September 2007 Local Meeting
From SP Boston
The Socialist Party of Boston met at noon on Sunday, 30 September 2007 in the Lucy Parsons Center. We have a lot on the table in October, including our National Convention and the antiwar actions of 26-27 October. We organized for these and other tasks, more information about which can be found in the full minutes.
[edit] Agenda
- Introductions and agenda approval
- Upcoming events and actions
- Rosie Jimenez Day (3 October)! Can we plan something on such short notice?
- Lisa Fithian organizer training October 6?
- No War No Warming (DC on 18 October)?
- The National Convention in the fall, 19-21 October in St. Louis, MO. Review logistics, delegates, alternates.
- Convention prep/socializing get-together/party? 13 or 14 October?
- Student walkout and "Sick of War" sick day on 26 October -- endorse?
- Regional UfPJ antiwar demonstration, 27 October -- endorse?
- Matt #1 election -- Harvest Coop
- Matt #2 election -- City Council (6 November)
- Howard Zinn talk at BU (6 November)
- Organize Third Parties Coalition like the one in Michigan (indefinite)?
- "Promotion"
- Ads in progressive publications?
- Boston Underground being restarted?
- Youtube videos?
- Distribution of The Socialist and Socialist Women in more stores (new fall issues of both are out)?
- Any word on flags?
- Web site -- renew domain, move hosting to Chris's server, move registration to GoDaddy?
- Electronic contributions?
- Ads in progressive publications?
- Approving new memberships -- Martin G., John K., Gerald I.
- New bulletin
- Reports on recent events
- 9/3 Bread and Roses festival
- 9/15 Software Freedom Day
- 9/21 Iraq moratorium
- 9/22 New England regional meeting
- Marches on Washington (9/15 and 9/29)
- 9/27 Quincy Wind Power Project
[edit] Minutes
- Introductions and agenda approval
- The meeting was attended by Matt A., Chris F., Chas H., Billie M., Chris P., Angela P., David S., and Maria S.
- David distributed minutes from the August 2007 Local Meeting and Fall 2007 Regional Meeting.
- Upcoming events and actions
- We regretted not having enough lead time to be able to organize any Boston-area event for Rosie Jimenez Day, 3 October.
- David and Matt will get in touch with Susan Dorazio in western Massachusetts to get a copy of her yearly schedule of rallies and speak-outs with the Connecticut Valley Coalition for Women's Lives so that we will be better prepared for future dates on it.
- We will try to get in touch with Code Pink and perhaps some other groups (WILPF?) to see if they would be interested in participating in some of these events.
- There was extended discussion of some of the presidential candidates and resolutions that will be considered at the National Convention. David Frey and Bill Stodden's Latin America resolutions attracted the most attention.
- Chris F. and Angela P. reported on the progress of the 26 October "sick of war" sickout/walkout and the 27 October regional antiwar demonstration.
- We voted unanimously to endorse the 27 October mobilization.
- David will look into setting up a table there.
- We voted to refrain from endorsing the 26 October event until we can be sure it will actually take place (permits received, outreach organized).
- We agreed to hold an informal get-together at TJ Scallywaggle's Vegan House of Pizza and Subs. We empowered the get-together to decide whether or not to endorse the 26 October sickout/walkout.
- Matt shared some upcoming events in his campaign for Harvest Board of Directors:
- Flyering outside the Central Square store 1 pm on 13 October
- Flyering outside the Jamaica Plain store 6 pm on 16 October
- David will try to flyer at the Boston vegetarian festival on 20 October (during the National Convention)
- Harvest annual members meeting (featuring candidates forum) 24 October
- There are organizing meetings for the Harvest Members Independent Organizing Committee every other Tuesday at 7 pm in the Lucy Parsons Center. The next meeting is on Tuesday, 9 October.
- Chris P. reported that he had been able to get in touch with Matt Geary, unlike David. Their correspondence will continue, and Chris will see if Matt G. is interested in taking part in the sort of platform discussion Matt A. proposed at the previous local meeting.
- Chas gave a brief report on the situation in Worcester.
- There are enough members there to form a local, though there was little response to Bob F.'s earlier attempt to do so.
- David will try to help Worcester-area members get in touch and organize a get-together.
- One or more members of the Boston local will try to show up, and the local as a whole can help with logistics or expenses related to getting things off the ground.
- Matt suggested meeting at the Worcester public library, where state meetings have been held in the past.
- Chris will start working on a draft invitation for forming a Third Parties Coalition like that in Michigan, and try to scope out some of his contacts for interest. David offered to look over the invitation.
- We regretted not having enough lead time to be able to organize any Boston-area event for Rosie Jimenez Day, 3 October.
- "Promotion"
- Chris F. has not heard back from Red Sun Press about flags. He'll try to get back in touch
- Chris F. and Angela have not heard back from the Newbury St. bookstore about distributing The Socialist and Socialist Women. They'll try to get back in touch.
- David will scope out distribution at the Brookline Booksmith.
- Other potential places for distribution include Porter Square Books and bookstores around Harvard Square.
- Over the next month, the SP Boston Web site registration will be transferred to GoDaddy at Chris F.'s recommendation, and the site itself will be transferred from paid hosting to Chris F.'s server.
- Approving new memberships -- Martin G., John K., Gerald I,
- Martin was approved on 10 September. Matt wants to get in touch with him again to help him get involved.
- Chris will try to contact John K. again.
- David will try to contact Gerald I.
- New bulletin
- The new bulletin was approved without modification.
- Reports on recent events
- Chris P. reported that the Quincy wind power project is largely being promoted by a capitalist who wants to sell power back into the grid. While it could reduce pollution somewhat, Quincy residents don't see how it will help their community.
- Chris F. and Angela reported that the 29 September march in DC was relatively small, but militant.