PAWC meeting Tonight!

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Dear PAWC Member Businesses,

******TONIGHT, TUES, DECEMBER 4TH FROM 5:15-7:15P THERE WILL BE A PAWC
MEETING********
IT WILL BE HELD IN PEOPLE'S COMMUNITY ROOM (3029 SE 21ST AVENUE)

AGENDA:
(13 min) Introductions...folks who have been members, include whats
new at your co-op
(10 min) Introductions...new co-ops/collectives who are prospective
members, include overview of your co-op
(15 min) Mondrogon Questions
(15 min) PAWC Marketing: Website update& Logo (Report plus...what
would we like to see up there
(20 min) PAWC Structure Report...who wants to serve on the board
(30 min) PAWC's Future (Practical Visioning)
(15 min) Fiscal Sponsorship of Worker Co-op 101 (Contribute $50-$100)
(2 min) Closing/ Commitments & Meeting Eval

Please let me know via Email (if you have a chance) if we can expect
you. Can't wait to get back together.

NEWS (Some more tidbits since last time--Please Review in prep for
meeting) See purple *:

Spread the word. Portland Alliance of Worker Collectives is coming
back to life and you are part of it ; )
* The website is going back up with the support of our new website
sponsor USFWC (who works with Electric Embers a worker co-op host) and
our new tech friend Wm (who works with will be start up tech co-op-
and came to the WWCC). It looks like the new domain will be
http://www.pawc.usworker.coop/ I don't think there will be a cost to
us. I am getting documents together so Wm can design and get it up.
If you have things that you would like on the web please send them to
me and I will work with him on getting them up.
* New Co-ops are in the mist - in addition to the future co-op that Wm
is working on, Inner City Hot Tubs is on their way to worker co-op,
additionally the Try-on Life Farm has a functional business and would
like to join PAWC. New Co-op's means new energy. There may be others
we haven't networked with during our little vacation.
* Also one of the Tryon Life Farm's members is going to visit
Mondragon Cooperatives in the Basque Region of Spain in Mid-december
to learn what he can to share with us in the NW, Another community
member is going in May and it is very likely that I will also be going
to Europe at some point in the Summer or Fall so we may build a
relationship and opportunity to learn from this and other very
established successful cooperative movement and economy. The folks who
are going want to be a part of PAWC and want to have a meeting with
PAWC in early December about what we would like to learn from
Mondragon and they will be back to present after their visits.
* PAWC has $106 in cash and hopefully some $ in our account with City
Repair. I called and left a message for a report.
* Co-ops are for lovers! Right Before Valentines Day (in February on
2/9) David Thompson from Twin Pines Cooperative Community Fund will be
coming to People's to do a presentation on Amelia Romangna
Cooperatives (in Italy). We may be able to reserve a few seats or
more for PAWC members -- let me know if you are interested in coming.
*I'm working with the NW Cooperative Development Center on creating a
Worker Co-op 101 Class to build an educated Portland area base of
interest and excitement in starting new worker co-ops. We are hoping
to hold this class before or after the above David Thompson Event on
Amelia Romangna. We are hoping to draw 40 participants. The fee
would be $20 each but we need to offset the costs of the workshop by
raising funds. I am hoping that PAWC can act as one of our fiscal
sponsors and contribute some of its reserves to the event, in hopes
that it will publicize our co-ops, and help revitalize PAWC.
Additionally, we are hoping that individual businesses may make act as
fiscal sponsors as well. We will make sure your business is
recongnized in the events promotional materials as a thank you for
contributing.
*At the Western Worker Cooperative Conference there was alot of energy
on having occasional skill share sessions on focused topics as well as
"Audits" where folks from other co-ops could come in and work with
your co-op to investigate a part of how you manage and/or govern your
business and give you feedback on an area you would like to improve.
These are great ways that we can work to make our current co-ops
stronger and create an infrastructure in which we can support local co-
ops in all their development stages.
*New Orleans Conference - the USFWC is planning our next conference in
New Orleans. Let me know if you are interested in getting involved in
that effort. Your involvement could comp your participation in the
2008 Conference (housing, conference fees & meal). And it's a good
way to network with folks from co-ops in other regions of the
country.
*A lot of regionals are starting to develop a worker co-op
organizaiton brand logo (with doves): www.usworker.coop,
http://west.usworker.coop/, http://www.mncooperate.org/, http://www.cicopa.coop/
I think it would be great to hire their designer to do a logo for us
that is similar but our own.


All of this exciting stuff. A get together...a meeting of sorts is in
line. I'm waiting to hear back from Brush about good times for folks
from their community/business to meet. But please stay tuned and get
ready ; ) I look forward to meeting with you all again, hearing what
your co-ops are up to, working together and HAVING FUN!

**********************************
Lori Burge
Development Manager
People's Food Cooperative

3029 SE 21st Ave. ph 503-232-9051 x 107
Portland, OR 97202 fax 503-328-0000
www.peoples.coop lo...@peoples.coop
**********************************