April 2007 Local Meeting
From SP Boston
The Socialist Party of Boston met at noon on Sunday, 29 April 2007 in the Lucy Parsons Center. We got organized for May Day and the Wake Up the Earth festival, and started planning the next stage for the campaign for fair food and farmworker justice.
For more information, see the full minutes below.
[edit] Agenda
- Introductions and agenda approval
- Reports on recent events
- March for Jobs and CORI Reform.
- The CIW's McDonald's victory and the future of the fair food movement.
- Regional meeting -- Minutes.
- Business
- Finances and books.
- New flyers and statements.
- Letters from Greg for bank account and political designations directory.
- Structure -- how to help people get involved.
- Future events and actions
- May Day 2007 -- we can endorse, even at this late date, and can organize our presence.
- Wake Up the Earth Festival in JP, 5 May.
- Biojustice 2007.
- Continuing fair food actions -- now targeting Burger King.
- National Convention in the fall, 19-21 October in St. Louis, MO.
- YPSLCON in the summer, followed by the US Social Forum in Atlanta.
- Consider organizing additional campaigns such as counter-recruitment work or restarting the Democracy Commission.
[edit] Minutes
- Introductions and agenda approval
- The meeting was attended by Stefanie C., Cheryl W., Norah K., Dale L. B., Billie M., Chris P., and David S. Matt A. called in from another meeting that was running long.
- Business
- David brought in and distributed a draft of a new "Registering to Vote Socialist" handbill, as well as a "May Day Greetings" statement by Eric Chester of Western Mass. and Rune Lund, a Member of the Danish Parliament.
- The time for a new bimonthly bulletin is approaching, and several members expressed interest in helping get it set up and mailed out.
- We arranged for the necessary paperwork to open up a bona fide, official, SP Boston bank account. We have money to put in it, as well as a number of books yet to be sold.
- There was lengthy discussion of helping get people more involved, both new members and those who have been around for a while. More frequent and more social gatherings seemed to be solid suggestions.
- Future events and actions
- May Day -- we endorsed the event and made a contribution to the rally costs. Some members were able to make the rally on the Common, and brought along our "Celebrate May Day: Socialism with Democracy" banner. David brought flyers and spread them around.
- Wake Up the Earth -- several attended the festival, stopped by the SP table, met with our National Secretary, Greg Pason, and had an all-around good time. We brought the SP Massachusetts banner and the "Celebrate May Day: Socialism with Democracy" banner, while Greg brought a Socialist Party USA banner.
- We also have a BioJustice banner from the last time it was in Boston that we hoped to break out again this year.
- Dale suggested finding a candidate to participate in the special election in the 5th Congressional District, where Meehan is resigning as Congressional representative.
- Several expressed interest at the idea of restarting the Democracy Commission, which would focus on electoral reforms to increase democracy and political participation in the United States.
- Dale suggested getting a prominent speaker to hold a talk on possible election reforms such as Instant Runoff Voting. Some names were discussed but nothing concrete was decided on.
- Chris mentioned the third party coalition that was recently formed in Michigan and proposed we consider attempting to organize something similar in Massachusetts, especially since Mass Voters for Fair Elections is no longer active.
- Chris expressed interest in a formal statewide meeting over the summer to be held in Worcester and focus on candidacies in the 2008 election cycle as well as delegates to the National Convention. This would be in addition to the anti-imperialist fourth of July, which we will try to couple with a brief business meeting afterwards.
- There was a brief review of the National Convention logistics and schedule -- when must delegates be selected, when must rooms be reserved (and for how much), etc.