Booth at Solarfest, June 20-22 2012

[Stephen Alrich Marshall]

Hello Occupy networkers!

I hope everyone is well and your Occupy Group is busy. I have an
invitation and a need, and I have some proposals.

When you reply to this letter, please double check who you want to send to.

The Burlington GA has endorsed having a booth at Solarfest. My
invitation is for your GA to endorse this booth, and to send materials.
Ideally, You could send posters of actions you have had, education
materials you have created, and you could lend the booth some of your
favorite new and old radical literature for visitors to peruse. A real
bonus would be for someone from your GA to be there. *1

Solarfest has agreed to waive the booth fee, but anyone who wants to
come should plan on buying a ticket
<http://www.solarfest.org/solarfest_tickets.php> - they're cheap enough
- or arrange to volunteer for a day or two or more.
<http://WWW.solarfest.org/>*Click here to learn about Volunteering*
<http://solarfest.org/volunteer_at_solarfest.php>They want you to buy a
t-shirt to confirm your commitment to volunteering - $15.00. *2

My need is to talk to you. I have so many questions.

Pretty soon I am going to hit the road and be all over the state of
Vermont. I would like to visit your GA or visit with you at any general
sort of meeting your local Occupy has or would make for me to visit.
This would be one way for us to talk. Write to me or call me, or wait
for me to call you, and let me know when I could connect with you. *3

Another way is to have a conference call. *4

I want to have a booth I can set up at any event we decide to go to. But
what should this booth have? What should we be doing? Before I tell you
my ideas, I want to hear yours. *5

I want to tell you my feelings about Occupy. They are about the
questions I have.

As I sit and consider this plan, to have a booth, part of me anguishes
and another part rejoices. What can I say about Occupy in Vermont? Who
are we and what are we about? I anguish for not having an answer, and I
rejoice when I think of all the people I know around the state who
understand what Occupy is and why it is important, who are already
talking to each other and doing work I am unaware of. I think I am
despondent because I haven't been out talking to people. I put my hope
in the possibility of talking with everyone, of learning what you think
and feel and are doing, and sharing our solidarity. I put my hope in
connecting with the wider community of Occupy. *6

I have not been the best steward of this group. I am thinking about the
Google group I agreed to create and didn't, about video chat and other
stuff we were going to do. I am very happy to share this job! This is
all stuff I hope we can get set up this summer.

I guess the big question for anyone who walks up to the booth at
Solarfest will be "How can I get involved?" and that is the question we
will need to answer. If you haven't brainstormed your own ideas, I have
a spoiler alert for you --- some of my ideas are coming. SO STOP
READING. Unless you want to read my ideas first. Scroll down to keep
reading.

































I would like to have a comprehensive list of Occupy groups and people to
attach to a big map, so people can see who is out there and where they
are and get in touch with other folks in their own area. I wonder if we
could create a newsletter right there at Solarfest, to send home with
people, of all the stuff Occupy in Vermont is doing. Hmm. I would like
to have a library too. What about a video testimony booth? I definitely
would like to have one or two computers where we could hook up to
livestream and other occupy group stuff.

Any way, are these good ideas? what are your ideas? What can we do? *7

Another thing, I'd like to have tee-shirts to sell. Anybody know someone
who has some money and would like to help buy them (get paid back
later)? *8

Hope I didn't take too much of your time, I look forward to hearing from
you!


*1- (Talk to your GA - endorse booth? - get materials together, call me
about collecting these materials)
*2 - (Arrange for some one to go to Solarfest; register as volunteer,
send check.)
*3 - (Contact Stephen about a visit)
*4 - (Vibe check on a conference call! Write or call group about
conference call.)
*5 - (ideas about booth at Solarfest.)
*6 -(What are we about? Do you feel supported by and solidarity with the
larger Occupy movement?)
*7 - ( More ideas)
*8 -(money to capitalize tee-shirts)

--
This reply has been edited to reduce volume and to clarify its meaning.

Stephen Marshall
Dispolemic.Blogspot.Com
802-922-1446 Cell