1/28/19 Minutes: Counter-Protest Review, Donations, Spring Calendar Planning

In Attendance: Jackson (moderator), Ty (secretary), Wyatt
Start time: 7:05 PM

1. Event Review – Counter-Protest for the Walk for “Life” was Saturday: those who went said it went pretty well. One guy from the anti-choicers was rather hostile, but he was scared off fairly easily. We did get a critique that the language in the description was not inclusive of other genders who are also put at risk by lack of reproductive freedom, so next year we’ll have to draft a better description. We also need to see if there are more people who are interested in organizing the counter-protest. Wyatt says next year we would benefit for an organizing meeting to delegate roles in the protest (media liaison, police liaison, parade marshals, photographer, etc.). Childcare was not taken up this year, but we will still offer it as always.

2. Upcoming Event – Serendipiti is going to come this Saturday to do her direct action workshop. Ty emailed her about any potential setup she may need. She reports that she’ll need the big whiteboard and scratch paper for people. We’re also going to give her a $20 donation.

3. Money – We got a donation! $195 is now in our treasury.

4. ISO Donation – We’re going to be making a donation of $80 to the ISO – Lincoln Twig.

5. Book – We got another book for Friends of AK Press. The title is “Premonitions: Selected Essays on the Culture of Revolt” by AK Thompson.

6. Spring Calendar –

Blackout Dates: April 13th (Huskers Spring Game), April 27 (Lincoln Earth Day), Feed the People fundraisers on first Saturdays and distro on second Saturdays

Fri, April 19th, 7 PM: Che Children’s Book Reading

Who Owns Politics? (a community discussion) – March 23rd, 1-3 PM
Kurdish/PKK – April 20th, 1-3 PM
Reading Discussion on May 18, 1-3 PM: Women and labor? Potentially “I Am an Anarchist” speech by Lucy Parsons?
Yard Sale, Fri May 10 and Sat May 11

Popcorn Politics
March: Something that will pass the Bechdel Test (Hidden Figures?)
April: Something environmentalist (Godzilla vs the Smog Monster?)
May: The Young Karl Marx

Documentaries: Strength of the Storm, Boom! The Sound of Eviction

Meeting adjourned: 8:25 PM

Tabled: Spring Calendar, Stuff to Buy, Library Readership Development

1/21/19 Minutes: Books!, Website Expenses, Spring Calendar

In Attendance: Jackson (secretary), Ty, Wyatt (moderator)
Start time: 7:01 PM

1. Event Review – We ran American Socialist, a documentary about Eugene Debs, on Friday night. We had a good turnout and a nice discussion, although the film itself was only so-so.

2. Upcoming Event – Our counter-protest of the Walk For Life is this weekend! Ty will be here spearheading the childcare services we offer here at the House, while Jackson and Wyatt will be at the rally.

3. Books – We have new books from the big sale at Indigo Bridge. Ty bought two, and doesn’t want reimbursement for them. Jackson bought eight of them for $56.11, and would like to be reimbursed for them. It is approved.

Also, we are ready to pay up on the AK Press order we placed a couple of months ago. Jackson will be reimbursed $200.30 for placing that order for our library.

4. Website – Jackson reports that it was time to renew one of our website domains. It cost him $30.87, and he will be reimbursed for keeping our website running.

5. Email – Ty reports that we got a couple of new emails. One was maybe a bot, or maybe a person curious about our organization. Ty will send a simple reply email… what’s the worst that can happen? We also had an invitation to table again at Lincoln Earth Day in 2019. We decided that we won’t be doing that.

6. February Events – Wyatt has a draft that we like for the KXL discussion. Jackson will prepare a draft for the documentary showing of the Garden.

7. Spring Calendar

Blackout Dates: April 13th (Huskers Spring Game), Feed the People fundraisers on first Saturdays and distro on second Saturdays

Fri, April 19th, 7 PM: Che Children’s Book Reading

Who Owns Politics? (a community discussion) – March 23rd or 30th?
Kurdish/PKK – April 20th?
Reading Discussion in May (18th or 25th?)? (Women and labor in early May?)
Yard Sale, Fri May 10 and Sat May 11

Popcorn Politics
March: Something that will pass the Bechdel Test (Ty suggests Hidden Figures)
April: Something environmentalist (Anthony suggests Snowpiercer, Princess Mononoke, or Godzilla vs Hedorah)
May: The Young Karl Marx

Documentaries? Strength of the Storm. One more?

Meeting adjourned: 8:31 PM

Treasury Log 2019 (General, Library, Speakers)

GENERAL TREASURY

We started the year with $170.34.

January 20th Update:

New donations:

1. Wyatt donated $150!

2. $15.31 collected from our donations box.

These total $165.31 in new donations, which increases our overall balance to $335.65.

April 7th Update:

New donations:

1. We received $195 from our friends Richard and Christy! This was reported at the January 28th meeting.

2. We received $1 in our donations box at the House. Every little bit helps!

These total $196 in new donations.

New debits:

1. Jackson is reimbursed $30.87 for renewing one of our website domains. This was approved at the January 21st meeting.

2. We decided to make a solidarity donation of $80 to the Lincoln ISO-Twig in appreciation of the books they donated to our library. This was approved at the January 28th meeting.

3. Jackson is reimbursed $11.24 for getting our spring calendars printed. This was approved at the February 25th meeting.

4. We made a $50 donation to the Santee Sioux nation for flood relief. Specifically, Jackson made the donation and he was reimbursed from the BCH treasury. This was decided and carried out at the March 18th meeting.

5. $272.86 is transferred from the general treasury to the library fund to cover new books purchased in the last three months.

These total $444.97 in new debits from our treasury. Altogether, our treasury is being reduced $248.97, to a new overall balance of $86.68.

June 3rd Update:

New Donations:

1. Our yard sale raised $599.14! Thanks, y’all!

2. Adam donated $60. Thanks, Adam!

3. We received $60 from Jackson selling a couple of our yard sale leftovers on Craigslist.

4. We received $1 in our donations box.

These total $720.14 in new donations.

New Debits:

1. Jackson is reimbursed $272.68 for buying new folding chairs for our public space. This was approved in theory at the May 6th meeting, and confirmed at the May 13th meeting.

2. Ty is reimbursed $14.93 for getting our May readings and summer calendars printed. This was approved at the May 20th meeting.

3.  We transferred $68.37 from the general treasury to the library to cover a couple of book purchases.

These total $355.98 in new debits.

Altogether, our treasury is increasing $364.16, to a new overall balance of $450.84.

June 23rd Update:

1. We received $50 from the sale of a yard sale leftover.

2. Jackson donated $15.

These total $65 in new donations.

New Debit:

1. Marc is reimbursed $19.26 for getting our new bookmarks printed.

(We are also setting $200 aside for Red State.)

Altogether, the available balance of the treasury is being reduced $245.74, to a new total of $205.10. (This excludes the $200 set aside for Red State and $80 that we set aside for the ISO/Socialism Conference.)

December 14th Update

New donation:

1. We had $78.25 in our donations box!

New debits:

1. Jackson was reimbursed $32.87 for paying website domain renewal. This was approved at the June 24th meeting.

2. We approved a $70 donation to the legal defense fund of Bernard Clark Duse, Jr. at the June 24th meeting.

3. Ty is reimbursed $18.46 for getting our fall calendars printed. This was approved at the September 2nd meeting.

4. Ty is reimbursed $12.87 for getting our winter calendars printed. This was approved at the November 25th meeting.

5. Jackson is reimbursed $3.00 for printing more winter calendars when our original batch weren’t enough for our distro needs.

(A. The $200 we set aside for Red State 2019 were spent on the $50 security deposit for renting the Unitarian Church and the remaining $150 were spent on our obligation to cater breakfast for the conference. Jackson paid for both expenses, and was reimbursed with the designated treasury money. The former was approved at the July 1st meeting and the latter at the August 26th meeting.)

(B. The long-tabled $80 donation that never made it to the now-defunct Lincoln ISO was donated instead to the Fetal Alcohol treatment center in Whiteclay, Nebraska. This was confirmed at the December 2nd meeting.)

Altogether, our treasury’s overall balance has been reduced by $58.95, to a new total of $146.15.

December 31st Update:

New donation:  We received a $100 donation. Thanks!

New debit: Jackson is reimbursed $32.87 for renewing  one of our web domains for another year. This was pre-approved at the December 23rd meeting.

Altogether, our treasury is increasing $67.13, to a new overall balance of $213.28.

LIBRARY TREASURY

We started the year with $2.20

April 7th Update:

New donation: $272.86 was transferred from our general treasury to the library fund.

1. Jackson is reimbursed $56.11 for buying eight new books for the library. This was approved at the January 21st meeting.

2. Jackson is reimbursed $200.30 for placing a bulk order for our library with AK Press last year. Reimbursement had been tabled until all items had been received and payment would be more convenient for the collective. This was finalized at the January 21st meeting.

3. Jackson is reimbursed $18.65 for buying two books for the library. This was approved at the February 4th meeting.

These total $275.06 in new debits. Our new library balance is $0.

June 3rd Update:

New Donation: We transferred $68.37 from the General Treasury.

New Debits:

1. Jackson is reimbursed $13.37 for buying Stars Over Latin America for our lending library. This was approved at the April 22nd meeting.

2. Jackson is reimbursed for buying an additional $55 worth of books and zines from Aragorn! when he was here in May. This was approved at the May 27th meeting.

These totals cancel out and our balance remains at $0.

SPEAKERS TREASURY

We started the year with $120.

April 7th Update:

We paid Serendipiti $20 for coming here from Omaha to give a workshop here on February 2nd. This was pre-approved at the January 28th meeting. We now have $100.

June 3rd Update:

We gave Aragorn $100. This was confirmed at the May 27th meeting. We now have $0.

1/14/19 Minutes: Event Planning, Spring Calendar

In attendance: Jackson, Ty (moderator), Wyatt (secretary)

Meeting in session at 7:04pm

  1. Event review – Videodrome was a weird movie for sure, and we had a good size group in attendence, including 3 new people, and we had a lively discussion. Thank you to Chris for the prepared analysis presented during the discussion.

2. Upcoming Event – On Friday we are showing American Socialist: The Life and Times of Eugene Debs. We have the DVD and will prepare the chairs and AV before the start.
Due to dangerously cold weather, the Women’s March in Lincoln is postponed to Sunday the 27th, 2-5pm. We will be there on Sunday!

3. Update email about Mutual Aid working group read aloud.

4. Books – The International Socialist Organization – Lincoln Twig officially donated 16 Haymarket Press books to the Black Cat House free lending library. Thank you!

5. February events – New Off-Calendar Event: Serendipiti Presents
Our friend sent us a proposal for a Direct Action Workshop for action in the Age of Trump. We have agreed to host the workshop on Saturday February 2nd from 1-3pm. We will help her out and post that on Facebook ASAP.
Our Malcolm X Event description is approved by Lincoln DSA. Will be posted on Facebook ASAP. We will put poll for what pizzas people want, and there will be pizza.

6. Spring calander

We have multiple ideas about spring calendar events.
1. Jackson will talk to Khenda about a possible PKK/Bookchin Discussion.
2. Movie nights, we will aim for doing 2 movies per month, one documentary and one fictional movie.
3. Discussions.
a.We for sure want to do the “Who Owns Politics?” Discussion Event before the Lincoln general elections in April.
b.We also hope to do a discussion about the PKK, Rojava, the Kurdish Struggle, and Western Anarchist analysis.
c. We will think of something else for third discussion.
4. Annual Yard Sale fundraiser will be in early May.

Meeting adjourned: 8:45 PM

Tabled: AK Press Reimbursement, Stuff to Buy, Library Readership Development, Potential donation to ISO,

1/7/19 Minutes: Spring Calendar Brainstorming, Catching Up

In Attendance: Jackson (moderator), Tony, Ty (secretary), Wyatt
Start time: 7:00 PM

1. Event Review – We had our Cuba discussion last Saturday. There were a few new people, and the discussion went good, partially thanks to the discussion points we already had formulated ahead of time. We should definitely make further efforts to make those discussion points ahead of time for other events.

2. Upcoming Event – Popcorn Politics: Videodrome is coming up on Friday! Might be a little bit of a lower turnout, just because of the weird, horror-esque sci-fi nature of it. But we’re looking forward to it! We have the DVD and only need to have configure the room for movie showings.

3. Emails – We got three emails, and we took a bit to respond to them.

4. Books – Jackson donated 15 books from his personal collection. Wyatt donated “Evicted” to the library, and Ty donated 2 books. We also got another book from a friend for a grand total of 19 books.

5. Spring Calendar – April 19th, 7 PM is when our Che children’s book author friend will be coming in, and we’ll have to contact him to see about how to brand it. Tony has multiple documentaries that he’s able to have shown here: documentary on Mother Jones, David Gilbert interview, Laura Whitehorn interview, American Revolution 2, Up the Ridge, Strength of the Storm. We also had tabled a “Who Owns Politics?” discussion event, as well as a Kurdistan and/or Bookchin discussion event. Another friend suggested a topic for an event: food autonomy. The Young Karl Marx might be a nice Popcorn Politics for May, to commemorate Marx’s birthday.

Tabled: AK Press Reimbursement, “Who Owns Politics?” Discussion Event, PKK/Bookchin Discussion, Graphic Designer, Stuff to Buy (canopy, stuff to secure bike rack, new SSD hard drive for public laptop)

Meeting adjourned: 8:33 PM