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Avalon-Preliminary Business Plan and Coil Ideas



This email is going out to about 1000 people, for those of you on the Tesla 
List please remember to address all non-Tesla related replies off list.

Greg (yeah...THE Greg, of LOD) has approached me about designing the Avalon 
Coil to the theoretical limit. What are your thoughts? I think it's a great 
(but risky) idea. The idea of spending hundreds of thousands on a project 
that may or may not work is rather scary. But that IS what the Geek Group is 
for, Advanced Research into areas that other people cannot study due to lack 
of facilities, time, or funding.
If you think that other guy had a rant when HIS coil didn't work....imagine 
mine :)

We have been working for about 3 days straight on the basic business plan 
for Avalon. It's still full of holes, but progress is being made at a good 
rate and I'm pleased with my results. What I'm asking for is the collective 
imagination of all of you (yeah, mouse potato, YOU!) to help fill in some of 
the holes. What are the things I'm missing? What would YOU, as a tesla (or 
whatever) scientist and researcher like to have access to at Avalon? What do 
you think of the class pricing? The classes offered? The facilities? Keep in 
mind that if I had MY way the classes would be free, but we DO have to 
afford things like lightbulbs and toilet paper, heat and electricity, floppy 
disks and hamburgers. I tried to price the clases according to what I see in 
other (somewhat similar) institutions. Have you SEEN what it costs to go to 
Space Camp? WOW!

I'm also looking for letters of reccomendation to seld out to our 
fundraisers. Not so much for me, but for the feasibility of the idea. The 
bean counters are not Geeks, they have no idea about the need for a facility 
like this, they need to hear it from you. If I can get 100 letters of 
reccomendation for the idea it goes a LONG way in making the feasibility 
study a LOT easier. Please help, it's not often I ask something like this 
from the entire membership of the Group or the entire Tesla List. But this 
is the first time EVER that the entirity of BOTH orginisations has the power 
to dramatically affect the outcome of a common goal. I'm bulding the Avalon 
complex for you guys. If you want it, I need your help.

Here's what we have so far.

PS, anyone who wants to sort out the numbers in the budget, feel free! lol, 
they've been changed and revised so many times the totals and subtotals are 
screwed and I have to do them all over.....arggghhh :)


Christopher A. Boden
President / CEO
The Geek Group
Because the Geek shall inherit the Earth!




The Geek Group
Avalon Complex
Because the Geek shall inherit the Earth!

Geek Group Mission Statement:

1. To better the state of the art of science and technology through 
education, experimentation, and research.
2. To provide a safe environment for individuals of all ages to come and 
learn without the limitations of a standard classroom environment.
3. To provide a positive influence on the community through youth education, 
public involvement, and public works.
4. To keep an open mind and perform research in areas that can't be studied 
by for-profit corporations because they have to show a profit and justify 
every dime spent, while staying true to the scientific method and avoiding 
areas of "Pseudo-Science", weapons research, and other areas that go against 
the positive development of the human race.
5. To provide a powerful resource for the technically adept, through our 
archives, research facility, and projects.
6. To provide the facilities and projects to educate members in countless 
skills in the areas of science and technology.
7. To change the world, and have fun doing it.

Who we are:
    The Geek Group is a large collection of individuals of all ages (mostly 
college students) from all over the world who have been brought together for 
one simple purpose, to have fun while learning and sharing that knowledge 
for a positive impact on mankind.
    We are the last refuge for the Geeks of this world. A Geek is someone 
who has a great desire to tinker with one or usually many areas of science 
and technology. The kid who lives to write code and knows HTML tags and 
hexadecimal colour codes by heart. The girl who loves nothing more than to 
breadboard a circuit she designed to control the security alarm she put in 
her locker. The10 year old who spends hours dragging home a computer from 
school that weighed 300 pounds (and broke his skateboard in the process), 
just to take it apart. The 14 year old who made $200 for writing the Email 
program in 1991 (that his school uses to this day). These are all Geeks, and 
they are all wonderful.
    If you've ever dreamed in FOR-TRAN, dragged home something to take it 
apart because you can get "parts" from it, been able to appreciate the 
beauty of computer code, or driven a $500 car with a $2000 stereo system 
(that you installed yourself, of course), then relax, you're fine.
You're a Geek.
It's okay, you're not alone, we’re here to help you. Sit back, grab your 
Jones Soda, and read on.
What we do:
    We get together to design and build fun and interesting scientific 
projects, which we use for educational demonstrations to teach people about 
science and technology. We do these demonstrations in schools, public 
events, and other places for fun and to raise money for further Group 
projects and operations.
    We market our collective skills in various areas of science and 
technology (web development, think tank contracts, corporate training, 
custom computer systems, etc...) to fund our projects and make money for our 
members. This is a powerful resume builder for our members, many of whom 
have gone off to secure permanent positions in some high-profile companies 
(C.G.I., Microsoft, Sencon, Paramadia, Pharmacia-Upjohn, Amway, etc...) Many 
others have started their businesses as a result of their education in the 
Group.
     We're not in this to get rich. We get to play with bleeding edge, state 
of the art technology. We *know* what a lot of the things you will be using 
in your computers, cars, and daily lives will be in 5 years, we've been 
playing with them for 6 months :)
    We provide a powerful resource for the technically adept. We do product 
reviews and testing in Real World conditions. Who cares if the seek time on 
my new hard drive is 7mS, will it take being in my poorly cooled case in 
august? These are the things we find out. We post reviews to our site on new 
products on a regular basis, and update those reviews often.
    We know where to shop for all kinds of goodies, from Athalons to Argon 
Lasers, and where to avoid. We keep a healthy list of the good guys, and the 
shysters, just to help level the playing field. You'd be amazed at how many 
idiots own a computer shop, and how many people think they can run a 300% 
markup and stay in business. We also report all our findings to the Better 
Business Bureau for investigation.
    We have an incredibly motivated crew, a company unlike any other in the 
world where all the rules of Corporate America have been thrown away and we 
have streamlined our entire organizational structure to only 3 levels of 
management (GM has 17!). We have fun, love what we do, and are bettering the 
state of the art, and the world, everyday.
Because the Geek shall inherit the Earth!

The Avalon facility is a 30 acre complex of 16 interconnected buildings 
straddling the Portage creek in Kalamazoo Michigan. It is the international 
headquarters of The Geek Group. Formerly a large paper mill, the oldest 
buildings date back to the 1880's and the site was once part of the 
Underground Railroad.
    From it's former life as a paper mill the facility is severely 
contaminated and is listed on the E.P.A.'s Superfund list. The Geek Group is 
launching a multi-million-dollar environmental cleanup effort to restore the 
site to a pristine condition.
    When the 15 year construction / remodel is finished the Avalon complex 
will house 500 students in it's own dorms. The dorms will be wired into our 
state of the art network complete with OC-3 Internet connection. Each dorm 
room is spacious and comes complete with private bathrooms and showers.
    There will also be on-site housing for 100 members of live-in faculty, 
staff, and guests. We will boast the largest state of the art research and 
educational facility of its type on earth. Some of the facilities are to 
include the following...

Facility Description:

Overview:

	As you turn onto the street you see the complex open up around you. Filling 
over 10 city blocks it’s size in astonishing at first because just a block 
away you couldn’t even tell it was there. Sitting in the center of a quiet 
residential neighborhood, Avalon is a bustling island of activity.
	As your turn into the parking lot for the offices, a security guard directs 
you to visitor parking. The entire complex is kept secure for the safety of 
our students, faculty, and staff. All visitors must pass through the offices 
for admission onto the grounds.
All visitors must prominently wear an I.D. tag. Anyone not wearing a tag (or 
a bracelet) will be immediately escorted off grounds. Some of the research 
we do is on cutting edge technologies; there are quite a few people who have 
made billions stealing ideas before the completion of the patented process. 
And the safety of our students and security of our research is paramount.
	The security guards at Avalon are licensed police officers that work for 
the Group. Each one has been trained in many other areas as well. Their main 
function at Avalon is to ensure safety; but the training for them is 
specific to our needs and very rigorous. They are all trained in sign 
language, high-voltage safety, advanced emergency medicine, and a second 
language other than English. Our officers continually receive training in 
order for them to constantly improve their abilities and function at the 
Avalon complex.


Museum:

High Voltage Labs (H.V.L.)
The very first building to be remodeled, the H.V.L. was originally designed 
as a coal-fired-steam power plant that supplied superheated steam to heat 
the entire complex as well as all the electricity. The boilers will be 
removed and the building completely remodeled into a state of the art 
facility that will include Tesla Coils of all sizes, a M.A.R.X. Generator, 
large Van De Graff Generator, and every other conceivable high voltage 
research tool.

Physics Labs:

Computer Hardware Labs:
With everything from a 256-machine Beowulf cluster all the way down to an 
Apple II, students will have the opportunity to learn and experiment with 
every type and size of computer. We will hold classes in everything from how 
to assemble and setup your own computer (where, after you graduate the 
class, you keep the brand new computer) to advanced computer design for 
workstations and servers.
Computer Software Labs:
Where the Elite Geeks meet to compile the test suite. With opportunities to 
work in every language on every OS on earth this is a code writer's dream 
come true. A wickedly fast computer and an infinite supply of cola, what 
more could a hacker ask?
Computer Animation Labs:
Computer Security Labs:
Where Hackers come to play without having to worry about that pesky F.B.I., 
Secret service, and a 25 year prison term. We pit a team of Hackers against 
a team of Security experts on our own closed (there is no access to the 
computer from outside the room) computer system. After a week in their 
teams, the roles are reversed. This is some of the best training for future 
computer security professionals.


Chemistry Labs:
One of the first labs to come on line will be the chemistry labs. One of the 
buildings in the complex is already outfitted with several chem. labs, 
complete with fume-hoods and all other built-in gear. We plan to have these 
set-up and operational within our first year.

Vehicular Sciences Labs (V.S.L.)
Run by a 30-year professional veteran to the Drag racing world, students 
will be able to take part in the actual construction and operation of a 
professionally built dragster. From starting with chucks of metal and 
turning it into a finished racecar, students will learn many aspects of 
science including Physics, Fluid dynamics, Thermodynamics, Mechanical 
engineering, Safety, Machine shop work, and Electronics. In the next few 
years we will even professionally tour a Group sponsored Top-Fuel drag 
racing team, comprised completely of students of the Group.
The Avalon Coil:

	Towering above the complex, just behind the H.V.L. you see what looks like 
a grain-silo with a giant doughnut on top. At over a hundred feet tall the 
Avalon Coil is a giant monolith built to do one simple thing. It makes some 
of the longest electrical discharges ever made by humans. Continuous arcs 
over a hundred feet long stream out from the top when the system is in use. 
The sight of this much power is absolutely breathtaking. It’s like watching 
a thunderstorm from inside the clouds.
One of the worlds largest Tesla Coils, the Avalon Coil will operate at power 
levels up to 1,000,000 watts creating lightning bolts up to 150' in length 
from the top of the tower. The discharges can be seen for miles and will be 
used for some of the most advanced Tesla research on the planet.

Robotics Labs:
S.E.T.I. and Radio Astronomy Labs:
    Asking the greatest question mankind can possibly ask, "Are we alone in 
the Universe?" The only way to find out is to listen. With our large array 
of synchronized dish antennae, we will join the great S.E.T.I. project in an 
attempt to find "the Truth out there".
Environmental Sciences Labs:
    Given the Groups stand on environmental issues it seems natural for us 
to provide a long-term solution and cleanup effort to the Avalon facility. 
Not only will we be dedicating years to the cleanup effort, but we're making 
use of this opportunity to do some research into better ways to curb 
pollution and clean up the mess that's already there.

Laser / Optics Labs
Natatorium / Fluid Dynamics Labs:
    Boasting a 1,000,000-gallon Olympic sized swimming pool we will also 
have several other tanks for training and experimentation. Tanks will 
include a 30'deep dive pool, a 3'deep 80' long shallow tank, and accessories 
like a gantry crane, and wave machine. These pools are equally suited for 
swimming laps in your spare time, to testing prototypical hydrofoils and 
submersibles.
Telecommunications Labs:
    Any possible way of communicating is studied here. From Telegraph to 
microwave uplink, to laser beams bounced off of windows, this is the place 
the Ham radio nuts come to learn and explore. This lab works hand in hand 
with out S.E.T.I. Labs as well as other projects. Students can build Crystal 
radios that never need batteries, all the way to doing Fox and Hound hunts 
with a radio beacon (a great way to practice search and rescue).

Dorms:

Staff Housing:




Revenue Generation Means

The Avalon Facility will have facilities for 1000 live in students, with 
another 2000 part time students. Classes will run in durations from as short 
as a single day to yearlong projects and 5 year advanced research projects.

Preliminary Class Pricing:

Basic Day Pass 			$20.00
For school field trips, families, and general tours of various demos. A day 
pass entitles the person to 1 full day in any of the public areas of the 
Avalon Complex. They are free to attend any demos (a regular daily 
occurrence in all of the labs). They may sit in on any open seats in any 
lecture hall for any class, provided that there are open seats when the 
entire class is in attendance. It’s like Disney Land for Geeks.

1 Day Class				$25.00 - $50.00
	1-Day classes are usually done as an intro to one of our larger classes. 
They are done so that the prospective student may “get a feel” for the 
unusual environment of The Geek Group before making a significant commitment 
of time to a class.
	1-Day classes are also done for private groups and schools in various 
fields. A science teacher may bring in a class of 30 kids for a 4-hour 
afternoon class in High Voltage to augment a chapter in electricity in their 
home school.
	1-Day classes are also done for individuals wishing to learn more about a 
given area without getting too involved. Many individuals would like to 
attend a single afternoon class in learning the tips and tricks of Windows 
98. They have no need to become “Power Users” or elite Hackers with a 
complete mastery of every aspect of a computer. They just want to know how 
to make the CD player work better. 1- Day classes fill this void, and thusly 
are very popular.

1 Week Class				$50.00 - $800.00

	Much like “Space Camp” we will hold a number of year round 1 week classes 
in all areas of Group education where students can come in and get a more 
advanced grasp of a given subject without the intensity of a longer 
commitment.
	Some of these classes would include basic projects and related activities. 
Students may take a basic engineering class with the project being a “Bridge 
Building” or “Egg drop” contest.


Specific Class Pricing and Description:

1-Day General Admission					$25.00

1-Day Classes:

1-Day classes last 4 hours. Running from 0900hrs to 1200hrs and from 1300hrs 
to 1700hrs. They are priced from $25 to $50, and give the student a general 
idea of the specific subject
	Intro to Computer Hardware				$45.00

	Students will

Intro to Computer Software Development		$35.00
	Intro to Computer Security				$50.00
Intro to Computer Animation				$35.00
	Intro to Virtual Reality				$25.00
	Intro to Computer Networking			$35.00
Intro to Lasers and Optics				$45.00
	Intro to Advanced Race Vehicle Design		$40.00
	Intro to Chemistry					$35.00
	Intro to High Voltage Sciences			$50.00
	Intro to High Voltage Design				$50.00
	Intro to Tesla Engineering				$50.00
	Intro to Music Recording and Production		$45.00
	Intro to Robotics and Mechanical Engineering	$25.00
	Intro to S.E.T.I. and Radio-Astronomy		$30.00

1-Week Classes

	1 Week Classes last 25 hours and run Monday through Friday from 1200hrs to 
1700hrs. They are priced from $100 to $500 and feature complete project 
classes, simple certification in various software environments, and 
supplemental school classes.
Many of the custom corporate software training classes are done as one-week 
classes. All of the intermediate classes (continuations of the 1 day intro 
classes) are held on the 1-week basis.
For students that are not from the immediate area room and board is 
available for 1-week students for a $100 fee. Housing is in the dorms, but 
separate from our long term live in students.

	High Voltage Safety Certification				$200
	Machine Shop Safety Certification				$200
	High Altitude and Confined Space Safety Certification	$200
Intermediate Computer Software Development		$300
	Intermediate Computer Security				$500
Intermediate Computer Animation				$300
	Intermediate Virtual Reality					$200
	Intermediate Computer Networking				$300
Intermediate Lasers and Optics				$400
	Intermediate Advanced Race Vehicle Design		$400
	Intermediate Chemistry					$300
	Intermediate High Voltage Sciences				$500
	Intermediate High Voltage Design				$500
	Intermediate Tesla Engineering				$500
	Intermediate Music Recording and Production		$450
	Intermediate Robotics and Mechanical Engineering		$500
	Intermediate S.E.T.I. and Radio-Astronomy			$250
	Custom Corporate Software Training (C.C.S.T.)		$250-500
	Physics Egg Drop Competition				$200
	Tiger Team Hacking Competition				$300
	Mechanical Engineering Bridge Building Competition	$200
	Rube Goldberg Breakfast Competition			$400
	Junkyard War Competition					$400
	Robot War Competition					$500
	Laser Maze Competition					$400


1-Month Classes

	The 1-Month classes are comprised of a 100-hour course (5 days a week, 5 
hours a day) given from 1200hrs to 1700hrs and are priced from $1000 to 
$2500 Some of our basic Summer Science Camp classes are within the 1-Month 
curriculum, though the more advanced S.S.C. classes are done in the 3-Month 
class curriculum. The 1-Month classes comprise the main portion of our 
simple project oriented classes, as well as our intermediate competitions. 
Room and board is available for all 1-Month classes at a cost of $250 per 
student.


	Tesla Coil Design and Construction				$1800
	Advanced Robot Wars					$1500
	Advanced Chemistry						$1000
	Advanced Computer Animation				$1500
	Advanced High Voltage Design				$1800
	Recording and Production (finished album)			$2000
	Robotics Design and Engineering				$1800
	Advanced S.E.T.I. and Radio Astronomy			$1000


Long Term Studies:

	Long Term Studies comprises the upper echelon of our curriculum. These are 
students who are interested in making a serious commitment to their 
education in a particular field. These students most often become live-in 
full time students with classes ranging from 3-Months to 4 (or more) years. 
These are the students who come in more for the opportunity to perform 
advanced research in a given field than to just take classes. Most of the 
long term students are on project oriented (rather than grade oriented) 
classes.  Prices for these classes vary depending on the specific needs and 
desires of the particular student, but range from $250 to $700 a month with 
$250 a month additional to live in the dorms.
	Long term students also have full access to the grounds and labs in their 
off hours. They are free to work any hours they like around classes to do 
research or other things.

	Advanced Tesla Coil and High Voltage Research
	Advanced Tesla Turbine and Alternative Engine Research
	Advanced Alternative Energy Research
	Advanced Prototypical Fabrication and Design
	Advanced Vehicular Research and Design
	Advanced Computer Programming and Software Development
	Advanced Computer Hardware Design and Construction
	Advanced Computer Networking and Interconnectivity
	Advanced Computer Security and Network Exploitation
Advanced Computer Animation
Advanced Recording and Production
	Advanced Physics Research
	Advanced Electromechanical Design
	Advanced Chemistry
	Advanced Robotics Design and Construction
	Advanced S.E.T.I. and Radio-Astronomy Research
	Corporate Project Research and development


Budgetary Breakdown: $280,822,000.00

Initial Property Purchase 		$100,000.00

Building Cleanout			$150,000.00

Payroll: (per annum)		$3,252,000.00

	Executive Staff		$52,000.00      (10)	520,000
		President / C.E.O.		$52,000.00
		V.P. Operations		$52,000.00
		V.P. Fundraising		$52,000.00
		Treasurer			$52,000.00
	Office Staff			$30,000.00	(10)	300,000
		Receptionist			$30,000.00
		Assistant to the C.E.O.	$30,000.00
		H.R. Manager			$30,000.00

	Faculty				$52,000.00	(25)	1,300,000
		H.V.L.				$52,000.00
		H.V.L 				$52,000.00
		Physics
		Chemistry
		Robotics
		V.S.L.
	Teachers’ Aides		$30,000.00	(10)	200,000
	Grounds			$30,000.00	(10)	300,000
	Security			$20,000.00	(15)	300,000
	Custodial			$20,000.00	(10)	200,000
	Truckdrivers			$26,000.00	(2)	52,000
	Nurse				$30,000.00		30,000
	Crew				$15,000.00	(10)	150,000

Insurance:				$290,000

	Liability			$35,000.00
	Comprehensive Medical       $225,000.00
	Workman’s Comp		$30,000.00

Heavy Equipment:
	Generators				$100,000.00
	Bobcat					  $20,000.00
	Big Truck				  $25,000.00
	Small Truck (S-10)			  $20,000.00
	Scissors Lift				  $15,000.00
	Forklift (4ton)				  $25,000.00
	Tractors (2 John Deere’s)		  $40,000.00
	Grounds				  $15,000.00

Environmental Cleanup:		$100,000,000.00

Remodel:
	Offices:			$400,000.00
	H.V.L.			       $15,000.000.00
	Mill-C   		       $45,000.000.00
	Mill-D			       $75,000,000.00
	Mill-E			       $20,000.000.00
	Electrical:			$185,000.00
	Plumbing:			  $50,000.00
	Structural:		         $5,000,000.00
	Grounds:			$600,000.00
	Dorms:		         $8,500,000.00
	Misc:				$200,000.00

High Voltage Labs:			$1,117,000.00
	The Avalon Coil			$500,000.00
	M.A.R.X. Generator			$200,000.00
	Van DeGraff Generator		$100,000.00
	Insulators				  $20,000.00
	Wire & Cable				  $25,000.00
	H.V.Tools				  $50,000.00
	Sitka Spruce				  $12,000.00
	HV Tables				    $5,000.00
	HV Switchgear			  $25,000.00
	HV Safety Gear			  $80,000.00
	Lab Bench Equipment			$100,000.00

Robotics Labs:			$600,000.00

Vehicular Research Facility:	$1,000,000.00

Recording Production Labs:		$600,000.00

Chemistry Labs:			$250,000.00
	Glassware				$20,000.00
	Chemicals				$20,000.00
	Safety Gear				$10,000.00
	Lab Tools				$80,000.00

Computer Hardware Labs:		$650,000.00
	Workstations: (25)		          $100,000.00  	50 computers at $2K each
	Servers (5)			            $50,000.00	5 computers at $10K each
	Supercomputers (5)		          $100,000.00	5 computers at $20K each
	Beowulf Cluster		          $350,000.00	256 machine cluster
	Cabling				$50,000.00
	Printers				$30,000.00
	Networking Kit			$50,000.00

Computer Software Labs:		$200,000.00

S.E.T.I. and Radio Astronomy Labs:	$500,000.00

Physics Labs:				$475,000.00
	Gyroshperes (5)			$25,000.00
	Hovercraft (2)				$25,000.00
	Powered Paragliders (2)		$22,000.00
	Lasers & Optics		          $300,000.00

Natatorium:				$420,000.00

Food Court:				$300,000.00

Machine Shop:		         $1,500,000.00
	Lathes
	Vertical Mills
	Horizontal Mill
	Knee Mill
	Drill Presses
	Surface Grinder
	Hand Tools
	Metrology

Capital Needs and Timeline:

Immediate Startup Needs:	$250,000.00
	Property Purchase		$100,000
	Operating Costs		$50,000
	Initial Cleanout and Remodel	$100,000

Short Term Needs:		$5,000,000.00
	Capital campaign to be started immediately and last approximately 2 years. 
This will result in our initial opening to the public and offering most of 
our short-term classes (1-Day to 1-Week, non-live in). This will also bring 
the HVL, Computer Labs, and V.S.R. Labs online.

Long Term Needs:		$350,000.000.00
	Capital Campaign to be started concomitant to completion of Short Term 
Capital Campaign and last approximately 8 to 10 years. This will result in 
the completion of the entire Avalon Complex and Environmental Rehabilitation 
of the property.




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