Regular Monthly Meeting

May 20, 2021
  • (6:35 PM) Call to Order
    • The meeting begins at 5:36 with 58 attendees and quorum is met
  • Adoption of the agenda & approval of previous (April 15th, 2021) minutes
  • Agenda
    • Community guidelines, Robert’s Rules, Zoom etiquette, membership & voting
    • Welcome to DSA & Member survey – Kara H.
    • Fill out the Member Survey if you haven’t before, only about 30% have filled it out yet.
    • Sign up for a phone/text bank! A lot of events and ways to get to know each other, opportunities to be involved.
      • Reading groups
        • Red Deal by the Red Nation: will be purchasing as the chapter the books. Fill out this form if interested here. No start date but want to wait, likely around June.
        • We Do This ‘Til We Free Us Book Club: An anonymous donor has offered to purchase the books. Fill out this form if interested here.
      • We will tie in the readings with the work we are doing directly.
    • Design Contest Vote – Tiffany S.
      • Design contest for merch will be on the ballot tonight. Rank choice voting. Rank the 12 designs and types of merch in the order you prefer. We may not be only choosing one design. All merch is always union-made. Want to have multiple types of merch to choose from. People will crop the top for you if you so desire.
    • Chapter video – Anthony L.
      • Making a video that will be used at new member orientations to get to know about us and a recruitment tool. Easy to participate and want you to join. Tell us 2 sentences that start with “I Fight For…” person, thing, and then end with “together”. Different cuts that will line up. Go to member in-person social next week an hour early, two people are volunteering to do this video. DM Anthony in Slack if you want to participate or message him in zoom. Will be filming down next week. New and old members are welcome. Member Social Sign-Up: https://lvdsa.org/events/member-social-2021-05-28/
    • DSA National Convention – NPC member, Blanca Estévez
      • The convention is the highest democratic body in DSA. Every two years delegates come together (this year online) and we make decisions for the organization. This year it will be virtual. August 1-8. Will be some things that are live-streamed. The media does pay attention and observers from other leftist parties from around the world to view our convention.  A lot of resolutions have been written to be discussed and voted on at the convention. As a delegate, you represent your chapter. We will get 7 delegates and one alternate. It will be great but it is work. We do have work to do and political decisions to make because we are in a pivotal time. It is not a walk in the park. Take breaks. Take care of yourself during conventions. Have a group chat with your fellow delegates. Ask questions and be curious. If this is your first convention, don’t be afraid to ask. You won’t be doing this alone. Any questions about the convention? Feel free to email convention@dsausa.org
      • People are coming from across the country to join us to have a virtual convention. All are welcome from the chapter to join. Group Rates: Link
      • Delegate Elections
        • Rank choice voting: we have to do it even though we have an uncontested election. Tiffany would like to be the alternative and has asked to be considered voted last because we can not appoint her alt. Feel free to ask the delegate candidates about the convention.
    • LVDSA Bylaws Resolution 2nd Vote – Kara H.
      • Brief Overview: EC-specific positions (cochairs, etc), new would be an 11 person elected at-large steering committee with portfolios and can change during their terms and allows collaboration and allows for flexibility. Move towards a priority model and will help make things a bit less overwhelming and we would decide as a general body what we want to do. Change through the year if we need to. Helps build leadership. Smaller working groups can still exist. Caucus will be around for political orientations and advocate for certain political decisions and slates for leadership. Identity-based sections, such as soc fem. A new grievance system will help with less severe issues and will account for disagreements. Election endorsements would be separate from priorities and each candidate would go through the process. Racial justice needs to be worked into every resolution. 
      • Resolution overview: read the resolution here – Tiffany S.
      • Priority resolutions – After the bylaws pass an annual convention will happen to vote through the resolutions. You will need to convince people to vote for your priority. We will only choose 3 priorities. 
  • Chapter Officer & Committee Reports
    1. Written Reports Here
  • Open comment
    • Kara H – 2 new caucuses in the dem party, creating into existence doesn’t have to be part of the central committee, just be a registered dem voter. More people we have to register and sign up for the caucus that meets quarterly, it is helpful.
      1. Disability Caucus – hoping to be chair and other DSA members set to be officers on there. Do not have to have a disability to be a part of it –
      2. Queer Caucus – LKGBT+ and Allies, open to everyone that is a democratic voter. Ash will most likely be chair of the Queer Caucus and they are still looking for people to serve as officers as well. If you are interested in an officer position, please mark that on the queer caucus sign-up sheet.
    • Michael W – Central comm did not make quorum but thank you to all that came. Mark your calendars for an election date Thursday, July 29th at 6:30 PM in Person, location TBD. Determined that the bylaws do not allow for hybrid meetings. Working to make it accessible for everyone. People want to undo the progress that has been made, all the e-bard seats are up for election. Must be a member of the central committee and a registered dem voter for 90 days can run. All seats for officer positions at the state level belong to DSA members. Let’s keep DSA in the mix.
    • Brenden B – For anyone that has been a part of the PRO Act campaign and calling people to access the country to do one or so shifts. Every Thursday at 3 pm and happening next week and the one is the last one. The goal of one million dials before next week. Digital outreach campaign to spread the word about the PRO Act on TikTok and Twitter. If you want to join, message Brenden your email address.
    • Aimee H – Racial justice meeting on May 26th at 7 pm. Sunday Solidarity May 30th event 2 – 4 pm handing out supplies to houseless folks, working with local Mosque. Donations will be accepted.
    • Shaun N – Donate Venmo, day of, drop off locations with the NV Dems. Reach out to Shun to help plan the best way to drop off. Most supplies are great, sunscreen might be extra needed. Venmo @LasVegas-DSA-2 with a note “Sunday Solidarity”
    • Kara – Will be making buttons there too
    • Aimee H – Lithium mine resistance Northern NV DSA chapter and the indigenous people. Fighting the mine. Link
    • Stacey – Please stay in the touch with the Nevada Coalition Against the Death Penalty: https://www.facebook.com/nvcadp/
    • Ainslee – If you want to work on mining taxes and emergency phone banks are next week. https://bit.ly/minetaxpb
    • Erika B – America on Fire reading on  Black Rebellion with the education committee book club every other Wednesday starting in June and when finished in August we will have Dr.Hinten at an discussion on a Saturday.
  • Educational Segment: Zionism and Resistance – Margot C. 
    • Protest this weekend, we will do it every weekend until Palestine is free! Solidarity with Palestine. Palestine rally: Link  
  • Adjourn
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