Local Groups Workshop

Local Groups Workshop with Keith Murphy - 01/06/05

Other chats

Here's a transcript of the chat that took place:

17:56:07 [katdillon] Hi guys

17:56:28 [katdillon] be right back

17:56:44 [Friday] How do you change chat rooms? Just click on the name of the room?

17:57:15 [Keith] not really sure, Friday

17:57:49 [Friday] Keith, this is Sandy Pierre, just in case you forgot :-)

17:57:50 [katdillon] yes

17:58:22 [Keith] oh, right Sandy. I didn't make the connection

17:59:03 [katdillon] Keith, I put up your file here: http://www.soulawakenings.com/LGLG.pdf

17:59:07 [Keith] Kat, tell Tom not to worry about the LGLG. What I sent you was only a draft, so I don't want to make him update it twice

17:59:18 [Keith] cool, thanks

17:59:25 [katdillon] Tom couldn't make the links work, so didn't want to put it on the FSP site yet

17:59:30 [katdillon] ok

18:00:50 [Keith] Sandy, did you get a chance to look over the revised LGLG?

18:01:13 [Friday] Well, I read the one on the FSP website; I didn't know there's a new version

18:02:07 [katdillon] Hi Rich

18:02:12 [Keith] I sent a revised draft early today over the LGL email list.

18:02:18 [Keith] You are a member, right?

18:02:24 [katdillon] http://www.soulawakenings.com/LGLG.pdf

18:02:30 [Friday] Keith, I'm still not on the LGL list!

18:02:34 [Rich_T] i looked at it quickly. sorry i didn't send an update.

18:03:17 [Keith] That's cool, Rich, I just got the draft out today, so it's still subject to further editing.

18:03:23 [Rich_T] Keith> got a local candidate who wants to make a splash in Bedford

18:03:48 [katdillon] http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FSPLocalGroupLeaders/

18:04:05 [Keith] really? who? D, R, or L? What position?

18:04:09 [katdillon] BTW, for private messages, do /to name message

18:04:35 [Keith] ok, thanks for the tip

18:04:45 [katdillon] can you join there Sandy, or do you need an invite?

18:05:00 [Rich_T] ner, the chat client only lets you be in one room

18:05:39 [katdillon] we'll have a transcript of the other chat up on the underground website tomorrow

18:06:01 [Friday] Thank you, Kat!! I have just requested admission to the list.

18:06:11 [katdillon] Great :)

18:06:43 [katdillon] I gather you're doing an lp booth in socal soon?

18:07:06 [Friday] Yes, I should know the cost of a table tonight/tomorrow

18:07:11 [Keith] Sandy, you'll want to go back in the messages to see my important message from earlier today

18:07:34 [Friday] OK, Keith, I'll be sure to check it out

18:08:19 [Keith] The cost of the table is, I think off the top of my head, fully reimbursable by HQ.

18:08:28 [katdillon] Would Kate Rick take over the local groups?

18:08:53 [Keith] possibly, although she is preparing to move in April.

18:09:10 [katdillon] oh yeah...hmm

18:09:12 [Keith] Rich_T> what does he want to run for and as?

18:10:05 [Keith] Sandy, I'm actively beginning to search for someone to replace myself as LGLC

18:10:19 [Keith] So I can pay more attention to things going on within NH

18:10:53 [Friday] Oh, OK. I'll bet you're excited about your move!

18:10:56 [katdillon] I talked to Phil, not realizing you hadn't spoken to him yet

18:11:36 [Keith] I talked to him last night, Kat. He said he would do it if no one else would, but his plate is rather full right now

18:12:02 [katdillon] Hello fisher

18:12:28 [Keith] Yes, Friday, I'm very excited. MD is probably a lot like CA, so you can understand my sense of urgency

18:12:52 [Friday] Yes indeedy, I certainly can

18:13:10 [katdillon] Hi Pat

18:13:13 [Friday] I've lived in MD myself

18:13:23 [PatK] hi Kat and all

18:13:36 [Friday] hi fisher, hi Pat

18:13:39 [katdillon] I stayed in MD a couple days. That was more than enough

18:13:50 [Keith] Hi Pat, how have you been?

18:14:03 [Keith] Hi Fisher

18:14:15 [PatK] IM breathing :)

18:14:54 [Friday] hey Morey

18:15:05 [Morey] Hi Sandy

18:15:30 [katdillon] For the local groups, Keith has this download for you to go over: http://www.soulawakenings.com/LGLG.pdf

18:16:10 [Friday] I downloaded it. Should I be reading it right now?

18:16:18 [PatK] MD=crab cakes yum

18:16:38 [Friday] Oh yeah, crab cakes rock

18:16:58 [fisher] sorrry...hello all, I'm multi-tasking

18:17:15 [Keith] So what I thought I would do is talk about the main points of a local group

18:17:34 [Keith] And then answer any questions about the specifics

18:17:39 [PatK] changing the oil on your car and chatting

18:17:50 [Keith] especially in regards to the revised guidelines

18:18:13 [Keith] there's a lot of things that some leaders aren't taking advantage of, like reimbursement

18:18:33 [Keith] and I think that some may not know about the help that's out there

18:19:12 [Keith] And yes, the crab cakes rock. I'm going to have to import them to NH!

18:20:01 [Keith] So, in a nutshell, a local group has two real points; providing a social outlet for people to get to know each other

18:20:30 [Keith] and getting the word out to other pro-liberty people about the FSP, in the hopes of recruiting

18:20:55 [Keith] The hoped-for result is a trained corps of activists ready to go to work when they move to NH

18:21:37 [Keith] I can tell you from experience, when sitting at a table of 20 porcupines that all realize they are going to be neighbors

18:21:46 [katdillon] PorcCorps

18:21:48 [Keith] the feeling of possibility is electric

18:22:04 [Keith] much different from the typical LP meeting

18:22:11 [Keith] which is more like a funeral

18:22:38 [Keith] It's no coincidence, I believe, that the majority of really active members that have already moved

18:22:45 [Rich_T] LOL

18:22:48 [Keith] were really active in their local groups

18:23:09 [PatK] PorcCorps popcorn now only2.99

18:23:34 [Keith] I mean, Kat was a local group leader

18:23:47 [Keith] and so was I (moving in 24 days)

18:24:06 [Keith] and so was Dave Mincin, and Karl Beisel, and Kate Rick

18:24:08 [katdillon] Dada orwell was really active in TX, Russell was active in CA

18:24:11 [Keith] etc etc

18:24:35 [Keith] Right. So by getting people familiar with each other, and getting them fired up about actually accomplishing something

18:25:05 [Keith] local groups have played a vital role in the success of the FSP to date, and I really think we are just scratching the surface

18:25:38 [Keith] I'm committed to putting in place, before I leave, a structure that will allow the maximum support for local groups

18:26:08 [Keith] for example, virtually any reasonable idea for activism will be reimbursed by FSP

18:26:51 [Keith] Want to hang banners over the highway? Do it, and send me the receipts, and we'll reimburse at least 50% up to $250, and likely more

18:27:02 [katdillon] What do people do if they want to get reimbursed for their local group expenses?

18:27:12 [katdillon] OK

18:27:26 [Keith] Want to put together a mailing to area LP members? Get in touch with me, and we'll work something out. I'm here to help support you.

18:27:48 [Keith] All they have to do is send me their receipts, and I'll sign off on the expense and get them a mailed check

18:28:02 [Friday] You can obtain LP mailing lists? That surprises me.

18:28:15 [katdillon] from voter lists

18:28:22 [Keith] It's best if they run it by me, first, so I can make sure the budget isn't being shattered

18:28:31 [Keith] but right now it isn't even being touched.

18:28:49 [Keith] Yes, in most states the voter list is available to the public

18:29:02 [Keith] although in some states only candidates have access

18:29:16 [Friday] Oh, I had no idea

18:29:23 [Keith] which means that the Rs and Ds have a vital tool that others don't

18:29:31 [Keith] But there's other lists out there

18:29:51 [Keith] Reason Magazine's list is actually pretty affordable, and can be sorted by zip code or state

18:30:01 [Keith] IHS has a list, as well

18:30:16 [Keith] I think those mailing would be a good avenue to pursue

18:30:25 [Friday] IHS?

18:30:42 [Keith] and rather than do a massive mailiing that would break HQ's bank

18:30:52 [katdillon] institute for humane studies

18:31:01 [Keith] doing it at the local level alllows us to try many more things, a la the recent radio ads

18:31:18 [Keith] Other possible avenues: pro-liberty groups

18:31:36 [Keith] Sandy is getting in touch with all the LP conventions around the country

18:31:52 [Keith] and trying to set up tables and/or speakers

18:32:01 [katdillon] We need some pro-liberty groupies for the nh libertarian band

18:32:10 [Keith] that's great, but why stop there?

18:32:23 [PatK] band?

18:32:32 [Friday] NH libertarian band? Did I mention I used to play bass? :-)

18:32:43 [Keith] LGLs should be checking in with smoker's rights groups, homeschooling groups, RLC groups, campus groups, etc

18:32:46 [katdillon] http://www.soulawakenings.com/underground/tikiwiki/tiki-index.php?page=Libertarian+Band

18:33:00 [katdillon] Oh smoker's rights...hadn't thought of that one

18:33:10 [Keith] The Libertarian Band sounds like an activity for the underground

18:33:19 [Keith] Oh, yeah, Kat. It's a big deal here.

18:33:36 [Keith] DE and NY have banned smoking in public, as have several counties in MD

18:33:43 [Rich_T] And there are folks in NH who'll make the trip to talk to a group if the LG doesn't have a local speaker.

18:33:53 [katdillon] CA was horrible for that

18:34:42 [Morey] I was just thinking about smokers outreach. We could get a bunch of matchbooks printed and pass them out to tobacco stores, liquor stores, bars, restaurants, etc.

18:34:43 [Keith] Does anyone have any questions or concerns about what I've covered so far?

18:34:52 [Keith] Sure Morey. I think that'

18:34:58 [Keith] s a great idea

18:35:10 [PatK] cough cough

18:35:14 [katdillon] Cool idea Morey

18:35:19 [Keith] Go ahead and get the pricing on that -- probably pretty reasonable for matchbook covers

18:35:21 [Friday] I have a question, Keith. You mentioned how many active local group people have already moved...

18:35:45 [Friday] What's the general opinion regarding what is best for the FSP:

18:35:45 [Morey] I looked into it a bit - atlas match was the cheapest I found

18:35:48 [Keith] and if it's under $250 I'll approve the expenditure. Try it out in your area. What is your area?

18:35:59 [katdillon] how much?

18:35:59 [Keith] Yes Friday

18:36:01 [Friday] to move as soon as possible, or to delay one's move in order to do local outreach?

18:36:13 [Morey] I'll get a firm cost and revert. I'm in SF.

18:36:42 [katdillon] I think they're both important, Friday.

18:37:10 [Keith] As do I. I think that moving can be even more important than local activity

18:37:16 [katdillon] Early movers can help recruit indirectly though, by making things happen in NH

18:37:20 [Keith] cause nothing draws success like success

18:37:36 [katdillon] But we need people working all over the country, too

18:37:43 [Rich_T] I'd say whenever you're ready to move, make sure there's someone to carry on the work you're doing. We still need liberty happening across the country, not just in NH.

18:37:53 [Friday] But haven't there already been cases where local groups wither and die because the leader moved?

18:37:55 [Keith] and movers that make success happen can overwhelm the most frequent reason given why someone will not join the FSP -- "it just won't work"

18:38:04 [Keith] sometimes, yes.

18:38:18 [Keith] That was the case in Texas, sadly, when Kat left

18:38:18 [katdillon] Keith, I've heard people have had a hard time getting reimbursed for local group projects. Do you have any plan to improve that?

18:38:35 [Friday] In CA, the most frequent reason people won't join is the weather! Really.

18:38:50 [Keith] One sec, Kat. I'll come back to that question

18:39:04 [katdillon] It really hasn't been that cold

18:39:12 [katdillon] I adjusted from CA/TX weather

18:39:33 [Morey] I agree with Friday. Weather may seem trivial to a lot of people, but its actually a major lifestyle change for warm staters

18:39:35 [Rich_T] and no earthquakes up here! :)

18:39:41 [Keith] So what I'm saying is that I think it's obviously up to the individual. As a former LGL myself, I tried to groom someone to take over, and I'm leaving behind a dedicated corps of activists that aren't going to just fade away

18:39:51 [Friday] No offense, Kat, but as a newlywed, you're probably in a blissful haze right now!

18:40:02 [Keith] OK, Kat. Your question

18:40:24 [katdillon] Well, the husband thing does tend to keep one warm

18:40:32 [Keith] The delay in getting reimbursed varies greatly, but even under ideal conditions it will take at least two weeks.

18:41:12 [katdillon] OK. I never actually tried it myself. Whatever money I've spent I just considered a donation to the project

18:41:25 [Keith] Under the current system, the receipts must be sent snail mail to me, then I fill out a reimbursement form and I sent it to the treasurer who then sends a check snail mail to the originator

18:41:57 [Keith] We have some people on the board who insist on tight financial control and a serious audit trail, if you get my drift

18:42:11 [Friday] I can understand that

18:42:18 [katdillon] Yup

18:42:28 [Keith] So, to address this delay, in the revised copy of the LGLG I suggest sending me a pdf of the receipts that I can print out

18:42:57 [katdillon] Is it difficult to create a pdf of the receipt?

18:43:03 [Keith] then I can go ahead and send the pdf and form online to the treasurer, deleting the snail mail delay

18:43:09 [Keith] you would need a scanner

18:43:25 [Keith] but I think most computer users have them these days

18:44:05 [Keith] Right now, I have one reimbursement outstanding (to Sandy) because of the lack of a confirmed treasurer -- though I expect Russell to get the nod on Saturday

18:44:56 [Keith] This system should get the delay down to a week, at most, assuming all parties are quick about turnaround

18:45:20 [katdillon] That's good :)

18:45:41 [Keith] Does anyone else have any questions about anything I've talked about?

18:45:44 [Friday] I have a moral question. What is best for the cause of liberty: to pay fair market value for one's fliers, or to get them as cheaply as possible...

18:46:20 [Keith] Get them as cheaply as possible. That by definition is the fair market value, unless you're stealing them

18:46:24 [Friday] I was shocked by the price of fliers at Kinko's.

18:46:45 [Keith] In that case, admit that you're being unethical -- but steal them anyway. : ^)

18:46:57 [katdillon] lol

18:47:00 [Friday] I hear and obey.

18:48:03 [Keith] One other thing I wanted to mention: things I could do better

18:48:05 [katdillon] Share and enjoy!

18:48:25 [Keith] I expect to do a better job of actively searching for new LGLs

18:48:50 [Keith] Until now I've been waiting for people to volunteer, but I plan to do a lot more beating of the bushes

18:49:04 [katdillon] I was wondering about just picking a state, calling everyone in the state and just trying to get them to set up meetings

18:49:04 [Keith] OH YEAH! something I almost forgot

18:49:19 [katdillon] do a state a week, or something like that

18:49:27 [Keith] after two months, Will's great idea of local group kits is almost ready

18:49:37 [katdillon] Great!

18:49:58 [Keith] (Kat, that's a great idea. I was going to use email, but the phone is likely more personal)

18:50:16 [Keith] So every new local group (and exisitng ones that want it) will get a kit

18:50:17 [Rich_T] and people don't volunteer from an email

18:50:54 [Keith] containing shirts, brochures, bumper stickers, a sign, business cards, and a disk with all commonly required materials

18:51:13 [Friday] cool

18:51:14 [Keith] This should minimize initial outlay from new group leaders, which usually runs about $100 or so

18:51:19 [katdillon] Cool...I want a retroactive kit ;)

18:51:41 [Keith] We're just waiting on the shirts to come in, and that should happen in about two weeks at most

18:52:19 [Friday] Will we have baby T's? They're better for marketing purposes...

18:52:42 [katdillon] Aww

18:52:58 [katdillon] My daughter has a cute porcupine T-=shirt from the porcfest

18:53:27 [Keith] Funny, Sandy, I was thinking we should get those college shorts/pants that have "FREE STATE PROJECT" written just across the butt. attention getting, and popular

18:53:39 [Friday] No, I mean "girl" T-shirts. Erm, how do I dig myself out of this one

18:53:43 [katdillon] lol

18:53:57 [katdillon] ooooh

18:54:24 [Keith] ah, Sandy, I think we're both onto the same idea but focusing on different places

18:54:35 [PatK] depends what but it's on

18:54:35 [Keith] and right on time, the good doctor arrives

18:55:01 [katdillon] The NHLA has thongs

18:55:03 [Keith] Welcome, Michael

18:55:07 [MiclEdlstn] HI. Sorry I'm late--just got out of work. Did I miss anything? :)

18:55:08 [katdillon] Hi michael

18:55:15 [Friday] Hi Michael

18:55:17 [PatK] holy crap

18:55:26 [Keith] The underground should have thongs, the NHLA should have ties

18:55:35 [Friday] Thongs?!?

18:55:38 [katdillon] haha, ya

18:55:51 [katdillon] and underwear

18:56:05 [Keith] Yes, the NHLA store is cafepress, and they sell thongs with the NHLA logo

18:56:19 [Friday] Not having met any of you yet, I can't tell if this is a good thing or a bad thing!

18:56:24 [Keith] "For those who REALLY love liberty."

18:56:36 [PatK] though mybutt could have very large writing on it could be seen a long way off

18:56:37 [MiclEdlstn] Friday, you'll be wearing thongs to our quarterly meeting?

18:56:37 [katdillon] You wont catch me in one!

18:56:44 [Morey] Keith, the pricing for matchbooks is here: http://www.atlasmatch.com/20stockblackredyellow.html - 2 cases (5k books) would be $214.80

18:56:49 [Friday] ROFL

18:57:23 [Friday] Michael, real liberty fighters go commando!

18:57:28 [Keith] Michael, you missed the intro: why a local group exists, how FSP HQ supports local group activities, etc.

18:57:50 [Keith] Morey, how much would one case be? Or is two the minimum?

18:57:53 [katdillon] IS that like the full monty?

18:58:20 [Friday] No, "commando" means sans undies

18:58:42 [katdillon] This has been very educational

18:58:46 [Morey] K - 126.30

18:58:48 [katdillon] Hi Mike

18:58:49 [LeRuineur6] whoa people are actually here

18:58:55 [LeRuineur6] hey Kat :)

18:59:08 [LeRuineur6] whoa smileys work

18:59:10 [MiclEdlstn] Keith, when I scroll up to read the beginning of the chat, it starts at 18:49. Didn't you begin at 18:00?

18:59:10 [PatK] just see the headlines now=The Porc's are coming and their butts are talking

18:59:25 [Keith] Well, I'm happy the local group chat could provide answers that will prove useful in our work

18:59:45 [Friday] LOL

19:00:00 [Keith] Michael, I started talking about LG stuff just after 9 pm est.

19:00:22 [Friday] Do you have any idea how long, on average, it takes a group to "ramp up"?

19:00:26 [Keith] But some people got here a bit early, to chew the bacon, as it were

19:00:43 [Keith] Sandy, it all really depends on the LGL

19:01:10 [katdillon] Dallas met for almost a year before doing anything

19:01:12 [Keith] Generally it shouldn't take any more than two or three months to start going to events and such

19:01:13 [Friday] Oh great. No pressure.

19:01:41 [katdillon] Hi JP

19:02:09 [PatK] you scared him Kat

19:02:24 [Keith] If a LGL takes over a group and nothing happens within six months, not so much as a meeting, it's a safe bet that nothing is coming out of that group anytime soon.

19:02:57 [Keith] Kat, how long after you took over the Dallas group did it take to start doing stuff?

19:03:00 [katdillon] Yes, cause I'm chaining him up soon

19:03:10 [Friday] Do most groups hold all their meetings in the same location, or do they rotate?

19:03:33 [katdillon] we started doing stuff about the time I took over, but it wasn't my impetus that did it really

19:04:06 [Keith] Depends on the density of members. The Mid-Atlantic group rotates their meetings among three cities all within a forty minute drive of each other.

19:04:20 [Keith] Kat, I don't believe it. I give you all the credit.

19:04:44 [Keith] An active LGL is really very rare, and something to be valued.

19:04:56 [MiclEdlstn] Would it not be preferable to have a stable meeting place that people can count on?

19:05:09 [katdillon] Bruce Morgan started asking us to do practical stuff

19:05:17 [Keith] The activity of a LG is directly proportional to the amount of effort a LGL puts into it.

19:05:52 [Keith] Michael, in San Francisco that probably makes sense. I get the sense that most of your active members are centered near there.

19:06:00 [katdillon] Dada Orwell had a lot to do with it, too

19:06:25 [Keith] But in this area there are two major cities -- Baltimore and DC -- and each city has its own corps of activists.

19:06:56 [Grunt] people

19:07:00 [Keith] So people from DC wouldn't like to drive to baltimore all the time, and the reverse is true.

19:07:07 [Keith] Hi Grunt

19:07:11 [Grunt] hi

19:07:16 [katdillon] H iGrunt

19:07:29 [Grunt] hi everyone

19:07:37 [Keith] So we are fairly stable: third Saturday of every month, at noon, at one of three restaurants.

19:07:38 [Friday] Keith, NorCal's territory is HUGE. Sacramento and San Jose are also major cities. My preference is to rotate, but we'll have to see.

19:07:39 [MiclEdlstn] Keith, did you review the best focus in the early meetings when the group is small?

19:07:42 [LeRuineur6] what's the topic

19:07:43 [Grunt] dont mind me im just gonna watch for a bit

19:08:05 [LeRuineur6] hey grunt

19:08:13 [katdillon] Local groups, Mike

19:08:23 [Grunt] hi

19:08:26 [Keith] Sure Sandy, that might make more sense. I can't pretend I know the area that well.

19:08:36 [LeRuineur6] okay, local FSP groups all over the country, or local NH-based groups

19:08:57 [Keith] What you'll find is that people that live further away from the regular meeting location(s) will be less likely to get involved

19:09:12 [Keith] I'm experiencing that in Philly right now.

19:09:15 [Friday] It takes 8-9 hours to get to the Oregon border from San Francisco, to put some scale on this.

19:09:26 [katdillon] Ouside NH

19:09:32 [LeRuineur6] k

19:09:41 [Keith] Ideally, new groups would splinter off in those other cities, enabling more local activism

19:10:00 [Keith] Michael, I mentioned that LGs have two primary goals.

19:10:11 [Friday] Keith, we were wondering about bank accounts. Do most groups have them?

19:10:42 [Keith] The first being to provide a social atmosphere and allow people to get to know each other as neighbors. That would be the best primary focus early on.

19:11:15 [LeRuineur6] i really like the idea of focusing strongly on the strategy of local groups. in business you learn that networking with people is the single most effective thing you can do

19:11:45 [MiclEdlstn] How would the meeting be structured to achieve Goal #1?

19:11:47 [Keith] Having said that, it's best to move rather soon (within 3 months or so, if the group allows it) to the second -- recruiting and activism

19:12:01 [LeRuineur6] i spend most of my advertising budget not on advertising, but on sponsoring events and other things in local groups. there are also costs to join some groups

19:12:26 [Keith] Michael, I submitted a revised draft of the LGL guidelines that includes a suggested agenda for the first meeting

19:12:42 [MiclEdlstn] Great! Thanks.

19:13:07 [katdillon] Hey, the TX contigent is still working together in NH :)

19:13:12 [Keith] Sandy, only the most advanced groups have bank accounts

19:13:25 [Friday] Ah, OK.

19:13:27 [Keith] I know of only three that do. Most others operate on a cash basis

19:14:04 [Keith] The Mid-Atlantic group has had an account for about a year, and currently has a little under $500, after paying a share of the recent radio blitz

19:14:21 [Keith] Mike, I think you're absolutely right.

19:14:33 [Friday] Wow, you must be really good at this!

19:14:42 [Keith] Is it me, or did the numbers get a bit of a boost during the holidays?

19:14:55 [LeRuineur6] i think they did, Keith

19:15:06 [katdillon] Numbers got a boost when the Reason article hit the web

19:15:15 [katdillon] Don't think it was the holidays

19:15:17 [Keith] I think that was due to people going home tand talking to their families over Thanksgiving and Christmas

19:15:24 [LeRuineur6] ohhh yeah

19:15:38 [Keith] Kat would know better than I, so I'll defer

19:15:40 [Friday] Did anyone else find it odd that the photos in Reason had no captions?

19:15:46 [LeRuineur6] you know the whole shadow advertising thing

19:15:50 [Morey] LeR - Could you elaborate on the types of sponsorships you do?

19:17:00 [LeRuineur6] why don't we do that on a much more broad scale and with a more affordable strategy. we could watch for government abuses of power (zoning, police, etc) and respond with LTEs, articles, or press releases in local papers. that has a very low cost

19:17:11 [LeRuineur6] Morey, sure...

19:17:50 [Keith] Morey, send me a quick email tomorrow about the matchbook idea. I think it has a lot of potential, and I'll support trying it out.

19:18:23 [Morey] Great I'll look up your contact info and follow up. Thanks!

19:18:35 [PatK] burning for liberty? matchbooks

19:18:53 [Keith] Mike, in the LGLG I suggested doing this very thing -- delegating specific mediums to specific activists, and having them write LTEs or call into radio shows

19:19:15 [Morey] An LP chapter did this before so I will most likely plagiarize their design

19:19:42 [Keith] Morey, my email is keithrmurphy@comcast.net

19:19:51 [LeRuineur6] when I do networking for business purposes, there are many things you can do: volunteer in the community, sponsor events ($50) in return for advertising or mention in press releases...

19:20:06 [Morey] Got it. Cheers Keith.

19:20:41 [LeRuineur6] you can volunteer to help an existing organization to organize an event

19:20:43 [Keith] The #1 problem local groups have is a real lack of motivated activists. An active LGL is the heart and soul of a LG

19:21:16 [LeRuineur6] hmmm

19:21:37 [Keith] To be frank, most people that volunteer for LGL positions get disheartened at some point due to burnout and lack of motivation of others who love liberty

19:21:53 [LeRuineur6] damn

19:21:55 [Keith] I worry that libertarians have become entirely too jaded and cynical, for the most part

19:22:22 [LeRuineur6] yeah even libertarians suffer from the victim mentality unfortunately

19:22:31 [Keith] The model I'd like to follow most is the motorcycle lobby, riding around with helmets on their legs to meet the letter of the law

19:22:33 [Friday] Three cheers for youthful idealism!

19:22:37 [PatK] thats seems jaded and cynical

19:22:58 [katdillon] BTW for those who came in late, here's Keith's download: http://www.soulawakenings.com/LGLG.pdf

19:23:05 [Friday] No, I mean it.

19:23:08 [Morey] LeR - I'd like to talk to you more about that. I didn't realize it could be done that cheaply. Do you use FreeWorldDialup by any chance?

19:23:11 [Keith] Again, it's funny, but most LGLs are in their 20s or early 30s.

19:23:49 [Keith] Sandy, how old are you, if I may be so rude as to ask?

19:24:02 [Keith] [bets $10 it's under 35]

19:24:09 [Friday] Over the hill, apparently! I'm 36.

19:24:26 [Keith] ah, i was close!

19:24:39 [katdillon] looks like Keith owes Friday $10

19:24:41 [Friday] Add the $10 to my reimbursement check. ;-)

19:25:06 [PatK] you were the closest to the actual retail amount

19:25:09 [Keith] I was just thinking today that Kat and I and Kate Rick and Karl Beisel are all between 25 and 32, and were all LGLs

19:25:12 [katdillon] I have Friday beat by a year

19:25:15 [Friday] or just send crab cakes

19:25:31 [katdillon] older that is

19:25:38 [Keith] Ok, Sandy. $10 will buy you a single crab cake these days

19:25:51 [katdillon] inflation

19:26:01 [Friday] phtphtphtff

19:26:23 [PatK] its that damn crab mafia

19:27:02 [Friday] Well, thank you for the chat, Keith. I'll read the PDF.

19:27:09 [Keith] well, kat just blew my thesis out of the water. anyway.

19:27:36 [Keith] OK, Friday. That's a final draft, but I'm taking recommended changes for another week or so

19:27:52 [Keith] Does anyone have any further questions I can address?

19:27:52 [katdillon] I need to head out. Thanks for coming everyone. Feel free to continue on

19:28:06 [Keith] Thanks for setting this up, Kat.

19:28:07 [Friday] OK, I'll be sure to send any recommendations I might have ASAP

19:28:07 [LeRuineur6] omg an anti-gun commercial on the radio funded by the USDOJ was just on... anyways...

19:28:14 [Morey] cya Kat