Minutes for SNOW Meeting, December 30, 2002 Phinney Neighborhood Center, 7 PM to 9 PM Over 60 people attending, facilitated by Brenda Collier, notes by Ruth Yarrow REPORTS FROM NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS * Bellevue, Issaquah, etc. (Eastside Suburban Peace Network):  Regular vigils with good media coverage - Eastside Journal, Seattle Times, King 5 etc. * Downtown / Belltown: Tabling at Pike Place Market every weekend, selling bumper stickers, buttons; setting up No War Zone with many signs up. * Northeast Seattle (Ravenna, University Village) Vigils at Univ. Village with 95% positive responses, potluck on Jan. 18, signs on overpass * Shoreline: Vigils at the entrace to I-5 and Costco, event at Shoreline Library on Jan. 4. * Magnolia: Vigil at Magnolia Village 10 - 2 on every Saturday since 12/8, giving handouts on writing letters to representatives, contacting media; conversation cafes on Thurs. nights at Q-cafe 15th and Dravis; banner over bridge. *Rainier Valley (Rainier Valley Neighbors for Peace): Vigils three Sundays at stores in malls, over 20 people each; 60 on mailing list; article in local paper * Lake Forest Park (Lake Forest Park for Peace) : Weekly vigils on Saturdays 11 - 12, at Bothell and Barringer * Fremont: Vigiling and tabling at market; event Friday with Congressman Jim McDermott and Bert Sacks, 7 p.m., at Trinity United Methodist Church, 23rd NW & NW 65th *Bothell: Meeting on Dec. 21, holding signs Friday 4 - 6. * West Seattle: Candlelight vigil Sunday 5 - 6 PM; Saturdays 11 AM - 1 PM California SW and SW Alaska - "The Junction Function" * Mt. Vernon: 50 people covering every overpass with No Iraq War signs * Central District: postering, talking to neighbors * Capitol Hill: Event Jan. 2, 7 p.m., Central Lutheran Church, 1710 11th Ave, with Congressman Jim McDermott * Ballard: Peace March Jan 1, rally 11 a.m., NW 65th & 15th NW, Noon march to Bergen Park, NW Market St & 22nd NW for rally * Potlucks for Peace, region wide campaign, Please sign up on the website potlucksforpeace.org to host a potluck on Jan. 18. *NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT;  A group of volunteers has been serving as contacts with neighborhood groups, for example making sure groups know about membership in SNOW as an option, and gathering names of people interested in CD.  SNOW should provide leaflets which adhere to the SNOW principles, be readable, and accurate.  5000 copies of the 4-page folded leaflet with the photo of Iraqi girl on the cover are being printed and will be available at the next events and in the FOR office.  Some future leaflets will be shorter and simpler, to fit on a half sheet with option for neighborhood groups to print their info on reverse. * MEMBERSHIP IN SNOW - AGREED: Groups, including neighborhood groups formed on Dec. 8, can consider if they want to join the SNOW coalition, and if so need to agree to the points of agreement and let Jean Buskin know at bb369@scn.org.  Neighborhood groups should feel they can act on their own if the event is not billed as a SNOW event. CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE Working Group report: *  AGREED:  SNOW will support a Jan. 16 event (the anniversary of the start of the Gulf War) is planned with a noon rally complete with sound system legally on the sidewalk near the Federal Building, followed by possible civil disobedience taking a wreath with information about those who died in the Gulf War and its aftermath to Federal property.  NONVIOLENCE TRAININGS * Trainings are encouraged for everyone, especially for those thinking about nonviolent resistance.They are planned (and more in the works): NONVIOLENCE TRAINING Sat. Jan 4, Trinity United Methodist Church, 6512 23rd Ave. NW, 1-6 PM, facilitators Ellen Finkelstein and Erica Kay. NONVIOLENCE TRAINING Sat. Jan 11, 10 - 4, probably in West Seattle.  facilitators Rosy Betz-Zall and Caroline Wildflower RSVP REQUIRED.  For more information and to sign up, contact Ellen Finklestein at ehf5@yahoo.com, (206) 935-0653 or John Bito at jwb@qpass.com or 206-979-3071.  Suggested $5 to $50. NONVIOLENCE TRAINING FOR WOMEN ONLY, (not a SNOW event, but all women welcome) Jan. 12, something like 1-6 p.m., in Seattle.  $10-$60, no-one turned away for lack of funds.  Facilitators Vivien Sharples and Erica Kay. contact vivs@igc.org or 206-329-8378 for more information or to register MEDIA COMMITTEE PROPOSAL by Glen Gersmehl * AGREED: SNOW will support a Media Committee to take such action as they and the neighborhood groups think will help get out the word.  This could include meeting with editorial boards, urging them to give missing perspectives and accurate reports,  and supplying speakers to talk shows. Summit to Develop a Peace Agenda * AGREED: Though organizing a summit to develop a peace agenda sounds good, we have too much else happening to take this on at this time. Those interested can contact  Dick Burkhart: 721-5672; dickburkhart@attbi.com. Interim Coordinating Committee PROPOSAL ON COORDINATING COMMITTEE * The meeting commended the half dozen people who have worked on this proposal.  AGREED:  6 interim Coordinating Committee members to continue until we are able to replace them with the permanent members. First step, immediately invite a permanent member from 3 existing Working Groups, to be chosen by the working groups. *Neighborhood Support Working Groups (the 7 people now liaisons to neighborhoods) *CD Working Group *Administrative Working Group (e.g. Brenda Collier as treasurer, Mike in FOR office, Fred getting volunteers for office) Next step: as these groups form and are better defined, they will select reps. *The Education Outreach etc. Group *Production Events Group Proposal needs somewhat more definition, eventually to have 6 neighborhood reps.  In some way, nice to have liaisons from each neighborhood group to the Coordinating Committee.  Proposal was that each neighborhood group would be assigned to one of the 6 reps, so each rep is responsible for bringing the concerns of their own group and the assigned groups.  Referred back to Coordinating Committee to consider whether groups that are official SNOW members are treated the same as non-members, etc. SNOW LIST SERV * Webmaster Carl Meyer informed us that there are now four SNOW lists, and the first is the most important to join: 1) SNOW announce list that tells specifics about events - this is the only moderated list, and has low volume.  2) SNOW list that provides an opportunity for lots of discussion 3) SNOW news list with informative articles and 4) SNOW group list to enable neighborhood groups to contact each other.  Some people volunteered to help with this big task.  We thanked Carl for all his work.  For more information, go to www.snowcoalition.org. MORE ABOUT LIST SERVS.  Due to the recent change in function of the lists, event announcements are now being posted to both SNOW, and SNOW-announce.  Soon announcements will ONLY go to SNOW-announce.  It is recommended that everyone signs up for SNOW-announce.  It is quick and easy to sign up or unsubscribe to any of the lists at the web site www.snowcoalition.org SNOW MEETING SCHEDULE * Next Meeting JANUARY 7, 7 P.M., KEYSTONE CHURCH, 5019 Keystone N AGREED: After the Jan. 7 meeting, we will meet every other week, on Mondays unless a holiday falls on that day, when we will meet on the next day (Tuesday).  LEAFLET EDITING AGREED: A small group of 7 people, Ellen Finklestein, Greg Speltz, Sue Davidson, Jean Buskin, Ruth Yarrow, Ellen Bovarnick and Howard Gale, volunteered to work as editors of SNOW leaflets, and if 3 or more approve, the leaflet can be reproduced.  3 new leaflets are in the works and soon will be available as paper copies and on the web site to download. MLK DAY CELEBRATION Jan. 20 AGREED: This is a time to join in a mass demonstration and recruit many others, linking the issues of racism and opposition to war.  Held at Garfield, workshops start at 9:30 AM, rally at 11, march at noon.  Everyone encouraged to participate, bring SNOW and neighborhood banners and antiwar signs.  Theme is "MLK'S CALL TO CONSCIOUSNESS:  SUPPORT THE POOR, NO MORE WAR!" EMERGENCY RESPONSE NETWORK SNOW, the Green Party, Not in Our Name, No War Against Iraq Coalition, and the Church Council of Greater Seattle form the Emergency Response Network which has agreed on actions in the event of a war for that day and the days following.  Day One with have a 5 PM rally at the Rederal Buyilding, then march to Westlake.  Day Two will have a noon rally at the Federal Building and 4 march to Westlake for 4:30 rally, joined by other marches. * Day 5 will be the SNOW coalition's day to organize.  Please contact Fred Miller with ideas at fredisfree@yahoo.com, (206) 789-6863. * SNOW will have speakers on Days 1 and 2; contact Fred Miller with suggestions.  * 50,000 yellow cards with the essential information have been printed; people volunteered to take them to the events in Greenlake on Dec. 31 and Ballard on Jan 1. The meeting was adjourned shortly after 9 PM, with thanks to Brenda Collier for facilitating.