Occupy Central Vermont

Minutes Occupy Central Vermont general assembly

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Present: Jay M., Sue M., Brian T. Brian ?, David K. Marie C., John H., Margaret B., Dell W., Bill ?, Jeremy H., Matt A.

Facilitating: John

Stack: Marie

Minutes: Dell

Reports back

• Finance—Sue

$60 single donation

$17 contributions @ Hardwick pop-up

Total $77

$11.75 to Capitol Copy for People’s Café flyers

left in treasury $65.25 after 150 buttons were paid for

• Hardwick Pop-up Occupy—Sue

—participation from a number of locals

—about 25 people at the general assembly

What about follow up?

—Hardwick folks are continuing the conversations at Wednesday night Think Tank. They’re wondering if any of us will participate.

—Discussion: John and Marie will look into bus to Marshfield (community dinner there at 6 pm)

Sue will write to Mary; Jay will contact Marcia, George, Tyler

• Plainfield Pop-up—Jay & Sue

—Planning board meeting in Marshfield re Red Store & Tim’s Convenience store owner

—How does one object to something that’s legal but immoral? Boycott?

—Questions on Goddard issues? Brian will contact Ben Graham, who has a strong interest

•  Burlington: 802 Spokescouncil last weekend—Marie, Jay, John, Brian attended

±25 people mostly from Burlington, various activists (student, environmental, cop watch, etc.)

—Still doing Citizen’s Bank pamphleting

—Working groups were UVM, labor, human rights

—Small group discussions were focused, came up with plans

—WalMart action?

—Agreed to have a joint calendar for 802

—Marie will be a contact person

—Do we want to propose a joint action? Discuss using email.

• People’s café—David

—Mixed cabaret format

—next scheduled for December 6 at Bagitos, 6 to 8 pm.

—Parts were very good: poetry, music, visit from Stephen Durham, Freedom Socialist Party candidate for president, brief presentation.

—Concerns: comedy crossed the line to offensiveness;

Time for discussion was too little, too late

Chatting during performances, how could this work better in a café setting?

—Suggestions: tighten format

Focus on or frame as Occupy Central Vermont on poster, same posted, add Occupy Central Vermont

Create a small group to organize our next: David, Marie, Dell

Coming up

• What is a movement?—Margaret

Saturday, December 8, 3–5 pm Montpelier Library

Goals: What have we learned from our experience in previous movements?

1. Worker’s Center film (±20 minutes)
2. Brief presentations: labor, civil rights, peace, gay rights, environment, women’s right, indigenous people, occupy. What was unique to each?
3. Small group discussions: How are movements different from organizations?

—Marie will pass out flyers

—Jay willget info to media

• Walmart—Marie

—Has not been able to get any info re Black Friday

—Burlington group suggestion from Jen: if we can’t get enough people, we could pamphlet bomb; concern that without significant presence, we’ll be ignored.

—Brian: Chad McGinnis may be the best source of information

—Jay: Worker’s Center not doing anything; seems that UE is most active; perhaps best to focus on Williston store

—Matt: interested in communicating with workers but don’t have a union ready to plug them in; might have to be strategic and covert to talk with workers and find out their issues; important tactical questions because this is not just a one-time action.

—Jay: trying to have job actions, flash strikes in Texas, DC, 6 states.

—John: present to public bigger issues, broader analysis; suppress workers’ salaries for suppliers; suppress cost at all costs, a value destroying corporation, one of many!

—Marie: some Walmart workers are planning to walk out on Black Friday, trying to find out if this is happening in Williston—would join in solidarity

—Jeremy: What about pamphleting the workers?

—Bill: Seacoast Occupy in New Hampshire is discussing how to coordinate with workers

—discussing pamphleting in support of downtown shopping

—Jay: willing to work on leaflet (with Matt & John?)

—Marie: Perhaps more effective to leaflet cars in town prior to Black Friday with information on Walmart and encouraging people to shop in downtowns.

—Matt: Our communities have been occupied by for-profit corporations, so we can’t pamphlet on private properties/parking lots

—Marie: Preleafleting should include Barre

—John: Suggest communicating among ourselves using the core list and commit to the activities suggested above.

—Marie will coordinate leafletting cars in Montpelier

• Sage

—Occupy Central Vermont will cosponsor the rally on Saturday, November 17 to close Vermont Yankee

• Occupy Sandy—Jay

—providing food and other services in 5 boroughs

—organizing is paying off

—What is happening with Occupy Farms?

—Suggested to send $, not food.

Announcements

December 7, 9–5, Gwen Hallsmith is presenting “The New Economy” with all day workshops and discussions. $25. neweconomyworkinggroup.org

Jeremy and others on computer security. Recommendations to the Secretary of State to track how voting machines are working—If something is wrong, one is first supposed to call the company, not the Secretary of State. The company can wipe the machine clean. Procedural issues. Contacts to Jim Condos

• WGDR (Goddard radio) at 8:30 am on Monday
• Will send us his letter
• has copied reporters

Notes for 8/4/12 Occupy Central Vermont General Assembly

~10 in attendance

Plainfield pop-up review:

• Rushed in prep, so not a lot of outreach. Short notice
• Had flyered at the Farmers’ Market
• Conversations were good
• On-going discussion continues regarding the Red Store
• 18 people attended total – 8 of them OCV regulars
• Did a lot of listening

Barre meeting regarding an upcoming pop-up

• Good meeting. Proposed date: Saturday, September 22
• http://www.occupycentralvt.org/2012/08/10/barre-922-pop-up-planning-notes/

Do we want to plan a pop-up for Hardwick?

• Sue will check with people in Hardwick to see when they want us. Late September, or October.

Next week, another pop-up in Montpelier?

• [Update from Direct Action: Next Saturday (8/11) we are planning a 1-hour event in Montpelier. From 12 to 1 pm we will have our banner and signs at the Farmer's Market where we will use the People's Mic to present our viewpoint. Please come and bring with you text (poems/prose/ideas) that we can use with the people's mic to present to the folks there. If you like, let the Direct Action Working Group know that you can make it, and let us know if you have any questions.]

Bread & Puppet action

• First was 2 weeks ago. A success; “We should go back.” 4 from OCV, 5 from Newport (Northeast Kingdom 99%)
• Next Sunday (8/12) at 2 PM. Get in touch with Jay if interested in going up

Abenaki Powwow this weekend – we are invited

• Jay planning to attend tomorrow (8/5) and possibly stop by Bread & Puppet, too.

Pipeline walk – 2 weeks ago

• Walked 22 miles of the pipeline, from West Burke to Irasburg
• Up to 40 people in attendance
• Media coverage: the Barton Chronicle ran a good story. Part of a few other stories. 350.org is organizing around this issue

Burlington action review (Governor’s Conference) Jul 29&30

• Sunday was excellent. About 500 marched, more at the rally in Battery park
• Numbers were “adequate to the task” and a good diversity of groups were represented
• Main organizers were focused on the tar sands issue
• The blockade of buses was more or less spontaneous, not well coordinated, and did not articulate a goal. However, the issue was clear that governors and premiers were meeting behind closed doors, making decisions about governance without transparency to or input from the people affected.
• Many issues being protested. Suggestion: Education and Empowerment Working Group put together a program regarding Hydro Quebec’s history and issues.
• For the future, we (OCV) should be prepared for the contingency of non-violent direct action. Have affinity groups, etc. Clarity regarding our purpose in actions.
• Monday was cool. Probably 100 people; again a diversity of issues. Good discussion about what people are doing in different places. Someone created a New England-wide website and are asking people to post their actions (couldn’t find a link – if you have one, please post in the comments).
• Parts of the Monday meeting were “flaky” – too much personal vs. movement actions

Sept 15 – 17 The World Goes to Wall Street – 3 days of education, celebration, and resistance

• Anniversary of OWS. Some of us will be headed down, coordinating.
• http://s17nyc.org/

Discussion about OCV, where we are

• When we invoke “Occupy,” people know what we are talking about
• Ideas: We could get a column in The Bridge. We could hold more public forums on the issues that concern us. We need to be at all local actions as OCV – people are understanding more that all these issues are related.
• What’s the status of the Facilitation Working Group? Only 3 of us still active – not in strong shape.

Next GA – Saturday, September 8 (Proposal was passed to move it to the second Saturday, so as not to conflict with the People’s Convention on 9/1). Faciliation call, for those interested, will be the Thursday before in the evening. Get in touch with Facilitation if interested.

Arts Working Group will have more discussions about Occupy Café plans before then.

Education & Empowerment will try to plan an event before then.

People’s Convention – Burlington – Sept 1 & 2

• http://www.vtpeoplesconvention.org/
• OCV role – tabling, or holding workshops?
• Possibility of holding a GA, if our group took the initiative
• Occupy presence seems important, but not necessarily a GA
• Table: Jay & Sue will organize. Library and pamphlets, banner and signs
• Jay & Brian will check out what Occupy Burlington is planning, if anything

7/7/12 General Assembly – ~15 in attendance

Introduction to process, facilitation team, hand signals, agenda

Consensus on team and agenda: Yes (with addition: Brian’s friends from the bay area may come by and discuss what’s happening there)

Working group reports back:

Finance: Sue printed up finances and budget with details. Yeshua has been donating $20/month that does not appear on the list. John & Sue have been donating. Just as donations. Brian and John, too. Only money owed back now is $100 to Dell. List is online and transparent. Fledgling fundraising committee is discussing how to raise money to pay this back. Some discussion about donations not being tracked and whether they ought to be.

Direct action: Participated in Montpelier and Cabot parades. In Cabot, had a place in the parade that made sense (part of how to fix what’s wrong with the world). Next Saturday, pop-up occupation in Plainfield, noon to 5. Same format as Montpelier pop-up (free food, really free market, workshops, assembly). On the 21^st, pipeline action (pumping oil from Portland, ME to Montreal, through the Northeast Kingdom. Slated to be reversed and pump tar sands oil) – walking the line. Series of events as early as the 22^nd, led by David. Pop-up in Barre, maybe in August (will focus on housing issues). Pop-up in Hardwick in August or September.

Education & Empowerment: Village Building Convergence workshops. Will evaluate later in this meeting. Discussed having a movie night. Heather may host a movie night discussing “leadership cadre” by watching The Matrix.

Evaluations (plus, delta, insight):

Citizens’ Bank actions: Description of the bank and why we decided to take action to raise awareness of predatory lending. Handed out flyers at Farmers’ Market (more central than at the bank). Looking at moving money, but kind of preaching to the converted. Thinking about maybe shifting to TD Bank.

• Brilliant decision to move picket to Farmers’ Market.
• May be better to direct our energy to supporting Burlington protest.
• Probably a lot more businesses and nonprofits have their account there. Getting them to move would be a different campaign than picketing.
• Where does the city keep its money? Not sure, but the state banks with TD.

Parades: Hardwick a few weeks ago, Montpelier on the 3^rd, Cabot on the 4^th.

• Thought Montpelier was very effective. There was a lot of support from the people we were wandering by, and that’s very encouraging.
• My first concern was people showing up, and I thought we had a pretty good turnout.
• Ought to have slogans/songs worked out ahead of time. Improve our production value.
• Effective to march in front of the Workers’ Center – passing chants back and forth.
• WILPF (Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom) initiated having us in the parade. We should thank them. Good to have them marching with us. Good for them, too.

Event at Margaret’s house: Intent was to have general discussion about what a movement is. Not enough people at any one time. Two people from Hardwick and one from Cabot showed up. Learned about Cabot Creamery spraying. Hardwick folks talked about overlap of Occupy and environmental issues.

• Discussion of what a movement is would be good to open to the public – brief film showing (The History of Nonviolent Direct Action – discusses movements, campaigns) and presentation.
• Maybe next week in Plainfield? Instead of General Assembly? Up to Direct Action.
• Why didn’t more people come to Margaret’s? I felt bad because there were so few people there. Renee didn’t know. Heather in Brattleboro. So close to 4^th of July. Problem with people going elsewhere; need to coordinate out-of-town events more heavily than events in Montpelier.

Village Building Convergence: 4^th year the Transition Town put this together. About 50 workshops over the weekend in Brookfield. Some Occupy-themed, including a discussion of the overlap between the two groups.

• I liked how Occupy and Transition Town reached out to WGDR programmers and let the overlap be known more widely.
• A lot; too many choices. Challenging to place myself most meaningfully for me. Community radio is important for community outreach. How does Occupy engage with it?
• Occupy facilitator for one workshop didn’t show; conversation that happened in its place was very fruitful. Strong dialogue, outreach, problem solving about how White River Junction Occupy can be more effective in their community.
• Observed power structure as not horizontal and tried to inject Occupy ideals by joining the conversation as equal, not centering whole conversation around the expert. Can do more of this.
• Energetic; lots of people and enthusiasm. Overwhelmingly focused in the skillshare area – those sessions were the best attended. There were some areas of overlap. Conversations about group dynamics/facilitation had some overlap. But the politically themed workshops were not well attended.
• Had hoped it would bring people back in who had dwindled away from Occupy Central VT.
• Great event. Definitely a split between the two groups. Thinking about Josh’s article in the Bridge – Occupy folks tending to be naysayers, Transition saying here’s what we can do. But I think the problems we raise can’t be addressed by the solutions discussed at VBC alone. Want to bring the two groups together to discuss bigger solutions, like building community-based energy systems with the analysis the Occupy brings.
• Intention was good. I was cajoled to come talk with the expectation that there would be an audience, and inspire more overlap between the groups. Why are the Transition folks so apolitical?
• Thought it was a good start to the conversation. Good to meet folks and having lots of one on one conversations. Location was awesome for a retreat; flow and presentation of it went really well.
• Found their approach intentionally volunteeristic, localistic, communitarian. Occupy looks at the bigger picture. Lots of emphasis on building skills, not enough on building awareness.

Transition Town and Occupy: How can they work together?

Notes from the discussion from the VBC (http://www.occupycentralvt.org/2012/06/27/notes-from-the-ttoccupy-workshop-at-the-vbc/) Wasn’t a ton of people, but the right amount for a good, productive conversation. Both groups want to build numbers, overcome public perceptions, and build participation through collaboration.

What are things that Occupy and Transition Town can take action on together?

• Exploring ecological economics. Bringing topics together – why don’t we have curbside composting? Not just technical, also economic and political. Looking at larger implications of TT issues.
• Occupy needs to look harder at what we do, the actions that address our issues. More technical solutions.
• More exchanges, events to talk together. Nobody’s going to do it for us; we have to do it ourselves and that’s going to take a lot of work. Education events/teach-ins. Small group meetings/pot-lucks.
• If/when TT starts having regular pot-lucks again, OCV folks can participate.
• People around who may/may not be involved with TT – Jim Hogue, Gwen Hallsmith – can discuss financial systems in a way that bridges local solutions, international implications, and global analysis.
• The commons and increasing privatization could be another topic with overlap.

How does Occupy work with other groups? Had loose associations through endorsements, but haven’t put our autonomy statement into action yet.

• Statement of Autonomy: http://www.occupycentralvt.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Statement-of-Autonomy.pdf
• Want to be welcoming, building a broader movement. How would we deal with concerns about TT that come up (funding, internal structure, etc.)?
• Loose collaboration of individuals right now. If at some point it would change who we are as OCV, we’d have to talk about that.
• Individuals participating in TT with an OCV lens. Already happening with TT, Workers’ Center, and so on. Enriches our group.
• Collaboration is key to our success. Good that we are a new organization, don’t have entrenched infighting that other groups have established.
• Public collaboration may need consensus.

How do we build group analysis between/among the groups, so we have a common basis to work together?

• Transition Town movement has a much wider scope than just the skill-sharing that is so prevalent at the VBC.
• True that the local TT has been very locally-oriented; brainwashed by “Think globally, act locally” but don’t bring it back out to the global level. Other end of the spectrum in enviro movement is 350.org.

General conversation:

• Who are the thinkers? What are the foundational documents of TT? Will get links around to OCV.
• Both groups share that membership is self-identified. People not used to that, like to be initiated.
• Excited about expanding how Occupy does workshops next year, how to expand on the things that there is excitement about to bring radical awareness to them. Building sharper critique.
• Few TT volunteers holding down everything they are doing. Great ideas through conversations like this, but no energy to carry them out. The ideas and desire are there, hoping that OCV can initiate energy to make them happen.

Pop-up in Plainfield next week, noon to 5 at the park across from the bookstore. Two issues in Plainfield popped up: Goddard biomass plant and new ownership of the red store. Providing a forum for conversation on both.

• Heather and Jay will bring library
• Heather will talk to folks about speaking
• E&E will work on third workshop
• Jay will work on copy for a flyer explaining why we’re giving stuff away. Heather can help with layout.
• Sue is making a flyer. John will post flyers in Montpelier
• Renee will announce on WGDR and post details for others to announce, Heather will call in
• Heather will make sure Goddard is contacted about getting involved with biomass facility conversation
• Josh will bring a pop-up tent
• Brian will talk to Plainfield Coop folks

Conversation:

• Need free food to give away
• Open up the specific conversations of community issues to larger framework. Can Josh talk about problems with biomass in general? Can someone talk about effects of chain stores,
• Will be Woodie Guthrie’s 100^th birthday. Brian will check with owner of bookstore, who is in a related performance.
• Jay will contact former owner of the red store about coming.
• Another issue: WGDR’s corporatization as Goddard College Radio. Renee can talk to this, but won’t be there next Saturday.
• Larger context: talking about power sharing. Encouraging that this be brought up in all workshops. What are the dynamics that require a paradigm shift about how we interact with each other.
• My understanding that the red store went bankrupt because of banking issues – fees. Excellent for larger context
• Sessions could be longer than 30 minutes. We’re bringing controversial, potentially painful, issues up in a public way. It should be heavily mediated – maybe will reach out to Cecile .
• Oil companies also bigger issue at hand with red store. http://www.greenmountaindaily.com/diary/8928/gas-prices-and-the-limitations-of-free-markets
• Direct Action working group will meet again this week to finalize plans – Thursday call at 7
• Dell has a pop-up tent

Announcements

• Cabot Creamery has been spraying processing waste on central VT fields (3 counties, 6 watersheds). There are worries about carcinogens and environmental destruction. Not a VT company, not a real cooperative, but is a major employer. Opposition group Whey to Go (http://wheytogovermont.weebly.com/) has asked for support. Petition passed around. If seeking an endorsement, Direct Action will help to draft the proposal for a future GA.
• Group of mobile home residents is growing and engaging more people throughout the state. They started a fund which is open until August 1^st, but they are running out of money and are still receiving applications from residents. Please donate. http://www.workerscenter.org/news/mobile-home-park-recovery-fund
• Any news from the Occupy National Gathering? Post to website/discussion list.
• Occupy has been invited to put on a side show every Sunday at Bread & Puppet, starting on the 15^th. With other groups, it would mean getting to set something up around the perimeter of the parking area to talk to folks as they arrive. Arts working group will discuss. Get ideas to David K, Jay, or Brian.
• Here from San Francisco. Involved with Occupy San Francisco and other groups. Have a solidarity banner for people to sign which they are then bringing to Montreal. With others in San Francisco have been organizing to fight foreclosures, protest Wells Fargo, and fight school closings (including starting a free school in an occupied closed school).
• Film showing: Fixing the Future, Wednesday the 18^th at 6:30. http://www.savoytheater.com/special_events.html
• Friends of Coburn Pond need members to show the Agency of Transportation that they have the support to manage the pond as a commons.
• Kate Soule’s thesis presentation: Releasing Democratic Voice: The Intersection of Embodiment, Gender, and Deomcracy. Wednesday the 18^th at 8:30. East State St, Montpelier. Track down Kate for details.

Introduction: Hand-signals skipped; Briefly went over agreements. Went over agenda and facilitation team. Context — Occupy Central Vermont has been doing this every week since the big rally in Montpelier last fall. National/international connection.

Grounding exercise – story object sharing. Personalizing the economic, political, and social crisis

• Newspaper put out by twinfield school, needing volunteers for food drop. I used to go to the food drop regularly because didn’t have money or food. Now they need 5 times more food because so many people need food.
• Couldn’t afford to buy house in Montpelier. Bought house in West Tompsom. Now thinking she needs to move into town and impossible to sell or rent the house, people can’t afford rent, families are doubling up. Brought the keys to the house, because it’s like being locked in.
• Brought a credit card. I used to not have any, and now have 3-4 of them. Move balances from one to another to delay the inevitable.
• Started wracking up credit card debt right out of high school. Car needed to be fixed so got my first card. Hard to pay bills and enjoy life on less than livable wage. Got so bad near the end that I was putting groceries on credit cards. Finally decided enough was enough, and stopped using them. Sold house, paid off student loans, filed for bankruptcy. Now I pay cash for everything.
• Old student debt, borrowed $3000, quit. Payed back $2,400 over the years. Still hold the debt and is now accumulated interest. Tax returns go to pay off the debt. To a tax farm not the government. Now it’s paid off, but each month they still send a bill for $0, and $0 interest.
• Was going to bring my ex-husband’s medicaid application. Both on disability. Been divorced since 1995. He has progressive MS. Insurance Co. put him in a nursing home. Getting him out means I have to be a hub of three spokes of different agencies. Responsible for 60 hours of unpaid labor – do all the laundry, etc. It’s like we’re married again. In it for the rest of my life.
• Have a bag of herbs and would like to share it because they symbolize a lot. In the new world, we won’t have pharmaceutical companies. Symbolizes taking back my own health. Symbolizes how lost we’ve gotten that this isn’t known knowledge. We go to guy in white coat who gives us bills. Easy for us to take back what is rightfully ours. Symbolizes freedom.

Pop-Up Plus/Delta/Insight – feedback on first pop-up occupy.

Plus

• Looks great
• Happy to see there was a lot of food, drew a lot of people in, people ate food and wandered through
• Good to see people stepping up to introduce themselves and sign up new people with OCV
• Reminded me of being in Zucotti or Dewey Square – wish we had gotten out sooner
• Parade was really successful – had lots of positive energy in farmers market and in street, handed out a lot of leaflets. “We’re doing this for you.”
• Tent monster thing was awesome. We should do it all the time.
• New people came from hardwick and sheffield
• We should do GAs here, more accessible and inviting.
• From out of town. So pumped to see you out here. Just occupied a bunch of places that got shut down and thrilled to see you here.

Delta

• Bring a hammer, other things.
• Getting the word out about the workshops better

Insight

• A lot of fun to do things like this, should do different things more often

Working Group (WG) Reports Back

• Facilitation – point is to organize the occurrence of general assemblies, be familiar with process of decision making. Working on the best use of GAs in summer schedule, busy lives, but still amped, coming up with new schedule. Also been discussing role of affinities, but that got struck from proposal
• E&E – Focusing on public event, movies, teach-ins, ideas include renewal energy (issues around wind, etc), one includes bringing people down from Montreal, banking and finance, state bank proposal, affinity group information.
• DAWG – Been pretty active lately. We pulled together the first pop-up, which seems to have gone pretty well. Looked at plans for future pop-ups, one a month, Marshfield or Barre in July, Hardwick in August, Plainfield in September. Talked about Citizens Bank action, getting close, flyer almost done. Looking to be a presence in July 3^rd parade. Please sign up, wear a tent. Also talked about NatGat in Philly which is a direct democracy national gathering, as opposed to the other one. Question of whether this group wants to endorse, and whether people can attend. Meeting Monday at Sue’s for potluck and debrief.
• Arts / Theater – basically uses poetry, drama, music, related to occupy themes, with people’s mic. Also applied through movement resource funding, did not get funding for musical Zip Code, but if you have other ideas, we can apply again.
• Finance – at next Ga will have full report on financial status, which is in the negative, if you’ve spent money, let Sue know.

Solicit issues that people are concerned about. Feedback on what WGs are working on.

• Jobs, jobs, jobs. Push some kinds of jobs program. Way to frame it.
• How to keep Occupy alive in rural area – food justice, local issues, how larger issues effect here
• Education and work around revolutionary ways of communicating within our group.
• How do we work with other groups that are doing things that are aligned with us, increase our capacity
• How does Occupy interact with current processes of democracy in our community (city hall, city council, town meeting, a little bit on state)
• Statewide meetings, is there one happening in Burlington in September?
• Go out in public, education on economic issues, fight against prevailing mainstream narrative on fiscal austerity, restructuring our economy
• Expose the money that is going from corporations to politicians

WG Proposals: Facilitation WG reviewed proposal process. (Steven proposing):

Occupy Central Vermont will hold General Assemblies once each month, with other events, actions, and/or activities on other Saturdays of the month. The work of Occupy Central Vermont will be largely carried out by Working Groups. Working Groups can call for a General Assembly and contact the Facilitation Working Group to organize that event at any time when necessary. The next decision-making General Assembly will be on Saturday, 7/7, followed by General Assemblies on the first Saturday of each month (either in Montpelier or at Pop-Up location). Per Occupy Central Vermont process, proposals to change this schedule can be made at any time. The schedule will come up for review at the September General Assembly.

Tentative monthly schedule (order depends on the needs of the assembly / WGs. Saturdays are consistent, though time of day may vary, and will be announced on the email list and by other means including flyers)

• General Assembly (Decision making) facilitated by the Facilitation Working Group [first saturdays]
• Working Group time and/or Operations facilitated by Direct Action Working Group
• Educational/Teach-in/Discussion-based assembly facilitated by Education & Empowerment
• Working Group time and/or Alternative Social Gathering, facilitation to be rotated

Clarifying questions / POIs:

• Contacting FAC WG to schedule an Assembly, does that mean you are meeting weekly? If notified we will schedule meeting, otherwise not.
• Unclear about how FAC WG works. Is it a different group each assembly or is it a group that anyone can join? Anyone can join. Usually a lot of the same people; some people dropped out because of schedules; it’s a lot of effort for facilitators. Helps to have more people. Anyone can join.
• See the FAC WG as the ‘midwives’ of the process. We don’t veto (or wouldn’t / can’t) request for assembly. Voluntary organization, if there are a lot of calls for an assembly, then we might not have the capacity.

General discussion:

• I really like the idea when there’s pleasure for it because it makes it so much better. Won’t feel like school.
• To counter that, I think it’s important to meet regularly. Happy that something happening every week and on Saturdays
• Like the idea of topic of our meeting up, more interesting and fun and good for us as a group.
• We’ve had this conversation for 3 GAs and over the course I’ve come to understand what the purpose of GA was supposed to be and that there are other ways for us to accomplish what we want to do. Appreciate the learning process.
• Don’t have a car, and when things are happening elsewhere, we need a ride.
• One reason I’m on facilitation is current people are stretched. By all means, please join this group. WGs need to bring things to FAC WG; WGs need to be cross-communicating on proposals and activities.

Consensus Check: YES!!! Unanimous!

Announcements

• Next Thursday and Friday at Statehouse – Council of All Beings. Ritual to give voice to those that don’t have voices (nature, children, immigrants). Bill of Rights for Nature. Truth and Reconciliation process. Would love it if people could come and speak for human nature. 10-4:30 in Statehouse.
• Booth at SolarFest – Burlington Occupy endorsed idea and Steven Marshall would like help from OCV. They are happy to have us come. Believe it’s July 20-22 in Tinmouth, southwest of Rutland.
• Electoral – Jeremy, running for Senate against Cummings, Pollina, or Doyle. Plan is to be directly responsible to constituents, who can give feedback over internet.
• DAWG wants people to sign up for 7/3 parade. Names taken. See Sue.
• Kate sent in final draft of thesis – yay! – wants to do a multi-media presentation on intersection of gender, oppression, democracy. Have a beautiful space, need help getting different kinds of people there.
• Feminist group is meeting soon, if interested, please see Kate.
• Village Building Convergence, Village Gathering – Fourth annual. TT in Montpelier with Occupy VT James Howard Kunstler, 7PM at UU church. Centerpiece in Brookfield, 50 workshops. Need volunteers. Contact Josh. Bike ride from Montpelier with FreeRide, talk to Madeline about that.
• People’s convention / social forum – save the date, labor day weekend.
• Goddard College Act 250 hearing on Thursday morning (NOTE: being rescheduled)
• Free Ride movie series. First one is this Friday. Breaking Away. Projected behind bike shops.
• Went to Montreal last week, still tired. Casseroles happen every night. Went to assembly with 70-80 people at one we attended. Had help from 2 students who spent the day with us. Anti-capitalist assembly at bar. Went to a big plaza next to University, which is the assembly point for evening marches. One we went to had 300-400. This week is Grand Prix auto race. Canceled the open house.
• If wanting to learn about watershed and waters, you can go to Friends of Winooski website for signing up to go down watershed or evening talks. Got in a lot of seeds and need help harvesting and delivering to food shelves. Have trees that need plantings. Silver maple, american elm, box elder. Need to be in ground soon. Be in touch with Jessica.
• Philly trip. A lot of groups have endorsed. Do we want to endorse? What are implications of endorsing? We will be listed on their website. Consensus: YES. Do people want people from OCV to go? Autonomous, trust, represent yourself, not OCV.
• Occupy Barre is gathering on Monday June 18^th at City Hall Park to talk about popping up in Barre. (NOTE: been changed to Tuesday 6/19)
• State bank. Put on as proposal during next months assembly.
• Put up flyers in Plainfield for radical reading group. One lady got in touch. Picking a book by radical author. How often – whenever. Be in touch with Emma.
• Doing an extended in depth discussion on role of facilitation working group and nonhierarchal decision making. At VBC on Sunday morning. Welcome you all to come.

Energetic End [Soapbox/Open--People’s--Mic]… Lea’s poem. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qZMuieX-YM&feature=youtu.be)

The Spirit of Occupy by Lea Wood

Like a whirlwind
spiraling across the earth
the people take their lives in their own hands
challenging imposed authority
from Egypt’s Tahrir Square
to New York’s Zuccotti Park
and across America,
the promise of an American Spring.

In Montpelier, the people,
intergenerational, of central Vermont,
revive the ancient circle way,
choose the path of Gandhi and King.

“We are the 99%”
trying a new way,
to breathe new hope
into the belief that the people
can bring about
a more just society.

From Poem City (Montpelier, 2012)

OCV GA 6/2/12 12-15 in attendance

Discussion: Where do we go from here? 

• John: People have 3 options in a group: voice, exit, and loyalty. If they have no voice, they can leave the group or choose to be loyal to what is being decided by the voices of others.
• Sue: Maybe if we did things then people would come. But now we are doing something (pop-up) and people are not coming. Maybe people want other people to do things – they get energy from knowing that other are doing something.
• Brian: There’s truth in both points. What we’re doing this summer has potential. People don’t know yet. Flyers will help; next week’s action will help.
• David: We’re the 99% trying to bring about revolution. The challenges are huge. We live in a place where people don’t know how change/revolution happens. We need to look at examples of how change happens. We have to change our culture (it’s not just about great men making speeches); we need to show examples. As a small, committed group we need to become good organizers and trainers.
• Jay: People are in 3 groups: 1) the vast majority are exploited. 2) a small number know what’s going on and are willing to take risks to address it. 3) sympathizers. know what’s going on but are not willing/not ready to take action. We’ve lost the sympathizers. How can we bring them back in? There is a lack in strategic thinking. This is a moment in history; the system is vulnerable. People don’t have a theoretical grasp of what’s going on. We need to convey to our supporters/sympathizers that now is the time to lend support.
• Colin: The small group might not be a problem. We are familiar with each other. We’ve built infrastructure and agreements. Strategic road forward: regroup and get on the same page with each other, figure out what to do when people are interested in getting involved, and then work to bring them in.
• Margaret: Congratulate ourselves on what we’ve accomplished this spring. Pop-ups will give us visibility and a chance to dialogue. We need long-range strategy campaign that’s positive – people are burnt out on negative news.
• John: My hope is that we would have gotten organized over the winter so that we could turn outward by now. Challenge the interpretations people have of the status quo. We need to engage people around economic and political issues, challenge the analysis (e.g. austerity). We’re not the sole organization addressing these issues, we need to network with others and piggyback on the other work that is going on.
• Steven: I question the urge to go out and talking economic issues with people without engaging them in the process of consensus and direct democracy. We must use these tools we’ve built in our daily lives to engage in dialogue with others. This is more important than worrying about the numbers showing up at GAs.
• Emer: A lot of organizations worry too much about focusing outward. We should focus inward on those who are dedicated. We have to assume the best of each other and be compassionate toward each other.
• Yeshua: In this rural area, our model is different from the city model for Occupy. Our GAs are for organizing. What can we who are here do? Fewer GAs are OK, but it is important to keep weekly contact. We have to get on the same page as to what we are trying to do.
• Brian: Those who have attended regularly share understanding about evolution of organizing. We’ve had a focus on structures, but many “supporters” don’t have interest in internal dynamics.
• Dell: I’m feeling the need now for the conversation about strategy, tactics, campaigns that others were trying to have earlier.
• Jay: I don’t see those “supporters” signing up for WGs.
• Margaret: At the feminist working group, I’ve been looking at splits in the women’s movement. Interesting to look at the different ways of participating. Perhaps different focuses/purposes.
• John: Are we transferring energy effectively? Want a public effect; to change the public discourse.
• Emer: It would be neat to reach out to other rural Occupies everywhere, to develop a working model of Occupy in a rural setting.
• Heather: Our group now has come down to those who are super committed and understand the historical significance of this moment. Being an organizer, bringing others in requires a lot of sacrifice; time, emotions. We need to reach more people, help them to understand, teach each other skills. Not everyone is into meetings. Some people will show up to picket or for other actions. Lots of people have developed ways to cope vs. people who live the crisis every day – who have tried everything else – who are now ready to organize. The issue with meeting every week is that it takes up too much time from those involved and leaves less time for organizing/doing the work.

General Assembly:

• Working group reports back:
  • Finance: Report officially to Sue re: expenses incurred so she can account for them/pay out expenses when we get money.
  • Occupy farms: Awesome discussions in Calais regarding directions to go, possible actions. Will communicate more soon.
  • Direct action: Pop-ups – still planning on 1 a month. Picketing Citizens’ Bank – working with Education & Empowerment on literature to hand out. July 3 parade – planning with WILPF (women’s league for peace and freedom). Philadelphia Occupy Convention – A direct democracy gathering, June 30 – July 3. Does our GA want to “support” people going? Jay will get more info to share next week.

Proposal: Shift to monthly General Assemblies with activities being driven by Working Groups and affinity groups. Next GA will be on Saturday, 6/9, during the pop-up in Montpelier. The following GA will be on Saturday, 7/7. Working Groups can contact Facilitation to call for a GA at any time when necessary. Alternative social gatherings (not decision-making) can be organized by any member of OCV any time and are strongly encouraged.

• What is an affinity group?
  • OWS and others have gone to this model. It’s a small group of people you know and trust, to organize for actions.
• How would WG reports back happen?
  • Every WG puts minutes on website. Can email between working groups.
• Sue: amendment: GA every other week; in alternate weeks we have other meetings which would not require the facilitation working group. Important to meet every week – it is energizing to be with other with whom we share a political affinity. Important to other that we meet each week.
• Brian: amendment: Agree to have GAs once/month, education event once/month, other weeks more informal gatherings, so we have a presence in town every week. Different groups can take charge of organizing the other weeks.
• Jay: What are GAs about? Decision-making and solidarity/re-energizing. Weekly GAs are an overload for the Facilitation working group.
• Heather: Occupy Wall Street stopped having GAs, probably because it’s hard to come to consensus. Regarding Facilitation burnout, it’s a lot to do, we need to make Occupy manageable.
• Jay: To address burnout, we could suspend the Facilitation working group and decide on an agenda and facilitation team at the beginning of each assembly. Colin will add this to the next Facilitation working group regular meeting.
• John: Working groups in some cases are slipping away, Facilitation helps to keep these groups together.
• Revised proposal, including some amendments, does not pass consensus. Moved on due to time. Facilitation will follow up with down-hands to revise for next week.

Direct Action – planning for pop-up.

• Schedule:
  • 12-1 Free food, free store, parade led by Bethany, peoples’ mic.
  • 1:15 – 2:45 workshops
  • 3 – 5 GA
• What if we are confronted? Heather, Dell & Margaret will respond.

Announcements

• Sue: Starting an ad hoc Fundraising working group
• Jay: Montreal actions, group heading up there
• Brian: Coalition meeting yesterday re: tar sands using old pipelines through the Northeast Kingdom. Stay tuned. Met with Occupy Maine.
• Margaret: Letter and poem from Lea Wood. Poem will be added to website
• Heather: Half “big show” half business at next week’s GA. Bring an example of how the economic crisis has impacted you or a friend/relative.

Discussion Theme: Banking and Credit

John – Basics of how systems works: People think that what banks do is link savers with borrowers. Fractional reserve bank, takes $1000, loans $900; next bank loans $810; next bank loans $725. Money multiplier model – banks are highly interconnected. Create debts that are interchangeable with money. Bank maturity transformation, borrow short, lend long. Now, not true. Money supply would constrain the amount of loans we can get. Way it works nowadays, is banks will underwrite loan by borrowing excess reserves from other banks. Federal reserve targets the interbank lending market and will address spikes to interest rate. Reserve requirement have been eliminated (like in Australia), or have voluntary reserve requirements (like in Britain). It’s optional now. Banks can loan 12 ½ times their capital and still be safe. Idea is to encourage banks to have safer assets. Gaming the capital requirements. Off-balance sheet investments, conduits. What banks were basically doing is putting things off their balance sheet, loaning themselves money and calling it capital. Buying assets on a leveraged basis, shadow banking system that was unregulated, whole economy because severely leveraged, high amount of debt. Function of credit, need short term credit to match cash flows, buying houses, consumer credit for long-term. Entire banking system went wild and extended credit beyond the reserve. Banking system mediates payments in the economy. Had to bail out the banking system because it was holding the payment system.

Jay – Internal education is to prepare us for action on Citizen’s Bank in the near future; dry run for next public teach-in sometime in June with guest speakers and impact on Vermont/Vermonters. First page is giant banks in the world and the U.S. (slightly out-dated). JP Morgan Chase is now the biggest and most traded. Top five banks now control over 50% of assets. Info on mergers and consolidation, go back to 1990, in part as result of repeal of Glass-Stegel Act (passed in 1933, because of bank speculation in that time period and led to the great depression, repealed in 1989). Banks continue to play with derivatives (JP Morgan just lost $2billion or more last week), packaged, sliced and diced. There are more outstanding in derivatives than before the crisis. VT banking is also consolidated, not so much in terms of derivatives. Vermont was the least impacted that any other state because relatively speaking there is some home owned bank and two laws in VT were passed to reduce speculation. In 1987, when Madeline Kunin was Governor, a bi-partisan effort enabled out-of-state banks to come into VT and buy up little banks. Andy Christianson, a former rep from East Montpelier, was one of the few against it. Lobbyists a-plenty at the time. All the biggest local banks are gone now. Howard bank acquired by TD North, VT National by Chittenden then by People’s United, Citizen’s owned by Royal Bank of Scotland. In 1960, there were 30 local banks, now only six. Only statewide one is Merchant’s bank. A number of savings banks have survived the mergers, savings banks are a mix of a bank and credit union, owned by their depositors, modicum of democracy. Most of the bigger banks have been gobbled up. Combined assets of VT banks are slightly over $5billion, VT ranks 51^st in banking size.

Where are Credit Unions in terms of assets? Not sure, but many of the credit unions have merged and are taking on more “traditional” bank practices. Credits unions shrank from 70 to 23. Credit unions are member run with a board of elected members, democratic decision making, have 1 man, 1 vote.

How can we be sure credit unions are better if they’re changing practices? Emma Lillian done some research on this.

Reason mortgages are pushed is to put people in debt so they don’t cause trouble. Do the 99% need credit? Economy has become over financialized. Don’t need this credit system. Corporate globalization. If I’m not a farmer or business person, what is the role of debt? Debt the First Five Thousand Years by David Graeber. A lot of people are trapped by debt. Huge industry trying to get you deeper in debt, wages have been stagnant. What’s the vision we are offering people? Banking system to be nationalized, broken up, and tightly regulated.

Heather – Vermont state bank? Anthony Pollina. State funds now in TD North. With state bank, interest earned would go back into the General Fund; consolidate state lending programs; more capital to lend out to Vermonters (e.g., for energy convergence); not for individuals; went nowhere, Occupy could provide role in raising citizen awareness, collecting petition signatures, etc. North Dakota has had a state bank since 1919. Municipalities might be able to get bonds from state bank instead of out-of-state institutions that are making profit.

What’s happening in Burlington? Picketing in front of Citizen’s Bank and doing education about Royal Bank of Scotland. Matt Cropp is a credit union enthusiast. Want to get to a place of helping people switch money over (people think it’s too hard); have the credit union out front to sign people up right there. Talking with city of Burlington about where they do their banking, some at Citizen’s. Royal Bank of Scotland is largest bail out bank, owned by the British government, stealing money from customers.

City government for basic needs (i.e. city roads, sewer, water, etc.), cities are trapped in spiral of becoming more indebted to private institutions that lend municipal bonds. On the other end, there’s more antagonism on more taxation. Small contingent on city council, no longer on the ballot for NPOs and other groups or funding decisions. Because of the financial system, and interest payments to private institutions, conservative groups wanting to eliminate all taxes.

By the time Glass-Stegel was revoked, it was a swiss cheese piece of legislation. We need a new kind of Glass-Stegel. Make banks smaller. Get household debt to sustainable levels.

Fiscal austerity is being imposed because “we never let a crisis go to waste.” Governments selling off assets. Same financial interests that exploded the economy are buying these public goods (i.e. sewer system in NJ).

General Assembly: Skipping the hand signal review

WG Reports Back:

• Sue (DAWG): speaking a lot later on in meeting. Bethany stepping down as point person. Need new point person or people. Sue, Dell, and Brian might share the role. Next meeting 6PM at Heather’s house.
• Jay (E&E): planned the discussion theme, planned info for citizen’s bank picket, assembling stuff for pop-ups, agitation and propaganda, inventory list online of stuff we’ve got (PDFs, links). Got “Occupy Cards” in the mail, graphics and information. Occupy CD available. Planned the teach-ins. Madeline working on displays. Heather and Kelly not on point person anymore, now it’s John and Jay.
• Kate (Feminist WG): First meeting this Monday from 5-7 at Heather’s house, we’ll be discussing everything.
• Colin (Facilitation WG): Continues to meet each week. Continue to seek people joining roles for stack, greeter, or notes. Steven on stack next week.

Proposals/Feedback: DAWG:

• Parades – coming up that we’ve been invited (next Saturday at 10:30 in Hardwick). Idea for visual – dress in tents with themes (occupy farms, occupy schools, etc.). Have you reached out to NEK99% folks? Little far south for them maybe. Day is being billed as a “sustainability fair.” Can anybody be there next Saturday? Two people said yes. Should we put it out online and try to get more people to come? Sure. Does anybody have any pop-tents in the attic that not using anymore? No. (July 3^rd in Montpelier), would anyone be in that? Five people. Colin will put out on announcement list and ask folks to contact Sue.
• Pop-Ups – proposing to do first on in Montpelier, on June 9^th, set up tents, literature, workshops, action at farmer’s market, general assembly. Is there an intention to seek permit? No. Action/parade through the farmer’s market. Could we be closer? They are done at 1PM. Consensus to move forward, most people can attend.

WG Operations: Citizen’s Bank

• Info card / flyer: include resolution
• Heather – if we’re going to picket Citizen’s Bank weekly, we’re going to need help: signage, information sheets, people to hand it out, Website for sign-ups, more ideas for what people can do to help
• John – small branch here so should orient to passersby

Announcements

• Jeremy – running for state senate in Washington County. Running as independent with platform of “the people” and voting for what constiuents wants. Can individuals sign more than one petition to get people on the ballot? Yes, up to three.
• Jay – will post the songs on our website to download and listen to.
• John – we are taking book donations for pop-up library.
• Jeff – starting in July, all the turbines for lowell mountain would be traveling through VT.

Notes from the May 5 General Assembly on the Montpelier City Hall steps can be viewed here. If you have any additions, especially from the discussion led by the Education and Empowerment Working Group beforehand or the Working Groups break-outs after, please add them in the comments section.

4/28/12 General Assembly – REACH Office – ~25 in attendance

3:00 begin

Facilitation team – Heather, Kelly, Dell, Colin

Intro to process (http://www.occupycentralvt.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/OCV-Leaflet.pdf)

Agenda

• Working group reports back
• Strategy continuation
• Media discussion
• Working group operations
  • May Day
• Announcements

Working group reports back:

• Feminist caucus: Tumblr thing is great – worked well at the rally today – (photos of people with the signs and personal statement)
• Facilitation: Notes: Jay, Stack: Amy, Greeter: Steven
• May Day ad hoc group: Some of us went to stores last week with the general strike posters and a letter to ask them to participate in May Day and the general strike – close for the day, for an hour, and/or hang a poster (http://vtdigger.org/2012/04/29/central-vermont-occupy-group-holds-may-day-general-strike/). Show appreciation to these businesses.

Strategy conversation:

• Last week we went through a process of trying to figure out our short term strategic framework. An ad-hoc group came together to try to figure out next steps. It was challenging to know how to follow up on creating a metaphor, and we’re still trying to figure it out. The Left has been divided for a long time, Occupy has given us an opportunity to be creative/try something different. We all come from different places of language/definitions around these concepts. We came to agreement on our facilitation call that there are a lot of different assumptions around these concepts, and we should work toward a common understanding first. This is deep work that hasn’t been done in a long time on the left; might need to be a process that we commit to for some time. The 1% has a strategy, what’s ours? (http://www.occupycentralvt.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/99-crisis-1-strategy.pdf)
• Should we be going through with this process to work out a strategy for Occupy Central Vermont? Is it important to have a strategy? And what are some of the underlying assumptions around what that strategy might be. Some working definitions:
  • Social Movement: A type of group action involving large, informal groupings of individuals and/or organizations focused on specific political or social issues that build wide-spread social change. In other words, carrying out, resisting, undoing, or creating unified actions for a more just world. Successful movements often require a number of campaigns to achieve a series of goals.
  • Campaign: A connected series of activities and actions done over a period of time to achieve specific, stated goals. To reach those goals, different campaigns may employ different strategies that include a variety of cross-pollinating tactics to achieve the goals.
  • Strategy: A long-term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. Strategy considers the “big picture” and how the overall plan will help reach the goals and objectives of the campaign. A strategy is the overall framework for how campaigns achieve the stated goals. Different strategies may be more (or less) effective at different stages of an overall campaign.
  • Tactic: The actions used to gain the objective according to a particular strategy. Tactics are the day-to-day activities, or actual ways, in which the strategy is executed. A variety of tactics allow a greater number of people to participate in the campaign. Tactics relate to the overall strategy and are specifically created to reach a particular set of measurable objectives towards the goals of the campaign.
  • OCV Vision: conclusionary section: The basis of our power is concerted, collective, and cooperative action. To achieve our goals, we will grow out power by growing our movement and enable everyone to be a leader. We will adopt strategies and implement tactics that aid us in accomplishing and preserving this vision.”
• Are pop-ups part of strategy, or tactics?
  • These definitions adapted hastily from the nonviolent direct action workshop last week. There are different ways to think about these terms – social movement, business, war. We went with social movement-related definitions. (“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” – Sun Tzu)
• I was part of the Vision working group. Seems to me that you’d break the vision down into more specific goals. We should have strategy if we have specific goals we want to achieve.
• What is the solidarity if you haven’t spent time articulating goals and talking about how to achieve them. In Burlington, I’ve had to branch out on my own.
• I’ve been working on organization for a long time. Any time humans get together to work together, there are 7 aspects that come together: aim (vision, mission), strategy (given where we want to go, how do we get there? Long range and short range), scope (arena within which we work), governance (shared agreements), operations (daily details, the stuff we do in service of our goals), interpersonal, individual. We have a strategy – the question is “How aware are we of it? How useful is it to us?” – entire group has all of these components, each working group has all of these components.
• Both strategy and tactics are more important when there’s a goal. We’ve been meeting a lot and building process without much discussion of strategy or tactics. What is our real work as a body that meets every week? The pop-ups have elements of campaign, strategy, and tactics; brings aspects of the message, which we do have a lot of agreement about.
• Occupy is a grand tactic – went in and occupied. Talking about strategy and tactics makes us feel like a program. Occupy is also about relating to other organizations with their own goals, strategies. The problem I have with grand strategy is that we have a strict program, whereas our goals are evolving and shifting.
• There are already very organized single-issue groups out there that we can partner with. What is our identity within that? I get nervous that if we focus too much on one goal/one strategy we could achieve things, but it might detract from building Occupy as a social movement.  Pop-ups will help us discover who we are.
• I don’t think we need single-issue goals. I am concerned about taking actions and being vague, or not impactful. With pop-ups we’re talking about going around and saying “what does your community need?” but then what? How do we follow through? Need a strategy to fit them all together. What’s Occupies role with the single-issue groups – as volunteer, autonomous organization – allowed to be militant, is that our role? Our tactic of having a weekly GA is a good one for the goal of practicing direct democracy, but the question “why?” still comes up for me.
• I’m visiting from NY state. Done a lot of work with league of women voters. The statement talks about economics, but doesn’t get to political in a big way. Isn’t part of the aim to get people engaged in voting?
• Occupy’s value is in not being tied. In NEK, we go to NEK community action – their hands are tied, started by wanting to help people with grassroots organizing, now are terrified and have to check with lawyers for everything. We go challenge people because there’s no budget/job to lose.
• Strategy to me means being able to network everyone who wants to do anything, have affinity groups, a continually flowing river of consciousness, media, soul… Any time that someone can put themselves and their name behind what they want to do.
• Occupy actually says our goal is to have lives to live. Making the universe a place that’s hospitable to life, and being an animal and living being. Anything useful to that is inherently an Occupy goal. My strategy is empowering the 99% – goal is to destroy privilege.
• We have the beginning of an ad-hoc group that is ready to continue to engage us in this process. Vibe check on whether this is worth pursuing.
  • If it doesn’t become an end in itself.
  • Mixed.
  • Vision has tangible goals and objectives.
  • Continue discussion? Mixed. Ad-hoc group.

Media:

• Colin – Media Point person for Occupy CV May Day
  • What we need to do for May Day?  Need volunteers to talk to the media.  Develop Talking Points.
  • Jay – What is the relationship of our Occupy message to the Workers Center message?
    • One of many groups collaborating on May Day
• John H. – everybody should be empowered to speak to the media; our decision from last week.
• Brian – media will just be going around; people at the table will get the most likely attention.
• Stephen from Burlington – can help
• Jay can help at the book table

Consensus:

• Speaking in solidarity with the movement, not on behalf of the movement – yes
• Announce when we meet, promote popups, blog – yes
• Consensus statements from the OCV GA, else “I” statements – yes
• Recognizing that our goal is to bring people in, not push them away, the best way to do that is by being positive. Use your best judgment while exercising your free speech. – yes
• Tell reporters when they ask a bad question – no (they don’t print the question; say what you want. Easy to be positive “I don’t know how to answer that”. But that will become the quote.)
  • Ignore bad questions and redirect – yes (also recognize that they’ve usually written the story in their head)
• Don’t attack each other if the press is bad, agree to go through process together if this happens – yes
• Distinguish between ocv and ovt – yes
• Get the reporters information – yes (can also ask what the angle of their story is, how they are approaching it)
• Make connection to the global, but keep it local – yes

May Day:

• What’s needed – anyone here can do them?
  • Jay, Dell, and Kate on human mic (gender balance good, visible role)
  • Emer on notes
  • Brian will help with stack
• Those who signed up for roles – 2:30 check in at Occupy table on State House lawn
• Will there be a ride board? Lots of demand.
• Tabling: Jay will have books from our library, and to sell. Education table (Amy bringing table, Brian looking into one). Ariel said she’d decorate a tent. Kelly will set up feminist caucus table, Kate will help. FaRied and Ben Buckley from Burlington have set up a VT May Day site that will have streams/info from around the state. Anyone can livestream from the GA? No takers. John – debt chart
  • Staffing tables: Margaret, Brian, Marie, Amy (with relief)
  • Ride board: Will be on ocv website, Amy will bring board for day of
• Getting word out to other groups.
  • Tunbridge occupy – needs to be reached out to (Chris Wood)
  • Lowell occupiers – anyone to get in touch with them. Focused on that issue. Jay will check with them. (Occupy the mountaintops)
  • Steven Marshall tried to organize a network after the Goddard GA. 2 people from each GA on a list to be able to get something out to all groups. Get names, numbers, address, email addresses to them
  • Johnson students – have to get back for classes
  • If you know people from other occupies, tell them about it, and tell them to tell their assemblies. Have them get in touch with Steven Marshall’s group (Marie is central VT member on list) and the OVT Facilitation group

Announcements:

• ALEC may be a good organizing opportunity for Occupy groups all over the U.S.
• Workshop schedule for VBC is done, about a dozen from Occupy. Weekend gathering in Brookfield on 23^rd and 24^th collaboration between Occupy and Transition Town. Ours focused on Sunday. Link on the blog.
• Bus from VT to go to Chicago in May for anti-NATO action. Connect with Emma Lillian.
• Sat 5/5 – 350.org big event in Waitsfield – people who have experienced effects of erratic weather, climate change.
• Sunday 5/6 is All species Day
• Lea Wood (one of our oldest members) has pneumonia, staying in Barnard. We’ll send her a card, find out if she can take visitors.
• Shapenote singers needed to Capitalism on Trial. Small amount to learn – lyrics will be changed. Kate Soule can teach you.
• Film: Looking for Me by Janet Adler – How the body affects communication b/t people potentially, in democratic spaces. Up for film screenings if you have a place to watch. Talk to Kate.
• Looking for march marshals for May Day march (12:30 – 1). Talk to Amy.
• Occupy Solidarity News – resource to bind the state of VT together. Hoping to publish every week with notices of important upcoming events – please inform Steven Marshall of events – cluely@gmail.com
• occupyvermont@groups.google.com – statewide discussion

adjourned 5:02

Occupy Central Vermont GA – April 21, 2012

20 in attendance (held @ REACH office in Montpelier)

Posting Notes on Jay’s behalf

I.      Intro – volunteers/nominations for tasks for next week – Dell (stack), Kelly (greeter), Jay (note-taking)

II.     Strategy Session for Reviewing our Current Aim/Vision (facilitated by Cecile) – 3:15 to 4:15.

A.      Surface Reality

1.     Challenges
David – getting everybody else involved; Yeshua – participation, # of people; Brian – low visibility; Heather – lack of strategic focus although no shortage of issues/not clear how Occupy is relating to those issues; Kate – figuring out how to process what we know and express it in ways that get across to non-white upper-middle class educated folks; Margaret — Occupy’s relationship to other groups which are the ones organizing May Day, Women’s Rally, etc.; Heather – frustration with “same old things”/opportunity for trying something different

2.     Opportunities
Brian – more cohesive group than before; Yeshua – abundance of energy; David – large # of people who aren’t here do identify as the 99%; Kate – ?

3.     Key Needs
Cecile – influx of “warm bodies”; Yeshua – people focused on outreach; Colin – we should outline what outreach should be doing; David – need “tools” for outreach to use in conversations/ has issue with word “outreach”/ want to bring people into movement but not necessarily by telling them our plans but by listening to them; Brian – better sense how to focus the energy we currently have; Kate – 2 things/ 1st we need tools to think differently /”get sexy”; Kelly –need regular space for GA’s where people can see us; Eric – need activities or actions that speak to people’s real issues; Ariel – “break out of the box” like they’re doing in NYC/more exciting stuff; Yeshua – get on social media more to learn from and communicate with others; Heather – we need to “risk discomfort” because of the seriousness of the crisis.

B.      Surface Solutions
Marie – Post Office couple hours a day handing out info; TD Bank; let people know you are part of the 99% and this is not the bank for you; Subway; Brian – meeting outside whether weather is perfect or not/ be out on the streets consistently e.g. lunch hour; Margaret – pop-up is a great idea because it’s all Occupy/some of us are still meeting, doing people’s mike on Wednesday’s at State House; David – we need to prepare ourselves for every issue to be able to tie them back to our framing to unify into one movement; Dell – Occupy Cafe at Bagitos; John – amplify what Margaret said focusing education on economic issues esp. level of household debt; Yeshua – social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc/ banners, signage needed/resources on issues; Amy – figuring out how to work more cooperatively with Occupy Barre; Jay – Twitter, livestreaming; Kate – Working Groups take on issues we are individually interested in but not enough energy to make them happen so need to come up with smaller no. of things to focus on/have teach-ins with dancing, movies; Eric – Detroit did simultaneous one-day popup in all the neighborhoods then made a tree; Heather (batting cleanup) – need to be trained in Civil Disobedience and be prepared physically, spiritually and emotionally (From scratch board: banners, signage, info; teach-ins that integrate; resources on issues; focus on $ issues (i.e. household debt); unified platform for all issues; connect with Barre and other groups nearby; pick interconnected issues)

C.      Consolidation – Developing a Metaphor (E.g. “Sellout the Summer” from Cecile’s consulting business)

1.     Suggestions for a Metaphor
OUT OF THE CLOSET INTO THE STREETS (Jay)
CARAVAN – e.g., Popups (Margaret)
RECLAIM THE PUBLIC SPACE (John)
OCCUPY TODAY (Eric)
POLLINATE PUBLIC SPACES (Brian)
SOWING THE SEEDS OF EVOLUTION/ REVOLUTION (Scott & Marie)
DARE TO STRUGGLE, DARE TO WIN (Jay)
2.     Key Strategic Initiatives (3-4)
GET OUT, GET TRAINED, GET VISIBLE – train each other (Yeshua)
POLLINATE THE PUBLIC POPUPS – Brian
BUILD A LIBRARY Yeshua
Ariel – What’s missing here from these metaphors is about people reclaiming power/space; Kelly – Also missing is about growing our group
EMPOWER OURSELVES, EMPOWER THE PEOPLE (Yeshua)
POLLINATE, SOW SEEDS, GROW
3.     Ad-hoc group to narrow down the suggestions and come up with one unifying metaphor by next GA (Kate, Yeshua, David)

III. Regular General Assembly (facilitated by Cecile) 4:15 – 5:15

A.      Working Group Report Backs

1.     Put-Capitalism-on-Trial Theatre for May Day Rally WG (Kate) -– have reworked idea to use B&P’s fatso puppet, shaped-noted singers from around the state; capitalism on trial; People’s Mic/Soap Box/ Red Clover performance. (Meeting for singers at Tulsi Tea Room tonight @ 6 pm)
2.     Women’s Caucus now Feminist Caucus (Kelly) – named changed to reflect people of all genders; started Tumblr “One More Person against Patriarchy”; Teach-in last Thursday; looking for people to join us.
3.     Arts WG (Margaret) – David K. talked to Bagitos owner about Occupy Cafe and we can do it some nights, if we want to; but may not happen right away; ask us about coming out to your event with the People’s Mic.
4.    E&E WG (Heather) – internal education session next week will be on the National Security State
5.    Facilitation WG (Colin) – meets Thursday every week @ six; need more people to step up; thanks to volunteers (who should try to make the phone-in meeting if they can); Colin and Heather are the new point people while Cecile steps back for a time Village Building Convergence WG (Brian) – moving ahead for June 24th; keeping page on Website up to date; look at the postings of what’s happening already and fill in the gaps for the Sunday workshops.

B. May Day
Heather – countdown begins; full-day event; make yellow on black banner; what kind of presence do we want to have on the State House Lawn???; General Assembly needs to be talked about; have mailed out a tentative agenda; need lots of volunteers to do different things; will be using the People’s Mic; one to two o’clock rally; tables – food justice bloc, migrant justice, UE, NOFA, feminist caucus, Planned Parenthood; where will Occupy be located? Theme: “One Movement for People and the Planet”
Jay – Will organize book table; Brian – go to Capitol Copy (ask for Glenn) for free printing.
Heather – Let’s focus on what kind of presence we want to have at May Day? Other ideas besides tabling; Ariel – Pop-up. Have a tent or two to be more sexy. Will bring tents; Kate – What about T-shirts?; Kelly – will organize Feminist Caucus table; Will bring tents; David – proposed slogan for banner “We are the 99%”;Heather – How many will march behind banner? Show of hands (lots). Contact me about making one; Brian – Will check on existence of banner from Goddard Conference; Yeshua – Can do a training on livestreaming;
Dell –, still has Occupy-related posters from First Night/ can do again; Margaret and Kelly – can video the event; Heather – Burlington folks have been livestreaming already; Jay – Let’s also try to show feeds with what’s happening around the country, too, if we can somehow.

C. Media
Heather – How does Occupy relate to the Media??? Big Question. Different from other groups. Train more people; Yeshua – Do we know anybody in our networks who can do that training; David – Still have talking points from Occupy the State House on talking to the media; Heather – Do we need a designated person for May Day? At least we need somebody’s name for the press release; John – Why? ; David – Everybody should be better trained; Yeshua – Nobody has to be official press contact but he watches our email address on a frequent basis (Colin is the point person); Heather – Consensus that we don’t need a “spokesperson”; Dell – remember when speaking to mention not meeting in Montpelier every Saturday during summer (popups); Amy – put media training on agenda for next week; keep bringing it up; Heather – will bring stuff on dealing with media from the Workers Center; Eric – can we discuss how spokes represents Occupy at our GA next week.

D. Working Group Proposals – none

E. Announcements

1. Margaret – brought books for Peoples Library (including her own new novel!)
2. Yeshua – phone call with InterOccupy. Let’s do it. Get better connected.
3. Ariel – involved in musical action (do-wop parodies); shooting another video at Goddard College noon this Tuesday on the student debt crisis. Come be involved.
4. Colin – making a flyer to hand out to businesses to support May Day; check out his punk band playing at Charlie-O’s tonight.
5. Jay – please get us listed on the national May Day calendar Web site
6. Eric – follow-up to last weekend’s 99% Spring Training happening tomorrow at City Hall. Role plays. Skills-building. Please register online.
7. Kate – Women’s Rights rally coming up in Burlington on May 12th.
8. Kelly – Rally against the War against Women in Montpelier this Saturday, April 28th – join up with Occupy Central Vermont’s Feminist Caucus.

F. Soap Box – none

ADJOURNED 5:15 PM.

Occupy Vermont General Assembly, April 14, 2012

3-4PM: Discussion Theme: Populism (http://www.occupycentralvt.org/2012/04/12/discussion-theme-populism/)

4-5PM: Agenda:

Introductions: + Volunteers to help next week: with Stack (Barree), Notes (Jay), Greeter (Kelly)

WG Reports Back:

• Transition Town – integrating Occupy with VBC 6/20-6/24, we have an Occupy day on 6/24 for workshops, etc. Looking for people to host a workshop. Be in touch with Josh or Brian. Is TT looking for their own workshops? Think they’re covered. What about transportation? Carpools are being ironed out. www.vbc-vt.org
• Technology – stuff with website to do and might be down late at night sometime soon.
• Finance – done it’s initial job and is bringing proposal later today. Docs on website to check-out.
• Education – Discussion group in 2 weeks is the National Security State, internal and external connections. NDAA, etc.
• Women’s Caucus– teach-in at the UU church on 4/19 from 6-8pm on patriarchal capitalism. Part of it is to prepare for the rally on 4/28 from 11-2. Poster needed tomorrow. Yeshua and John can hang up posters.
• DAWG – continue to flush out pop-up occupy stuff.

WG Proposals:

• FWG: Basic Needs – unable to open and close the coffee hour at REACH space, wants to know if anyone wants to join BN to help on this item? Broader question is whether they are necessary as it gets warmer? John can open it up and closing it up. Colin to put John in touch with Irvin.
• FWG: Statement of Autonomy:
  • Occupy Vermont is a thing? Occupy Vermont formation proposal passed at Goddard – 2 working groups (facilitation and communications). In the facilitation calls we’ve had there are people from Burlington, Rutland, Upper Valley, Central VT, NEK. Will be more discussion at the next statewide GA about what the statewide entity is/isn’t.
  • Autonomy statement for OCV or OVT? OVT if adopted on 5/1. Individual groups agreeing to it in their own way/with their own revisions, one statement for the statewide entity.
  • Declaration of solidarity and this statement of autonomy were brought to Goddard, preliminarily approved to be brought to local groups. Will be changed in those groups, then brought back together. Right now we are deciding on this statement for OCV.
  • Both of these statements are pretty nominal. It’s not like we’re going to change what we’re doing based on what we adopt here. What’s important is going through a consensus round with other Occupy groups throughout the region. As far as the way it’s worded, I might change small things, but I can consent to it. Excited to come out with something as a state symbol of solidarity on 5/1.
  • Sensible that we’re going through the process on a state level. This is solidifying some of that. The statement itself – I was like “we even have to talk about this?”
  • Noting that some regular participants who would disagree/have changes to make to parts of this are not here today, and we may have more of a diversity of voices among our larger group.
  • If Burlington wants to add the “working with other groups” language back in, do all the other GAs have to agree beforehand to accept or not accept that change in order for it to make it on the first?
  • Change “leaderful” to “of many leaders” – amendment
• Finance: we had donations coming in and expenses are being paid, but no working group to deal with the structure and process. All is being tracked on the blog in the finance WG page. If you want to see accountability and transparency, then you can look there. In NY, saw hostility around accusations of stealing money and non-transparency. This is a way to avoid that. Please look at the documents of process to see if you have feedback.
  • If you have an expense that you want to be reimbursed for, then bring it in writing and/or bring it for discussion. We will note when it has been proposed and whether it was accepted.
  • Expenses accepted will be paid out by finance WG.
  • Where is the money now? Sue and John have the cash we’ve collected.
  • Do we still have debt? Some items have been paid out.
  • Would it be a burden for finance to keep track of the voluntary donations and expenses that have just been paid.
  • Do we have money to get more buttons?
  • Any movement has a bail out fund, can we ask for donations for that? Not a function of finance to do that. If we knew that civil disobedience was going to occur in which some of our members were going to get arrested, then we may want to plan ahead on this kind of fund.

Announcements:

• Tuesday 4/17, lunch time outside PO in Montpelier and Barre
• OWS update: back on wall street, sleeping on sidewalk outside stock exchange, loop-hole, 5^th night, something like 75 people.
• Tonight is the Mad Pie Hoedown at 7pm at Plainfield community center – pie auction and square dance. Proceeds going to VBC.
• Capitalism Trial at 5/1 – want to volunteer or help out, please contact Yeshua.
• Might be good to have a discussion about Media relations at the next GA as we prepare for 5/1.

Soap Box

OCVT General Assembly – April 7, 2012
Location: East Montpelier Room

AGENDA: 

1. Introductions
2. Reports Back
3. WG Operations
4. WG Breakouts
5. WG Proposals
6. DAWG – pop up occupy
7. FWG – solidarity and autonomy statements
8. Announcements
9. Soap Box

MINUTES:

1. Introductions

2. Reports Back

• Education & Empowerment – next teach-in on “patriarchy” during an evening weekday night; build-up to April 28^th rally; Next Saturday’s discussion theme is “populism” and the one after that is “national security.” Need book donations for the Library. Meeting on 4/12 @ 4:30PM at Capital Grounds to plan for the NVDA training which will be held on 4/22.
• Arts & Theater – “Zip Code: The Musical” is now on www.movementresourcegroup.org and now it’s up in the air about whether we’ll get money. Council of All Beings is doing an event at the statehouse in June. Environmental group, voice for the voiceless in nature (and humans). Ritual event, submit something in the voice of another.
• Direct Action – meeting on Tuesday nights; welcome new members always; pop-up Occupy stuff; May Day “capitalism on trial” – inviting other Occupy groups to participate in that event, 4-5 speakers. For 5/1 and General Strike, asking businesses to close for an hour or two during march and rally. Occupy Storefronts on hold due to capacity. Postal Workers – flyering outside the Montpelier PO on 4/17 during lunch, please come on your lunch break.
• Facilitation – meet on Thursdays, always welcoming new members. Planning the next GAs, keeping up with Statewide GA planning.

3. WG Operations – need help with projects, chance to connect with other WGs, and recruitment conversation.

• Village Gathering – not much has changed since meeting next week, 8-9 ideas for workshops, trying to recruit for Occupy related workshops that day (sunday 6/24). A couple of responses from other Occupy groups.
  • Who is organizing the full event? – Transition Town, Ben Graham is one of the main organizers.
  • Was their an effort to connect with TT during the Charles Eisenstein event? – a little bit, build more on connection during the VBC
  • What is TT? – encouraging towns to plan for transitioning after peak oil. In VT there are about 8-10 towns that have TT groups. A couple of years ago, Natural Building crew started doing the “Village Bldg Convergence,” weekend camp-out, skills-sharing workshops, etc.
• May Day “Trial of Capitalism – Labor Speak-Out”
  • During Goddard conference, brainstorming began around may day actions, Statehouse Lawn from 3-4pM. Honed in on the labor portion of may day, and putting capitalism on trail. A mock-trial, kind of speak out and theatrical event.
  • Looking for someone to MC the event, maybe someone to be a lawyer or representing capitalism. It would last about 45-60 minutes.
  • Would give each of the speakers a chance to say what they came to say.
  • Actors, props, radical cheerleaders (jury).
  • OWS did a trial of Goldman Sachs a while ago, might be a place to find ideas, Jay will send Heather a link.
  • Brian T knows someone with a big blue beast puppet that we can use.
  • Will there be space for other than labor complaints? Yes. Housing or other issues could be worked in. Environment, media reports on labor.
• Posters for May Day
  • Putting up in storefront windows with a statement about why they support the General Strike and/or Occupy movement. Close for an hour or two during the rally, or info table. Local information included.

4. WG Breakouts –

• E&E, DAWG, Arts/Theater, Facilitation (are here today)
• Finance, Tech, Basic Needs, Farms, Outreach, Women’s Caucus (are not here today)

• Recruitment – This is the smallest GA we have had in a while, we started off with 40-50 and then settled around 30 and today there are less than 20 of us. There has been a series of slow weeks. Are we loosing numbers? How can we recruit more people? All WGs feeling like we could use more people. What do people need to bring people in?

Why are we dwindling?

• a lot of people been busy with VY stuff, people may be stretched and needing a little break. May see a bounce back in next couple of weeks
• In NY, the GAs are very large and sometimes they are quite small. A lot of energy was in the WGs. Maybe more of the energy is focused in the WGs here?
• My experience is that WGs are also not well-attended and that the people are not different than those coming to GAs. Not sure if everyone in the GA is part of a WG? Feel like a certain kind of person is attracted to this kind of process. Wonder if the time doesn’t work. I’m curious about the people who used to come and don’t anymore. Can we outreach to them?
• There is a varying and shifting group of about 40 people, but the same people don’t come every week. Having Education events and Direct Actions helps us recruit people.
• A few weeks ago it felt like the numbers were starting to grow again. As nice weather improves, a plus is that we’re more visible when we are outside. Even when weather isn’t perfect, it would be best to be outside.
• Today is passover and easter weekend, which is probably a factor.
• Not sure what I’m inviting people to right now. Feel like we’re working as a networking center or hub.
• Feel like we are slowing building power and a way to create positive social change through the process we are doing each week. I think a lot of people don’t know that’s what we’re trying to do. Making that connect with people would help.
• Want to push-back on the idea that we need to get bigger, tremendous value of living within our means and tailoring our ability based on capacity.

Concrete Steps for recruitment:

• Call into WGDR during Renee’s show on Tuesdays between 6:30-6:55AM or right at 7AM after the weather for an “Occupy Report”
• Acknowledge our overlap and commonality with other groups, acknowledge what’s happening in community
• Move outside!
• Visibility with graphics (T-shirts, posters, etc.)
• Has their been any follow-up since the Goddard Conference (with faculty, etc.)? Maybe we could do something at residencies. Dan C. has been talking with Barbara about organizing “teach-ins” (Brian to look into it)
• Like the idea of Pop-Up Occupies and/or the Occupy Cafe
• We need an Outreach group (missing critical need) to help create more visibility.
• If there is a collective pattern (like integrating recruitment at events by passing out flyers, etc.). Concrete and repeatable. Accountability process each week to check-in about how recruitment is going.
• E&E events that are presented to the public reaches new people, find out about issues, and get involved in OCVT. More spontaneous events and meetings to discuss issues.
• Open mic night where instead of entertaining with music, we entertain with political statements, theater, etc.
• Be great to have a logo.
• Outreach flyer, dry-erase board for announcements.
• When we go to other events, we could pass out info on OCVT. Us going to other actions and events.
• This is an organizing challenge. Tools are helpful, conversations with people are often more effective. Can we each ID two people who used to come to occupy and connect with them around why they aren’t coming? There might be reasons they aren’t coming and we should get a sense of that from them.
• There are people who also say they support the movement but don’t feel they can come and be visible because of their other roles in the community. Can we find roles for them?
• Everyone doesn’t need to be a member of the GA for us to be effective. People will come to events though. We could have discussions in different locations, more event oriented stuff, pop-ups. We shouldn’t measure our success by how large we are.
• Not important who is sitting here. We will get more people if we’re outside. Putting out flyers and the word when events happen. Larger events like 5/1 and Pop-Ups will draw people.
• Occupy Sarasota has a role of “meeter and greeter” and would go around to others at farmers’ markets, etc., a person who is designated to talk to people.

5. WG Proposals

• DAWG – Pop-Up Occupy
  • Received feedback about idea, brainstormed more in DAWG, and bringing forward proposal today, plus visual sheet about the roles (excel spreadsheet)
  • Proposing that Pop-Ups would happen every other week (with some variability depending about other events and activities). Rely on OCVT membership to connect with communities, identify issues in community, linking Occupy themes with the local issues.
  • General vision is to be there all day – 10am through GA time, and possibly later. Workshops slots, provide lunch, afternoon workshops, ending with GA. Other activities, such as kids table, health station, free store, etc. Workshops would be different each week.
  • Recognize that it’s quite an undertaking. Will require everyone to help pull them off.
  • Roles – Primary Coordinator (big picture, coordinate full day). Coordinating Organizers (looks at longevity for whole summer, makes sure there’s a point person each week, makes sure materials are passed off, etc.). Weekly Organizer (connect dots for whole day, supported by Primary Coordinator and WG people).
  • Want people involved with other groups to self-organize
  • Not seeing core themes of Occupy in terms of corporate greed, where is that? In the workshop time. Also want the skills-share to incorporate Occupy themes explicitly (i.e. composting: here’s how, but here’s why we don’t have it (not profitable). Also have an action component
  • To what extent is it publicized? Play it by ear. Some communities might make sense to do a lot of outreach and publicity. Some places might be better to be on the down-low. Will need to be flexible.
  • The consensus ask is: Does this proposal look good to move forward with planning? Any concerns?
    • Learn from communities themselves and everyone is a teacher. Caution us to draw from local community, as well as our own perspective to have a balance.
    • Worry about claiming we know what’s best in a community. Make sure we know where we’re going before we’re going.
    • Problems with healthcare – seems like going more towards alternative healthcare instead of traditional healthcare. Differing perspective: might be a draw for people who might not want to necessarily care about how capitalism is involved.
    • Want to keep it open and not micro-manage what kind of “stations” or groups and perspectives show up. As with Zuccotti park, it will hopefully grow and people will take ownership of it.
    • We are really going to need help! If we approve this, then that means we really need people to step up.
• FWG
  • Declaration of Solidarity
    • revised edition
    • statement will evolve based on input from all the other occupations
    • remove ‘inherent’?
    • ‘chosen’ is a loaded word, picked cultural differences….
    • not too much word smithing… not productive
    • ‘seeking consent from the earth’… the earth doesn’t have the capacity to give it’s consent, makes it problematic: human beings have responsibilities to represent the needs of the planet
    • negative statement re: corporations, breaks the flow
    • wants something re: corporations in there, say have not vs. do not
    • consensus: no down hands
  • Statement of Autonomy: go check out statement of autonomy on website, please review before next Saturday and make a list of your concerns

6. Announcements

• Bus to Brattleboro – rally to close VT Yankee from 12-2PM on Saturday, April 14^th. Bus leaving at park and ride leaving at 9:30am. Heidi at 454-1979.
• On Sat 4/14 12-3 statewide training for 99% Spring: Dept of Labor building, there will be 12 different sites across the state. Non-violent direct training.
• CVT full day 4/22 non-violent direct action training. Still looking for a location
• May Day coming
• March against the war against women on saturday 4/28 Noon, statewide event, but happening nationally.

7. Soapbox

• Adrienne Rich, feminist poet, died last week. Margaret read “The Ballad of the Poverties”:

There’s the poverty of the cockroach kingdom and the rusted toilet bowl
The poverty of to steal food for the first time
The poverty of to mouth a penis for a paycheck
The poverty of sweet charity ladling
Soup for the poor who must always be there for that
There’s the poverty of theory poverty of the swollen belly shamed
Poverty of the diploma mill the ballot that goes nowhere
Princes of predation let me tell you
There are poverties and there are poverties

There’s the poverty of cheap luggage bursted open at immigration
The poverty of the turned head, the averted eyes
The poverty of bored sex of tormented sex
The poverty of the bounced check the poverty of the dumpster dive
The poverty of the pawned horn the poverty of the smashed reading glasses
The poverty pushing the sheeted gurney the poverty cleaning up the puke
The poverty of the pavement artist the poverty passed-out on pavement
Princes of finance you who have not lain there
There are poverties and there are poverties

There is the poverty of hand-to-mouth and door-to-door
And the poverty of stories patched-up to sell there
There’s the poverty of the child thumbing the Interstate
And the poverty of the bride enlisting for war
There’s the poverty of prescriptions who can afford
And the poverty of how would you ever end it
There is the poverty of stones fisted in pocket
And the poverty of the village bulldozed to rubble
Princes of weaponry who have not ever tasted war
There are poverties and there are poverties
There’s the poverty of wages wired for the funeral you
Can’t get to the poverty of the salary cut
There’s the poverty of human labor offered silently on the curb
The poverty of the no-contact prison visit
There’s the poverty of yard sale scrapings spread
And rejected the poverty of eviction, wedding bed out on street
Prince let me tell you who will never learn through words
There are poverties and there are poverties

You who travel by private jet like a housefly
Buzzing with the other flies of plundered poverties
Princes and courtiers who will never learn through words
Here’s a mirror you can look into: take it: it’s yours.