Steering Group Meeting MINUTES: 7:00–8:30pm, Mon. 21 May 2012
Facilitator: Sari Recorder: Kathy
Present: Those present will be underlined on lists below
Visitors: Carol Fanelli
SG Members: Aleisa Myles, Chris Martin, Christine Casullo, Don Kennedy, Ellen Morfei, Frank Nuessle, Kathy Lundgren, Lori Imbesi, Marie Goodwin, Martin Pepper, Mary Jo Corley, Medard Gabel, Robin Harper, Sari Steuber, Tam Mengine.
Opening Review of the agenda
1. Opening:
a. Check-ins (everyone speaks in turn)
b. Review of the agenda(additions/corrections)
c. Election for new President – members have to sign by-laws to be eligible to vote. Sari discussed the criteria for voting for a new officer. Attendance is important to being a Steering Group member. Aleisa: titles such as president, secretary, etc. aren’t a part of Transition language. It’s for the 501C3 status. Perhaps we can find new names that reflect more our roles and community; we’re not about hierarchy. Having a legal and responsible leader is necessary for the 501c3, and for the incorporation. The names are important, we need to have them for legal reasons, but we don’t need to bring the usual baggage to them. We don’t need other names; we need the roles because they are important to the rest of the world. We have worker bees written into our by-laws. Let’s not use the titles in general unless we have to; let’s not introduce each other by the titles. Board members = the three officers; will expand to create a core council. 501C3 application is in, but hasn’t been processed. We are in the “needs minimum development” pile; should take a few more months. Time to vote: Sari, Medard, Martin, Robin, Howard, and Aleisa are nominated; Medard, Martin, and Aleisa decline; Howard & Robin not in attendance; voting is unanimous for Sari. Congratulations Sari – we are grateful for every single thing that you have done! Medard said that we must all take the burden from Sari so that we can have a person who is so integral for Transition Town unburdened by details of running the group. Chris volunteered to take over opening and closing of the community center for monthly events. When the website is finished, others may be willing to take over the newsletter; we have an intern who is interested in marketing to learn and help with the newsletter.
It was pointed out that we need to now elect a new Secretary (to replace Sari) and that we need to purchase board insurance for the officers.
d. Grants request– each working group should think about what project they would like to have funding for so we know what grant proposals to go after – the Wells Fargo grant that Medard sent around is a possibility. Ideas: the 18 acres Permaculture development; tool share, craft center, reskilling center, repair clinics; public banking, alternative currency, peer to peer, slow money, and micro lending – projects along those lines. (Local economic development = the Park Foundation, ref. by Medard.) Aleisa: observation based on Kinsdale, they are looking at 15 years hence and then working backwards from that. We haven’t had an official great unleashing and we do not have an Energy Descent plan. Our Town Grant project has a meeting this week; they are doing stuff also. Do we need to wait and have others do the program with us? Marie: we can do both. The book gives us a framework, but it is multi-pronged; people can go with their passions. Brainstorming toward a working space for repair workshop where people can work and share tools; local food action plan; Hillside Farm action plan – re-skilling, cooking classes at Hillside Farm; cooperative building with all kinds of skill-building spaces, computer work space; etc.; health and wellness co-op; website for the energy challenge; community gardens – Penn State Brandywine; community mosquito and deer tick eradication, using salt lick with a chemical to vastly reduce deer tick population. Marie to send email link to Medard re: details of the salt lick re: Ridley Creek State Park.
2. Working Group reports:
a. Food (Aleisa) – Aleisa would really like the crop-mobbing to be coordinated, but Val is struggling with her health. Marie said she could take it over after this weekend’s events are over.
b. Energy (Chris) – Chris & Sari to meet with A Few Steps on Wed. the 23rd, working on houses of worship energy challenge. Sari got a website for the project, needs to be set up.
c. Economy/TimeBank (Marie/Ellen) – Will be scheduling brainstorming sessions next month for various ideas, like tool share.
d. Health Care (Mary Jo/Sari) – Will be meeting with Paul Glover again this Thursday night. Stephanie Rearick will videotape the meeting as an example of a community project.
e. Heart & Soul (Marion/Ellen) – Still meeting as a support group.
f. Outreach (Sari/Marie) – Subcommittees were formed at the May 7th meeting & are beginning to meet separately. Critical tasks are website & brochures. Publicity committee to plan strategically: business cards and newsletters, 520 members.
3. Events Calendar:
a. May 20 – presentation at Providence Friends Meeting (brief recap) – Medard said he would have liked to have more people there from other denominations, other communities. Generally, the format was a good one, and the event was a good training for us. We should present to other church groups, Rotary, Media Elementary, others; Open Connections in Edgemont.
b. May 25-26 – TT/TB/Permaculture Networking Event (status) – in good shape.
c. June 26 – 4th Tuesday event – Crude Awakening film – Don handling it
d. July 14 – Bastille Day table – need people to staff it – hope to get a juggling act for our kid’s involvement; Hoots and Hellmouth to perform?
e. July 21 – 4th Tuesday event on Saturday – Ridley Creek State Park picnic – music will be the theme. Medard offered his house. Rain date July 28?
f. Transition Town training, led by Michael Brownlee & Lynette Marie Hanthorn at Pendle Hill, October 11-14
g. Fair Trade Live Concert, October 21
4. Next meeting:
Time = 6/18/2012, 7-8:30pm, 420 S. Jackson St., Media
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