The Peripatetic Porcupine

Nihil est in intellectu quod non prius in sensu

Since PorcFest I've been doing some traveling, meeting FSP participants around the country, and encouraging them to start up more FSP local groups.  It's been great to talk to so many of you and meet you face to face; people who are into liberty and willing to do something to achieve it are my kind of people!  As time, energy and resources permit, I'll continue to be on the road as much as possible visiting as many groups as I can.  If you want to start a FSP local group or need ideas on how to make your group more successful, write me or give me a call; I'm your huckleberry!

Those of us doing local groups try a lot of different things to promote the FSP and recruit participants.  That's one of the beauties of small groups; we can experiment until we get it right!  Sometimes we have great success with an event and sometimes it's a total bust.  Some meetings we have a full house, other meetings we're talking to ourselves :).  It's a lot like life I guess; learning through experience.

Thus the title and purpose of this blog.  First of all to report on and share with you the news from FSP participants meeting all around the country (and the world I hope!).  Second, to pass along what groups are doing that is new, innovative, successful and most importantly, fun.  And third, well, I might have some ideas on doing small groups that I think are so great that I just gotta tell you about 'em (these will likely turn out to be some of the worst ideas, but I suppose even so that itself is a useful lesson to learn).  On to the news.

San Diego FSP Local Group Meetup Report Saturday, August 5, 2006

San Diego is a beautiful city, and the local Porcupines picked a ideal 75 degrees and (mostly) sunny weekend to get together.  It was kinda' weird looking out the hotel window and seeing a couple of aircraft carriers and a hunter-killer submarine parked outside.  They sure do love their military in SD, particularly the Navy and Marines.  My personal preference, however, is for more filibusterian types of vessels.

After picking up adult (and young adult) beverages and lots of ice, Liz and I met at the meeting place at Ocean Beach just north of downtown San Diego and the main harbor area.  Ocean Beach turned out to be a great spot for a FSP get-together.  While we were waiting for others to show up, Liz right away got into a conversation with a local, and throughout the day there were hundreds of people in the vicinity to talk to.  We of course had a cookout, put up the flag (need a longer flagpole next time), and gave the FSP Gadsden Porcupine Ultimate Disc a good workout.  I even got to fly a kite!

But I think the greatest part of the day was that local Porcs got to meet each other and get to know each other. I think this was the first time most of them had ever met another FSP participant from their area!  We got to talk about PorcFest, Sally and Dann showed some pictures of their new land they purchased in the Free State, Andrew and I swapped Silver Eagles for Liberty Dollars (still not sure who made the profit on that transaction), and we all did our best to convince Andrew's father that there's no government like no government :).  And Liz and I got great sunburns (another reason to move to New Hampshire - avoid skin cancer!).
 
It was a great time and I'm looking forward to hearing about the San Diego FSP group's future meetups and events.  If you are in the San Diego area look them up and get to a meeting.  Thanks to Andrew Del Vecchio and everyone there for your hospitality and sunscreen - keep up the good work!

Nik Ludwig - FSP Local Groups and Volunteers Coordinator

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