{"items": [{"author": "Bill", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/615525474892?comment_id=615529920982", "anchor": "fb-615529920982", "service": "fb", "text": "You might consider asking Chris Ricciotti re the history of sound system acquisition and maintenance for the Boston Gender Free Contra Dancers series. My suggestions: (a) specific fundraising, perhaps including (b) matching grants from one or two \"patron\" members of the BIDA community, perhaps coupled with (c) loans from one or more patrons. Loans can be repaid by some combination of (a) per-dance allocation from gate receipts and (b) future fundraising. If you buy a sound system, you might want to consider directing a fixed amount per dance event to a restricted account that is used only for sound system maintenance/repair and the purchase of replacement components.", "timestamp": "1370612111"}, {"author": "Ben", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/615525474892?comment_id=615531028762", "anchor": "fb-615531028762", "service": "fb", "text": "You could take dance admissions in advance. Give out free dance coupons for people who donate $10 to the sound system fund. If you get 300 people to donate over the course of 3-4 dances (sooner if you can get matching grants), you'll be good to go.", "timestamp": "1370613155"}, {"author": "Hollis", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/615525474892?comment_id=615536407982", "anchor": "fb-615536407982", "service": "fb", "text": "If you have an existing culture of paying sound people $75, I would encourage you not to cut that to $25 or $0. Good sound requires a lot more in the way of specific trade skills than hall management does, and it's the right thing to do to pay people for skills you feel are important.
Probably nobody will complain if you cut it or eliminate it, but if we're trying to create the world we want to live in, it has to start somewhere. Culture isn't just what those people out there do--it's what we do, too.", "timestamp": "1370617046"}, {"author": "Robert", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/117732328885787456164", "anchor": "gp-1370617551735", "service": "gp", "text": "In its earlier years, the JP dance set aside $25 out of the proceeds from each dance into a (virtual) fund \"earmarked for sound\" -- so as to have money on hand if it ever became necessary to replace part or all of the sound system. Eventually, when the fund got up to $2500 or so, we stopped doing this (and in the meantime, thanks to various factors, most notably the NEFFA food both, our finances got more stable). We finally got around to buying a new sound system last year.\n
\n
\n(The original sound system started out as Chris Ricciotti's personal property, which he eventually donated.)\n
\n
\nIt sounds like you'd like to get a new sound system sooner than a similar scheme would allow (assuming that you're getting enough revenue for it to be possible in the first place).\n
\n
\nWe don't pay our sound people, other than giving them free admission to a future dance.", "timestamp": 1370617551}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/615525474892?comment_id=615539052682", "anchor": "fb-615539052682", "service": "fb", "text": "@Hollis: \"If you have an existing culture of paying sound people $75\"
Currently the pay includes renting their system with the associated wear and tear, as well as paying them to bring it to and from the hall.
(Them is currently a bit more than 50% me. I would much rather get $25 to run sound with gear that's already at the hall than $75 to run it with gear that lives at my house. Especially if I stop having access to a car.)
\"if we're trying to create the world we want to live in, it has to start somewhere\"
Agreed. The question here is, in the world we want to live in, who should get paid and how much? I think hall management and other organizing tasks require a lot of skills that are harder to measure than sound skills but are no less important.", "timestamp": "1370619103"}, {"author": "Victor", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/615525474892?comment_id=615541442892", "anchor": "fb-615541442892", "service": "fb", "text": "Ben-Dance admission in advance won't yield much extra money-only from people who don't use the coupons.", "timestamp": "1370620580"}, {"author": "Ben", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/615525474892?comment_id=615544162442", "anchor": "fb-615544162442", "service": "fb", "text": "It doesn't have to be extra money necessarily, it just has to be enough money in the bank at one time. It's really paid for by the savings in sound guys over the course of 2-3 years.", "timestamp": "1370622040"}, {"author": "Dan", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/615525474892?comment_id=615560424852", "anchor": "fb-615560424852", "service": "fb", "text": "1) Put out a collection can for optional donations. 2) Find a donor ($3k isn't all that much; you're not constructing a museum). 3) Talk to the Perpetual e-Motion guys; they seem to have a relationship with some sound equipment manufacturers; they might have some ideas. 4) Run a food booth at NEFFA and raise thousands of dollars. 5) Do benefit dances where performers forgo their pay (or turn their pay back for a tax deduction if you are a 501(c)(3)), combined with special benefit-dance admission fees.", "timestamp": "1370631729"}, {"author": "Samuel", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/615525474892?comment_id=615608553402", "anchor": "fb-615608553402", "service": "fb", "text": "No matter how you find the money now, the fact that BIDA has not built up a surplus to cover this suggests that your per-dance payout might be a little rich. Rejigger the numbers so you generate more surplus to pay for (replacing) the sound system and other unexpected expenses in the future? And I assume you've talked to the Masons? No chance that they'd want to install a house system? Even having decent house speakers would be half (well, maybe only a third) of the battle.", "timestamp": "1370661604"}, {"author": "Dan", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/615525474892?comment_id=615611467562", "anchor": "fb-615611467562", "service": "fb", "text": "When we approached the Mt. Auburn VFW about installing a sound system in the dance hall, they said \"Well, we're going to sell the place to the city and they're going to tear down the building\"! Your mileage will, with hope, vary.", "timestamp": "1370663454"}, {"author": "Alex", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/615525474892?comment_id=615665125032", "anchor": "fb-615665125032", "service": "fb", "text": "Get a good concept/design, and then sell t-shirts & stickers. People would buy them. Look at the Scout House.", "timestamp": "1370719371"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/615525474892?comment_id=615675374492", "anchor": "fb-615675374492", "service": "fb", "text": "@Samuel: our per-dance payout is $75, which is actually kind of on the low side. There are a few people we'd like to bring in but can't at $75.", "timestamp": "1370726898"}, {"author": "Paul", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/615525474892?comment_id=615711571952", "anchor": "fb-615711571952", "service": "fb", "text": "How much do you need?", "timestamp": "1370751478"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/615525474892?comment_id=615714660762", "anchor": "fb-615714660762", "service": "fb", "text": "@Paul: about $3000.", "timestamp": "1370753902"}, {"author": "Paul", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/615525474892?comment_id=615799440862", "anchor": "fb-615799440862", "service": "fb", "text": "I think I can help with both free equipment and cash. E-mail me for details. sawyerp at acm dot org.", "timestamp": "1370822087"}, {"author": "Josh", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/118273920476267337216", "anchor": "gp-1370958104903", "service": "gp", "text": "It sounds to me like the savings would be so immediate that a loan would make sense.\n
\n
\nDo you currently have a \"reserve\" account that you're building up over time? That might be sensible too; I don't know whether dances typically do that or not.", "timestamp": 1370958104}]}