So you don't have to remember it.

 

USING THE TECHNOLOGY

Once on the call... everyone's mic will be muted during the GENERAL MEETING portion of the call.

• To raise your hand, or get your name on a "Stack", hit the Number 1 (on your phone) to raise your hand.
• To ask a technical question, hit the Number 5 (on your phone)
• To express your approval ("Twinkles") hit Number 2 (on your phone).
• To express disapproval ("Booooo") hit Number 3.
• If taking a poll, listen carefully to the choices, then hit the number (phone) that corresponds to your selection. (We'll try to type them onto the text pad so you can review them.)
• Entering Break Out Rooms was the best part of the call, where the real work happens! During the Break Out Room segments, all mics will be open. Designate 1 person to facilitate the Break Out Room using stacks... designate another person to take NOTES and report back when we all return to the full meeting. Break out room dialogues are not audio recorded, so committed reporters are important.
• You can view who ELSE is on the call looking at the list of names on the right column of your computer screen.
• Complete your profile... so we get to know you.   When you see your name listed on the right column of participants, click on thePENCIL across from your name to edit a profile. You can even upload a photo of yourself or just fill in your contact information.
• Be sure to hit SHARE so we can all view your profile information. The more we all know you, the better we can communicate!
• YOU CAN CHAT DURING THE CALL with anyone listed by clicking on the EYE across from their name. You can have a brief private chat with them while the call is in progress!
• Learn about one another. Click on the name of any participant listed on the right column. If they've completed their profile (by clicking on the PENCIL, completing info and checking the SHARE box), you can see all their contact information, and maybe even a photo!

What Happened Already on the Issues Introduced in Break Out Rooms?

In case you didn't make the last call, or need a reminder, don't worry about stepping in late.  Below are the notes captured from the  Break Out Rooms . This is the BEGINNING of the work on these topics. This call you can continue the dialogue, add information, suggest more solutions, and begin to plan to work off the call in collaborations to advance the work.   Pretty exciting, really!

1- RECRUITING STRATEGIES-Edith Bell, Pittsburgh PA reported

Cooperate with/reach out to other groups.  Attend THEIR events, be visible and speak up for WILPF. Create an atmosphere where we offer members comraderie and social interaction in addition to activism, so that they will WANT to come.  Include food or music or art at gatherings. Recruit newly retired people. Hold Pot Lucks and have social events where like-minded people can build friendship and support networks, as well as activist buddies.

There was some suggestion of money available to advertise to younger people.  Triangle Branch is setting aside $1000 a year to provide small seed money grants to young high school girl activists, and create a relationship with them and the high schools.  Fresno's Internship program also utilized students... with mixed long term recruiting results but to good advantage to making the branch more visible in the community currently. We should be sharing successful ideas between branches. Project our issues more broadly, to the public, not just to members.  Use MEETUPS and social media. Build relationships with online newspapers and publish articles from WILPF.  Build a relationship NOW with Bernie Sanders progressives through social media pages, before they begin to dissemble. 

                                                                     

2-SHARING RESOURCES, MATERIALS & STRATEGY BETWEEN BRANCHES-Randa Solick, Santa Cruz CA reporting

Share materials instead of recreating them. A list of all the branches with what they are working on with a contact once a year published in P&F. How to contact with the Bernie campaign folks.

Work together within states to lobby together local Congress people. Link branches across the US with national partner organizations.  Use Google Docs to share the materials that are most successful from branch to branch.  Some branches have annual planning days or planning retreats to decide on the direction for next year, then they meet again to set strategies and work plans for moving those projects forward.  Programs could be shared and exchanged to make it easier to plan programs and promote them.   

                                                                      

3-CREATING REGIONAL MEETINGS

There were only 3 people on this, so they joined a different break out group.       

                                                          

4-ENHANCING MEMBERSHIP EXPERIENCE & SKILLS WITH TRAINING-

Mary Bricker Jenkins, At Large Member from Tennessee reported  

There was agreement that an important orientation training program to offer would be on called KNOW YOUR WILPF, where members (especially new members) could learn more about the structure of WILPF and how US Section connects to the UNO office, the Practicum, RCW, and International. The document "Principles & Policies" was cited as being of use in this way.  Suggestion for learning to share leadership - moving from control to mentoring, reflecting where many of us are in life. Detroit said they learned 6 things tonight that could each become Training Program to train about skills, analysis, etc. Terry said the video on Most Dangerous Women would be useful.  The Raging Grannies are now writing music for each issue and they could be good. Linking FEISTY WOMEN to the idea of women who have been active on Climate Change. Awarding prizes HS girls who did social justice. CEDAW.  Hiroshima/Nagasaki on nuclear abolition. DISPOSITION comparing Native Americans and Palestinians.

                                       

5-CREATING 1-2 SOLIDARITY EVENTS EACH YEAR-Barbara Taft, reporter: Greater Phoenix

National Events could be posted on a calendar and linked to those branches which DO something to celebrate those events, with links to the materials and strategies they use, so that branches who are successful can share their strategies... so many can do the same things on the same days.... Useful for solidarity and visibility and recruiting.  Stronger branches can mentor weaker ones on this kind of planning and material preparation.  There needs to be a decision made about how many of these solidarity events we do to start with, and how we decide on which ones to do together.  Most felt we should choose one or two, not make it optional, in order to demonstrate solidarity and impact.  Vet the dates against other major events (Raging Grannies convention, etc.) that would rob energy and resources. Include issues and education pieces along with the chosen events.   Multi-layered.  Get savvy about promoting the events across the US.  Invest in media and social media to gain impact.  Measure turnout in each city.

Choose events that set WILPF apart from other organizations.  Possibly choose to build on the most successful events  Choose 1-2 events (possibly 3 if we want to add an International component).

 

A NEW TOPIC has been suggested for a Break Out Room. Attendees can continue to work on the previous topics or join this 'workshop'.

 

6. WORKING LOCALLY TO ADDRESS POLICE MILITARIZATION AND RACIALLY MOTIVATED VIOLENCE       

   

There will be good notes that emerge from this meeting/call, and they will be shared with you. There is another call tentatively scheduled for August 18th . Put it on your calendars. 

 

Be sure YOUR voice is represented on these calls.    We're doing really great planning and collaborating! We need your input and collaboration.  

 

Thanks for all you do for WILPF, for peace and for justice.