2005-11-06 Meeting Notes (RNC at LA Ecovillage)

Reg. Networking: Fred(c), Aron, Craig, Geoph, Kip, Lotus, Ma'ikwe, Raines, Vince, --- FIC regional @ LAEV 11/6/05 NOTES draft

Agenda: Inter-organizational concerns Inner-org web interpersonal FIC-cre pkgs self-organizing RLCs trng mem pkts reg role in FIC proj: dev, mem dev, cmag, dir

facilitator: Fred minutes: Raines

Present: Raines Cohen, Fred Lanphear, Geoph (2d half), Vince, Bill Z., Xanthia, Craig Ragland, Mai'kwe (middle half), Somatoon [sp?]

[ * = flag as task for someone]

Tasks: inclusion in pkts Tony if can go up on ic.org [w/Craig] [we decided not to put what could be a big thing on Tony's plate, start it outside before we create new work for Tony that distracts from our/the org's higher priorities]
 * Vince to email his individual contributions to the RNC list
 * all: participate/contribute: post on the RIC list
 * [Lotus/Geoph]: Ask FIC depts for their list of items for possible
 * Raines: Set a date, send it out, confirm for conf. call
 * Everybody: use the tools we've got.
 * Geoph: put his events on our site
 * Raines: Bill Becker: have conf line can schedule, 12/10.
 * Raines [delegated to Craig]: Set up wiki private space. Check with
 * Vince: post your list on the mail list
 * Craig: port his content to the wiki
 * Raines: brief report to full group
 * Raines: MAC and twin oaks, talk about DC green fest experience

FIC-created packets: what's to be included?

Fred: Lotus offered to take lead, wants input on what we want included, how do we participate?

How do we effectively do this work as a committee? Do we just delegate it or is there some way of doing it collectively by email?

The point of the packets is to get people interested in whatever people have to offer

Bill Z: In Eugene, many ex-FIC folks... many others interested in localizing NICA, FIC - we have to hook their interests to what FIC/ NICA bring to the table

Fred: As a local coordinator, what should be in a packet?

How should it resonate with what they're interested in.

Craig: Many will say - I believe in community, but its not where they're at. In general support someone who is self-declaring about whanting to do something in IC space. Ex. how do we make Vince more effective since he is involved in promo IC stuff

Bill Z: Lost Valley, right next to Eugene. They're passionate, they're living. Don't feel passion, draw to FIC. Individuials have attachment.

Fred: In ID'ing LRC's - looking for "burnign souls" for region or local area. Craig: Our community is like that, too.

Lotus - on our cmtee, at The Farm. Had offered to take the lead in doing that. Preparing a list of existing material that may be relevant for inclusion in a packet.

Vince: send our individual contributions to our list? [Vince, Geoph, both ofcs have them]
 * Vince to email to list

Craig: Do we want to set a deadline, and ask for someone else to take on? There's not been much response to things at times Fred: How do we hold ourselves accountable to things we've taken on? Status report? Dates? Vince: Backups

Craig: Model from last night? (8 shields). Inner circle, demo'ing thru actions, participating.

Fred: There's some real skepticism on the part of the board [etc.] as to whether we can make anything happen at the regional level. There have been gestures in the past, and nothing happens. Somehow we have to demonstrate what we can do. Craig: That's true of all things FIC that are not directly embraced by staff. Talk, with possible action.


 * all: participate/contribute: post on the RNC list

Craig: our original goal: accomplishments w/packet by this mtg. What's the next natural milestone?

Raines: Our next phone mtg?

Craig: a month from now. Have an inventory of possible documents for inclusion on this pkt.

inclusion in regional packets
 * [Lotus/Geoph]: Ask FIC depts for their list of items for possible


 * Raines: Set a date, send it out, confirm for conf. call

--- role of regions in funneling info fm local cmties re mem status, data updates?

re packet end goal: packet run through ERB = Editorial Review Board But all items already reviewed mostly extra piece: how it to be used.

geographic element: cut on FIC data, mailing list, etc. [discussions about trade-off of effectiveness of data cut local vs. larger regional, population densities]

Fred: a Q of intent regional/local role in terms of taking initiative to work w/cmties to update info, to supt FIC efforts to get more cmties, into mem status what is our intent?

enrolling existing cmties vince: promo FIC first, get material to people. Mai'ikwe: reach thru existing cmties. That's how I've made the best connections. As far as I know I'm the only person in New Mexico who's active particular cmties have shown up on the radar we have cmties in the directory so there's that level of involvement

Raines: Geoph slideshow upcoming in the bay area - not listed?


 * Everybody: use the tools.
 * Geoph: put it on our site

NICA event 12/2 songaia evening - public event

Fred: NICA creating a model. Make it replicable.

Raines: Spectrum from seeking cmty to being involved w/FIC to regional netoworing. Craig: NICA board de-emphasize membership, be a small working force, has the blessing of independence, energy and $ from FIC in some ways serving FIC realtive to membership rlettting FIC do the databasing, the dirty work. its still independent, can act autonomoously. and has history and connection.

Fred: FIC endorses that approach. doesn't want to set up chapters.

new BC grp - similar to NICA.

Raines: Additional regional efforts happening. Sally Wright - Norcalcoho.org. Mai'ikwe: Stop thinking about state lines. Think about bioregions. Vince. LA connection. [vince shows his map]

Raines: it's not either/or: state vs bioregional

Raines: there's not autonomy, authority, exclusivity Craig: intention to make investment into FIC websapaces for any other region to use freely. we've had conversations about mapping capabiliitesis. Perhaps NICa peroviding supt to FIC.

Raines: Bay Area would match that kidn of investment Mai'ikwe: Do we need each regional networking grp to take the same approach to all of this? ex. NICA established vs. Mai'ikwe getting started in Southwest

Craig: We're creating a resource that is generic and freely available. Tool

raines: example: directory: database a tool for coordinators to become editors, update cmty listings and see the back end as they do their work.

Fred: ID/cre potential LRCs. fill in gaps in reports.

[back to packet-creation item] Geoph: get list fm personnel of who's on what cmtee, ask each convenor for docs.


 * Raines: Bill Becker: have conf line can schedule, 12/10.

Craig: 13-14 existing LRC-type orgs: networks of organizations. some look a lot like IC's. Ex. BC cooperative network, 250 buildings that are legally cooperatives. NYC 2200 in assn.

Geoph: Our role to approach them? Craig: Some very diff orgs managing community-related things

Fred: as we create these local packets, some may be designed for esxisting networks.

Craig: it seems like rich potential for recruitment to FIC some %age of them have got to be hidden IC's that are not visible, not engaged

[Eugene]: "coop" as legal maneuver. Some are more intentional. Craig: Requests dialog on that. "cohousing san diego" - listed as a cmty in dir, same for 2-3 other cmty networks. We need to figure out what we're doing in that space.

Fred: When an email goes out, we need to respond. When you get nothing back.

Craig: When cross-threads, do msgs get read? wikis? A web page anyone can edit? Vince: OK if core-group thing.

ic.org [w/Craig]
 * Raines: Set up wiki private space. Check with Tony if can go up on

Q: Has the FIC ever agreed on criteria for determining whether a cmty is intentional? A: Yes. [discuss details offline]

Raines: Excited about events DB, etc. adding regional element Craig: Tony's willing if energy flows there Geoph: He can do test sites on the site easiliy

Fred: As we get packets ready, relative to empowering local regional corordinators, wow do we move towards ID'ing, recxruiting, having criteria as to who they are, what their role would be - the coordinators themselves. Dunno what the timeline would be? how do we get FIC to be comfortable to either say yes we enddorse/ empower you to do this on behalf of FIC

does FIC recognize, promote them as a regional coordinator? Anyone can say anything. Does FIC provide that person with access to any info thats's not public. Do they get traffic/people sent to them? Geoph: Mentors model? Experiment?

Vince: reg coords = liaisons w/Fic directly, at org mtgs, in communications. and local networking: net w/reg coord.

craig: on ideal level, almost anyone who touches fic would become a local liaison. they are bringing the fic msg to anyone they connect w/ who makes sense to do so

vince: we don't want 100 people coming to the org mgts

Raines: issues of access, feedback loops

mailing list: separate contract.

Craig: set some thresholds At the very least you have to be an FIC member Geoph: we sell our list now. key issue is misrepresentation Dan: issue of rpesenting themselves as rep

we sell labels of those who said it was OK to release to like-minded grps we have said no to ppl who we thought were not appropriate

also used by FIC to co-sponsor an event and help things happen

Raines: regional networking to better raise a flag


 * Vince: post your talking-topics list on the RNC email list


 * Craig: port his content to the wiki


 * Raines: brief report to full group

Filling in the geographic gaps Geoph: on wiki, ID grps, someo of us will know ppl in the se grps, contact them


 * Raines: MAC and twin oaks, talk about DC green fest experience

cmty conferences at tiwn oaks, the farm - do we have access? Yes. Have we? Probably not yet, we should.

Craig: model how reg coord can access all that info. Maybe have geoph give a preso somewhere, model what is it we would do around promoting that preso x. regional event - right now, up to each indvidual totally up to them. is there something we can do to help create and support that? Vince: reporting format? If I had one it would help me to prepare better for the next one. Craig: structural. Right now - just post info on a website. Hwo do we get it so it's not hidden? Lists of resources. cmag subscribers, that kind.

transparency.

easier, more mappable paths to engagement

Geoph: further mtg?

Craig: more human connection, to give us more effectiveness. Vince: plan to spend $100 on assembling packets, $200 donated from Vince's regional effort.