Retrospective Notes

Introduction & Instructions

Below are the notes from the Apo retrospective. I'm beginning with the literal typing of all the info we collected on index cards and flip charts.

My hope is that people who were there will add their own comments and observations. Also that we will use this space to add furthur comments, and to group like items together, to rank them by priority, and to turn them into actions items. We can evolve how we do that over time.

People originally in attendance (please update as I'm sure I missed someone): Chel.C, J1S, Caroline, Ronica, Travis, Forest, Pixie, <name removed at request>, Shutterbug, E-Vol, Karmalicious, Schmid-E, Houston

Part I: World Cafe

What Happened

Each table represented an area of the organization. For each area, everyone was asked to write down what they had noticed, or what had an impact on him/her--good or bad. Each idea was written on a single index card.  Each person had 5 minutes at each table in which to read what others had written, add new ideas, and/or add stickers or comments to indicate agreement. Below are the results.

Notes:

+1 (or +2 etc) indicates that someone added a sticker or mark of agreement.

// indicates comments added by another person.

The Results

Administration

(Includes: permits, legal, planning timeline, insurance, handling busts)

• • +1. Staff/lead tix = grrrrreat. // Ticket outlet in Boulder would be great

  • Pre-sale tix only and very early in year . . .

  • More apogaea events year round. Decompression. Community Center. *Fundraising for Apo with these events.

  • Apogaea all week long!

  • +2. Better engage leads in overall operations and communications -- expand members on planning email list.

  • +1. Approaching Park County limits on # of people/EMS and other requirements.

  • +4. Permits: More closely monitor # of folks on National Forest land, to keep from going over allotment and drawing attention--let folks know there's a difference on one side of fence vs the other.

  • +6. Truck: We've always needed a truck or two. Should just accept it and plan on it. // Not relying last minute on a personal truck & trailer. // Planned lead!

  • Great communication on Board level under stress. // Send meeting updates and action plans/ideas to community at large.

  • +3. Better plan for Sunday exit strategy! Maybe a red ribbon tied around everything going into the Apo truck, for example. // Board or someone: Don't leave til everything is taken care of. // +1 Need exodus team

  • +1. Center Camp Space: If we had cold and a burn ban, nights at Apo would be a bust. Need a place for people to hang out at night. // Just dance. // Another location for event?

  • +1. File non-profit paperwork

  • +4. NEW LAND! #1. For many reasons - Top 3: 1) security; 2) space; 3)burn bans // Nnot just for people but for a larger bigger effigy! // (To obviate burn bans)

  • Roving rangers on burn night (more theft then). // Need more rangers!!

  • +3. Handling Busts - limit communication to community from those actually in the know. Rumor-mongerers spilled too much non-relevant info, intimidating folks from coming. // (this was suggested and not followed)

  • Have 'Black Ops' team for counter-surveillance/criminals on burn night. (night vision)

  • +1. Planning for theft/crime -- Do we call LEOS (?) on site? Ranger thing or Board thing? // Place signs & notes in survival guide. // Build stocks in great circle for perps.

  • Always  have a lawyer on call. Chuck Bob aka "The Wolf" rocked.

  • Liaison (create better relationship/contact person) with local law enforcement.

  • Different, lower, property for comfort of out-of-towners (temperature and altitude). // Please...self-reliance hard core conditions // whiners!

  • +3. Timelinees--Nail down infrastructure at least 2 weeks before event (not 2 days)

  • Board member on duty for each time slot.

  • +1. Update timeline and publish via calendar.

  • +3. Board mtg @ event. Friday and Sat. pm's. Lack of Board communication during event. Mtgs, just 1/2 hour, could put us on the same page.

  • Utilize a ticket fulfillment service like Brown Paper Tickets.

  • Do not mail tix. // Mail earlier!

ART

(Includes: Effigy, Placement, Grants, Stage, Theme Camps, Fire Art)

• • +1. Metal Camp Rulz. Smash Club was a religious event. FUCK SHIT UP! // Metal camp: +. Smash Club: -

  • +1 Art Truck? What happened to the way we always do it?

  • +3. More Fire Art. Fire Art Rulz. Fuck Techno. // Hell yeah!!

  • Lots of art! Yeah!!

  • More org + special lead for truck (glad we didn't provide for artist this yr though). Less headache.

  • Did we email placement to artists ahead of time? Some seemed confused. // very confused

  • Art Committee--lack of followup with grantees...some grants were given with camps/projects working together, i.e. sound/power share, but didn't communicate/facilitate sharing.

  • +1. I will miss our pussies & smokey bones! They ROCK! People will really need to step it up! (will probably pull in more community!)

  • +3. Quiet hours were great!

  • With both smokin' bones & pussies leaving, we should encourage people to come up with theme camp ideas.

  • +3. Lots of Rock n Roll this year. Very good. Metal Rulz. More live music on main stage. // Satan!

  • Less of Dark Side of the Moon (some, not all...)

  • +1. More acoustic / real music. (good diversity but mo is better. :)

  • Encourage more fire performances

  • Discover Channel would have featured us if we had more art that involved technology: Bots, lights, sound, brainwaves, etc.

  • Can't I just rub the hole?

  • Glad we're getting receipts post-event. (Should require that funded artists submit receipts or give $ back.)

  • +2. -1. Smash Club Rocked. // But moopy. // Bigger tarps. // Lack of plan for this piece of art

  • +1. Effigy was best so far - lots of great energy and input and show! // Not just effigy, whole show

  • Recruit more out of state art. // MORE CREATIVE THEME CAMPS!

  • More small art projects--loved the few we had.

  • Grants, were appropriate and great!

  • Need to come up with a plan fo returned art grant $ -- we had a lot ($1,750)

  • +1. -1. Kingdome rocked - so many kegs - needs promotion // don't they do that themselves? // :( another DJ jerk-off - more DJs than dancers

  • +1. Mindblowing this year! A massive thanks to the art committee!

  • Art sucks. Fuck Art! // Let's kill!

  • More performances // Ask community

  • +1. -1. Tranportation for art in future would be good.

  • +1. Kaleidoscope in Effigy. More help with input with community creating.

  • Insist artists come for set up Wednesday -- have 'early entry' placards/wristbands.

  • If we had a "center camp," we could host workshops, etc

  • +1. Return to including a little blurb on the signs for art. // Charge art committee with creating/placing signs.

  • +1. Good funding of propane art this year--great in case we had fire ban and still could have fire-fix.

  • +1. Transportation needs to be figured out and scheduled 2 weeks prior to event at least! (not week of!)

  • Art transpo is highly appreciated and would encourage/enable more art to come out. Transpo is easy, creativity is hard, give artists a break!

  • Placement. What about concentrating more art around the great circle? So it's nont just isolated pieces, but whole fields of art.

  • Placement sucked!! :(

Volunteers

(includes: Recruitment, logistics)

• • +1. Make Ranger/EMS station an official part of Info Booth. // good idea // need room to help people when injured

  • Reminder cards seemed appreciated (when handed out). // Lack of understanding of process.

  • +2. Need more Rangers! Have more than one training session pre-event. Do formal BRC Ranger training pre-event (not Sat. during) // YES!! 

  • Better (continue to improve) communications with leads & shift leads. // written SOP

  • +1. Schwag should be cooler!! // More schwag!! & have string for necklaces

  • Was DPW during event part of signing up? Maybe they could help with keeping up with tending fires. :)

  • +1. Work weekend was great. Keep ppl coming next time. BBQ was nice after working. // !BBQ si!

  • +2. Green Vol: - don't lump with info booth; shade for them. MORE, especially to man recycle stations & sun/mon. // set up shifts ahead of time

  • -1. Some hard core vol. should get a free ticket for next year or something. Whether they signed up or not. // or maybe a percent off for volunteers. 

  • +3. Follow up with volunteers - thank them for volunteering, have a post-event party. Pre-recruite early season before Apo to make them feel values...event a pre-party?! // yep.

  • $ incentive for ESD personnel was top compliment --> consider this for other volunteers

  • +5. Schwag/Shift Recordkeeping: Have a volunteer lead keep track of shift tracking process, IB volunteers were clueless; process fell apart mid-event.

  • +1. Uncle Dave Fucking Rock!

  • +5. Volunteers with experience are valuable. // Make them feel wanted!! // Yeah!! // Vol Fundraiser pre-event. // Vol. Thank You Party.

  • Volunteer coordinators RAWK!!! Process is good. Please sir, may we have more?

  • +1. Caroline Fucking Rocks!

  • +3. Transportation Coordinator: We need one! // Assigned to: Lee

  • +1. We added lots of Leads. We need more! Braiins!!! // Like who? For what? // For eatin'

  • +2. Encourage each ticket buyer to volunteer for at least one shift. // 2 [shifts] // Need a better process for this because it's already in survival guide. // we do, they don't listen--need to improve this

  • Accumulate and track stored infrastructure for year-to-year support.

  • Shift cards/reminders handed out at gate rocked! Definitely helpful...

  • Schwag and volunteer cards need to arrive pre-event (not during)

  • Apo Recompression--with theme camps and active volunteer recruitment as a fund-raiser

  • More post event helpers, especially Moopers! Help with theme camp/public areas!

  • Volunteers didn't seem to get message that schwag was available

Safety (Third)

(Includes: Medical, Rangers, Fire)

• • +1. Much larger/more visible presence of Rangers, Medical and Fire Safety volunteers

  • +1. Very few 'incidents'--that rocked.

  • Satellite phone and real radios (communication equipment). // (real radios pre-event--not after it starts)

  • Need better sign in/out for radios. Call with Travis and tracking sheet?

  • Definitely need a way to assign responsibility to theme camps when accidents occur--e.g. Metal Camp Spilling Fuel. Eco-mess!

  • Art cars were operating safely (when I saw them)

  • +4. Need to coordinate shift changes (both ESD and with Rangers)

  • Meeting between Ranger / ESD (Needs to happen)

  • +2. Availability/Communication of medical team was on POINT! // Yes

  • Training level of medical volunteers (negative) // ??Train work weekend or on-site -- Karma can help train

  • +2. Need to insure volunteers show up and able to do duty. // Written SOP // were written, not aware they were there...//entice with perks!

  • Excellent effigy and appropriate crowd "participation", i.e. naked fire dancing! // Best effigy crowd yet

  • BRC Ranger training was a coup! - should happen pre-event // Do it on Thursday or Friday--everything was scheduled on Saturday, so 10-6 training meant trainees missed lots.

  • Nice backup system for medical (on-call and more experienced on communication backup)

  • +2. Conclaves routines was vastly superior to last year's! // 'specially <name removed at request>

  • +1. Organize an emergency vehicle, with all gear in one place, available for use.

  • +3. Lack of transportation for event (i.e., equip transport) // yeah

  • +1. Insurance for burning down neighboring (and was nice for peace of mind -- worth the $27)

  • +2. We didn't burn down national forest! (this year). woot! // individual burn pits--were they monitored

  • Different/better water/safety around fire barrels (full of butts/trash) // really // I thought pretty good safety // Better butt signs by Greeners

  • +2. Grew # of medical volunteers

  • We should continue trying to recruit an M.D. as part of safety team

  • +1. More good radios: they rocked...we should just use those.

  • More fuel bomobs

  • Let people break the circle for fire when the fucker falls...well at least some of us.

  • Always have a fire bitch on site, to catch/discourage random/tent area fire spinners being unsafe!

  • Need to recruit more Rangers! not enough on each shift--some shifts empty, some Rangers worked too many shifts!

Communications

(Includes: Web-site, Marketing, Newsletter, Photography, Printed Materials, Info Booth, Town Hall)

• • Board Mtg: Board mtg at event - Fri a.m., Sun p.m. Communication w/ other board members during event was difficult/haphazard. // Radios? // :(

  • +2. More posting of events (WWWW) on website beforehand. // and email // yes! don't read WWWW on site! // Post invite to neighbor states early

  • +2. Website slow to be updated - should be done way before. // yes! need more web monkeys

  • +1. We should set info booth on fire! saturday night. // Fuck yeah! // That's infotainment!

  • Better online interface

  • Ball was dropped bxt. theme camp registration and web monkeys. // No blaming. Need more web monkeys.

  • +1. All leads and advisors should understand we have designated media contacts. // yes!

  • Happy we formed a "media mecca" to manage photographers (would be nice to flesh out more). // We had one? // I know...I thought I missed that // Uhhh....we didn't really...but will next time

  • Town Hall somewhere where wifi allows direct volunteer signups.

  • Apo Town Hall was great. // More sign up time and organization along with social side (great but distracting)

  • Town Hall was well run and exciting! Nice venue. // and yummy :) // and got us volunteers! // mmmhmm town hall good

  • Better behind scenes data management

  • Board mtgs too closed last year -- some leads not in loop til too late, not able to do job because of lack of info // yeah!!

  • +1. No loose-leaf handouts at gate! too moopy! // Agree except is more noticeable and logistics of event site determined that handout

  • Centralizing Apo photos would be great // Mister Science does this

  • Marketing was $$ but well worth it. // ?There was marketing?

  • +1. More emails to our community, BM group, yahoo, etc

  • Flyers probably don't have impact we think they might (survey?)

  • Survival Guide needs to be done sooner (was ready 3 wk pre-event) // Need better hey read this promotion or signs during event

  • Newsletter was great, but we need an editor in chief (someone to help out. Gwin, more, who was way stressed to do it all). // The newsletter was a massive contribution. Recommend sending text versions by email, then fancy color layout less frequently

  • +2. Newsletter ROCKED. Except for stupid cartoons. // hey, watch it! // keeps energy up // yes!

  • Foul language, bare asses and "adult" stuff @ town hall, in public place, unacceptable. Looks bad for our community

  • Tickets and flyers available even earlier (4 week)

  • Post event decomp for volunteers/staff, etc :) // yes, yes, oh gawd yes

  • Have pre-event training for info booth shift leads

  • Communication was great -- no improvements :)

Operations

(Includes: Parking, Security, PortaPotties, Ice, Greeters, Earth Guardians, DPW, Gate)

• • +2. Composting: good. Needed more stations for it

  • -2. Have valet parking for fools that can't move their car by themselves // No! // Radical self-reliance

  • +2. Needed more active parking instructions and people directing throughout event. // Yes! // Yes!

  • Need more people on some gate shifts. Analyze traffic flow Milk and Chel.C created.

  • +1. Expanded circle of trust -- all key leads should be able to lead a gate shift.

  • +1. Limit the info that greeters have to give out (including greener flyers)

  • +1. Have standard operating procedures (SOPs) for things that work!! // Write down tribal knowledge. // For every op pos.

  • +1. Communication between gate/greeters and info booth.

  • +1. Better signage at gate to lead people to lines.

  • +1, -1. Did Rangers enforce baffling of gennies? // Rangers are not enforcers.

  • Written instructions for gate security (so they don't leave their post! even if it was to chase dirty hippies.)

  • +1. Better training pre-event for board members and gate procedures (SOPs written)

  • Need to adjust gate hours (some shifts had few arrivals) // some had tons.

  • +1. Greeter Bar Rocked!!! // Add GREEN info and volunteer whore

  • +1, -1. Few more portapotties. Late Sat cleanout (1pm) worked great. // except for top of da hill (they missed us :()

  • Ice done well! Made extra money, sold out soon. get more next year. // get 25-30% more. // BLOCKS!!

  • -3. Assistance with alcohol for greeter bar (community? board?) // NO //Just ask patrons // Ask the community! // last $$ priority // Ask Moon Base 4 their kegs

  • +1. All board members should show up to gate shifts // Yes!

  • +2. At gate, give each shift their own cash box (like a supermarket) so shift changes don't interrupt flow. // Good!! // or shift relief come up earlier!

  • Everyone still coming on Friday night. Need to publicize stuff to get people there thursday. Events all on Saturday, so impossible to see everything.

  • +1. Cultivate E.G. culture during rest of year too, so folks are all about having our event be green and respecting our site.

  • Gate security (Darryl) Rocked

  • +1. Possibility of buying tables and chairs, so we don't have to rely on donations. Info Booth, gate, maybe greeters. 4 tables, 9 chairs. // now that we have a storage locker!

  • Truck for infrastructure/art/etc // Good idea

  • Still lots of cards right off main drag. Suggestion: NO parking between turn and lower meadow! No cars at all! Parking only in lower meadaw/stratosfield/upper ridge

  • Great PortaPotty signs // [bad] moop - signs on inside taped down well

  • +1. Future: No tickets sales at gate.

  • +1. DPW workers that are pre during and post event workers should get some sort of discount ticket like leads...any cleaners/moopers post-event.

  • Continue to document procedures and timlines on wiki

  • Financial incentive for volunterrs (aka a shift = 50% off ticket)

  • +1. Ice seemed like appropriate amount. Maybe more?

  • Green help on exodus Sun/Mon -- counting, crushing, sorting, moop clean up

  • +1. Portapotties were gross Friday night! Need more now...(at each bank...locations were good though) // more butt huts

  • +1. Composting Rocked! // Recycle bins needed to be staked down. Does recycle lower peoples' self reliance?

Part II: Discussion

What Happened

Having collected a lot of detail, and read each others' ideas, we opened it up for discussion. We didn't capture all the detail of that discussion, but rather just key ideas on which we can build. Some of these items repeat what was on the cards. That means they were deemed worthy of further discussion and mention.

Key Ideas

• • Volunteer training event

  • SOPs a reminder

  • radios & sat phone awesome!

  • Vehicle for lead ranger - with stretcher, equipment

    • with signs

    • gator

  • More colorado-licensed EMT

  • Psych volunteers Dance Safe/sanctuary

  • Center Camp

  • Permits - EMS - as we grow

  • Fire contact

  • Fire info on map and web site

  • Placement sucked

    • Green screen next to Metal

    • Sound connected to Jagged Sound

  • Need on-site placement volunteers

  • Lynn needed info sooner

  • Emphasize to camps and artists the value of coming to work weekend

  • Escort to theme camps

  • Place and parking coordinate

  • More fire art

  • Fire stewards

  • Fire lead

    • art

    • spinners

    • ban

  • Good art accountability

  • Safety plans for fire art

  • Invite new theme camps

  • New venue

    • Limited group searching

    • DEA.

    • Also, *outgrowing*

  • Improve timeline further

    • transportation!!

  • Pre-sell sooner

  • Change pre-sell

    • Bigger penalty

    • no gate sales

  • Improve gate process

    • more trusted

    • more per shift

    • better system

  • Even better volunteer recognition

    • discount ticket ($1k this year)

    • distribute schwag better (give to leads)

    • volunteer fundraiser

    • schwag after event

    • better communication of benefits

    • Thank everybody (like BMORG)

    • As individual leads

    • Better wib site to create sense of need and mission

    • On-site connection with a lead

    • Pre-event and post-event connection from lead

    • Town-crier

    • Re-think shift lengths, staffing

  • More rangers

    • more ranger training throughout year

    • Ranger corps needs recruiter - explained

  • Web site updated more often

  • Update database

  • Board meetings on-site = huddles

  • Printed communication even better

    • survival guide

  • Printed flyers useful? - let's check

  • Post-event communication -- survey, report, thanks

  • More portapotties *Top of hill missed*

  • Ice good. Could do more next year

  • Quiet hours killer

  • Truck

    • designated lead

    • wicked early!

    • art truck

  • Work weekend awesome!

  • Written SOPs

    • written on web site

    • build from BRC protocol

  • Parse out Lee

The End

We started an hour late, ran an hour late. We gathered all those index card, and had discussion. Now what? We need to build on that, gather input from others, and turn ideas into actions.

Step One: The commitment to put this information on the collaboration site, and to widen access to that site.

Retrospect the Retrospective

We collected feedback on the retrospective itself, so we can improve next time.

What worked, the positive

• • Structure

  • Met goals

  • Ronica rocks

  • Written brainstorming more prolific

  • Direction from 1

  • Clocks

  • Tables good

  • Notes

Deltas, do better next time

• • Better explanation on dots

  • Strobe lights

  • Not all leads/board here

  • Next steps

  • More time

  • Clear action items

  • Input from missing people

  • Start on time