General Assembly Minutes March 10, 2024
Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2024 9:14 pm
Dave is facilitating, Faygo on stack, Morgan on minutes and video
Committee & Working Group Report-backs
Urban Outreach, Brother Carter - Had a foreclosure march last week, then a massive regional protest on Monday...both were great successes. We need to keep getting better at getting flyers out. Upcoming is the Monsanto action on March 16-17. Still planning the upcoming planning forum/summit, with the goal of getting input from a wider diversity of outside groups. April 7th plans in development about re-occupying Freemont Park. On the 8th, International Women's Day, Brother Carter bullhorned for an hour and a half.
24 Hour Working Group, Faygo - A few people who went out of town for a while came back, which is good. One new friend stayed a night. Been busy passing out flyers and participating in the marches.
Foreclosure Action Team, Cathy - Going to Modesto tomorrow to meet up with other central valley foreclosure working groups, teach-ins. Monday morning, H & 8th St, Occupy The Crime Scene event. Planning to occupy a Woodland home on Tuesday.
Communications Committee, Kim & Autumn - March 31st is the Cesar Chavez march in Southside Park. Kim made $100 selling our t-shirts on Monday. Bring your recyclables to the GAs so the deposits can go to Occupy Sac. Friday March 16-17 is the Monsanto event. Please only email Kim via kim.occupysacto@gmail.com. Occupy Education rocked hard, Occupy Sac did great as legal observers. New livestream account setup, with link on the website, and tons of great footage from Monday's event. Autumn is making press passes for any of us media folks, contact autumn@occupysac.com. Amy and Kim are planning gender-related event on the 28th.
Old Business
Occu-Farm Recognition, Anne - David Tat Chow has almost three acres he's been fighting to keep control of. The farm is named Full Circle Farm ,and working hard to get non-Monsanto seeds, a chicken coop has been made. His ex-wife took a loan out on the farm she didn't own, and Tat never signed this. There is also no title insurance company involved with this process, which is all far from kosher. Hoping to get approval by the GA recognizing Tat's farm as a viable property for us to occupy, and for us to start supporting related events. Last week, Tat was threatened (while on a bike) by a sheriff (in a big car). Question on why this farm is not a project of foreclosure committee, and explained that it is not in the city and not effective to sit there out of the way. Passes 10 to 0, 3 abstain.
New Business
InterOccupy Proposal, Robert & Matt - National gathering process in planning for July 4th in Philadelphia. Consensus based process for finding shared visions, and this process is even more important than the eventual event. The conference call and online system is excellent and the work is surprisingly productive. Even Philadelphia will be based on direct participation. Seems to be a 50-50 split between folks focusing on reforming existing structures, and those focusing on manifesting our future society. InterOccupy.org to download, and Matt will post on OccupySac.com. PLEASE download and review this, even though we can take our time passing it. Passed for agenda on Wednesday.
Prohibit Sea from GA, David - Should we prohibit Sea from the GA? Stack Points Made: This issue is being worked on by people outside the GA. We do not have any authority or method to enforce people being where we meet in public places. Are we an all-inclusive group, or aren't we? OWS has a banning and mediation process, and he has been a frequent disruption. We can't afford to set this precedent with our small group. Some people burnt out by dealing with this issue, and people have likely left the movement due to his behavior. Autumn offers friendly amendment for group mediation with Sea where people can directly share their concerns with him. David agrees to withdraw the motion until a hopeful mediation process is completed.
Announcements
Peoples' Summit, Bill - Been involved with Occ Sac a lot in October, but has been travelling around and involved with national conversations...especially around violence vs non-violence in the Occupy movement. Seems to be a realization that Occupy is at the heart a non-violent movement, and trying to move into a national strategy. Upcoming G8 is still in Chicago, and NATO was moved to Camp David. Originally going to have a peoples' summit the week before G8, but now thinking about making it more of a global summit through the whole month of May. Related to the National Gathering, but separate, complimentary, and preliminary. Very similar to our Values, Visions & Priorities discussions every Saturday at 2pm...pretty much the early local conversations building up to this.
Sarah - Please sign up to donate time, materials, etc, for our beloved full-timers. Trying to coordinate extra action on the 28th: please bring poems, anything you want to say on these issues, and shave your head with her if you're up for it.
Communications Committee, Kim - OccupySac.com website now has tools for people to sign up to volunteer for general help, committees, and working groups. Already brought in two volunteers! WOOT!
Foreclosures, David - JewishVoiceForPeace.org is sponsoring a conference in town on this issue, March 16-17 starting at noon on Friday, all day Saturday (though it conflicts with Monsanto event). Sabeel Sacramento is one of the main sponsors, or Friends of Sabeel North America.
Communications Committee, Autumn - Email addresses @OccupySac.com now available for committees and working groups.
24 Hour Faygo - Got a phone with email and video now! 247@occupysac.com.
Robert - Got the tents and tables back from Danny Garza, great job Faygo & Sarah! More than enough for the info table, hopefully get it setup every day. Need a closet nearby for storage...otherwise have to pay for storage. Also, we are listed on the flyer for Cesar Chavez park and we'll try to get a table setup there, signup sheet for that on Wednesday.
Committee & Working Group Report-backs
Urban Outreach, Brother Carter - Had a foreclosure march last week, then a massive regional protest on Monday...both were great successes. We need to keep getting better at getting flyers out. Upcoming is the Monsanto action on March 16-17. Still planning the upcoming planning forum/summit, with the goal of getting input from a wider diversity of outside groups. April 7th plans in development about re-occupying Freemont Park. On the 8th, International Women's Day, Brother Carter bullhorned for an hour and a half.
24 Hour Working Group, Faygo - A few people who went out of town for a while came back, which is good. One new friend stayed a night. Been busy passing out flyers and participating in the marches.
Foreclosure Action Team, Cathy - Going to Modesto tomorrow to meet up with other central valley foreclosure working groups, teach-ins. Monday morning, H & 8th St, Occupy The Crime Scene event. Planning to occupy a Woodland home on Tuesday.
Communications Committee, Kim & Autumn - March 31st is the Cesar Chavez march in Southside Park. Kim made $100 selling our t-shirts on Monday. Bring your recyclables to the GAs so the deposits can go to Occupy Sac. Friday March 16-17 is the Monsanto event. Please only email Kim via kim.occupysacto@gmail.com. Occupy Education rocked hard, Occupy Sac did great as legal observers. New livestream account setup, with link on the website, and tons of great footage from Monday's event. Autumn is making press passes for any of us media folks, contact autumn@occupysac.com. Amy and Kim are planning gender-related event on the 28th.
Old Business
Occu-Farm Recognition, Anne - David Tat Chow has almost three acres he's been fighting to keep control of. The farm is named Full Circle Farm ,and working hard to get non-Monsanto seeds, a chicken coop has been made. His ex-wife took a loan out on the farm she didn't own, and Tat never signed this. There is also no title insurance company involved with this process, which is all far from kosher. Hoping to get approval by the GA recognizing Tat's farm as a viable property for us to occupy, and for us to start supporting related events. Last week, Tat was threatened (while on a bike) by a sheriff (in a big car). Question on why this farm is not a project of foreclosure committee, and explained that it is not in the city and not effective to sit there out of the way. Passes 10 to 0, 3 abstain.
New Business
InterOccupy Proposal, Robert & Matt - National gathering process in planning for July 4th in Philadelphia. Consensus based process for finding shared visions, and this process is even more important than the eventual event. The conference call and online system is excellent and the work is surprisingly productive. Even Philadelphia will be based on direct participation. Seems to be a 50-50 split between folks focusing on reforming existing structures, and those focusing on manifesting our future society. InterOccupy.org to download, and Matt will post on OccupySac.com. PLEASE download and review this, even though we can take our time passing it. Passed for agenda on Wednesday.
Prohibit Sea from GA, David - Should we prohibit Sea from the GA? Stack Points Made: This issue is being worked on by people outside the GA. We do not have any authority or method to enforce people being where we meet in public places. Are we an all-inclusive group, or aren't we? OWS has a banning and mediation process, and he has been a frequent disruption. We can't afford to set this precedent with our small group. Some people burnt out by dealing with this issue, and people have likely left the movement due to his behavior. Autumn offers friendly amendment for group mediation with Sea where people can directly share their concerns with him. David agrees to withdraw the motion until a hopeful mediation process is completed.
Announcements
Peoples' Summit, Bill - Been involved with Occ Sac a lot in October, but has been travelling around and involved with national conversations...especially around violence vs non-violence in the Occupy movement. Seems to be a realization that Occupy is at the heart a non-violent movement, and trying to move into a national strategy. Upcoming G8 is still in Chicago, and NATO was moved to Camp David. Originally going to have a peoples' summit the week before G8, but now thinking about making it more of a global summit through the whole month of May. Related to the National Gathering, but separate, complimentary, and preliminary. Very similar to our Values, Visions & Priorities discussions every Saturday at 2pm...pretty much the early local conversations building up to this.
Sarah - Please sign up to donate time, materials, etc, for our beloved full-timers. Trying to coordinate extra action on the 28th: please bring poems, anything you want to say on these issues, and shave your head with her if you're up for it.
Communications Committee, Kim - OccupySac.com website now has tools for people to sign up to volunteer for general help, committees, and working groups. Already brought in two volunteers! WOOT!
Foreclosures, David - JewishVoiceForPeace.org is sponsoring a conference in town on this issue, March 16-17 starting at noon on Friday, all day Saturday (though it conflicts with Monsanto event). Sabeel Sacramento is one of the main sponsors, or Friends of Sabeel North America.
Communications Committee, Autumn - Email addresses @OccupySac.com now available for committees and working groups.
24 Hour Faygo - Got a phone with email and video now! 247@occupysac.com.
Robert - Got the tents and tables back from Danny Garza, great job Faygo & Sarah! More than enough for the info table, hopefully get it setup every day. Need a closet nearby for storage...otherwise have to pay for storage. Also, we are listed on the flyer for Cesar Chavez park and we'll try to get a table setup there, signup sheet for that on Wednesday.