Date: Mon. April 21, 2003 7 - 10 PM
CC members present: Marcia Mullins, facilitating; Ellen Bovarnick, agenda compiler; Jean Buskin, notetaker; Ellen Finklestein, David Ward, Mike Yarrow, Ruth Yarrow.
Missing: Rad Cunningham (out of town) (Howard Gale has resigned from CC) (4 unfilled positions)
We do have a quorum, defined as 3/4 of available members.
Also present: Brenda Collier, Spencer Sundell, Charlotte Vanderwolf, John Bito, Fred Miller, Jay Gerring, Karissa Loewen.
TREASURER'S REPORT.
We have $9600 in hand, $14,000 in transit, most of that a contribution from Seattle Mennonite Church for staff. Brenda handed out a written report itemizing this, and answered questions. She will report once a month. We proclaimed her report "perfect."
WEBMASTER REPORT.
Spencer told us David Baum no longer wishes to host the SNOW web site on his site. Spencer has done research on providers. He will consult with previous webmaster, Carl Meyer, and barring advice to the contrary, change our host to Dream Host at ~$120/year, and our registrar to Pairnic.
LIST SERVS
Spencer has reminded users the purpose of the general SNOW list serv is for SNOW organizing. There have been extensive discussion not consistent with the goal of the list. Proposal, form new SNOW-discuss list serv, allowing unlimited discussion there, enforce use of the SNOW list serv. PASSED
SNOW ALTERNATE FORUM
History: an unofficial forum was started at a time that KVI listeners were posting lots of unfriendly messages to the SNOW forum. Users on the alternate forum were screened more stringently, and needed to oppose war. When users register, they are told it's not SNOW, yet the SNOW logo is used, as well as the SNOW name in both the name and URL.
Proposal: Spencer will ask the moderator whether they would now end the SNOW alternate forum, now that there are not active warmongers using the SNOW forum. If they are unwilling to come back to the official SNOW forum, they will be asked to stop using the SNOW logo and name. PASSED
FUNDRAISING.
Fred reported on several ongoing efforts.
- HAIR - the musical costs $45, if people buy tickets from Ticketmaster online http://www.ticketmaster.com or at the Theatre and they use the code "LOVE," then SNOW will get $10. Spencer and Karissa will see that this is on the web site and in the SNOW-announce bulletin. Show runs April 22 - May 4 at the 5th Avenue Theatre, 1308 5th Ave, downtown Seattle.
- Several people are talking about fundraising CONCERTS - one is planned Fri May 9, 7:30 p.m., light supper and snacks available for purchase, doors open 6 p.m., at the Emerald center, 6556 24th Ave NW, Ballard, Seattle; with Clallam County folk group, benefits SNOW and Ballard Peace Activists, $10 suggested donation, advance tickets 206-789-5282
- The "One Hundred Dollar" club has one paid member, 3 pledges. Brenda sensibly asks should previous generous donors be considered members. YES.
- Fred is thinking about organizing phoning for donations, getting neighborhood groups to do phoning.
Fred and Mike are coordinating fundraising efforts. Ruth, Marcia and Charlotte agreed to work on fundraising along with others not at the meeting.
Proposal. We continue maintaining the PayPal account that Peggy Wolf initiated and has been maintaining, and Spencer to put this on the web-site for donations. PASSED. Spencer will contact Peggy.
SNOW STAFF.
ORGANIZER.
Mike, Ellen B, Rad are the committee and are reviewing applications. All will be away at times in the near future. Jean and David were added to the committee to fill in the gaps. CC would like us to move quickly.OFFICE STAFF.
Karissa is leaving at the end of the month. She has written a description of her job, and we want this finalized and posted ASAP. We want to hire as soon as possible, but it's uncertain whether a new person can be hired quickly enough to overlap. Volunteers including Marcia will try to learn the job and serve as a patch to bridge Karissa and the new person.
ENDORSEMENT POLICY.
People who ask for endorsements need a response: request received, and then later agreed or not. Proposal: someone on the CC should serve as a point person for all endorsement requests. PASSED. Ellen B volunteered for this task, and we agreed that we would try an all-email mechanism for the next couple weeks, and see how it works.
CRITERIA FOR ALL AREAS EVENTS ON WEB.
History: SNOW events and SNOW-endorsed events, and neighborhood group events of particular broad interest (as subjectively decided by office staff person) are included in the SNOW-announce bulletins. Less stringent criteria are used for the "all areas" events on the web.
Proposal: use same narrower criteria as on SNOW announce for the "all areas" web events. PASSED. Karissa will contact event organizers for events currently on "all areas" not filling criteria, to see about SNOW endorsements.
Proposal to have a separate area for other peace events consistent with SNOW points of agreement but not meeting above criteria TABLED for future discussion.
PENDING ENDORSEMENT REQUESTS.
May 2 - 3, Seattle University, 900 Broadway, Seattle. "Peace and War in the Age of Globalization" conference with well-known peacemakers including Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Roman Catholic Bishop of Detroit,. Rev. Drew Christiansen, S.J., Assoc. Editor, America Magazine, Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, Lutheran Theologian. Several workshops on topics of peace and non-violence from ecumenical perspectives will also be offered. $75, info: www.seattleu.edu/go/peaceconf, (206) 296-5320 or email: damhsoir@seattleu.edu, YES, ENDORSE - note that Ruth is doing a workshop. US Farmers. Request for SNOW to publicize and support drive to get Snoqualmie Valley-grown food to Iraq for relief. NO, will not yet agree, Ellen B. to ask for more information. PCC - request to help publicize their membership meeting and proposals for PCC to oppose war, and to allow employees to wear tasteful anti-war buttons. AGREE, will put on SNOW-announce list
NEXT BIG EVENT.
In the works an event May 31, A planning meeting is set for Weds April 23, 7 p.m. at FOR/SNOW office.
MEDIA COMMITTEE report.
David reported, main purpose is to promote SNOW issues, messages, events. Goals are to maximize favorable time and space coverage for SNOW issues, messages, events; become resource foe media; help neighborhoods with press work such as press releases. David will email CC for responses, media committee wants CC feedback.
Media committee has mixed opinions on advisability of initiating a media watch project. Is there enough energy? CC recommended against this and some expressed disapproval of the hostile tone they had seen in some media watch proposals.
LIAISONS to neighborhood groups.
Karissa has been working on refining the clusters of groups with a liaison. There is a proposal to have 8 (that is, 2 additional) liaisons. That will be discussed with current liaisons, and then with the CC. This would mean we have 4 vacant positions to fill: Marcia's, Howard's, 2 new. Also the groups themselves are supposed to choose their own liaisons, so the initial liaisons were just temporary.
SNOW FOCUS.
Ruth convened a group of 4 CC members and 5 others who volunteered to work on the suggestions made at the last general meeting, both the brainstorm session and the written suggestions. Ruth had already emailed the distilled list of suggestions to the CC, w major work.
GENERAL MEETING.
Ellen B will facilitate. Ellen F will compile agenda. Items continuing from last time include: large event for May 31; SNOW focus, fundraising. Meeting, thanks to Ellen B., is: Monday, April 28th, 7 p.m., First Congregational Church, 108th Ave. at NE 8th St., Bellevue
ECONOMIC JUSTICE.
Charlotte requested 5 minutes to talk about economic justice from a libertarian point of view at the next SNOW general meeting. NO, decided this would not be the appropriate place.
SPEAKER OPPORTUNITY.
Charlotte asked for a SNOW speaker for Libertarian party convention April 26, nobody present could do this, suggested a few possibilities.
SNOW OFFICE STAFF REPORT.
Karissa will be leaving soon. On parting she told us some of the difficult parts of the job. She recommends the CC appoint one person to be the office staff liaison, with regular check-ins. CC expressed appreciation to Karissa for a heroic job: carving out her own job description under evolving circumstances; being SNOW's point person during the KVI onslaught, and during the war; dealing with endless email and phone inquiries; coordinating volunteers including high maintenance ones; working competently and nonviolently and being a welcoming presence for SNOW. BRAVA!
STAFF REPORTS.
Proposal: have a regular agenda item for staff reports at every CC meeting, giving each staff person an opportunity to bring up any issues they want to report on or get feedback on. TABLE.