New Member Orientation

= Welcome = We are a 100% volunteer-run NYC makerspace located in the heart of New York City in Greenwich Village. The brainchild of Noah Sapir and bootstrapped by Fat Cat jazz club in 2013, we’ve been a hub for artists, students, engineers, hobbyists, startups, and meetups to gather and grow through 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC routing, sewing, electronics, art, and more. Welcome!

= Philosophy = At Fat Cat Fab Lab, everyone has the freedom to teach, learn, share, practice, and create. People come for the tools and stay for the community. Whatever you decide to do to make this place better, will make it better for everyone. As a community, we celebrate the hacker ethos and open source movement.

= Dues = Member dues are collected monthly and go towards maintenance, new stuff, and keeping the lights on. No one is paid a salary and Board members are prohibited from using money for personal gain. We are open books so you can ask for our financials at any time you want.

= Storage = Storage bins (77Qt, 66L) are available for storing personal items. Generally, we tolerate larger items being left in the lab out of the bins but we reserve the right to ask that they be removed at any point.

= Access = Members have 24/7/365 access to the lab. Though, you can't live here.

= Responsibilities =

Members are asked to help take care of the lab. We don't force anyone to do anything, but doing a small part goes a long way!

Helping out with the lab looks like: Remember that the lab is only taken care of and exists because everyone does a part, we don't have magic brownie spirits!
 * Cleaning up after you're done working (putting away tools, etc). This is a minimum requirement!
 * Taking out garbage on garbage days, emptying trash cans
 * Turning off lights, closing windows, sweeping/vacuuming
 * Organizing tools/items
 * Maintaining or fixing equipment
 * Hosting meetups
 * Teaching classes
 * Working on our website or wiki
 * Or whatever else!

= How to Contribute = Fat Cat Fab Lab is a place where we encourage everyone to express themselves and lend their unique skills to contribute to the physical & digital spaces and make it more fun and engaging. This includes anything you think could be better: reorganizing materials storage, fixing ceiling lights, enhancing our wiki and website, or hanging art on the walls. This is everyone's space.