Agenda

6:30pm – Doors Open

7:00pm – Call to Order

Welcome

• Sign in
• Review Community Agreements
• Land Acknowledgement
• Approval of agenda
• Approval of last meeting’s minutes

Guest Speaker

• Sin Sity Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, presenting on World AIDS Day

Treasurer’s Report

Abolition and Community Safety Campaign Update

• Naloxone Training to be held December 4th – Register here

Cultivating Desert Power Campaign Update

Socialist Feminist Section Update

Mutual Aid Working Group

• Preparing for December’s Holiday Solidarity – discussing the venue, host, and fundraising

Proposing Priority Campaigns

• Learn how to write a priority campaign and hear ideas from comrades for a possible legislative session campaign

Additional Ways to Get Involved

• Communications Working Group
• Member Engagement Working Group

Open Comment Period

8:30pm – Adjourn

Meeting Minutes

Chair: Shaun Navarro, on behalf of Anthony Lambert

Secretary: Sarah Leavitt

1. Call to order 7:11 PM
   1. Attendance: 16 on zoom, in person about 9
2. We had changes to agenda, new agenda was emailed out yesterday. Agenda adopted by unanimous consent.
3. Billy aka Sister Prudence:
   1. World AIDS Day is 1 December, started 1988. International day of dedication to raising awareness of HIV and AIDS. As of 2020 AIDS has killed 36.3 million worldwide. Epidemic has decreased due to anti-retroviral medications but many are still affected.
   2. I am HIV+, have been for 17 years. It is what brought me to being an activist and a Sister.
   3. Went to Wellness Center (free clinic) looking for guidance and was referred to newly diagnosed group, then long-term survivor group where I met people who became Sisters, who helped me look to the future.
   4. HIV 101 by speakers bureau, I started speaking with them and dealing with emotions. I found the person that gave me HIV, they were very flippant, and speaking helped me work through that.
   5. Invitation: Saturday 12/3 at 12:00 PM at New Orleans Square (where the Nunnery is), we are making a human red ribbon, approx 30 min commitment. Followed by refreshments and speaking. Reading names of folks who have passed away from AIDS. Wearing a red dress or just red is encouraged.
   6. With us today is Sister Venus Fly Trap, welcome.
   7. Donate to us at 
4. Treasurer’s report by Aimee
   1. Only large expenditures were Holiday Solidarity and Sunday Solidarity related
   2. Renewed storage unit, Zoom, and Canva
   3. Received dues share last month
   4. HolSol by the numbers included in Trez report
   5. Anyone who wants to look at our financials, everyone has the right to see them, please email Aimee at lasvegasdsa@gmail.com
5. Abolition & Community Safety Priority Update – Ephraim
   1. Upcoming event: naloxone training with Wild West Access Fund. At Edgar Flores’ office, Bonanza & Eastern.
   2. December Holiday Solidarity: want to do another brake light clinic! In the parking lot at New Orleans Square (where the Nunnery is).
6. Cultivating Desert Power Priority Update – Lisa O.
   1. Thanks to Sisters for their work, I have a close friend who passed away of AIDS and will be there Saturday
   2. 47x more money than ever coming to the states for urban forestry.
   3. Lots of funding coming in for combating urban heat island. We want to encourage more racial diversity and equity on the committee if anyone is interested.
   4. Basin & Range Watch is working on a bill – may be rooftop solar or something else solar related.
   5. Come to our next meeting Dec 15 at 7:00 PM on Zoom.
7. SocFem
   1. NLG is doing research and Discuss potential legislation to expand and protect abortion access in Nevada for upcoming leg session. Stay tuned for more.
8. Mutual & Community Aid – Justin N
   1. Making 200 meal kits feeding over 1,000 people.
   2. We served 100 hot prepared meals.
   3. Special thanks to Rose Ann and Annette who cooked FIVE turkeys! And a bunch of other food
   4. December 17 & 18 at the Nunnery
   5. Dec 17 packing meal kits
   6. Dec 18 doing delivery, as well as making it a big community event
      1. Live music!
      2. Brake light clinic!
      3. Food truck!
      4. Priorities and Co-sponsors tabling!
      5. Book swap!
   7. Meetings every Wednesday at 7:00 PM on Zoom.
   8. We need help with planning roles and leadership roles! Contact Justin or Rahman or join us at a meeting.
      1. Publicity Lead: post to socials, send out emails, work with Chris Payne who is doing graphics.
      2. Delivery driver lead/trainer
      3. Signage lead – it’s a big area this time, we will need a lot of signs
   9. Anthony: we need to raise money – a lot of money! It’s hard in December. Last month we raised $10,000 in a few weeks. Now we’re asking them just a paycheck away.
      1. If every DSA member gets 5 donations – doesn’t matter the amount – we can do this. When you do, post in the Slack!
      2. When you ask for donations, make sure you have a personal story of why you contribute/participate in HolSol.
      3. Skyler, will you donate? $40 helps feed a family of four.
      4. This is our Socialist holiday party! Our goal is to feed families but also spend time with each other.
9. Priority Campaigns
   1. Anthony: our chapter can adopt up to 3 priority campaigns. This allows us to focus our efforts. Anyone can write a priority campaign
      1. Scope
      2. Objectives – what’s the end goal or goals?
      3. Estimated time and resources – what would it take? E.g. if we were going to canvass for a ballot measure, we would quantify how many doors, how many volunteers, how many hours.
      4. Not value statements like “we believe in this.” But actual concrete goals.
   2. Val T.: believe we should adopt a legislative priority.
      1. We do still have a democratic supermajority in state leg. A lot of them want to be viewed as progressive.
      2. We historically have had a lot of success in electoral work.
      3. A legislative priority can be about many things. So hopefully we can harness people’s individual passions to increase member engagement.
      4. Involves directly and indirectly communicating and applying pressure to electeds.
   3. Rachel E.:
      1. Current physics grad student at UNLV.
      2. Trying to create a group of graduate workers at UNLV and UNR.
      3. We are seeking stipend increases, healthcare coverage across the board including medical dental and vision. Promote safe working conditions like COVID safety protocols, pregnancy and parental leave. Prevention of workplace harassment including long working hours.
      4. How does this relate to DSA? DSA are great at organizing workers. It would also be too little to fight just for graduate students.
      5. On disability income, I cannot have any property over $2,000 or I will lose my benefits.
      6. Anthony: being led by a member of Northern Nevada DSA, and a lot of active people doing it are LVDSA members. Anthony and Natasha are in the slack watching them organize and communicate. They have been working hard for 8 months and are on track. NV Faculty Alliance is going to put forth a measure sponsored by Sarah Peters (a legislator in Washoe County).
      7. Rachel: we are fighting to be able to bargain as workers. There is also a federal bill that has been proposed to remove the income cap for Social Security benefits.
   4. Anthony:
      1. There is also a piece of legislation regarding protecting and expanding abortion access in Nevada.
10. Communications Working Group! Led by Natasha
    1. Need people to help make graphics and write copy for our social media posts
11. Member Engagement Working Group (MEWG) – skyler
    1. Planning our next new member orientation, need facilitators
    2. Also need people to help update slides
    3. We also plan socials and events
12. Shaun has no boundaries.
13. Open Comment
    1. Anthony: shout out to Tamara! Did you recently get a national position?
    2. Tamara: yes! I’m on the national board for Harassment & Grievance Officers.
    3. Make that money for HolSol! DM people on your socials.
    4. If Jon Ralston donates $10,000 Shaun will leave Twitter forever.
14. Meeting adjourned 8:12 PM