Agenda

Times are approximate and subject to change at the Chair’s discretion.

Meeting Minutes

Chair: Anthony L

Notetaker: Tiffany S.

• Called to order at 7:05pm
  • Aimee motions to adopt the agenda, no one opposed, agenda is adopted
  • Angel motions to adopt last meeting’s minutes, no one opposed, meeting minutes are adopted
  • Review Action items from last meeting
    • All were completed
• Regional Organizer Retreat Update
  • Date – April 23-24th
  • Natasha sent suggestions for food/venues to Garrick
  • We have 15 slots for participants from our chapter
    • How will we choose participants? Perhaps open a form for people to apply? Stewards/HGO get priority maybe?
      • Anthony: Is there a deadline to submit our list of participants?
        • Natasha: No firm deadline, but since no one from our chapter has to travel to participate we probably have more time.
  • We have to plan the social
    • Our choice whether we do Friday or Saturday but national likes Friday so people can get to know each other
    • No firm deadline on when we need the details ironed out
      • Anthony: Suggests we try to finalize it in time to go out in the member email about the retreat
  • We need volunteers for solidarity housing still
    • Natasha will contact Garrick for more details on what that entails so we can pitch it to members
    • Natasha will ask what the deadline is to submit our list
    • Aimee: With covid and the difficulties members are facing with unstable housing, 15 is a lot and we may not be able to get that many volunteers
    • Natasha: Agreed, 15 is ambitious, 5 feels more reasonable
  • Anthony: Can we put together an email to members explaining in more detail about the retreat, opening a form for applications, requesting volunteers for solidarity housing, and promoting the social which will be open to folks not participating in the retreat?
    • Natasha: Yes, will get language from national about the retreat
• Red Rabbits Training Recap
  • Mike attended a Red Rabbits training since our last meeting
  • Training covered the report about internal conflict and a new security memo
  • Steering Committee needs to model good behavior and provide stability
  • Requires buy-in from members to build a security culture
  • Other chapters have a security working group
  • Heavy emphasis on having a grievance process in place
  • Sharing pictures of members on social media – perhaps we need to talk through a policy around this?
  • Tamara has asked about our vetting process for letting members on to Slack
  • Emphasized marshaling, marshals should be in service of organizing. We should think about designating someone to assess security measures ahead of time.
  • Coalition building is important, insularity breeds mistrust
  • Tips in the training on how to classify information
  • Aimee suggests that Mike talk to Ahmed for localized knowledge on the westside
  • Anthony will fill out the Red Rabbits chapter survey and mark Victoria as the point of contact

• Merch Update

• • Housing Justice Sweatshirt preorder was reopened, only two sweatshirts have been preordered
    • Tiffany plans to let those people know that we didn’t meet our threshold to be able to have an order, so they can get a refund or they can put it towards a future merch purchase
  • Tiffany said that the prices of Fii Marketing does not seem like it will be affordable for us, Tiffany will go back to PDQ & Artkore for estimates
  • Tiffany shares merch designs
    • Suggests ordering a bunch of one style of t-shirt then selling them all before moving on to the next thing, because it will be the most affordable
    • A 500 roll of stickers is about $150, Tiffany has been working on some designs
• AfroSoc Section
  • Aimee is inspired by socfem to start an AfroSoc section to create a space for people of color in our chapter.
  • National AfroSoc has been supportive and sent over resources including sample bylaws
  • Aimee is working on getting others involved
  • Anthony: Have you identified 5 people to be sponsors
    • Aimee: yes, i think so
• Indigenous & Community Support
  • Aimee is thinking we might need to form a working group to support our indigenous community
    • Has spoken to Victoria and Mercedes about it, doing background organizing for it right now
    • Anthony: sounds like it could be a caucus (like a protect our lands caucus, for example) or doing a section that is identity based
    • Victoria: It is important to keep showing our solidarity and to keep showing up, deepening our understanding with indigenous/bipoc community.
• Chapter Survey
  • The gang works on the chapter survey together

• Executive Session

• April General Meeting

• • Reminder! We do not have another steering committee meeting this month, we will plan the agenda for the general body meeting in Slack
  • Guest speakers:
    • We have discussed in Slack having guest speakers at our general body meetings
    • Aimee has talked to Christian about being a guest speaker at the April general body meeting
    • Thinks that we should ask stewards if they have suggestions for guest speakers as well
    • Tiffany: We have a line item in our budget to pay speakers, might not be for general body meeting where they only get 10 minutes but perhaps when we start getting suggestions we can think about how to use that budget
      • Anthony: thinks that was budgeted for an HGO training
      • Aimee: Wants to pay folks from marginalized communities locally, also had discussed someone from Red Nation
• Socials & In-Person Events
  • Anthony: Would like to talk about hosting in person events and starting socials back up. Also wants to make it clear to priorities that they can hold in person events.
  • Natasha: On the covid note I personally would like our ROR social to be at rebar or atomic liquors (or somewhere there’s a patio)
  • Aimee: What happened with the socials Rahima was planning? Can we get her to start those up again?
  • Anthony: would love a spring social
  • Tiffany: Is there any appetite for hybrid general body meetings?
    • Anthony & Aimee: If it works well, sure.
    • Natasha: The people online always feel second class

• Open Comment

• • Aimee: The Holidarity amount on the treasurer report changed this month because the PLAN check finally cleared and was finally able to repay the general fund for the money that was used to cover holidarity-related reimbursements
  • Anthony: Thinking of a resolution to change the name of the Steering Committee to Executive Committee. Thinks that Steering is confusing people because we don’t actually steer the chapter.
    • Tiffany: When writing the bylaws we talking about Steering as both political leaders and administrative leaders and I think both aspects are important, we have leaned a bit more on the administrative side but both are within our responsibilities
    • Natasha suggests Leadership Committee
• Meeting adjourned at 9:28pm