September 2008 Local Meeting
From SP Boston
The Socialist Party of Boston met at noon on Sunday, 28 September 2008 in the Lucy Parsons Center. We discussed preparations for the October 11 antiwar demonstration on the Boston Common, the upcoming elections, and the current financial crisis and bailout situation, among other topics. For more information, check out the full minutes below.
[edit] Agenda
- Introductions and agenda approval
- Antiwar
- October 11 coming right up
- Outreach
- Logistics
- Other outstanding issues
- Iraq Moratorium / DMZ
- October 11 coming right up
- Financial crisis
- Discuss current financial crisis, roots and solutions
- Pass along some statements from other SP locals and the SP National Action Committee.
- Electoral
- Campaign updates
- Electoral mailing including position statements on November Ballot Questions (Decriminalization of Marijuana, Income Tax, Greyhound Racing)
- Fundraising
- Merchandise for tabling
- Sustainers Club
- Benefit show, possibly with SA.
- Membership
- Pending membership applications from Thomas L. and Jeremy S. Matt A. spoke with Thomas on 16 September; Jeremy S. new.
- Request from National Office to follow up with twelve members behind on their dues, thirteen more whose dues will run out in the next couple of months.
- Proposal for SP to adopt expanded platform points.
- Speakers bureau?
- For now, put Chris P. on speaking tour about trip to Venezuela -- "From Quincy to Caracas: Community, Solidarity and Socialism".
[edit] Minutes
- Antiwar
- October 11 will get top billing in the next bulletin, to go out in the first week of October, and a call for donations, contributions and volunteers will be prominently made. The bulletin has not yet been put together -- David will take care of that. October 11 flyers will also be bundled with the bulletin.
- We agreed to phonebank members for the October 11 demonstration, focusing on new members and contacts, and those who we think would be interested in getting more involved.
- We discussed getting a speaker or series of speakers at the open stage; Matt was the only one at the meeting to volunteer to speak.
- David won't be able to make the beginning of the rally (may be able to make the end), so he'll get tabling materials to the Matt or Chris P. beforehand so they can set up.
- There may be a Red and Black Block at October 11 again; nobody involved with organizing that was present to report on how it was shaping up.
- Matt will cook up a flyer to promote the DMZ, which will take place as our Iraq Moratorium event on Friday, 17 October. If phonebanking for October 11 goes well, we should try it for this as well.
- Matt proposed organizing a "Socialist Perspective on the Wars" talk, but nothing concrete was set up.
- Labor
- Matt gave a report on a new member organizing group at the Harvest Co-op Markets, which held a potluck gathering and meeting.
- The labor situation at the Harvest remains disturbing, to the point that more employees are discussing unionizing.
- Electoral
- David gave a brief update of the presidential campaign's status, including a final ballot access report and news of access attacks in Mississippi and Louisiana. Despite those and other disappointments, the Moore-Alexander campaign is still poised to become the most successful Socialist Party campaign in over half a century.
- We reviewed earlier discussions of the three ballot questions. David will draft and circulate brief statements on the three ballot questions, to be included in the next bulletin.
- Financial crisis
- David distributed some statements from other SP locals, and one from the National Action Committee. The last will be bundled with the bulletin mailing.
- Membership
- We approved both new members.
- David will write and include a letter with the next bulletin encouraging members behind on their dues not only to get back in good standing but also to become more involved.
- Social
- We agreed to get a group together to go see the new Battle in Seattle film playing at the Kendall Square Cinema.
- David will look into and report showtimes, looking for screenings in the afternoon or evening of Saturday, 4 October; hopefully it will continue playing for the coming week.