Transition Town Media
Strategic Planning Meeting Minutes
January 14, 2012
Meeting was called to order at 9 a.m., and attendees introduced themselves (9-10 a.m.).
Present: Don, Sari, Ellen, Henry, Meenal, Robin, Lori, Martin, Chris, Carol, Howard, Kathy, Marion, Jim, Medard, Marie, Aleisa, Mary Jo, Silas (Lori’s son)
I. “Where We Are in the World” — Don Kennedy
How things have changed in our lifetimes and how they are changing now, reason for TTM
II. “Where TTM has been in the past year” — Sari Steuber
Membership is up from 250 to 457
Worker Bees are up to 7 people
Community gardens have been started at the Walden School and Providence Friends.
Time Bank has > 100 members
Educational programs brought in 305 people in 2010, and 670 people in 2011
III. Time Bank report — Marie Goodwin
Our goal was 100 members by year’s end, we have 110
Hope that people will create more projects that connect with the Time Bank, less need for a coordinator as people take ownership
IV. Visioning the Future exercise — led by Marion Yaglinski
Shared yards — fruit trees — local stores — people knowing their neighbors better — dashboard in Media — localized heating and cooling — more people outside working their yards — frequent dining under the stars — storytelling and other community activities outdoors — people having jobs — people having their needs met — public activities not centered exclusively on commerce
Break
V. Five-Year Vision Discussion 11:00 a.m. — led by Sari
Vibrant economy with full employment — TTM as a hub or umbrella of organizations — a beautiful community center — shift toward systems thinking/networking — increased happiness (Gross Media Happiness figure) — portion of State Street car-free — Budget for our 501c3 — increased membership — reskilling (change from consumptive to a productive households) — Quantify our transition (energy audits, etc.) — systematic, funded energy program — collaboration with area colleges and schools for research projects — food sovereignty laws — food production, both collective and individual — gardening and permaculture support — transition blocks — collaboration with Energy Works, the Energy Coop and A Few Steps using the Time Bank — getting children involved — TTM will become a center of excellence — TTM become the place where people come for ideas
Lunch 12-12:50
VI. Discussion of the suggested projects people submitted (on their 3×5 cards)
1) Energy:
Work toward zero energy model, offer local workshops on home energy issues, partner with A Few Steps and other organizations, promote the right kind of light bulbs, work with a business like Deals on home energy issues
2) Food:
Partner with Rose Tree Community Park, Penn State, Food Share Media — local food hub, coop — yard swapping — use land where old Victorians were torn down
3) Economy
Local currency — swap meets — electronic community exchange web site — promote the right kinds of businesses and attract them to Media
4) Transportation
Shuttle — jitney
5) Health care
Community health clinic (like Patch Adams thing Paul Glover proposes) — information and wellness center
6) Recycling/Zero Waste
Encourage businesses to share information on input and output of materials (closed loop) — local composting — work with EAC
7) Community Organizing
Community service projects — offer home-based community salons — transition blocks — potlucks — swaps — community-directed classes — connect with Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Philadelphia
8) Heart and Soul
Offer support for people in dealing with changes — Revive Heart and Soul group — Pay It Forward
9) Events/ Campaigns
Keep big issues in the public eye — film series — music festival — local organizational summit — Media as a Slow City — open space events
10) Networking/ Publicity
Have a center — be a hub — newspaper articles — radio interviews — local guides to businesses
11) Information Gathering — need to do research on many topics
VII. People signed up for the areas they will work on. Names highlighted in red indicate the person who will be responsible for at least an initial meeting of the group:
1) Energy: Kathy, Chris, Martin, Sari, Brendan
2) Food: Aleisa, Don, Lori, Marie, Marion
3) Economy: Ellen, Marie, Sari, Lori, Mary Jo, Meenal
4) Transportation — No takers
5) Health Care: Mary Jo, Marie
6) Recycling: Kathy
7) Community Organizing — We decided to drop it as a separate category (include in Outreach)
8) Heart and Soul: Don, Robin, Ellen, Marion, Aleisa, Lori
9) Events/Campaigns (included in Outreach): Marie, Carol, Don, Chris, Medard
10) Networking/Publicity (decided to call it all “Outreach”): Ellen, Aleisa, Medard, Howard
11) Fundraising: Medard
12) Writing and research: Carol
13) Information Gathering: Carol and Medard
VIII. Organization
There are 3 elected officers: Don Kennedy (President), Sari Steuber (Secretary) and Marie Goodwin (Treasurer)
There is an annual membership meeting
A member is a dues-paying member ($35 per year, which covers TTM and the Time Bank as well)
Decisions are made by consensus, voting is only the voting for officers
There are Worker Bee meetings and Steering Group meetings, which are open to everyone. People representing the different areas of work should attend the S. G. meetings
Several decisions were made:
The Steering Group meetings will be moved to the same night as the Fourth Tuesday events, happening prior to the public event. Potluck dinner will accompany each event. S. G. meetings are open to everyone. They take place in the Media Community Center.
The Worker Bee meetings are being moved to every other Sunday afternoon, from 3 to 5 p.m., at Marie’s house. They are followed by the Time Bank meetings.
Each working group will be responsible for one or two public events, on an alternating basis. That way, no one person or group will be overtaxed with making these events happen.
Some of the public events will be less labor-intensive, for example, movie showings.
IX. Announcements:
January 24 — Media Eats Local, a community potluck, 6 p.m. at the Media Community Center
January 30 — Presentation by Shannon Hayes, author of Radical Homemakers, 7 – 9 p.m., at the Providence Friends Meeting House.
Adjourned 3:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Carol Lisker Kennedy
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