August 2008 Local Meeting
From SP Boston
The Socialist Party of Boston met at noon on Sunday, 31 August 2008 in the Lucy Parsons Center. Among the many topics discussed were upcoming antiwar actions on October 11 and in September, as well as the Bread and Roses Labor Day Festival, and electoral campaigns. For more information, check out the full minutes.
[edit] Agenda
- Introductions and agenda approval
- Bread and Roses Festival in Lawrence on Labor Day (Monday).
- Organize a car pool and invite members.
- Table reserved, make sure people can get it set up on time.
- Membership
- Two new members
- Report from National Office on late dues
- Antiwar
- Weekly DMZ at Mass. Ave. and Boylston St., 6-8 pm every Friday.
- Motion: Cut back to just third Friday of every month. Repeat outreach with the Iraq Moratorium Project. Target campuses with returning students.
- October 11
- Motion: Call for anti-capitalist unity by organizing another Red and Black Bloc at the October 11th Demonstrations in Boston. - MRA
- Motion: Invite SPUSA candidates to attend October 11th in Boston and propose they be given stage time. - MRA
- Motion: The SP of Boston will participate in organizing efforts for October 11th and use the protests on that day to highlight the bipartisan support of Democrats and Republicans for US imperialism. An essential step toward building a new society will be the development of a mass party based on socialist principles that runs explicitly socialist candidates for office. - MRA
- Motion: To contribute $50 from the SP Boston account and include a fundraising appeal from the Oct 11th Committee in our next local mailing.
- Weekly DMZ at Mass. Ave. and Boylston St., 6-8 pm every Friday.
- Uniting Boston radicals
- Labor
- Report on labor situation at Harvest Co-op
- Harvest Co-op members potluck being planned
- Developing a Jamaica Plain workers alliance
- Electoral
- Matt requested contact information from Secretary of Commonwealth. Get update on the status of that; David can look into it a bit this coming week.
- Presidential campaign updates for MA, RI -- deadlines this week!!!
- November Ballot Questions in MA
- Motion: Focus on the decriminalization of Marijuana as the most important issue on the ballot for the working class this fall. - MRA
- Fundraising
- Mass Mailing
- Merchandise for tabling
- Sustainers Club
- Benefit show, possibly with SA.
- Proposal for SP to adopt expanded platform points.
- This is for the Massachusetts state SP.
- We should start planning a state meeting. I would propose holding it in western Mass. to help keep the Tom Mooney local active. -DS
- Solicit officers in upcoming issue(s) of bulletin?
- Next social
- Propose that Chris give a "dry run" talk about his recent trip to Venezuela. -DS
[edit] Minutes
- Introductions and agenda approval
- The meeting was attended by Matt A., Billie M., Chris P. and David S.
- Bread and Roses Festival -- all day Monday, 1 September in Lawrence
- Table space reserved for $25. David has main box of materials, table is in Chris's car.
- Carpool to Lawrence from Quincy Center T station -- leave at 10:30 am. David will send out a last-minute notice for those who might be interested in coming along.
- Antiwar
- We agreed to cut back De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) actions from once a week to once a month, on the third Friday of the month, to coincide with the Iraq Moratorium. The next will be on Friday, 19 September, at the corner of Mass Ave. and Boylston St., by Berklee.
- On Friday, 12 September, we'll flyer for both the DMZ and October 11, at the same place as the DMZ. Matt will contact Angela about a DMZ flyer to promote it.
- The Beantown Jazz Festival will be the weekend of 27 September -- Matt will look into arranging tabling there, either in the festival itself, or just outside.
- Chris P. will get in touch with Chris F. to call for a Red and Black Bloc at the October 11 antiwar demonstration. Extended discussion on promoting left unity in Boston.
- Chris P. will contact the Moore-Alexander campaign and the October 11 Program Committee to see if Brian Moore could be a speaker at the rally.
- We approved a $50 contribution to October 11, and will send a fundraising appeal for it to our contacts with our next bimonthly mailing at the end of the month. (Highlight our message, ask for checks to be made out to StWC.)
- Matt and David are working on the October 11 Outreach Committee; Chris and Stef are on the Program Committee.
- Million Doors for Peace on 20 September -- volunteers will knock on doors to get signatures for a petition asking Congress to withdraw from Iraq in 2009. Matt has signed up and encouraged others to do so -- may be a good opportunity to discuss October 11 and our own views on the war in addition to this petition.
- Labor organizing
- Matt gave a brief update on the situation at the Harvest Co-op Markets
- A group of Harvest members and workers is planning a community potluck/discussion meeting. They will meet on Thursday, 11 September, to organize it.
- Moore-Alexander campaign and ballot access
- Contact Jay Walsh to collect remaining signatures required in Rhode Island
- Still short paperwork from two electors for official write-in status in MA; David will try to deal with that before the 5 September deadline.
- Attempting to contact State for a list of registered Socialists -- they will only give to candidates
- Local Media, ask Boston Underground if they will print before elections
- Finances
- $3 sales from The Socialist at the 2 August counter-recruitment demonstration; $25 tabling fee paid to the Bread and Roses Festival; $50 committed to October 11.
- About $500 available in the bank
- Chris will contact a friend of his to order ten Che t-shirts for $100 total, currently out of his pocket.
- Matt will follow up with Zoe of Socialist Alternative about a joint fundraiser. They had expressed interest, though she may be heading back to school out of state soon.
- Matt has set up an SP account on EBay and is interested in auctioning off any surplus socialist material anyone may have. (This is for the SP-USA, not just Boston local.)
- New members
- We approved Corey M. on the basis of an email from him, are still waiting to hear back from Thomas L.
- Other possible events
- War on Democracy documentary
- Report back from Venezuela with Chris P.
- Tentative title proposed by David: "From Quincy to Caracas: Community, Solidarity and Socialism".
- Do run-through for friendly audience after 12 September flyering -- best location brainstormed was break room by David's office.
- Assuming that goes well, decide on venue and do it for real; also see about touring area colleges and universities.