5/5/07 Retreat at YWCA in Winston Salem

5/5/07 Retreat at YWCA in Winston Salem

    PDNC Exec. Members present:  Pete, Susan, Isaac, Chris, Helen, Matilda

    Guests: Mike Oder, Delmas Parker, Leslie Holder, George Six, Mindy Wray, Dan Bennett, Tony Clark, Anthony Young, Al and Kaitlin McShirley, Michael Sprague, Tom Morris

A.  Strategy for moving forward:

1.  Build membership and chapters.
2. Increase awareness about legislative agenda thru more email alerts timed for when bills are moving.  Chris will track which bills that advance our priorities are moving after crossover (May 18).  A major priority is upgrading the website.
3. Make a key niche of ours connecting grassroots and non-profit progressive issue agendas to the Democratic party resolution process and to alerting our members, contacts and party activists about these issues and helping to move them in the legislature.
4. Be a catalyst in helping to get progressive groups together in local meetings about the progressive agenda and the HkonJ 14 points.  Work closely with the NAACP on this.
5. Develop a plan for addressing the chapters.
6. Raise money. Hire staff.

B.   5th District regional meeting will will occur before June 15 and will be our test case for other regional meetings to reach out for new members.  (Susan, Helen, Tom, Pete)  Draft user friendly guidelines for forming chapters (Matilda will initiate).  Look to PDA for organizational strategies.  Isaac will approach Susan Oehler about being our PDA liason.

C.   Fundraising is taking priority due to necessity and the fact that our goal is to support part time staff to take charge of certain duties and responsibilities of PDNC.

      Pete and Susan will work on a fundraising letter to be sent out via snailmail and email.

Fundraising committee (Susan, Helen, Matilda, David, Isaac and George Six) will participate in phone conferences/email to head this effort up and oversee the various projects. Begin with drafting a detailed budget (David to initiate.) Ask individuals for money! Use annual meeting as fundraising opportunity.

D.  Annual Meeting set for Sept 15 and we are looking at Durham as the location.  

    Annual Meeting committee has yet to be completely formed, however, Mindy Wray and

    Leslie Holder agreed to help the Executive committee with some of the details.

    Pete will contact Rev. Barber, Susan will contact Dennis Kucinich and Mike Sprague

    offered to contact Amy Goodman as potential speakers for the Friday night dinner and

    Saturday keynote.

E.  Pete will contact Rev. Barber regarding setting up a strategy meeting with NAACP about

    melding 14 point agenda with legislative action and discussing PAC mechanisms which

    can spin off local PACs.

Next Board Call: Wednesday, May 16 at 9:00 AM

Further discussion needed:

Dates to Remember:

September 15 PDNC Annual meeting
                                  
Oct. 11. Annual Convention of NAACP in Wilmington

Jan 9, 2008 - 2nd HK on J Rally

Feb. 12, 2009 - 3rd HK on J Rally