=====  Committee Meeting 11 May 2026  =====

Present: Rob, Simon, Sarah, Wade, Maggie, Jade.

At Assemble, Stubbs St & online.

==== What’s working well: ====

  * Maggie – cross fertilisation, enthusiasm for sharing information
  * Simon - Visibility of MBT is surprising – not labouring in obscurity
  * Sarah – we’re keeping up regular meetings
  * Rob – good energy around the meetups – last one not dependent on us – coming from group itself.
  * Wade – generally (beyond MBT) interest globally to do things aligned with what we’re trying to do – and that creates an environment to create the momentum we need.
  * Jade – Energy in Coop Cloud
  * Simon – getting enquiries asking for collaboration
  * Sarah – in touch with Catalyst – could link up with their Federation
  * Jade – good number onto Raspberry Pis
  * Sarah – referees easy to get for grant – supporters in community

==== Things to improve: ====

  * Simon – frustrating not having more time to contribute (for a few of us) 
  * Jade – process of setting up nodes following instructions is not working – no one has completed yet
  * Sarah – difficult not having visibility – where are they at, how are they feeling, broader visibility question. Brings up issue of continued connection and community of those who want to be involved
  * Wade – scope to better harness that energy and identify what needs to be done, direct the energy
  * Jade – don’t have a venue that has everything we need – missed out on this with Balam Balam
  * Rob – not enough time personally to set up Meet-ups – need a better process to set up, organise talks (or not – seemed to be good energy for working). How to gather ideas.

==== What are some things we could be doing that we’re not even trying to do? ====

  * Sarah – Digital Justice Lounge is something we could pick up and run, start to deliver, inform people how to get off big tech.
  * Jade – Would like to get off big tech faster – but all groups are still in this bind. 
  * Sarah - Finding a way to interact, involve people who are keen but not into building nodes
  * Wade – need for other decentralised infrastructure apart from nodes. Eg countering age verification by creating parallel networks – but not sure if this scope matches MBT 
  * Jade – more useful connections with other resilience groups; conflict resolution; working with Wurundjeri – digital sovereignty; MBT mural; office in a Fawkner Resilience Hub

==== Interventions: ====


  * Some action needed on node stewards, in terms of structural changes – how to harness vollies so as not to create bottlenecks for us – at scale
  * Maybe buddy-up node stewards – perhaps get first few done, then get them to buddy up with others – more support
  * Get off big tech – documentation, tested solutions, say 45 min running parallel with node steward work. Bring in your stuff, cup of tea, documentation.
  *  Linus Users Victoria guys facilitate workshops – getting off Google to something more aligned with our ethos.
  * Is there someone close to getting across the line for flow-on effect of buddies (while bearing in mind that we need stewards more than nodes).
  * Bringing in new people to committee
  * Resources may already be there for getting off big tech. Could run event, then check in every couple of months.
  * Working group to keep checking in on node stewards
  * Need group organiser to check in and support – maybe Millie?
  * Need set of activities to maintain relationship and connection with community activists/members 
  * Difficulty with working groups – finite opt-in commitment can work. Eg sign up to say 3 months’ work – maybe a call out message – for Lores tech and digital justice
  * Short term for vollies takeover could be problematic and end up creating more work. 
  * Need to discuss tools for recording what we do – check out more options.
  * How much should we define the direction when we invoke participation? 
  * Unless we have an organiser in each group we could be creating more work for us.
  * Maybe alternate working groups with Committee meetings?
  * Where will we (or MBT) be in a couple of years’ time when nodes are humming away – perhaps finetuning conflict resolution or data security issues
  * Are there two levels of organisation: Strategy, oversight, finance at one level, then node stewards, getting off big tech at another more doing level
  * Could be self-sustaining projects, maybe fairly independent of MBT, but delegates making high level decisions

==== Actions ====

  * What’s the best way to go forward with node stewards, as low-hanging fruit?:
    * maybe time just for them; drop in call for an hour for a chat, find out what the blocks are, maybe set up a buddy (or is this happening at meetings anyway).
  * What is overlap between solarpunk meetups and node stewards? – do we need a s.p. meeting or a specific, more intentional n. s. meeting to be buddied up? 
  * Maybe ask the questions of the n.s.? – through comms channels and next meetup EG:
    * How are you going with node set up?
    * What are the blocks?
    * How are you feeling about it?
    * Would you like a buddy to work with?
  * Maybe also ask if there’s impetus for digital justice in the s.p. group once we’ve checked the resources. 
  * 1.5 hours to check getting off big tech resource and write proposal to S.P. folk
  * Also need to define what a working group is – 20min Rob and Sarah!!!
  * Coop cloud can help us link our Lores stuff to other stuff.
  * Check in on what happens when people get to the end of their instructions.
  * Get a solid idea of what Linux Users have on offer (Wade)