June 2009 Local Meeting
From SP Boston
The Socialist Party of Boston met at 1 pm on Sunday, 28 June 2009 in the Lucy Parsons Center. We discussed several initiatives from the recent SP National Committee meeting, worked on final details for our anti-imperialist picnic, and made a lot of preparations for the National Assembly to End the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and Occupations along with mobilizations that will follow it later this summer and fall.
For more information, check out the full minutes below.
[edit] Minutes
- Introductions and agenda approval
- Matt A., Jason F., Kevin H., Matt O., David S. and Jesse S. attended.
- Chris F. sent regrets.
- Matt reported on the SP National Committee meeting in June.
- Locals are being encouraged to help the National Office with fundraising.
- The National Committee has launched an initiative to have locals hold actions or events on Rosie Jimenez Day, 3 October.
- The Socialist Party voted to disaffiliate from United for Peace and Justice since it is no longer challenging the administration to stop the wars.
- International developments were discussed, particularly the creation of a "New Anti-Capitalist Party" in France, which is calling for the formation of an international network of anti-capitalist organizations. The CNT union of France is also calling for a similar international network, and the Socialist Party is considering joining both. David will be working in France during August, and will contact the International Commission to see if he can be of assistance while in the area.
- Minutes from the NC meeting should be online by 3 July.
- Near-term events
- David circulated a sign-up sheet for folks to bring supplies to the anti-imperialist fourth of July picnic, and will email it to the listserve.
- National Assembly
- There will be a transportation planning meeting this Wednesday, 1 July, at Encuentro5. A bus will leave from Hartford Friday evening 10 July, and folks will either arrange to carpool there, rent a van to go directly from Boston to Pittsburgh on Friday morning, or both. David will send this information to Ed, who has been looking for it.
- Matt is arranging a conference call on Thursday evening, 2 July, for SP members to discuss the National Assembly action proposal.
- De-Militarized Zone (DMZ)
- Coming up 3 July and 17 July, 5:30 pm at the corner of Mass. Ave. and Boylston St.
- Matt proposed moving the location of the DMZ to some place with more local residents and fewer tourists. Those who actually come to the next DMZ will discuss this further there.
- Matt will be at the Cindy Sheehan event Monday night promoting the DMZ and National Assembly. Need volunteers to do similar promotion at other events Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Longer-term events
- Calls for organizing demonstrations at the G20 meeting in Pittsburgh on 24-25 September have started appearing. There will be a meeting at the end of the National Assembly, and a Boston organizing/mobilizing committee is forming.
- Rosie Jimenez Day, 3 October.
- The National Committee is calling for locals to organize events. We started brainstorming about how to tie in Dr. George Tiller and other martyrs of the women's rights movement.
- We should contact WILPF and CodePink to discuss forming a planning committee.
- Jason will contact Adrienne of BAAM, who may know of other interested groups.
- Kevin will contact Rising Tide to see if they would be interested in getting involved.
- David will contact David K. to see what the Radical Education Project is planning, and if it would be interested in getting involved.
- Socialist Party national convention, 9-11 October in Newark, NJ
- Matt proposed holding a Massachusetts state meeting in July or August to elect delegates and discuss resolutions. The deadline for this would be 15 August, so the meeting should be held some time between 24 July and 15 August.
- Matt proposed having Greg Pason come up and speak at a public forum accompanying the meeting, and will get in touch with him to see what dates work best.
- Communication
- David was too busy to put together a new Bulletin, but he and Matt mailed out flyers for the anti-imperialist picnic, National Assembly, and DMZ on Saturday.
- Matt has been making phone calls for membership renewals, the anti-imperialist picnic, National Assembly, and DMZ. He needs help over the next few days, and has also asked Greg for a more up-to-date membership list.
- Later on in July, another mailing should go out to announce the Massachusetts state meeting if it is going to happen.
- Fundraising
- The "Capitalism Is Organized Crime" t-shirts are now online at Zazzle.com, though with a color-inverted image. We've already sold enough to make back half their cost.
- Next: hoodies. Should order in during August so that there is plenty of time for them to arrive by the fall. Matt has some new leads on suppliers, and will try to set up colored (red or black) shirts. Jason will work on drafting a new graphic for them.
- David still needs to set up a fundraising page on the SP Boston or SPMA Web site
- Matt proposed a fundraising project specifically to purchase a canopy for the anti-imperialist picnic and other outdoor events (rallies, festivals) where we've been rained on.
- As discussed at the National Committee meeting, we should come up with some ways to help the National Office raise funds.