GA Minutes Sat Jul 14 2012

Minutes for 14 July 2012

Details

Location: Southwest Corridor, JP
Time: 5:00 pm -6:00 pm
Note taker: Aria

Minutes

About 17 people were present. The notetaker (Aria) arrived after announcements had started. John P. also took notes, they are appended below.Terra facilitated. Announcement regarding fracking.

Proposal to re-locate to 3 Mendel voted down. Folks went after the meeting.

Street Medic Proposal presented by Charlotte. She asked for money to fly in trainers because we don’t have anyone in this area who can do it. (She read from a prepared statement that will be pasted here some time after Mercury stations direct.) Here is the written proposal:

The Occupy Boston Medical Working Group proposes the use of $1400 from the Occupy Boston General Fund to pay for flights for three members of the Rosehip Medic Collective to come to Boston to lead a 20 hour street medic training from Friday, August 10th-Sunday, August 12th.

Cost breakdown is as follows: two members will need roundtrip flights at approximately $550/person. One will need a one-way flight at approximately $300 (this person is planning to continue on to Tampa for the RNC afterwards). One of the two needing roundtrip flights may end up needing one way only- in which case only the amount needed for a one way flight will be spent. Other costs will be covered by registration fees and independent fundraising.

Background:
There has not been an active street medic collective in Boston in 5+ years. Many new medics have emerged as part of the Occupy movement. Most have previous training as EMTs, nurses, etc., and may have attended a “bridge training” for medical professionals who want to become street medics, but few have been through a full 20 hour street medic training that is the standard of competency within the street medic community. In addition, many people with no medical background have asked how they can be trained as street medics. With an eye toward creating an independent street medic collective in Boston, we want to offer training to all of these people. The timing of this effort is crucial, with the upcoming RNC and DNC and the anticipated convergence for the S17, the anniversary of OWS, all approaching.

Justification for travel costs:
The Medical Working Group recognizes that $1400 is a large sum of money and does not take its use for this purpose lightly. Although the Rosehips contacted us offering to come to Boston to train in late May, we spent a month in the early planning stages of this training trying to find trainers who were closer to Boston and thus would have lower transportation costs. These efforts included outreach to the national street medic listserve, word of mouth, and networking at the recent street medic conference and NATO protests. Unfortunately, there are not many experienced medic trainers in the northeast right now. The Rosehips are a well known, highly regarded medic collective with a solid training program. We decided that, if we need to fly people in, they would be our best option. Two other people, one from Boston and one from Ithaca, NY, felt they were not experienced enough to lead a training but will co-train and learn from the Rosehips so that they may be able to run trainings in the northeast in the future. We would like to fund the full cost of the Rosehips’ flights since we are not offering them a stipend, which is commonly offered to trainers who put a lot of time and effort into their trainings.

Other funding:
A sliding scale fee of $0-$100 will be charged for the training. With 18 registrants (the maximum number the Rosehips are willing to train in a session), we expect to take in about $700 in registration fees (assuming an average payment of $50 per person). We are also holding a benefit concert to raise money and adding a wepay button to our website. All of these funds will be used for supplies, food, space, and local travel expenses. We will exhaust all independently raised funds before using money from the OB general fund.

Working Group: Medical
Date: 7/14/12

Brief 2 line summary: Funding to support 20 hour Street Medic Training in Boston.

The Occupy Boston Medical Working Group proposes the use of $1,400 from the Occupy Boston General Fund to pay for flights for three members of the Rosehip Medic Collective to come to Boston to lead a 20 hour Street Medic training from Friday, August 10-th Sunday--August 12th.

Charlotte of Medical went a way for a bit while the whole group discussed the proposal.

The proposal passed unanimously.

Bil spoke regarding criticism of GA. He that he had been attending GA since the beginning and had been doing his best.

Meeting adjorned at about 6pm.

John P.’s notes.

Aug 10 med training
Bill Boston police meeting sponsors withdrawn warc dorchester officer carnell in the system
Emily rooney statement
Wgbh

Nafgat philly
Tax dodgers versus the 99%
RAY LEWIS LOUIS?
NO KNIVES?
polkice spreading flyers
Jp foreclosures blockade house tomorrow night at 5 pm strategic action assembly
E5?
Texas court says clean air is public trust
Pittsburgh rights based ordinance
S17?
Nato proteset
Rose hips street medics
Democracy center
Bucket?
Discussion item