VETERANS FOR PEACE, CORVALLIS

Minutes February 23, 2009

 

Chair & President: Bob Stebbins.

 

I. Introductions of those attending:  Bart Bolger, Leah Bolger, Todd Allen, Esmeralda Allen, Bob Stebbins, Rebecca Michelson, Joe Magner, Jim Spain, Bob Winget, Del Shirley.

 

Bob passed out a list of State representatives for use in calling them when an alert goes out.

 

II. Administration

Treasurers Report  Bart

Since November there has been a negative cash flow (spending more than we are taking in).  We have $1,019 in the general fund.  Of which approximately $295 is liquid (the remaining dedicated for specific uses).

In the future discuss fundraising for the Chapter.  In the next month there will be expenditures for the regional conference.

Membership and Dues--Bart will be sending out reminder e-mails indicating who is behind in National dues.  From this point on National will be collecting the dues.  All present were up to date.

 

Decided to make a request for donations from the membership.for the General Fund.  Bob, as president, will send out the letter.

 

Public relations, Rebecca Michaelson--         Blue pages ad? Advertising in phone book?

  Blue pages ad deadline was February 20.  Phone book ads are expensive and require a phone, which we don’t have.  Rebecca will look into the FYI part the newspaper and Rebecca will continue working on publicities.

 

Website –Current status of web site--Bob Winget.  Bob Winget is webmaster.  Bart is content person for the web site.  If you have ideas about what you want to see on the website let Bart know.

New search engine for archives and some other things has been added.  Archives will be a permanent part of the site.  There is a calendar of events, a contact us, and a photo galary.

Yahoo Groups.  Bart is encouraging membership to join Yahoo Group. This will be used to contact members.  To get on Yahoo Groups go to our web site (vfpcorvallis.org) and click on big button in the upper right “JOIN.”

 

III. Past actions/events status and debrief

 

Bring the Guard Home Campaign (http://www.pjw.info/troopshomecampaign.html).   Leah reports 3 pieces of legislation Bill, House, and Senate.   Now need to get hearings before the Rules Committee. 

Leah passed out a pamphlet on the Keep the Guard Home Campaign.

Leah is monitoring the legislation.  Thursday February 26 is State Call in Day.  Call your house representatives and senators.   Also call Speaker of the House, Dave Hunt has the power to make sure hearings are held.  Chair of House Rules Committee Roblan and the Senate Rules Committee Richard Devlin. Leah will e-mail out the phone numbers.  The point of calling is—“We want hearings.”

Rally at 1pm on the 15th of March at one pm on capitol steps.  VFP groups meet together at the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs 700 Summer Street NE, Salem on Sunday March 15th 12;30.   If you want to ride with Rebecca in her van, give her a call. 

 

Lobby Day.  ROP is organizing Lobby Day on the 16th of March. (you need preregistration at ROP.org.) 

 

Freeway banner “Keep Our Guard Home.” Leah made the banner. Rebecca and Bob Winget will meet at Leah’s place, 2pm Thursday March 26. [this later changed to 1200, 2/27]

 

IV.  Action Team reports and planning

 

March 19th observance of 6th anniversary of start of war in Iraq. Bob Stebbins

 Meet at First UMC parking lot at 12th & Monroe at 11:15, march 19.  March in black or wear black armbands going to campus and back.

 

 

Team structure and team memberships. Bob Stebbins

Bob provided a list of Action teams as of February 2009

 

Depleted Uranium/Cluster Bombs/Land Mines   Dianne Safford (not present)

Leah will take this portfolio.  Suggestion made to call this class “Indiscriminant Weapons.”

 

PTSD—Public educational forum—Don Anderson (not present)

Doug Clark, Judy Ross, Don Anderson and Benji Lewis are working to put on a second PTSD Forum.

 

Veterans’ Affairs—Bart Bolger

Most of the action of this group is posted on the website..  Bart is making copies of a Survival Guide for vets to help them work through the bureaucracy.  Bart intends to hand them out at tables and to for members to make available to other vets.

Talked about doing something like an Ann Landers column re vets affairs.

Leah is concerned we may have too many activities and lose our focus on our mission.  We discussed what is our mission.

We discussed were to shift focus on the general effects of war, such as suicide,

 

Resisters—Rebecca Michelson

Canada is deporting resistors back to the US.  Rebecca reviewed what is happening and the status, of several resisting individuals.  AWOLs can still go to Canada and apply for refugee status.  Susan Swift is back home with an Honorable Discharge.

There is a new IVAW operated coffee house south of Seattle ( www.coffeestrong.org ) .

Rebecca wants to know of locations, such as at OSU, where they could set up tables.  The farmers’ market is a possibility.

 

Carpooling to the Conference in Seattle.    Registrations need to be in soon.   Leah and Rebecca will coordinate transportation.

We discussed having a table/display at the conference.  Leah will find out what it would cost to have a table.  The host did not get a grant they hoped to get like they got last year.

 

Decided to contribute a minimum of $50 from treasury to the Seattle Northwest VFP Conference.

 

Homelessness: Jim Spain

There is interest in establishing a place where the homeless to set up tents when the men’s shelter closes on March 15.  We need to put pressure on the Corvallis City Council but in such a way as to not offend supporters.   Citizens can call their counselors.  Probably 4 Counselors are currently supporters.  There is concern among some that such a camp would attract homeless from outside the area.  Churches could raise the money for trash removal and port-a-potties.

 

Counter-Military Recruitment—John Griffiths, Albany/Lebanon.  Bob Stebbins, Rebecca Michelson  

Results in Philomath--- Bart Bolger  (Aleita Hass-Holcomb  at 8pm)

Counter Recruitment started about 2 years ago.  Jeanie Raymond and Aleita started it.   But Jean Raymond is now on Corvallis City council.   A high percent of 11 & 12 grade youth are opting out.   Last year Crescent Valley grade 9—299 students with 11 opting out, grade 10—254 students with 9 opting out, grade 11-- 244 students with139 opt out, grade 12-- 227 students with 172 opting out. At CHS last year grade 9--330 students with 27 opting out, grade 10-- 338 students with 216 opting out, grade 11--310 students with 277 opting out, grade12--311 students with 276 opting out. 

 If a student gets opted out in any grade it is effective through all remaining grades through graduation.  Once the names are given to the recruiters, however, the names are permanently released. 

Philomath resists anti-military and political materials.  Bart has been very creative in approaching the school administration.  Philomath appreciates a potential career option for their students in the military.

 

Oregon State Peace Jam April 26.   Our chapter (Rebecca, Bob, Bart, Benji Lewis, and Jane White) are putting together a role play where they will act as good & bad recruiters.  The people attending the Jam will be given cue-cards to role play talking to a recruiter. 

 

School of the Americas opposition.  Report from Aleita Hass-Holcombe.

Aleita has been active in abolishing the school.   The SOA has been given a new name—Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC).

She distributed the publication Presente which explains what SOA does.

Strategy to close it has changed—persuading governments to not send “students”— Bolivia and Venezuela are not sending their people to the School.   Today and Tuesday (Feb 24) are call in days to call our congress persons and asking them to be a part of legislation to close down the school and investigate the failed policies of the institution.

There is a chance the new administration might investigate and possibility close down the SOA.   VFP is a very visible force sending busloads of protesters to the annual event each fall.  20,000 attended last year.

March 5th there is an event in Portland to close SOA.  Activists will talk about their trips, as will people from Latin American who have been affected and Prisoners of Conscience (those arrested).   Now there are 3 fences and sentences for crossing them have increased to 6 months.

 

VI.Scheduled Future actions/events

 

            February 26 Call members of state legislature to Bring the Guards Home

            VFP PNW regional conference Kirkland (Seattle suburb) March 6 (evening) to 8 (ends noon). Who is planning to attend? Car pool?

Rally--March 15 in Salem peace groups will work together to rally on Sunday at the capitol

Stop The Wars at Home and Abroad March 16 lobby in capitol.

March 19th 6th anniversary of start of Iraq war, Meet in First United Methodist Church Monroe Ave parking lot at 11am wearing black. March to OSU quad, signs optional.

March 22, Peace and Justice Coalition—meets on the Fourth Sunday of each month

 

Important dates Daily, 5:00 to 6:00 pm—Corvallis Peace Vigil, Benton County Courthouse

Fridays, 4:30 pm--Albany Peace Vigil, Linn County Courthouse

 

March 6-8 VFP regional conference, Kirkland WA

March 15, End War Rally, Capitol Salem

March 16, Lobby day in Salem for Keep the Guard in Oregon campaign

March 19, 6th anniversary of Iraq war observance, Corvallis

 

Del Shirley

Scribe