Quick recap
This was a Swing City camp meeting focused on planning for the upcoming Burning Man event, with discussions about early access passes, department leadership, and camp logistics. The meeting covered SCAT (Swing City Advanced Team) recruitment, with 28 early access passes allocated and 18 already accounted for, while departments like kitchen, power, lighting, and shade construction still need additional volunteers with relevant skills. New camp members introduced themselves, including first-time attendees from Israel, LA, and Colorado who are interested in contributing to build week activities. The group discussed camp size expectations of around 100 people, volunteer shift requirements including kitchen duties and MOOP cleanup, and clarified that early arrival in Reno will be limited to essential personnel due to space constraints at family accommodations. The conversation ended with agreement to switch to weekly Monday meetings moving forward, and discussions about website portal issues that need to be resolved.
Next steps
Alicia
- Review the shower project blueprints and touch base with Avery.
Cori
- Head up the MOOP (Matter Out Of Place) organization.
- Nudge Filchy about updating the volunteer shift sign-up on the website for 2026.
Filchy
- Finalize and allocate the remaining SCAT (Swing City Advanced Team) early access passes.
- Stand up the SCAT Slack channel in mid-July.
- Follow up with Avery about the shower project blueprints and process.
- Discuss internet connectivity options with Lance and Shane for SCAT.
JQ
- Post in the WhatsApp group about issues with paying camp fees and water plan on the portal.
Lance
- Bring personal climbing harness and rigging equipment for SCAT.
Lisa
- Send a note to Filchy about Noa's website issue.
- Add Mauricio to the New York WhatsApp subgroup.
- Find someone to lead the volunteers for kitchen shifts and possibly MOOP shifts.
Nick
- Acquire more fabric for the rig shade, considering color suggestions.
Noa
- Follow up with Filchy about the issue with saving dietary requirements on the website.
Zep
- Add Noa to the WhatsApp group.
- Ensure the inventory app is working and talk to Filchy about it.
Summary
SCAT Team Planning Meeting
The meeting began with introductions for new participants, including Noah from Israel, Lance, and Nina, who are first-time attendees or returning after many years. The group discussed website issues with dietary requirements not saving properly, which Lisa agreed to follow up on later. The meeting focused on identifying the Swing City Advanced Team (SCAT) members who will arrive early for build week, with Filchy leading the discussion about core crew responsibilities and timing for the early arrival group.
Event Access Pass Planning
The team discussed early access passes for an event starting August 24, with 28 passes allocated and approximately 18 already accounted for. Mauricio joined the meeting as the Zoom admin and reintroduced himself to the group. The team also addressed adding new members to WhatsApp groups, including Noa and a new participant from New Jersey, and confirmed Dina's interest in SCAT participation.
Camp Setup Planning Meeting
The team discussed plans for the upcoming camp setup, with Nick confirming they will follow the same schedule as last year for picking up and transporting equipment. The group aligned on using a new color scheme for the rig shade, with Lisa suggesting banana yellow to create a jungle gym appearance, though final color decisions were left open. The discussion highlighted staffing needs in hardware, power, and plumbing departments, with filchy requesting volunteers with relevant skills to support these areas, particularly for the shared power grid with neighboring camps.
Event Logistics and Planning Meeting
The team discussed logistics for an upcoming event, including the need for a MOOP captain and volunteer coordination for kitchen shifts. They confirmed that Mauricio, Savannah, Alex, and others from New York would be traveling together, with the earliest possible arrival date being July 24th for build week. Kyle clarified that due to boundary issues from previous years, the group would be renting an Airbnb in Reno for a small number of crucial team members rather than allowing random camping at private residences.
Burning Man Logistics Planning
The team discussed logistics for the upcoming Burning Man event, with Lisa explaining that space at their family's location will be limited due to ongoing art projects and staging activities. Lisa clarified that while some people can arrive early for pre-burn build activities, the main camp construction week runs from Monday to Saturday, with gates opening to everyone on Sunday. The group agreed that anyone needing accommodation should coordinate directly with the team rather than relying on family housing, and Lance confirmed he would reach out about SCAT arrangements.
Climbable Art Tour Planning Discussion
Lance introduced his background as an arborist and offered to contribute his climbing and rigging skills to the build, particularly for aerial work and tensegrity shade structure construction. Lisa described various camp activities including sunset rides, art tours, and flag-stealing games, while Filchy explained the Climbable Art Tour (CAT) which visits about a dozen climbable art sculptures. The discussion concluded with questions about lighting leadership roles, where Filchy and Nick indicated they need multiple people to handle lighting and power solutions, with Nick mentioning they may use grid power rather than solar this year.
Camp Power Grid System Planning
The team discussed the camp's power grid system, which is managed through a hub arrangement with New York Deli and includes the Wizard Hut as a tool shed with power distribution capabilities. Mauricio expressed interest in helping with shade structure setup and lighting, sharing his background in TV sound and lighting. The group agreed to switch to weekly meetings moving forward, with the SCAT Slack channel expected to activate in mid-July approximately 30 days before departure for the event.
Build and Burn Week Planning
The meeting focused on discussing Build and Burn Week activities, with Ryin explaining the SCAB process (Swing City After Burn) which involves breaking down camp equipment on Sunday before the temple burns and continuing the breakdown on Monday. Zep discussed the inventory app that will be reused from last year, with plans to synchronize items and manage storage more effectively. Lisa announced that the team will transition from WhatsApp to Slack for communications, with the new Slack channel launching in mid-July to better organize departmental communications.
Burning Man Camp Preparations
The meeting focused on preparations for Burning Man, with discussions about website updates, tickets, and camp logistics. Lisa reminded attendees to complete their profiles, pay for meal plans, and submit dietary requirements, while Cori clarified that kitchen volunteer sign-ups would likely happen on-site due to last-minute changes. Rain inquired about volunteer shifts and camp layout, and Cori explained that tent placement would be first-come, first-serve, with the welcoming committee helping new arrivals find suitable spots. Patrick emphasized the importance of willing labor from all participants to ensure smooth camp operations.
Swing City Camp Logistics Meeting
The meeting focused on discussing Swing City camp logistics and participation details. Filchy clarified that Swing City itself typically has around 80-100 people, with a maximum capacity of 125 including those in the hub network, though current numbers are uncertain as many participants haven't paid fees yet. The group discussed volunteer expectations, with participants required to complete two MOOP shifts (2 hours each) and kitchen shifts for those on the meal plan, though specific scheduling is flexible and organic rather than rigid. Several technical issues were raised about the portal system for paying camp fees, which JQ and others experienced problems with, and Filchy offered to follow up with the website administrators to resolve these issues.