Agenda Ideas Tues 10-25, Thurs 10-27

[debbyflorence]

Hello world.. go ahead and suggest agenda items for this week's meetings here! We have been generally including

Announcements
Working Group Reports

and there seems to be an ongoing discussion of "next steps"

my suggestion for one of the meetings this week, to focus on one large topic to give us maximum discussion time, to see if we can get a little deeper into some of the "big subjects" that we have on the table. So that is why i included Tues and Thurs in this thread, so that we could maybe suggest the "large discussion" for the Thurs meeting, in order to give people time to plan, contemplate, whatever. I dont even have a topic, but the "next steps" discussion is probably pertinent, although it would be nice if someone here might come up with a more specific topic within that, to narrow the focus. (or a different "big subject" altogether, or just scrap this idea!)

Also I just remembered that this weekend is the Helena event , so perhaps we should not try to have a weekend GA? Perhaps this should get on the agenda for Tues, to make an official clarification about that "double scheduling" ?

[johnmak]

I agree we should skip this weekend's GA because of the Helena event. Later today I will check the availability of a library meeting room for Saturday and Sunday 11/5 and 11/6. If I remember correctly I think Sunday was preferred. I will post the options here so they can be discussed at the 10/25 or 10/27 GA

[occupymissoula]

Instead of saying there is no GA this weekend, there will be a GA in the Capital Rotunda for OccupyMontana on Saturday, and in which OccupyMissoula will be a participant.

I really think we need to stress the importance of our linkages with fellow occupations around the state. Montana is small population-wise, but large in land, so we are dispersed across the state. We may find much effectiveness in our direct actions when we combine occupations into one.

[johnmak]

I agree with your line of thinking and your insight re linking Montana Groups. Point taken.

[debbyflorence]

Yes: I am not sure i can make it to tonights GA --- can either of you?

I like the idea to propose we formally announce on the web that our weekend GA is in Helena this week.

Since we did get the meeting room for the following sunday, we should announce it at GA and add that to the calendar as well. Thanks!

[occupymissoula]

I will be #OccupyJockoValley all day today. I agree with Debbie here. I talked with some Helena folks, and here is an email they put out this am:

From last nights meeting and feed back from around the region an OccupyMontana  general assembly is important - I suggest after action at capitol at woman's park. Maybe over dessert after dinner? 
comments - ideas - rick

I really think we need to nurture our Occupy connections across the state. Maybe it isn't best to say that the OccupyMissoula GA will be in Helena, but that OccupyMissoula wil participate in a collective OccupyMontana GA, that will consist of the various Occupations around the state.

-jim

[katydid]

I would like to suggest a meeting topic for the Thursday GA. That we all re-convene, and re-commit to taking care of one another. That we bring ideas to the table to ensure that if/as the encampment decides to remain, that the GA help figure out support roles that take the minimum of organizing (ie. good food at least once a day), staffed information booth times, etc. I would love to talk about empowerment and how we enable/facilitate that, like rotating report-ins and facilitation, workshops/teach-ins/open forums that take place in lieu of some GAs (like facilitation, how to make soup for 40 people, etc.) and just a general conversation about how we come back together, learn to trust one another's intentions and abilities and how to be forgiving and constructive in our critiques of personal style and language. This is a lot, I know, but I think we could just start the discussion, and more concrete steps will emerge later. We all need a morale boost.

In general, I think it would be important to find a warm place to be. And I think we need to tap into the original email lists, ask that they all subscribe to [e-mail], and send a mass email of the agenda out.

So: Agenda would be
Announcements
Work-group reports (briefly, so meeting times and announcements)
Broader topic: coming together: empowerment, sharing of roles, and nurturing our understanding

Just a thought.
I would be happy to take stack (learn to) I will be coming right at 6.
Thanks all.

[brooklyn]

I have a proposal that I want to bring to the GA on THursday, If I cant then I have shared the idea with a few people who can explain in detail..

so you have a idea..
I want to propose moving the camp to the BN plaza/circle square and farmers market area..

Positives
*The farmers market is over and nothing happens in this area except for parades ect.
* It is centerlly located and very visible
*The park is directly in front of UBS a wealth management corporation that is third biggest in line behind B of A and morgan Stanley. The move here clarifies our target.
* we can control the xxxx's as a info island while locating logistics(food, supplies) in the circle farmers area.. controlling our official presence.

Go check out the area today and bring your opinions, concerns, supports to the GA:)

Please visit the area and consider it..

[johnmak]

Not sure if I can make it to the GA this week. However we resolve our seemingly endless debate on decision-making, it seems to me our ultimate goal would be to affect the ballot box as a logical progression toward representative policy change in America. Importantly to both the State level, and the Federal level to enable a real functioning Congress, where policy and law can be crafted to the benefit of our middle, working, working poor and poor classes. And ultimately where the make-up of the Supreme Court can be achieved so we can overturn Citizen's United. Since an armed overthrow of our current government seems unlikely, it seems to me we need to stride toward using our current Electoral Process to elect people who are willing to resist the very powerful power- grab of the 1% and their bought politicians. I personally believe one of our primary functions would be to ensure that everyone who is an occupy member and or supporter be strongly encouraged to be eligible to vote. I suggest we start a voter registration initiative and have those materials available at every GA and at the encampment. I also suggest we engage the public with a constant voter registration drive. The 1% has most of the money in our systems, but only 1% of the vote itself.

If we do decide to move to the X's, or even to disband over the winter, it would be a good way to remain visible and constructive.

Monte is right - there are real things to change. Issues and living conditions we can change if we are focused. We are even now looking at the possibility of our message of economic fairness being clouded by having to engage against a police state mentality that is growing. We better get our shit together or we will blow this chance. There are real consequences to our actions. Philosophy is one thing, debate is great, but this is a time that requires definitive results. We need to settle quickly how to do this, or this movement won't be effective. Are we going to be a movement that exists simply to vent anger and frustration, or are we going to change this broken world ?

[johnmak]

I'm beginning to believe that it might be time to start considering
a planned actual occupation of the inside of the offices of Rehberg, Tester, and Baucus in as many of the major cities those offices are located in that we can accomplish with our occupy montana groups. A coordinated occupation. Either pick one politician per occupation and do it over three separate actions, or occupy all three in one action. We would need to anticipate arrests. It is timely now because Baucus is on the Congressional Debt "Super Committee". Their results are due soon.
Let's see how much influence we can achieve. Occupy might want to consider doing this in the offices of all the politicians involved in this committee on a national scale.