December 8 Think Tank Minutes

Posted January 17th, 2012 by Hannah Appel & filed under Think Tank.

Logistics Meeting at 60 Wall 12/8/11

Minutes taker: Hannah

Summary of the Flying Seminar @ New School:

Listserve Logistics

People wanting to be on logistics list who aren’t. Lots of people aren’t shared on the Google doc. Also Google doc about mobile site. Emily volunteering to test.

Finance/Mobile Think Tank

Estimated costs = 2,048.81 includes recording devices, dry erase board, memory cards, promotional materials
OccupyDesign (Courtney)
Evan to follow up with someone who offered free fliers
Michael could pay for recording stuff***** (NYU archives)
How to apply through finance; go to facilitation to get in on the agenda for GA
Go to facilitation 24hours before we want to
Go to facilitation to propose tomorrow/Friday; who? Hannah to write.
x to present at Saturday GA (?)
Richard on the urgency of finance needs (batteries, etc.)
Daily budget – photocopying; batteries;
Google doc on specific sites for mobile think tank
Subcommittee to deal with mobile kits = Emily
Evan – people are starting to enjoy TT as a place to get information. (passing out literature or fliers) How to answer people’s questions about things
Are there greeters? There HAVE to be in mobile think tank. Needs to be someone to handle side conversations.
We need to bring fliers from info (Stan)
Tony @ WBAI to advertise – 99.5 (510) 508-2566 Tony Bates; tony@wbai.org
When to start mobile think tank? After we get the kit.
Storage for the kits
bag into which board; easel; marker; recorder will fit. Making kit mobile.***

Meeting Times?

Organization

Richard talks about terrible experience at Spokes Council.
The relevance of think tank toward modeling organization.
Getting Cathy involved more in organization.
How can we better differentiate our roles?
Our OWS Think Tank gmail is not getting read. We need Email readers – writing an automatic response to the Think Tank email address

Archives – Michael

30 gigs downloaded onto a server. A couple students figuring out what we have.
2 things: summaries and technical analysis
Group of 4 from media preservation department, to assess from a technical point of view, what needs to be done. To start second week in new year
“Feed me as much as you got!”
If recording is done on other devices, put data on memory stick, or email files.
Michael to bring a bunch of memory sticks next week. Then download on NYU server.
The urgency of finance.

Question of direct response in Think Tank.

Seems to be dependent on the facilitator. If facilitator chooses to use it, it’s up to the facilitator to control the conversation.
Limit to three direct responses; and then for the original speaker to respond
It’s a balancing act; there’s no formula
As long as you’re clear as a facilitator… if it’s transparent it will usually work
Accepting direct responses until they get out of control
Courtney to make a note in the hand signal guide about direct response
Allow the conversation to move away from the initial subject if need be; proceed with a temperature check;
The difficulty in mobile think tank of allowing flexibility in the topic; how to respond to the “what the hell do you all want?” interjection. People over process. But how to deal with incivility

Other Questions

How to coordinate with outreach?
How to coordinate with visions and goals?
wikiPage for Pace University 12/18 (also talk to tech opps); should we get a room at Pace for 12/18? Stan
Conflicting events on 12/18 – Movement Building Day and an event at Pace (Training – Direct Action; Facilitation; Interoccupation Unconference)
Looks like they’re actually the same thing – 2-8pm @ Pace.

The Winter Schedule

With Mobile Think Tank, should we change schedule?
2 days mobile; 5 days park
@ 37 degrees, it’s too cold to sit around. The rain, etc.
Don’t like having it in 60 Wall. Only get Occupy people
2 sessions per day vs. 3
Should we take regular shifts? And then if I can’t come on my regular shift I get someone else to cover it.
1 session per day around lower Manhattan; 1 session mobile
We need new facilitators – outreach
Someone to make an announcement at Friday’s Spokes Council. Who?
Someone needs to be the point person for scheduling; that’s the person to direct new potential facilitators to that person. NINA

Exporting/Global Think Tank

Mobile Working Group – bus from NY to Florida

nathansheard@gmail.com for info; 11am 60 Wall

Goldman Sachs action on Monday – giant squid day**** 7:30 @ cube and at City Hall Park. Nina to email us about this action

Fundraising & Funding

The issue of autonomous fundraising
Thinking about taking $$ from the general fund vs.
Applying for a grant
Richard strongly in favor of autonomous funding; how to set up a funding mechanism
Should we do a kickstarter? Who’s been filming us?
A fundraising working group getting started
How to move forward with this? Hannah
Funding for transcription
Make the fundraising transparent?

#Occupy Wall Street