DFMC Board Meeting Minutes
January 24, 2017
6:30pm, Lucky’s Market
Board Officers:
Tom Duffy, Chair Kevin Easton, Treasurer
Kaisa Goodman, Vice Chair Maryll Jones, Secretary
Board Members:
Terry Amsler Rob Deppert
Manuel Diaz-Campos Shawn Harris
Martha Hilderbrand Chaim Julian
John Lacny Nicohdemus (Nic) Sigler
In Attendance:
Present:
Terry Amsler, Nic Sigler, Kaisa Goodman, Shawn Harris, Manuel Diaz-Campos, Kevin Easton, Chaim Julian, Tom Duffy, Maryll Jones
Absent:
John Lacny, Martha Hilderbrand
Others Present:
None
Highlights:
· Motions carried
o Motion for board meetings to be held on the Monday following the linkups
o Motion for link-ups to be held on the 2nd Thursday of the month
· Surveying members for their thoughts on linkups, outreach, meeting locations, etc.
· DFMC officially endorses state Democrat party resolutions to be presented on March
Proceedings:
·Meeting called to orderat 6:35 p.m. by Chair, Tom Duffy
· No previous meeting minutes were amended and approved
· No report from Treasurer on financial status presented
1. Welcome (1 min)
2. Goals for DFMC (this is an open strategy discussion; there is not time to focus on specific initiatives). (25 min)
a. Link-ups (topics, structure, location; keep the same 3rd thurs?)
i. Discussed linkup location including using speakers – Tom D.
1. Location – Bobby’s location issues
2. Requirements for a location include accessibility, need all ages, and not to shut out a lower income audience.
3. Collective participation - Alternative location options include:
a. Crazy Horse but parking/noise level and parking are issues.
b. Library – Is accessible but can’t collect donations/money and depending on the room, can’t have food,
c. Noodles too small for linkup,
d. Location says a lot about our outreach. – Kevin E.
e. Suggested surveying members for food requirements, location preferences, if consistent locations/times matter to them? – Maryll J.
i. Use this survey opportunity to address other issues such as topic ideas for linkups, where you’d like to see the org go? )
4. Does location need to be same place?
a. Yes. – Chaim J.
b. Why do they need to be consistent?– Terry A.
c. Not an end-all. Social media communication helps with location changes
5. How to outreach to other populations
a. Gear location based on topic of linkup
b. Attend other meetings that bring members to our meetings like Move to Amend
c. Banneker? Churches? City hall?
d. Other outreach locations could outside of Bloomington, depending upon the topic
ii. Topics
1. How to choose topics?
2. Audience – progressive liberal democrats with the goal to outreach other populations with the goal of educating targeted populations (such as poor, rural, etc.) and the hope of growing our organization.
a. Need to educate people who are outside our demographic
b. Develop an understanding of Trump voters and how to reach
3. Deer overpopulation? – Chaim J.
4. How to spend money from school referendum? – Chaim J.
a. For school money, what as the idea? Kaisa - like school board members speak. School Board has already done this. (Unclear – Tom D?)
5. Referendum for education in Bedford? – Rob D.
6. How to keep people involved POST election – Nic S.
7. Informational topics based on current events like Obamacare/ACA, etc. Planned Parenthood, immigration.
8. Reps brought in Jolene somebody to teach deliberative conversations/ how to find common ground with people who believe/think different. Find commonality/how you’re framing. – Tom D.
a. Conflict resolution?
9. Example of outreach - Penny Githens invited college Democrats and DWC to have lunch/take them out to lunch. Why don’t we do something like that?
10. State Redistricting effort
11. John Zody/what the state party plans on doing?
12. Interest-based problem solving (beyond union)
i. Federal mediation and conciliatory language– Kaisa G. Like deliberative conversation/framing suggested by Tom D.
13. Conversation among friends style meetings such as charter vs. public schools as an example of a successful meeting – Rob D.
14. Inaugurate the revolution (Kaisa G.) –
a. Continuing education (ask Joe Varga?)
15. Develop bank of ideas for linkup
b. Out Reach
i. Trying to not just preach to the choir. Outreach opens up org to others, new ways to discuss same topics, how to frame issues with those within and outside of our organization.
ii. Every meet up end with talking clearly about what actions to be taken
iii. Should encourage our regular folks to attend/stay informed/build movement – Terry A.
1. Identify partnerships with other people – what do THEY think we should talk about
iv. Consistency with location/regular meeting dates/time, but also additional meetings for outreach. Not restaurants because of the distraction/noise. – Nic S.
v. Partnering/linking (Dem Club, MCDP, Lawrence county dem groups, Inaugurate our Revolution?) – Chaim J.
c. Political actions
d. Recruiting
e. Have board members recognized at linkups – Terry A.
i. Who is here for the first time? - Chaim J.
2. Feb link-up (15 min)
a. Date (Hamilton’s state of the city talk Is the 16th)
i. Have to change this meeting due to this conflict
ii. 2nd/3rd Thursdays have board member conflicts
iii. Chaim proposes 1st Thursday of the month
iv. Rob D. – motion – 2nd Thursday permanent. 2nd by Manuel. Motion has to move to 2nd Thursday of the month. Carried.
b. Structure (we have Penny, Linda, Shelli, Tom Yaiser ?(for Bill), Chris to talk about what they learned about reaching outside Monroe County
i. How to find common ground/give us guidance on how to reach these people (current topic)
ii. Can we get them on Feb 9? Location on the 9th? Show of hands says library over Bobby’s. Library is not available on the 9th except auditorium but can’t have food there. Bobby’s accommodates 40-50 people.
iii. Location – Bobby’s 2nd Thursday.
iv. Irish lion – not accessible Trojan not accessible
v. This issue continued discussions post-meeting via email. – Maryll J.
c. Title (someone suggested “boots on the ground” with a subtitle)
d. Location (as per discussion in 2)
3. Board meetings –( 7 min)
a. Date (think of timing relative to the meet-up)
i. Not too long after linkup
1. The following week after the linkup to plan
2. Week after for board meeting
a. Monday after link? 6:30pm
b. Motion for Monday for 6 months by Kaisa G, motion seconded. Motion carried.
b. Location (Noodles east side; Lucky’s, or …)
4. Committees identified with chair and membership ( 15 min)
a. Last year we had: Tech; Link-ups; bylaws; fund raising, endorsements.
i. Committees make recommendations to the board
ii. Outreach committee / should be mixed with tech? – no.
iii. Tech committee
iv. Outreach to members to join committees
v. Should we decide the committees, then promote to get members? – yes.
vi. Fundraising (could be events committee)
vii. Bylaws
viii. Endorsement
ix. Education – elaborate content – education about health care,
b. Committees:
i. Tech
ii. Outreach/education
1. Press releases
2. Written publication like handouts for Farmer’s Market
3. Community calendar at WFHB, press release HTO, (Shawn has done press releases)
4.
iii. Linkup/fundraising/events
1. Can we call this the events committee?
a. Kevin
b. Events is the name
iv. Endorsement
v. Is there an education committee? Is this under outreach?
1. Yes
vi. Number of people on 4 committees?
1. Email to board about which committee is board members should be on
2. Like 2 board members on each board
3. Maryll J. to send out to board
4. Tom D. to compose letter to membership to request committee members
5. Tabled the idea of organization fees due to losing individual memberships
6. Additional items
a. Connecting DFMC to Our Revolution Network (7 min)
b. Reflections/look back at election process to inform next year. (T.A.) (5 min)
c. Any questions about bylaws (Terry A.) (3 min)
d. Farmers Market (Chaim J.) 2 min
i. Still partner with jobs for justice?
1. No, we will have our own table
ii. Farmers market tabling volunteers: Terry A. and Chaim J. with Kaisa G. tabling when available about once a month. No longer share with jobs with justice.
e. Endorsing issues (as we endorse candidates) (Kaisa G.) (5 min)
i. Out of time to discuss
f. Possible Fundraiser (Chaim J.) 5 min
i. Out of time to discuss
g. Summary of resolutions for state democratic party (CJ)
i. Reformation resolutions so the state party will be more democratic, etc. (see summary)
ii. Chaim summarizes the resolution to board
1. Rob adds info regarding super delegates
2. Award delegates based on primary election results and require super delegates to vote according to primary results
3. Secret ballots for voting for officers (#9 on summary)
4. Chaim to present to ??? on March 4. Goal is to have us endorse these, present to reorg of district.
a. Rob reminds board to put in front of board to decide if we endorse
b. Goal to nudge the Indiana dems toward more transparency
c. Goal to present to Monroe county chair Mark Fraley (sp)
d. Kaisa G. moves to give us a week to review and email our vote. Tom to reach out to Mark about it
e. Do we as an org want to endorse this?
i. Email voting
f. Follow up: email discussion resulted in moving up the deadline to vote to Friday, Jan 27. All in favor. DFMC officially endorses the resolutions.
· Manuel Diaz-Campos motioned to adjourn meeting.
· Meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m. by Chair, Tom Duffy
· Minutes submitted by Secretary, Maryll Jones.