SPA GENERAL MEETING MINUTES- 8/16/07 

In Attendance: Claire Cafaro, Jim Fulmer, Jeffrey Halpern, Lee Lakritz, Barbara Murphy, Patty Christensen

Facilitator: Claire Cafaro

Next Monthly Meeting: October 18 at 7PM, Saratoga Springs Library.  Facilitator will be Patty Christensen

SPA Business

·        Claire will look into removing names of old signers and adding new ones and changing the mailing address.  She will contact Lori Dawson to see who is on the accounts as signers and to see if she still wants to receive the statements. 

·        Patty reported on the SPA survey results.  To date we have had 9 responses.  We will try to increase responses by posting results to the list and by distributing printed copies at the weekly vigil.

·        Claire will follow up with Ken Williams about details for renewing SPA’s website domain and transferring “ownersip” of the site.  Patty will contact Jennifer Holmes and ask her if she is still interested in maintaining the website.

·        A total of $50 was raised to fund the creation of a SPA banner.  Clair was given the funds in cash and will give it to Francelise to purchase supplies to make the banner

 Events & Announcements

·        Barbara and Joe Seeman attended the meeting with Representative Gillibrand on 8/8.  Five local groups were represented at the meeting.  There was no direct sense on how Ms. Gillibrand will vote on the funding bill in September.

·        Jim Fulmer reported on the August 15^th Muslim Solidarity march in Albany.  The event had a good turn out and was supported by many regional groups.  The families felt supported and there was a positive public response.  Jim and  Barbara Murphy attended as representatives of SPA

·        Jim Fulmer announced that on August 25^th there will be a rally & vigil in Kennibunkport Maine.

·        On September 27 May Safar will be speaking at the Unitarian Church in Schenectady.  Barbara is working with May and the priests at St Edward’s and St Mary’s to schedule talks in Clifton Park

·        August 28^th MoveOn Out of Iraq campaign was on the agenda – no one was present at the meeting to discuss it.

·        SPA will observe the International Day of Peace on September 21.  We will have a silent vigil from 5:30 to 6pm in front of the Post Office.  Jim will speak at the beginning of the vigil.  We will walk to the Spirit of Life in Congress Park where we will float candles.  Lee will obtain black armbands for vigilers to wear. Patty will supply tea candles.  Pete will suppli Floats for the candles.  Claire will work on a press release and Patty will make a flyer.  Jeffrey said that Carol would do a poetry reading.

·        Jeffrey announced that there will be a march in Washington DC on September 15.  The march is sponsored by the ANSWER Coalition.  For more information contact Jeffrey at stealthx@aol.com

·        On Monday, September 24 SPA will be meeting with David Easter of Peace Action at Barbara Murphy’s lake house, 43 Lundy Lane on Round Lake.  5:30pm to 6:30 pm – potluck dinner.  6:30 to 7:30 - David Easter will talk about Peace Action and answer questions as SPA considers becoming a member of the Peace Action network.  Discussion to follow. 

·        Planting of a Peace tree by Chief Jake Swamp has been scheduled for September 26^th.  Joe Kulin, a member of VFP Adirondack chapter, has been organizing this.

·         SPA agreed to be a sponsor of the regional march and rally in Syracuse on September 29^th.  The march was conceived by a group of active duty soldiers in Fort Drum who are working in conjunction with the Syracuse Peace Council and it is being sponsored by a wide variety of organizations statewide.   Tentative information for the march and local transportation is as follows.  A 55 seat bus will be leaving from the Albany area on Saturday, 9/29 at 8:30 am.  Possible car caravan will also travel down the thruway.  Rally begins at 1pm.  March begins at 2pm, starting near the recruiting center and ending near the VA hospital.  Closing rally from 3 to 4pm.  Points of unity for the march are 1) unconditional withdrawal of all troops from Iraq.  2) full health benefits for returning vets.  3)reparations to Iraqi people. 4) money for jobs, education & community needs- not occupation

·        The Iraqi women and children event has been scheduled for October 13^th.  The date is contingent on finding an available space.  The library is not available.  Joe Seeman is looking for a location.

 Other

·        It was decided that the first half hour of the next meeting would be dedicated to discussing strategy & guidelines for choosing a projects to work on.