Minutes - CU Dems Executive Board Retreat

Date: Sunday, September 20, 2015 | Time: 11:30 AM 1:15 PM EDT; 1:15 PM 6:00 PM EDT
Location: Schermerhorn 652
In attendance: Kristen, Isabel, Michael, Annika, Adjua, Allison, Alexander, Partha, Daniel, Joelle,
Shoshana, Kiana
Board Bonding/Community Guidelines
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We want to get to know each other better than we have in previous years.
Not talking over one another is important
Adjua: We should have a codeword for when a discussion seems to just be going back
and forth and there seems to be no resolution in sight
Kristen: using hands seems to be essential
Jargon giraffe
One dive, one mic
Challenge the idea, not the person
Hand signs for interjections, clarifications
o Joelle: maybe a 1 for a direct point
Step-up, step-back
o Make sure you participate the right amount
Confidentiality (sort of)
o If you want something struck from the minutes, indicate that

Important: Mike is from *New Providence*, not Providence. Is very proud of the Garden State.
Duties Review
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President
o Clarification of overlapping duties of President and Media Director
Vice-President
o Only one who replies to emails, unless theyre media-related
Lead Activist
o Duties have been slightly amended by Spring 2015 amendments
o Now theyre not the point people for all activism they are now the point people
for major activism events
Media Director
o Position of Webmaster?
o Creating a media committee?
o Op-eds: Alex is willing and more than happy to write op-eds, but is happy to let
others do it too
Secretary
o Could work with Membership Director to compile lists of alumni?
Membership Director
First-Year Rep
o Possibly the Representative to the Columbia Political Union
Question to consider: amending the Constitution to make changes to the Webmaster
position or to add special committees?
Another question to consider: cosponsorships (not currently in the constitution) should
require the attendance of three or more officers of the Board at the very least

Clarification: votes should be made over email, not Slack.com (as per the Constitution)
Do all the things email scheduled for Sunday night on Board

Dems Vision for the Year

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Adjua: getting involved with more diverse groups; getting hardcore liberals to speak.
Mike: thinking about us as the pulse of liberal activism. Whats our relationship to
activist groups, cultural groups? How do we interpret the meaning of the pulse of liberal
activism?
Talking about the presidential primary contest and engaging with the candidate groups,
even if were not endorsing a candidate?
Supporting candidate groups through booking space and providing logistical support?
o Talking to Eric Wimer about TurboVote
Discussing whether our role is putting on events of our own or supporting other groups in
their endeavors?
Idea from Allison: scheduling 45 minutes discussions with each of the activist groups
Alex: why not endorse candidates in the way that Democratic Party clubs do?
Dan: creating an infrastructure for response to activist events
Kristen: how about creating an allyship event?
o Allison: creates list of groups who could come
Kristen: Stepping up when we need to, following when action is already being taken
VOTE: On a flowchart to respond to activist events 11/0 (PASSES)

General Updates
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Event with Cesar Vargas confirmed for Voting Week

Queer Awareness Month event confirmed

Campaign Trip
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Maine Clean Elections Initiative!

o Original was passed in 1996, imposing a $500 limit on individual contributions
o Things changed recently, allowing twice as much donations as before, dark
money etcetera
o Initiative alleviates the situation
We are not announcing this Wednesday
VOTE on going to ME!: 12-0
Partnering with other groups
o We have been in contact with the Harvard Dems
o Partha will reach out to contact at the Yale Dems

Back to General Updates

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TurboVote:
o Update on Student Lifes use of TurboVote on 9/22 (NVRD)
o Possibility of Dems doing a major voter registration push during Voting Week
o Partha will create timeline and proposal for JCCC and general TurboVote efforts
Logo
o Not done yet
Using Slack.com instead of Email?
o Benefits elaborated upon by Alex

Email
o Definitely to be used for formal things
MailChimp
o VOTE to pay $60 for two months of MailChimp: 12/0 (PASSED)

Dems Revamping Meeting Formats

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Do we want to keep the circle format?

o Mike likes them
o Kristen think we should spice them up
Invite other groups?
Pitfalls: dominated by people who know the issue really well
You might run out of things to talk about
o Partha:
Framing the terms of the debate beforehand through an email
Duplicating panels isnt good?
Fewer, larger circles
o Dan:
Circles can be powerful, but often stale
o Annika
Panels arent participative
Circle structure does work: people do seem to be consistently coming to
our meetings
Theres something powerful about student experts
o Shosh:
Trying to emphasize GB-led circles as much as possible
Big Circle week, Small Circle week?
o Joelle:
Combining coffee dates with GBM participation
Topics matter, not just the format
o Mike
I do like the idea of making great circles and continuing with this for two
weeks
We know the circle structure well
o Isabel
We should plan body meetings in advance
We should plan to plan two meetings on 9/27
o Adjua
An online forum to discuss issues once the GBM is over
o Annika:
Ongoing projects, activism
o Partha
Creating an Activism Council to plan activism, meeting outside Satow and
outside 9 PM on Wednesdays

What to do for first meeting?

o Big Circle or Small Circle?
o Booking multiple Hamilton rooms on the same floor

o
o

Nope
VOTE on Dems Speed Dating: 10-2 (PASSES)
VOTE on Pizza: 11-0 (PASSES)