Minutes from Coordinating Committee Meeting on 2-17

Attending: Ellen Bovarnick, Ellen Finkelstein, Howard
Gale, Fred Miller, Marcia Mullins, Jean Buskin, Mike
Yarrow, Ruth Yarrow, Karissa Loewen, Sheila Morris,
John Morris, Mary Hanson
Regrets: Rad Cunningham, Carl Meyer, Brenda Collier

Shared a little more of personal histories, hopes and
fears for SNOW

Financial Report from Brenda (via Jean): As of Feb 10,
we had $9,000 ($4,000 of which is earmarked for staff
and office needs). Jean will get hard copies to CC
members.

Howard will work on a new SNOW leaflet.

I - Discussed groups proposal by Ruth, Karissa, and
Ellen B about three categories of membership and their
respective characteristics, responsibilities, and
privileges.

Approved [8 in favor; 2 opposed; 1 abstain]
Characteristics for organizational membership,
neighborhood group membership, and identity group
membership with the following changes:
1) Under organization: “The organization is one that
would continue to exist without its affiliation to
SNOW” (deleted “existed before the Dec. 8, 2001, SNOW
event”)
2) Under identity group: “An identity group is one
that has some recognizable, definable affiliation ”
will be modified [by subcommittee] to reflect that
it’s other than a neighborhood group and that it is
“fundamental to its members’ identity”

Approved [10 in favor; 1 abstain]
Responsibilities for all three groups as written in
proposal.

Subcommittee (Howard, Ruth, Ellen B, Marcia) to come
back to next meeting with Privileges section proposal.

This will include further consideration of:
CC representation 
Events listings (include question of whether there
should be an approval process)
Money (SNOW giving $$ to groups, and asking SNOW
groups, including neighborhoods for donations)
Resources 
Listserv and e-mail

Also subcommittee to consider the issue of more than
one group in a neighborhood.

II –  Discussion of what’s next for SNOW, including a
brainstorm of ideas and discussion of strategy.

Suggestion to "clump" ideas from brainstorm into
categories. Proposal to talk about objectives first.
[3 for objectives; 7 for clumping; 1 abstain]

Brainstorming was "clumped" into categories: big
event, medium event, campaign, structural.

Proposal to talk about objectives before choosing from
brainstorm. [8 in favor; 3 abstensions]

[Unanimous] Objectives defined as:
Build and strengthen the community to build peace
Oppose the war

Each person given five votes (5,4,3,2,1) to place with
brainstorm.

Top five ideas from brainstorm: SafeCo (big event),
Hire organizer (structural); CD/Direct Action (medium
event), SNOW gathering (big event), tax resistance
(campaign).

Other ideas included: national strike; concert; vets
for peace and kids; thanks to the world (France,
etc.); boycotts, etc. (with potential serious
consequences); support troops – bring them home [reach
out to their supporters; care packages to soldiers;
photos of military and Iraqi kids; banners with yellow
ribbons; poster; t-shirts]; organize in other
Congressional districts; impeach Bush campaign;
tabling/recruiting; workshop for banner; active
fundraising; build neighborhoods.

Some discussion about how to frame “Support our
Troops” in order to express our solidarity with and
concern for the people involved without supporting
their mission/institution. 

Discussion about how to present ideas to SNOW general
meeting on Tuesday (2-18).

Fred and Ellen B to write proposal incorporating ideas
into a campaign to take to SNOW general meeting. Will
e-mail to CC for feedback. Default is that the “top 5
ideas” will be presented instead.

NEXT MEETING: Monday, February 24, 7 pm, SNOW/WWFOR
office (225 N 70th)

Items left for next meeting:
Karissa’s proposal
Karissa’s authority: What can she decide as staff on
her own? When does she need CC input?
Guidelines for use of SNOW name
Fundraising
Day 5 (ER) planning