EDITORIAL BOARD - GREEN FOCUS MEETING MINUTES Thursday, January 15 Notetaker: Karine Megerdoomian Facilitator: Laura Wells Attendees: Laura Wells, Karine Megerdoomian, Stuart Bechman, Sharon Peterson, Craig Peterson, Jim Barton. NEXT TELECONFERENCE: February 19th, 7:30 pm. Phone number TBA. Note: Action Items are marked by >>> ; Decisions are marked by *** LW: Upcoming Plenaries: March 27-28; June 5-6 ******************************* THEME FOR SPRING 2004 ISSUE SB: Do we have themes? KM: Depending on articles received, we cluster them around a theme, but we also publish other articles on various topics. SB: The presidential nominating convention. The June one will need to discuss the presidential election if there is no September plenary. LW: We can't produce the newspaper within two months and half; it's too fast a turn-around time. Also, submissions for this issue are due Feb. 14, but primary-releated elections need to be in March 5th and will get it back from the printer the monday before the plenary ... a fast turn-around also for the March plenary but it makes no sense to put out a paper that's just out-of-date for the primary elections. LW: possible themese for this issue: Craig Peterson --> support troops without supporting war Craig Peterson --> economic support and jobs KM: Do we have any submissions for this issue? LW: We have from last issue's submissions Media speak no lie (poem) Social movements (article) Five principles for organizing Cameron's essay Fresno and IRV ... KM: Could you send the articles that weren't published last time? Also, we need to send out a call for articles with the deadline for submissions to Jim Stauffer and Ginny Case? >>> ACTION ITEM: Laura Wells will send articles and will send out call for submissions to Jim and Ginny by Sunday the 9th. CP: Can add in the call for submissions that two or three post-primary articles will be due three days after primary, but all other submissions will need to be in by Feb. 14th. LW: We should have articles on Stuart Bechman, who is running for Congress, since the last congressional candidate article by Larry Shoup didn't include Southern California candidates. We need someone to write this, especially non-contested races. Stuart, can you work with Larry to have that written up? SB: Yes. KM: We have couple of races in San Diego. CP: Campaigns and Candidates group website has the list of races with relevant info. >>> ACTION ITEM: Stuart Bechman will work with Larry Shoup to cover Southern California congressional races. Campaigns and Candidates Working Group website may be sufficient for Larry but Stuart will follow up. KM: I still think it would be great to have an article on GP involvement on passing resolutions against the USA PATRIOT. JB: Maybe that could be mentioned in the call for submissions going out. KM: Info on cities with resolutions can be found on www.bordc.org LW: Profile on Tahan Jones ... can be given as an assignment. JB: and a photograph! LW: Other photos you can mail to us that we can use? Like "Stuart preparing for Earth Day" ... JB: should send a request for graphics editor along with call for submissions. SB: What about purchasing photos from stockhouses? LW: Don't think we need to yet. ******************************* SP: Need to leave. I'm no longer the liaison to GROW and was wondering if Chuck Reutter is on your list yet. >>> ACTION ITEM: Sharon will send Chuck's info to Karine. ******************************* SCHEDULE FOR SUMMER 2004 ISSUE LW: I think there isn't enough time for June. The thought is to have the March one serve through the June plenary. JB: Could we explore a statewide distribution trip for when the newspaper comes out (inbetween plenaries). LW: When is the plenary after Milwaukee? SB: September probably. SP: or possibly later. No date yet. SB: Why don't we just wait until the Sept. plenary then. KM: we have subscribers who may expect 4 issues per year. CP: Would be good to have an issue after Milwaukee convention mid-August. We'll have everything prep-ed except for the Milwaukee convention convention. Even if there is no fall plenary, we should still get them to subscribers and locals. KM: If we want to replace the June issue by the August one (for Summer 2004) then we need to think of distribution. JB: Ask locals. LW: Get locals to commit to the August one at the March plenary. Tell them there might be a delivery charge. How many would you want? JB: Or find someone willing to travel with a pick-up or SUV through California maybe? ******************************* DISTRIBUTION OF WINTER 2003 ISSUE CP: at least 80 bundles or more left. A sizable number. SB: GROW can send a mailing to locals through contact list for ideas on how they can be used. Also, ask counties that they give us orders in a timely manner so we can deliver them without delivery charges. >>> ACTION ITEM: Stuart will take care of the GROW communiqui. LW: low attendance plenary, rain, etc. are causes for low distribution this time, and maybe people got more than they gave out from the previous issue. KM: I think more organization at the plenary, asking for pre-orders, etc. is probably the main factor. JB: Why don't we get a distribution person to take care of these details? Have a staffer do it. SB: Has been budgeted for 2004. Can talk to treasurer about this. KM: I support that. LW: I stand aside. CP: I think our biggest failing is the logistics. We need someone who is really going to be looking at it from the printer to getting it to the locals and have it all set up and taken care of. This group has done a great job creating the paper but the distribution is failing. KM: We've had a number of difficulties in ditribution due to the clearinghouse collapsing. I have been taking care of the administrative tasks meanwhile but I can't be at every plenary to handle successful distribution. We were kind of assuming the Clearinghouse will handle distribution along with other merchandise and tabling material. LW: How are the people who are tabling getting their supplies? JB: Clearinghouse -- sent out by the volunteer clearinghouse collective (Ali Moezzi, Peggy Lewis, and couple others) LW: Why can't the newspaper be done by the same volunteers? JB: Sacramento county is receiving $300 per month to do the clearinghouse job. Proposal: Craig, could you and I get a proposal together for staffing somebody for this position and ask for GF money to be sent for this task? LW: let's postpone this issue. CP: CC retreat is a good place for distribution to the CC members -- ask locals to pre-order before the Sacramento plenary. JB: Distribution subcommittee: Craig and Jim. >>> ACTION ITEM: Stuart will make sure this goes out to Ginny Case. Have pre-orders sent to Craig; deadline 23rd of January at noon. ******************************* EDITORIAL STAFF KM: Don't have time to do any GP work at all anymore and need to find replacement as editor of GF. I will put together the description of tasks that I have been doing, esp. the administrative ones but that's about all I can do. I would like to resign. LW: And I am working 50 hours a week so have much less time for GF. And I tend to feel distant from it specially when we have no support (such as lack of a staffed office) to take care of logistics. At the same time, it's great to feel that people use it to table and appreciate it. But I am still in there despite the difficulties. CP: I am willing to help on editorial services. SB: Do we need to do active recruiting maybe with a mentor program? Coz at this point we're doing nothing to recruit someone. LW: A three-step process would be nice: (1) writing, editing or something - (2) join the editorial board - (3) from there move up to co-editor. SB: Is there anyone in this group who would like to be co-editor? everyone's busy. LW: Larry Cafiero may not be interested ... can ask him. Europa has done some work; may be interested. KM: Can Stuart follow up and recruit for editorial board/co-editor? >>> ACTION ITEM: Stuart Bechman will send out a call for people interested in joining editorial board. Write it as "the following positions are open and we're requesting applicants for ". Can use description of function of EdBoard passed at the SD plenary. KM/LW: Current editorial board: Karine Megerdoomian, Laura Wells (co-editors) Stuart Bechman, Robyn Oetinger, Chuck Reutter (GROW cocos) Larry Cafiero, Russell Kilday-Hicks, Jim Barton (members) Michael Morris, Craig, Europa (potential members) Web site: Eric Barr; Distribution: Ali Moezzi ?? LW: other possibilities are Europa Babbini and Charlotte Casey. JB: would like to be excused from the EdBoard. Can remain until needed. KM: Editorial board functions are not limited to editing of the paper but also *** DECISION: Craig Peterson and Michael Morris affirmed on Editorial Board. Sharon is substituted by Chuck. JB: Fundraising committee and GF: Jo and Mike will have to talk about sending GF to members but need to have a dialogue with editorial board of GF. KM: As far as i know, CP: We're still putting together a composite of all the donors. Problem with sending GF out comes from perception that several members of Finance committee that would like to see GF to be different -- as a "sales pitch" of the GP. The type of editorial policy that we choose is different from what the fundraising committee would like. KM: There has been a dialogue. There are minutes that show that we have requested that the paper be sent to the members and the last status was that Wyman was still putting together the list of donors. If there are still issues, perhaps it should go through the plenary then as a proposal to send out the paper to donor members. LW: if we're in an organization, for some people it should be a sales tool but for those who've already donated, they should be receiving something that says that it's a professional organization and is vital. We put out the paper and sending it out should be through the fundraising committee -- if they want to they can use it -- great! I think it's shortsighted not to use it but if they don't want to, that's their decision. JB: I was about to agree with Karine. Paper is more popular with locals and activists than among the top leadership. I think on a grassroots fight, the top leadership would lose out actually. I am not as disheartened as Laura on this issue. CP: Yes we could put it through the plenary but i'd rather make a statement from the GF Editorial Board to the Finance Committee (not the Fundraising Committee that has a certain mindset) stating that we request that the next 3 issues be sent to members. If Finance Committee disagrees, then we can go to plenary. JB: The comment that we had too many controversial articles ... i think our donors like the fact that we are a feisty party. Let's follow Craig's proposal. LW: Friendly amendment -- to send the last issue. CP: as member of Finance committee i need to have that statement sent from the GF editorial board. *** DECISION: Consensed to send a statement to the Finance committee based on Craig's proposal. >>> ACTION ITEM: Craig can send a sample to the editorial board. Next meeting is this sunday.