[Peace] AWARE Minutes for 06/16/2006

[Karen Medina]

AWARE Meeting Minutes for Sunday, June 16, 2006

Peter Botticelli facilitated. Karen Medina is responsible for
the shortcomings of the minutes.

1. News of the Week – Carl Estabrook will post the news
separately. Particularly ironic were the legislation allowing
officials to enter homes without warning and other legislation
allowing people to shoot intruders breaking into their home.

2. Introductions – As we introduced ourselves, we were
encouraged to mention where we find hope for peace and
justice. I forgot to count heads, but I'll estimate 16 people
were there, several of which were fathers.

3. New Ideas: (15 minutes)
Counter Recruitment at Parkland Community College (new idea).
Jan of Parkland brought up this topic. Some staff members are
interested in countering the very active military recruitment
at Parkland. After some discussion, the Counter Recruitment
Working Group and SWAT will meet and discuss options as the
Fall semester approaches. Jan, a staff person at Parkland,
will look into the requirements for starting a student
organization at Parkland. It was pointed out that senior
citizens can enroll in classes for a very minimal cost. For
Lifelong Learning opportunities, see
http://www.parkland.edu/schedule/landl/lli.pdf 
In addition, the Prospectus, Parkland's newspaper does accept
guest writers (see
http://www.parkland.edu/ss/stulife/prospectus.html ). The
AWARE scholarship at Parkland also came up. The scholarship
was intended to be a way for a student to pay for college
without considering the military for doing so. The process for
establishing the scholarship was started but not completely
followed through. The good news is that there are loads of
opportunities to find something to work on concerning Parkland
and our young people.

Website (new idea). Jeff Nicholson-Owens and Carl worked very
hard on a new version of the AWARE website. If you have
content to add, please email Karen Medina (kmedina at uiuc dot
edu). Stuart, Karen, and Jeff will work it in, cheered on by Carl.

DOVE (new idea) of Church Presents – DOVE (xxxx xxxx Vineyard
Engagement - sorry, I forgot what the D and O stood for). This
is a new sub working group of Church Presents. The Vineyard
Church ( http://www.thevineyardchurch.us/aboutus/where.htm )
has cut its ties with Annette because of her attempt to call
her church to discuss peace. Church Presents will have a
meeting soon. Brian Miller is looking into meeting at the
First Mennonite Church, June 27th, 7pm. 902 West Springfield
Avenue, Urbana, Illinois (on the corner of Springfield and
Lincoln).

Teach-In (new idea). With the upcoming referenda, we might
want to host a teach-in on impeachment. July 19th, Wednesday
evening was suggested. Mort pointed to the kit put together by
http://www.articlesofimpeachment.net/ The kit includes the
30-minute DVD documentary short HOW TO IMPEACH A PRESIDENT and
copies of a handbook detailing the Center for Constitutional
Rights’ case against the president, ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT
AGAINST GEORGE W. BUSH. The kit also includes a discussion
guide and other information for your "Teach-In."


4. Working Groups: (30 minutes)
Finances (working group) : We registered for the Sweetcorn
Festival (for both days) and the 4th of July Parade. With
Farmer's Market income and passing the jar at the meeting, we
now have 2360.

4th of July Parade (working group) : We approved $120 for the
float (focusing on the ballot), $40 of which goes toward the
rental of the trailer. The theme of the float will be "Defend
the Constitution Against the White House." One big sign (the
size of a blackboard) is completed. There will be another big
sign 40x70, and the new yard signs will be on the float. We
will need people to help put the float together the morning of
the 4th. We will also need people to walk with the float. If
you have ever wanted to be in a parade you are welcome to walk
with AWARE through the streets of Champaign and Urbana
beginning at 1:15 PM on July 4!  See
http://www.july4th.net/parade/index.html for more information
about the parade.

Billboards (working group) : Monday, June 19th, the proofs
should be ready (by Adams). On Tuesday June 20th 3:15pm, Jan
and Durl invite others to go with them to Adams to make
decisions and discuss with Mr. Mills (Durl mentioned both Rick
Mills and Chris Mills, so I am not sure which is correct).

Farmers Market (working group) : There will not be a table at
the Farmers Market this coming Saturday (June 24, 2006)
because we will be at the "Taste of Champaign" 

Taste of Champaign! Friday June 23–Sunday June 25 at West Side
Park (400 W. University). We will at slot B in the North East
Quadrant, between "Bell Tower Restoration Committee" and
"Habitat for Humanity." The hours for our table are: Friday =>
2:30–9pm; Saturday => 11am-9pm; Sunday => 12noon-5pm. (A map
of the stations at West Side Park is available here:
http://www.champaignparkdistrict.com/taste/map.htm). 


Outreach opportunity (Farmers Market intro) : Also, at Farmers
Market this past week, Annette was approached by a professor
interested in having AWARE come to one of his graduate classes
to talk about grass routes organizations. He teaches summer
classes in Policy Studies at the University of Illinois, but
he is from Southern( or Eastern?). Contact Annette for more
information.

Sign up sheets were passed around for Taste of Champaign,
Urbana Days, and the Sweet Corn Festival. (Internet: look up
the names and dates of these).

MAIN Event (working group) : July 1st, 2pm-4pm (Saturday) is
the next demonstration at One Main.

AWARE Presents (working group) : Kim Able is the next event
(August 10, 7pm at the Urbana Free Library). Ms. Able is in
nursing at Illinois Valley Community College, and she goes to
Walter Reed where she talks to returning soldiers. We approved
$50 to be given to Ms. Able (to cover things like gas and a
meal). Dr. Gill has been invited and has it on his schedule.
Tim Johnson has been invited but has not commented whether he
will attend. If we could contact some veterans groups, that
would be great.

AWARE Presents II : Upcoming working group meeting July 11
(Tuesday).

Church Presence (working group) : There will be a call for a
meeting sometime soon-ish. Conrad would like to use diplomacy:
"We would like government administrators to use diplomacy
rather than invasion, so we should be using diplomacy."   

Anti-Racism/Courtwatch (working group) : Patrick's trial will
start Monday, June 26th, 1:30pm, in courtroom A.

Counter Recruitment (working group) : see Parkland College in
New Ideas above.

Other items: 
* Yard signs for Nov. 7 will be here this week. We approved $4
for the price.
* Call-in against torture this coming Friday (Internet: see
TASSC.org)
* Anna Balzer book and video are available for lending from
Conrad Wetzel.
* If people have photographs about AWARE, it would be nice to
put them on the website.

=======
5. Last Week's Events (15 minutes for 5 and 6)
* Socialist Forum met. Adolf Reed will be here July 22. He's
starting a Labor Party in South Carolina.

6. Upcoming Events (2006)
* June 19, Monday, 6pm-7pm -- Telling the Time (Internet: look up)
* Tuesday on NPR, a thing against torture. (June 20, 2006 or
was this a past event from June 13?) (Internet: look up)
* June 20, Tuesday, 3:15pm – Billboard meeting at Adams.
* June 22, Wednesday – yard signs arrived (vote yes referenda)
* June 23, Friday – Call-in about torture. Call your
representatives!!!!
* June 23-25, Friday-Sunday – Taste of Champaign
[* June 24, Saturday – we will not have a table at Farmers
Market] 
* June 26, Monday, 1:30pm – Patrick Thompson's trial. Courtroom A.
* June 27, Tuesday, 7pm – Church Presence Working Group
Meeting (possibly at First Mennonite, Springfield and Lincoln)
* July 1, 2-4pm – Main Event
* July 4 – 4th of July parade for our float: Defend the
Constitution Against the White House.
* July 11, 7pm – AWARE Presents Working Group meeting, 7pm at
the Kruse's (George Huff)
{* July 19, Wednesday – proposed Teach-In on impeachment (see
New Ideas: Teach In above) }
* July 22 – Adolf Reed presentation for the Socialist Forum
* August 9 – Hiroshima event
* August 10, 7pm – AWARE Presents "Kim Able" at Urbana Free
Library
* August 11-12, Friday and Saturday – Urbana Days
* Sweet Corn Festival
* November 7 – referenda and election