Meeting notes 11/24/01

We met at Associated Ministries and Janie facilitated the meeting, Jude took notes - thank you both. The next meeting will be at the Associated Ministries, Saturday December 1st, 10 am until noon - 1224 S. "I" street - PLEASE COME (and pick up flyers and posters for the December 15th event, "Seeking Alternatives to War," to distribute wherever you can)

Announcements

MAILING PARTY! This Friday, November 30th, 9AM at Associated Ministries (address above) - please come if you have some time to fold flyers for our December 15th event.

ONGOING VIGIL - WEDNESDAYS 12:30 to 1:30 - in front of the Fed. Blgd, bring a friend! If you can only come for part of the time, that's fine.

Our Website: The address is <www.tacomapjh.org/> or <tacomapjh.org> The notes for all of our meetings are posted on the website, and there are many articles and links, with new ones posted often. Take a look!

We will need a new note taker for meetings after Christmas: if you are willing, let us know.

Meeting Notes

We began the meeting with our usual check-in on the theme of what we are grateful for - those comments follow these notes on the day's agenda items.

Sallie gave her report on here communications with the good admiral. His visit is confirmed. He is arriving Thursday evening December 13th and will be leaving Sunday morning December 16th. He's fine with the title "Seeking Alternatives to War" and would like the subtitle "Confrontation or Cooperation?" He will speak for 35 minutes and then we can open the meeting to questions; and he's happy to use the 3x5 card process to gather questions. The content of his talk supports non-violence: a military response to terrorism is absurd because you don't get anywhere with it. He is not asking for an honorarium.

The basic costs of the air tickets has been donated as frequent flyer miles, though we will need an additional $60 for business class, as well as the expense for taxi fare, overnight accommodations (2 nights) and the expense of meals. Ursula volunteered to drive the admiral to accommodations near the airport Saturday night for his Sunday departure.

The location of the event is the Washington State History Museum on Saturday December 15th from 2pm to 4pm

Carl reported on some program and logistic progress:

• We need USHERS to greet people, distribute and collect the 3x5 cards for questions, and to play a peacekeeping role and be a calming influence. Please email Carl if you are anyone you know would like to be an usher or just sit in the front row to either present a question that is reasonable, serious, and thoughtful - or to be there as a calming influence.
• There will be a pot luck Saturday evening starting at 5:30 for everyone who has been a 'worker bee' for this event - so PLEASE HELP WITH THE EVENT! Carl, Jude and Ursula are the clean up crew for the pot luck.
• There will be small invitation only meal gatherings with the Admiral: Marisela, Sallie and Ken are facilitating these meals. The group brainstormed various invitees for these meals, and the committee took these suggestions and will issue invitations.
• Sallie, Janie and Marion will be putting together and facilitating distribution of media and press releases, hoping to get Jean's expert advice and assistance.

Pam reported that there is space in the foyer for tables. The group discussed the kinds of handouts that would be appropriate, and suggested handouts with a resource list containing things like websites and booklists. Invited tables such as ACLU and the Law Collective(of Seattle) were suggested. It was also mentioned that an atmosphere which is inviting to people who are in different stages of questioning would be desirable. It was agreed that a respectful, dignified atmosphere that provides some alternative viewpoints is appropriate. Some group members evinced a desire for articles to be available, particularly those by the Admiral - presented selectively, without clutter and without accosting people. A selective sale of books was suggested, as well as sign up sheets for other activities and interests. Pam will check about the legality of sales on the museum premises. The logistics committee will make these decisions and arrangements, taking into account the group's opinions and concerns.

Marion reported on the PR committee's progress. Since she could not contact the rest of the committee last week, she drafted several versions of a flyer for the group. After a group discussion, one draft version of the flyer was selected, and suggestions about contents and changes were made. It was agreed that Marion will redesign the final version of the flyer considering the suggestions from the group. Thank you Marion! Three reams of 100% recycled paper were donated. Sallie told us that reproduction of the flyer can happen at Associated Ministries for $.02 per page, and $.14 per 11X17 poster. Sallie and Marion will work together on those arrangements, and then volunteers will meet Friday morning the 30th at 9AM to fold and label the flyers - please come if you can, and bring a friend! If you can't arrve by 9, feel free to arrive a bit later!

Marion will also make a text-only version of the flyer information to be distributed via email.

At next Saturday's meeting you can pick up 11x17 posters and flyers to distribute to libraries, colleges, churches - wherever. Please come.

It was also mentioned that a fundraising letter still needs to be posted on the list serve.

Chris will facilitate next week's meeting, and "media preparation" will be a big item on the agenda.

Group check-in: What are you thankful for? (each member responded, and what follows is rough summary of what was said):

• I'm thankful for the people in my life; for having different groups of people who I can talk with about different kinds of things; for people who I can laugh with.
• I am thankful for the government of Spain because they are going to put conditions on extradition: the country they extradite suspected terrorists to must be in opposition to the death penalty, must offer a fair trial, and must respect basic human rights. I'm thankful that Spain is standing up for principled politics in this time when so much of that is being lost. I am thankful for the people in this room, because I am relatively new in this area. I am thankful for the good people in my life.
• I find that I am grateful I don't live in NYC and thankful those events didn't happen in this area and that, because what people in New York are going though must really be traumatic and horrible. I offer an apology for being incognito for the last weeks, and not attending to computer communications, either. I so much appreciate this group.
• I and grateful for the people in my life. I have just returned from the SOA protest in Georgia, and I am deeply touched by the people there who were really brave, ready to take whatever came to them with such amazing bravery. One group in particular moved me: they were Christian Peacemaker Teams and they gathered in a circle at the gate and held a ceremonial cleansing of the flags of the U.S. and Canada, and they crawled under the fences (which was very difficult) and kneeled and presented the washed flags to the MPs standing guard. I am thankful for all the brave peacemakers.
• I'm thankful to Carl for a ride today, and thankful for the guy who operated on my hand last week because the pain of my illness will be gone as soon as the incision heals. I am grateful I wasn't in those towers - and grateful for my son.
• I'm grateful that people still care so much about others, given the odds in this painful world.
• I'm thankful for my family, for my son who is in recovery, and thankful that everything holds together, that there is cohesion about our lives, and inner plan and an outer plan, and a plan above it all, that keeps us going.
• I often have a hard time with this questions, I either can't think of anything or else I have too much to say. I am thankful for the people in my life, my husband, my work, that people were in a warm mood yesterday. I am thankful to be alive and not to be grieving for people I know. And I'm thankful for the opportunity to try to cook turkey last week!
• I am grateful for many, many things - particularly the Boondocks cartoon on Thanksgiving Day! I am grateful for friends I can spend time with, for the friend's husband who offered a toast about world peace, and I am grateful for this group, and for all the good people in the world.

We ended this meeting with hands held sharing the blessing: "At this moment for the peoples and the nations of the earth, May not even the names disease, famine, war and suffering be heard, But rather may their goodness, merit, wealth and prosperity increase, And may supreme good fortune and well-being always arise for them"

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Last updated: 11/27/2001 2:04 PM