.

Can't fuck up neighbor's life (or our own).

Aim for now:

Minimum floatability minimum insulation – until a sustainable source of income.

Funding – parties must come through by april or may, preferably before. Grants by april

Try to cut rent in winter.

Not sustainable by next july – Viking funural

Growing fiscally as well as socially by next july - dynamite.

If the boat sinks we are not rehabilitating it.

If there is major damage – lynching.

No sound system if it's going to sink.

Look at legality of it to avoid hastle. If we start getting tickets in excess of $100/mo we have to think about what we're doing.

Serious fiscal problems with department of environmentmental protection – sea scouts.

Trust. Flexibility. Careful Scheduling.

Mentioned Websites/organizations for a variety of pillaging purposes:

http://cityreliquary.org/

freestore

http://www.rtmark.com/history.html

http://www.nonsensenyc.com

http://www.institute-of-failure.com/

http://www.madagascarinstitute.com/free103

http://radio.socialtechnology.net/

http://homepage.mac.com/rachelmeyrick/iMovieTheater8.html

http://www.blacklabelnyc.com/BikeBrawl/index.htm

http://www.thing.net/

http://www.issueprojectroom.org/

solarnavigator.net

http://www.ubu.com

http://socialfiction.org/

http://www.glowlab.com/lab/

http://localprojects.net/cofm/cofm.shtml

http://www.highdeserttestsites.com/

http://www.clui.org/

http://www.bureauit.org/

http://www.critical-art.net/

otherpower.com

http://www.southstseaport.org/pdf/volunteer_form.pdf

http://groundwork.ucsd.edu/theory.htm

http://www.cindersgallery.com/

http://www.thechangeyouwanttosee.org/

http://www.fluxfactory.org/

http://weather-records.net/2004/index.html

Magazines:

glowlab http://www.glowlab.com/lab2/

Cabinet (http://www.cabinetmagazine.org)

Homepower

WoodenBoat^?

Dwell

http://www.booklyn.org/index.php

http://www.woostercollective.com

skyscraper

-- TiannaKennedy - 17 Aug 2005

• forglowlab.doc: Submitted to glowlab 9/1 little narrative of our beginning

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