GMO Campaign Meeting Notes - 8/19/13 (Public Version)

Attendance: 5 people

Agenda

1. Introductions and vision building question musing by each of us.
   Each responded to the fourth question below:
   • What is my vision for the world that I want to live in?
   • What do I see myself doing for that to come about? (What contribution?)
   • What kind of ancestor do I wish to be?  What am I leaving behind for future generations?
   • How is my life today connected to my vision of the future?
   • What skills do I have now to create my vision?
   • What skills do I need to develop to create my vision?

   Responses: making efforts to reduce carbon footprint by bicycling; finding courage to talk to strangers about vision; writing 'letters to the editor'; saving the environment for future generations by fighting Monsanto today; holding a vision and keep thinking about it. It is good to say what we're against, but also good to create positive counter examples. Quoted: 'do something that's outside of the system every day' (Cynthia McKinney)

2. Welcome Newcomers and Introductions
   No new members attended this meeting.
   Discussed:  
   • Meeting schedule
   • Hand signals
   • Consensus methods
     1. Thumbs method - used by Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Santa Rosa
     2. Objections method - used by OSC. A proposal is approved if no objections. If objection raised, an attempt can be made to modify proposal to allay concerns of objector or objector may be asked 'can you live with the proposal?'

• Agenda Review
  Approved and ordered the agenda items:
  • Propose/approve new schedule and locations for future OSC meetings
  • Discuss sponsoring house meeting events with documentary screenings of 'The World According to Monsanto'
  • Devise OSC action plan for helping WA state activists with GMO Labeling initiative I522
  • Discuss 'Global March Against Monsanto' event to be held on October 12
• Reports Back
  • networking: attending events and spreading the word about GMOs and publicizing the 10/12 march.
  • collecting information on GMOs to distribute to others. Found a booklet on GMOs at the Sonoma County Fair that is the best ever seen. Will bring it to the next GMO Campaign meeting.
  • the OSC 8/12 Basic Media Training event was videotaped. A YouTube account for OSC and will have the video on it. When the video is ready, We will email the list a link to the video and will also email all of the handouts that were distributed at the event.
  • maintains the OSC Facebook page 3-4 times per week. Answers users' questions. Currently about 230 people on the page with about 5-10 new people added per day. The event page for the 10/12 March is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/529929657044785/.
  • will be updating the OSC Shopper's Guide soon with about 50 new companies to research and will be downgrading two companies currently listed as heroes (Organic Valley and Applegate). Working out how to market the Shopper's Guide. The person that was handling the graphics for the guide is not currently available, so we may use a good graphic background to make the guide more attractive.
  • Media & Publicity group met for the first time on 8/5 by phone conference call. The meeting was very productive. While the basic structure of M&P is being worked out, the group will be limited. In October or November, others will be invited to join the group.
  • working out the details on using the Environmental Center for 2nd & 3rd Monday meetings.
• Propose/approve new schedule and locations for future OSC meetings
  Proposed new meeting schedule to be discussed at Monthly Meeting (provided that UUC accepts date change):
  1st Monday: Media & Publicity Group by conference call
  2nd Monday: Monthly Meeting at the Environmental Center
  3rd Monday: Community Wellness/Free School at the Environmental Center (EC)
  4th Monday: GMO Campaign at the UUC

  The UUC is anticipated to be available on the 4th Monday for OSC GMO Meeting.

  Action items:

  • __ confirm that OSC is booked on the EC meeting schedule beginning on 9/9.
  • __ confirm that our EC sponsor is willing/able to attend the 2nd & 3rd Mondays at the EC.
  • __ follow up on the list of Starbucks that will allow us to use their space for our 8/26 Monthly Meeting. Keep the following in mind for choice: close bus stop and available parking.
  • __ make request to UUC to change GMO Campaign meeting date from 3rd to 4th Monday. 
• Discuss sponsoring house meeting events with documentary screenings of 'The World According to Monsanto'
  Positive response to house meeting idea. Willing to loan out DVD for showings. Need to create a 'toolbox of tactics' for holding house meetings. Best to wait until after the 10/12 March to start showings. Might want to set a date (or dates) for showings so we can create house event flyers to distribute at the march.

  Action items:

  • __ find out if 'The World According to Monsanto' is available to stream for free on the Internet.
• Devise OSC action plan for helping WA state activists with GMO Labeling initiative I 522
  This topic was discussed at the last Monthly Meeting. Everyone at that meeting was in favor of using all four of our scheduled Monday meetings in October for OSC phone banking as well as the first Monday in November prior to the election. We (at GMO meeting) approved the plan. Two people will coordinate and assist phone callers. One will act as a liasion with the WA state activists for coordinating our efforts with them. We will check on availability of P&J Center for the first Mondays of October and November to phone bank there. If wi-fi is available at each location, then phone banking will be coordinated using Internet software.  All volunteers will be asked to bring cell phones and their personal laptops if they have them. Otherwise, printed phone lists will be distributed to volunteers.  Phone bankers will make calls to Washington state voters from their own cell phones.  

  Action items:

  • __ email contact info for WA state activists.
  • __ get phone script and any advice from WA on phone banking.
  • __ invite members of the Environmental Center to help with phone banking.
  • __ email UUC list invitation to help with phone banking. 
• Discuss 'Global March Against Monsanto' event to be held on October 12
  Discussion items:
  • Get endorsements (see action items for candidates)
  • Determine route:
    Include 4th Street in route. Post flyers along the route before the march. Request that Santa Rosa 'block off' part of the route
  • Create flyers a month before the event & include endorsements (on back)
  • Submit Press Release
  • Submit Letters to the Editor to Press Democrat, Sonoma West Times, New Bohemian
  • Need a sound system
  • Need to book the Hub Bub band

  Action items:

  • __ get endorsements from: Label GMOs, MoveOn, Northbay Labor Council, Slow Food, Sebastopol Grange, Occupy Sebastopol
  • __ get endorsements from Occupy Petaluma, Move to Amend
  • __ get endorsements from UUC, Social Advocates, Northbay Organizing Project
  • __ get endorsement from Peace & Justice Center
  • __ get endorsement from Green Party of Sonoma County
  • __ provide a sample 'letter to the editor' to OSC list
  • __ get phone script and any advice from WA on phone banking
  • __ invite members of the Environmental Center to help with phone banking
  • __ email UUC list invitation to help with phone banking

Next GMO Campaign meeting is tentatively Monday, September 23, 7-9 PM. 547 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa.