Starting a Local Group - Chat

Starting a Local Group - Chat

On Thursday September 30th at 9:00 pm EDT, please join us for a workshop on starting a local group. Will Albenzi, Free State Project Southern California Local Group Leader will share his insights on getting your local group up and running. Q & A will follow the presentation. This is the second in a series of chats which will alternate between Q & A sessions with FSP leaders and activist workshops. Upcoming workshops will include:

• Effective communication techniques for libertarians
• Effective meetings, and how to increase attendance
• Recruiting techniques for individuals: internet, Letters to the Editor, talk radio
• Liaison workshop

Please join us with your questions and ideas!

Free State Chat
9:00 EDT Thursday, September 30th 2004
http://chat.freestateproject.org

Other chats

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

21:05:26 [katdillon] Tonight we have Will Albenzi (SoCalFSP), local group leader for Southern CA to give us his insights on Local Groups

21:05:40 [dhynes] did anyone watch the badnarik debate earlier, i tried but the page didnt load

21:05:57 [einheit80] evening, will

21:06:04 [DadaOrwell] whatchya got fer us socal?

21:06:15 [davemincin] yikes Kat why does it keep say for me to obey the rules?

21:06:15 [SoCalFSP] Hello, I am Will Albenzi, and I did not intend to be a local group leader

21:06:25 [katdillon] I'll let him tell how he wants to proceed from here. If you want to send private messages, use /to person message

21:06:56 [SoCalFSP] I had to become one because there was no SoCalFSP Local Group

21:07:09 [SoCalFSP] I imagine that many of you experienced the same thing.

21:07:41 [DadaOrwell] i do when i'm in colorado

21:07:46 [SoCalFSP] When I started, all I had were the guidelines and a few ideas. I made a lot of mistakes.

21:08:10 [SoCalFSP] and I hope that I can help you avoid them

21:08:27 [dhynes] will you be giving examples

21:08:41 [SoCalFSP] I am here to help. But first I want to address how to get questions to me.

21:09:20 [SoCalFSP] Because this chat is being logged, I would like to help readability by seperating questions from content.

21:09:47 [SoCalFSP] Please send the questions you have to SoCalFSP@sbcglobal.net, and I will answer them one at a time.

21:10:31 [SoCalFSP] Please do not hesitate to ask any questions, even if it is a month from now.

21:11:02 [SoCalFSP] I believe the FSP to be my best chance to live free, and I believe Local Groups are the best chance the FSP has.

21:11:31 [SoCalFSP] Also, I will be answering the questions in the chat at the end.

21:12:09 [SoCalFSP] OK, the first problem I had was in order to do stuff I needed people.

21:12:36 [SoCalFSP] I had no idea where to get them or how.

21:12:54 [davemincin] hey Dan...thinking this system is moving real slow?

21:13:22 [SoCalFSP] But now The Local Group Coordinator is able to split off the relevant portion of the database for you.

21:13:59 [SoCalFSP] The spreadsheet you will get gives you your starting pool of volunteers.

21:14:12 [davemincin] just my words are taking a long time to show up...expect best to just not talk and let you folk do it!

21:14:55 [SoCalFSP] People joined the FSP because they had a dream of Liberty, and now they can help make it happen.

21:15:23 [SoCalFSP] I have done numerous mailings, and found that about one in ten people respond to Bulk Mailings

21:16:31 [SoCalFSP] And I call a bulk mailing one where you write an e-mail that could be send to 100 people .

21:17:28 [SoCalFSP] When I write an e-mail that is individual, I look at the database, and I find out where they are from, or what made them join, and I write them a letter that THEY know was not written by a computer.

21:17:53 [SoCalFSP] Individual e-mails I get about half.

21:18:01 [dhynes] where did you get a list of names from

21:18:27 [SoCalFSP] But I have heard that some people don't even have many people in their group.

21:19:34 [SoCalFSP] I think that the best thing to do, is a suggestion I just got from Dada Orwell.

21:20:16 [SoCalFSP] He has found that announcing the meeting in a letter to the editor worked.

21:20:38 [SoCalFSP] I also think that it might be useful to post things at gun ranges or head shops.

21:20:53 [SoCalFSP] Because your real problem is recruiting.

21:21:21 [SoCalFSP] And you might be with one or two others at first, until your recruiting efforts pay off.

21:22:06 [SoCalFSP] Another person said that their meetings are poorly attended.

21:22:22 [SoCalFSP] He thought it might be because of a lack of agenda.

21:22:57 [johnnylemu] has anyone experience resistance from their local LP group?

21:23:20 [SoCalFSP] I try to picture myself as a women with three kids and a husband to take care of. What would make me take the time to go to a meeting as oppossed to a good bubble bath?

21:23:32 [SoCalFSP] There are a couple of things.

21:23:50 [SoCalFSP] Speakers or a presentation might get some people to go.

21:24:08 [SoCalFSP] There will be an Article on /training pretty soon about that.

21:24:39 [SoCalFSP] I also think that having a track record increases attendance.

21:25:09 [SoCalFSP] People want to be a part of something successful. I think all of us know that talk is not winning our country back.

21:25:16 [SoCalFSP] We need to ACT!

21:25:56 [SoCalFSP] I doknow what will not work. I just had a Local Group meeting with three people in attendance.

21:26:10 [SoCalFSP] I will list the reasons I messed that up.

21:26:53 [SoCalFSP] First, I rested on my laurels. I thought people would check the calendar, and I did not talk about the meeting a lot.

21:27:22 [SoCalFSP] So people did not feel it was very important.

21:28:03 [SoCalFSP] Second, I did not ask for RSVPs.

21:28:18 [SoCalFSP] I had no idea it was a disaster until I showed up.

21:29:01 [SoCalFSP] I also think that my meeting agenda was not interesting to enough people.

21:29:28 [SoCalFSP] We were doing so much that many people just needed time away to them selves.

21:29:52 [dhynes] what was on your meeting agenda

21:30:36 [SoCalFSP] The people shortage is really driving the FSP, and my goal has been to ACT! as much as possible.

21:31:18 [SoCalFSP] When a local group is short on people, they need to start ACT!ing that much sooner.

21:31:42 [SoCalFSP] Recruiting is always interesting, and I am still learning.

21:32:22 [SoCalFSP] But I think that if you are not sure who to make contact with, look at the list of Liaisons.

21:33:01 [SoCalFSP] They are knowledgeable about sub-cultures in which the idea of Liberty may be uniquely appealing.

21:33:51 [SoCalFSP] Whether it is headshops, gun-ranges, college campuses, nudists, tax-protestors, or homeschoolers

21:34:28 [SoCalFSP] you should be able to find a person in the Liaisons who knows what particular issues that sub-culture is concerned with.

21:35:15 [SoCalFSP] There will be future training sessions and articles on recruiting.

21:35:37 [SoCalFSP] Because the main focus of a group is to ACT!

21:36:25 [SoCalFSP] we have to prepare for our first actions before we even get started.

21:36:36 [SoCalFSP] with the local group

21:36:59 [johnnylemu] like what, in term of actions?

21:37:20 [SoCalFSP] Most of us will be having our first action be a meeting where we can get to know those who are going to carry the FSP to victory

21:37:53 [SoCalFSP] I call an action, any time we try to do anything as a group.

21:38:06 [SoCalFSP] A celebration is an action (motivate volunteers)

21:38:19 [SoCalFSP] An outreach is an action (recruiting)

21:38:49 [SoCalFSP] Or a media spectical is an action

21:39:05 [SoCalFSP] Letter writing is also a way to ACT!

21:39:47 [SoCalFSP] All actions take some preperatio

21:39:52 [SoCalFSP] preperation

21:40:56 [SoCalFSP] If it is you alone, you can post index cardson bullitin boards, or chalk sidewalks, or write letters to the editor, or just stand on the street corner and hand out flyers at an event.

21:42:08 [SoCalFSP] Those actions each require you to know who is going to be there, what you will need to do it, and how you plan to get the information to people.

21:42:53 [SoCalFSP] Index cards and markers can work if you are alone and not well-funded as a local group.

21:44:14 [SoCalFSP] The FSP executives are working on ways that they can better support the local groups outreach efforts.

21:45:12 [SoCalFSP] When they let us know what they are going to do, I suspect that if we show them that we ACT! There might be an even greater focus on the needs of the Local group.

21:45:44 [SoCalFSP] But first we need to show them that we are a better investment than an ad in Socialism weekly

21:46:33 [SoCalFSP] There is an article on http://www.freestateproject.org/training that I put to help get everyone the info they needed to get started.

21:47:31 [SoCalFSP] there will be more put on /training in the coming weeks as we develop the ways that we get the knowledge to the Local Group Leaders, who will use it to ACT!

21:48:56 [SoCalFSP] I would strongly suggest that local group leaders get to know as many people as they can. Especially the very new people.

21:49:08 [SoCalFSP] I know that when I joined, I got nothing.

21:49:14 [SoCalFSP] No one contacted me.

21:49:19 [SoCalFSP] I felt alone.

21:49:34 [SoCalFSP] I went to join a local group, and there wasn't one.

21:50:04 [SoCalFSP] I saw that other meetings had been attempted, but that they fizzled.

21:51:05 [SoCalFSP] If someone had contacted me as a new person, who lived in my area, not just a name on the computer screen

21:51:26 [SoCalFSP] I would have been a great volunteer from day 1.

21:51:49 [SoCalFSP] As it was it took six months before I decided to try something myself.

21:52:23 [SoCalFSP] These new recruits have been shown a fantastic idea, and want to do something.

21:52:50 [SoCalFSP] they just are not sure how, and many of them are too shy to ask for help.

21:52:57 [SoCalFSP] So we need to offer it.

21:54:07 [SoCalFSP] As Local Group Leaders, we need to greet for our area, we need to become speakers for our area.

21:54:22 [SoCalFSP] We need to find opportunities in our area.

21:54:32 [dhynes] why not have someone contact everyone who joins up and refer them to their local group

21:54:38 [SoCalFSP] and we need to find those people who will make the Local Group stronger.

21:55:16 [SoCalFSP] I believe that individual contact is where the Local Groups can really shine.

21:55:34 [SoCalFSP] FSP HQ is just a place on the computer.

21:56:03 [SoCalFSP] I want people to know that I am available to have cofee with them, and to chat about

21:56:20 [SoCalFSP] what kinds of things we will do, and how we will pull it off.

21:56:33 [SoCalFSP] One person sending the same form letter to everyone is OK.

21:56:46 [SoCalFSP] But I think that we can do better than that for now.

21:57:36 [SoCalFSP] I imagine until I am having 30 people a week, I can take five minutes to personally greet each person

21:57:58 [SoCalFSP] When you are contacted by someone, you know you matter.

21:58:14 [SoCalFSP] We can reassure them of the wisdom of their decision.

21:58:14 [DadaOrwell] I have a sample LTE I can show if you like

21:58:26 [DadaOrwell] LTE I used to recruit for a mtg in COLO

21:59:21 [einheit80] could you email ? dkay@gtiemail.com

21:59:29 [SoCalFSP] I believe that brainstorming should occur on the freestateproject forums.

21:59:53 [SoCalFSP] We can all collaborate to create the best possible produt there.

21:59:53 [DadaOrwell] http://forum.freestateproject.org/index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=8155

22:00:13 [SoCalFSP] here it could be disruptive to have a side discussion.

22:00:22 [SoCalFSP] about that specifically.

22:00:29 [dhynes] how can someone sign up to be a greeter

22:01:07 [SoCalFSP] you can become a greeter by e-mailing greeters@freestateproject.org

22:01:36 [SoCalFSP] you can also become a speaker for the FSP by e-mailing speakers@freestateproject.org

22:01:59 [SoCalFSP] I recommend all LGLs become speakers too.

22:02:32 [SoCalFSP] You may be able to delegate these duties later as the group grows.

22:03:24 [SoCalFSP] There has been a great "Speaker's training package" put together that will be added to http://www.freestateproject.org/training soon.

22:03:38 [SoCalFSP] I expect in the next couple of days.

22:05:17 [SoCalFSP] Speakers

22:05:27 [SoCalFSP] are a great way to get new members

22:06:37 [SoCalFSP] You may be able to find other groups that would love to have a speaker from the FSP.

22:06:42 [katdillon] Brainstorming: http://forum.freestateproject.org/index.php?board=54;action=display;threadid=8224

22:06:58 [SoCalFSP] Many college groups want to have interesting meetings too

22:07:28 [SoCalFSP] Now, I have not recieved many questions, so shoot away

22:08:07 [SoCalFSP] It is important to ask questions, because we have to know what you need to help get your Local Group started.

22:08:24 [DadaOrwell] thinking

22:08:35 [dhynes] I am in college, but do not know if there are any colleges near me with a group, or how i should start one

22:08:44 [johnnylemu] okay, do we have resources set up to make the move as smooth as possible

22:08:59 [dhynes] is there a list of colleges with FSP groups

22:09:03 [johnnylemu] so that even before they ask the question, I can just say "go here".

22:09:38 [SoCalFSP] We have not set up a "safety-net" that I know of, but the Welcome Wagon" handles some of that.

22:09:59 [DadaOrwell] I do have a comment tho not a question: the important thing with local groups is just getting people to the meetings. however you recruit, you have to really get the word out to local members and interested people about every meeting

22:10:43 [SoCalFSP] I would think that meetings become less important the further along you go.

22:11:09 [DadaOrwell] oh also another thing thats worked ok in colorado is combining your FSP meeting with a local LP meeting

22:11:09 [SoCalFSP] Special meetings will get a lot of attendees

22:11:38 [katdillon] Welcome wagon: http://freestateproject.org/community/welcomewagon/

22:11:45 [johnnylemu] Dada, that only works of your local LP chair isn't hostile to the FSP

22:11:53 [SoCalFSP] Dada, you should put that into the brainstorming section

22:12:16 [johnnylemu] of=if

22:12:50 [dhynes] are most LP places friendly to or hostile to FSP

22:13:15 [katdillon] Do you have an answer for johnny's earlier question: what to do if your local LP is hostile?

22:13:31 [SoCalFSP] I was asked how to get permission to speak. That will be covered by Friday on http://www.freestateproject/training

22:13:44 [SoCalFSP] I think the local LP can be calmed

22:13:51 [SoCalFSP] Here is how

22:15:12 [SoCalFSP] Assure the Local LP that the FSP is a bigger help than a burden.

22:15:23 [SoCalFSP] Most LP people do not believe the FSP will work

22:15:48 [SoCalFSP] If they are right, there is nothing to worry about.

22:16:07 [SoCalFSP] Then we will help them with some of their activities.

22:16:42 [SoCalFSP] The SoCalFSP is helping some conservative group put on a film festival.

22:17:22 [SoCalFSP] We are not the conservative group, but we know that we can get some exposure for the FSP by wearing FSP logo material

22:17:49 [SoCalFSP] I would love to see a "Libertarian" event where more than half of the people are wearing FSP t-shirts.

22:18:27 [SoCalFSP] I want people to say, "I need to protest taxes in SoCal, and those FSP people are always willing to help. I should call them"

22:19:07 [SoCalFSP] I figure that will cause some people to think "At every event I care about those FSP people are helping out. What happens when they move?"

22:19:18 [SoCalFSP] "Maybe I should go with them"

22:19:39 [SoCalFSP] HAHAHAHAHA. FSP does good by doing good.

22:20:22 [SoCalFSP] Any other questions/comments/name-calling

22:20:37 [SoCalFSP] Actually I saw earlier

22:20:49 [SoCalFSP] that there was discussion of the presidential debate.

22:21:06 [einheit80] dont know enough to ask yet

22:21:30 [SoCalFSP] I have a policy where I refuse to get into presidential politics, and try to discourage others from doing so.

22:21:39 [katdillon] before this ends, if someone would /save the transcript and send it to me at bookish_lass@yahoo.com I'd really appreciate

22:21:44 [SoCalFSP] We have all made up our minds, and are very apssionate.

22:21:54 [SoCalFSP] passionate

22:21:59 [the_third] "Discussion" might be too srong a word. There's nothing to discuss.

22:22:27 [SoCalFSP] I have seen a cordial conversation quickly degenerate. I was partially at fault.

22:23:04 [katdillon] More discussing that they were happening, rather than debating about them

22:23:19 [SoCalFSP] I will not do that again. We must work on the things we agree with, not focus on the stuff we don't

22:23:43 [johnnylemu] okay, here's a question

22:24:07 [johnnylemu] I signed up on the FSP egroup when it first started

22:24:20 [johnnylemu] at that time there was talk of secession

22:24:24 [SoCalFSP] OK

22:24:38 [johnnylemu] I am a secessionist, philosophically

22:25:02 [johnnylemu] nowadays, the whole secession thing is disavowed

22:25:29 [SoCalFSP] Seceessation is not an FSP goal. There are some people who support it. I believe that most do not.

22:25:38 [SoCalFSP] I know that I do not.

22:25:59 [SoCalFSP] I think that once there we will all get to speak our minds though

22:26:10 [SoCalFSP] and debate the merits of every plan.

22:26:17 [katdillon] From the FAQ: A: No, the Free State Project is not promoting secession.

22:26:40 [johnnylemu] even as a final option?

22:26:59 [SoCalFSP] I would say that the FSP does not support secessation, but some members do.

22:27:21 [SoCalFSP] THE FSP is "barely political"

22:27:32 [katdillon] The FSP is only about moving people to NH, what they do after they're there is their business

22:27:32 [johnnylemu] okay, I can do that

22:27:55 [SoCalFSP] We support the idea of freedom, but not much endorsement of specific solutions

22:28:37 [SoCalFSP] The important part is to let people know that when you are free (as in living in NH) every one will get a voice

22:29:27 [SoCalFSP] Is there anything else?

22:30:06 [SoCalFSP] Now my turn again.

22:30:24 [SoCalFSP] Does everyone know what they are going to be trying for the next wo months?

22:30:32 [SoCalFSP] two months?

22:31:00 [SoCalFSP] If you are not sure we can talk about it.

22:31:21 [katdillon] 3 recruits and 2 new endorsements

22:31:23 [einheit80] next two months are rough. still recovering from the hurricane. i'm going back to school in the spring as well.

22:31:33 [johnnylemu] getting a booth at the lext local rolling thunder, then setting up my first local group meeting

22:32:33 [SoCalFSP] Ein, you might want to consider trying to find other FSPers to help Hurricane victims, it might get a lot of play

22:32:38 [SoCalFSP] on the TV

22:32:53 [katdillon] cool idea!

22:33:03 [SoCalFSP] Kat, how will you be getting them.

22:33:16 [SoCalFSP] That is always the hard part.

22:33:53 [davemincin] don't float! This meeting is about helping local groups!

22:34:03 [katdillon] difficult from NH, but I want to go to another Sci-Fi convention in Mass. next month, and I write to selected people online

22:34:22 [katdillon] not sure what you mean, Dave

22:34:41 [SoCalFSP] Also, Ein. since you are so busy, try to find one or two others who might help you get the Local Group active.

22:35:24 [SoCalFSP] I think that having a sincere desire is the first step, but you have to make sure you are able to lead a local group too.

22:35:38 [SoCalFSP] And it does take time!

22:37:12 [SoCalFSP] I would like to leave you all with one final idea, if you ACT! something might go wrong, and you might fail. If you don't do anything, we are guaranteed to fail.

22:37:57 [katdillon] Thanks Will, and everyone who came tonight

22:38:08 [SoCalFSP] Thank you very much. I would love to hear your critiques. Send them to SoCalFSP@sbcglobal.net

22:38:52 [johnnylemu] thanks, SoCal

Recruiting Workshop

Recruiting workshop with Kat Dillon – 01/20/05

Other chats

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

18:01:46 [katdillon] Appears to be 9:00...shall we get started?

18:01:50 [Nick] Aon, is there a particular party that you are affiliated with? Not that I care

18:02:14 [Nick] Fire away kat

18:02:51 [Aon] affiliated with the human race..does that count

18:03:01 [katdillon] I thought we'd spend the evening discussing recruiting for the FSP

18:03:25 [katdillon] What methods have been successful at getting the word out about the project

18:03:31 [Nick] sure does

18:03:40 [katdillon] Try and answer whatever questions you might have about it

18:03:48 [katdillon] And hear your ideas

18:04:05 [katdillon] Hi Dan

18:04:14 [Nick] What methods have been successful ?

18:04:18 [katdillon] So does anyone have any questions to start out with?

18:04:21 [danhynes] hello again

18:04:51 [Nick] What is our best medium?

18:04:58 [katdillon] The most successful things I've seen have been word of mouth...talking to people you know, talking to people on the internet

18:05:07 [Nick] Chat, radio, television?

18:05:10 [katdillon] The internet is our biggest medium

18:05:22 [ring0] Does anyone have any charts/ statistics?

18:05:24 [katdillon] Web forums, chat rooms, email lists

18:05:28 [katdillon] webpages

18:05:51 [katdillon] Yes ring0, hang on a sec

18:06:04 [Nick] I've run into a few people online that are still deciding whether or not

18:06:20 [katdillon] http://www.margomaps.com/fsp/recruitment/

18:06:33 [Kiernaan] Does anyone know any info on Southern New Hampshire University? I am interested in going to school there as apart of the FSP moving from Florida.

18:06:35 [katdillon] http://forum.freestateproject.org/index.php?topic=8333.0

18:07:16 [svillee] Playboy is 5th on the list, interesting

18:07:24 [katdillon] Another thing that has been VERY successful has been magazine articles about the FSP

18:07:32 [katdillon] yes, playboy was big

18:07:43 [Nick] It's not a bad school kiernaan

18:08:37 [katdillon] Evan Nappen wrote an article for American Handgunner which turned out well

18:09:12 [Nick] we werein playboy

18:09:16 [katdillon] Does anyone have ideas for good magazines that might publish an FSP article?

18:09:17 [RussellK] Hi JonM Friday Steve

18:09:30 [katdillon] Yeah, we were the centerfold article

18:09:30 [Friday] hi Russell

18:09:52 [Friday] maybe a hunting mag?

18:09:58 [ScottRoth] http://www.usjournal.com/en/students/campuses/snhu.html

18:10:04 [PatK] Hi all

18:10:07 [Nick] Guns and Ammo?

18:10:09 [RussellK] oh no Pat K

18:10:19 [katdillon] hi Pat

18:10:21 [Nick] Or American Rifleman

18:10:27 [Kiernaan] thanks Scott

18:10:50 [ScottRoth]

18:10:54 [Friday] or a conservative (as opposed to libertarian) political mag

18:11:06 [katdillon] I've been working on a mini-shadow ad on the san francisco handgun ban

18:11:14 [katdillon] Those would be good

18:11:24 [Friday] Utne Reader, for the opposite end of the spectrum...

18:11:36 [katdillon] That's a liberal magazine?

18:11:59 [Friday] oh yeah, touchy feely granola greenie in the extreme!

18:12:03 [Nick] We could also write letters to the opinion sections of some magazines

18:12:32 [katdillon] If you're not up for writing magazine articles , you can also try reaching out to these types of groups on the internet

18:12:41 [katdillon] That's a good idea, Nick

18:13:08 [katdillon] I haven't heard of anyone doing that yet...the opinion section of magazines

18:13:10 [Friday] maybe a natural childbirth/alternative medicine mag?

18:13:29 [katdillon] Yeah, great idea

18:13:36 [Nick] I wrote the NRA on their website when my membership was still current

18:13:53 [PatK] hey come have your painful birth in the free state?

18:14:13 [Friday] some people are into that, Pat!

18:14:19 [katdillon] lol Pat

18:14:23 [RussellK] lol

18:14:43 [katdillon] Do they regulate that in CA, Friday?

18:14:57 [RussellK] maybe we could eventually stop #ing the newborns even

18:15:03 [PatK] welll as long as the father can have some drugs

18:15:08 [katdillon] I know they're trying to regulate herbs and vitamins more ona national level

18:15:11 [Friday] it's not an issue I follow, but I'll bet they do

18:15:46 [Friday] midwives are an endangered species; they might go for the FSP

18:15:54 [PatK] did everyone get MR. Nappans invitation?

18:15:58 [RussellK] makes sense

18:16:05 [katdillon] Maybe a painful birth liaison>

18:16:06 [Friday] also, naturopaths and other practitioners of alt medicine

18:16:08 [Nick] Is there any effort to appeal to republicans as a group?

18:16:19 [katdillon] I did, pat

18:16:26 [Friday] yes, I already signed up for the Active Activists Army (cool name)

18:16:40 [katdillon] We've talked a lot with the Republican Liberty Caucus

18:16:43 [ring0] if you combine the catagories family, friend, and significant other it seems that plain old word of mouth is getting great results too

18:16:57 [Friday] Nick, my local group is arranging a presentation to local Republicans

18:17:10 [katdillon] Yes, ring0

18:17:32 [Nick] What locality friday?

18:17:48 [Friday] northern California

18:17:49 [ring0] word of mouth is free and accounts for over 500

18:17:56 [katdillon] word of mouth, magazine articles, internet forums...those are all free ways to reach people, too

18:17:58 [svillee] Evan's email said "we'll even train you how to do it, step by step". Is there a way I could review those steps, without necessarily signing up?

18:18:23 [Aon] yes, I would like to read that

18:18:28 [katdillon] I'll find out for you, Steve, and let you know

18:18:35 [RussellK] there is no pain involved with signing up steve

18:18:45 [RussellK] but yea maybe we can get it all

18:18:53 [katdillon] Sounds like it'd be a good idea to have the steps avail on the website

18:18:56 [RussellK] they are creating it as we speak also

18:19:18 [Friday] yes, I got that impression!

18:19:20 [Nick] Oh ok, I know a county chair here in the GOP that is pretty liberal socially, and a staunch fiscal conservative

18:19:51 [Friday] ask him if he would like a speaker from the FSP

18:19:56 [RussellK] We are making a lot of connections with GOPs in NH

18:20:08 [Nick] Her

18:20:13 [RussellK] we like table pounding tax cutters

18:20:26 [Friday] I made one small reference to outreach to Republicans on my local group list, and all these Republicans leapt out of the woodwork!

18:20:58 [ring0] maybe we could post an article on Free Republic and ping it a lot

18:21:15 [Friday] I think that's been done, ring0

18:21:30 [katdillon] I had a post on Free Republic today

18:21:50 [katdillon] There's a lot of good venue for online articles

18:21:53 [Nick] What about kat?

18:21:53 [RussellK] yea keep looking for stuff on Free Republic ring....ping away

18:22:28 [svillee] I went ahead and signed up for the "Active Activist Army". It was indeed painless.

18:22:39 [katdillon] http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1324600/posts

18:23:03 [RussellK] see I told you so steve

18:23:08 [Seth] hey, got Kat's email just now... forgot about the chat, and actually just got home a few anyway

18:23:33 [katdillon] Here's your expert on the activist army

18:23:46 [Seth] Someone was asking about the Recruiting Steps without signing up?

18:23:52 [Nick] I know it's not a hugely sympathetic demographic, but what about democrats

18:24:02 [Friday] Seth, which Seth are you? :-)

18:24:03 [Seth] We want people to sign up for a variety of reasons. I'll list them.

18:24:14 [katdillon] There is a democratic freedom caucus

18:24:29 [katdillon] Seth Cohen

18:24:38 [Seth] Nick: we need more 'left' people for sure... I'm planning on helping with getting the Democratic Freedom Caucus running in NH.

18:24:44 [Seth] Friday: Seth Cohn

18:25:13 [Seth] Ok, reasons to sign up rather than just 'get the steps'

18:25:33 [Seth] 1) We're tracking results (we want demographics, and to see what works for people)

18:25:58 [Seth] 2) We are planning a support 'group', including buddying people in similar areas.

18:26:26 [katdillon] Phil

18:26:31 [Friday] support is good

18:26:44 [Seth] 3) We want to know the overall results, and not just guess 'well, we think this effort worked, but how well?"

18:27:33 [Phil] Thanks Kat - joined the army today too (never thought I'd eever say that!)

18:27:47 [RussellK]

18:28:01 [Seth] 4) Protection for the FSP. For instance, we're going to giving out step by step assignments, which will be clear about 'no nos' like spam, bad PR moves, etc.

18:28:18 [Friday] I hope this doesn't include reveille at 4:00AM...

18:28:19 [katdillon] Do you have to get your head shaved to join the army?

18:28:52 [Seth] Headshaving is only for the punk anarchists in the FSP... mohawks are another option.

18:29:14 [Friday] been there, done that

18:29:56 [katdillon] You've shaved your head, Friday?

18:30:20 [Friday] yes, it was my Sinead O'Connor period!

18:30:34 [Nick] I go for the shaved head style myself

18:30:36 [katdillon] neat

18:30:41 [PatK] the porc army we recover from more hangovers by 9am than most people do in a life time

18:31:31 [katdillon] So going back to the Democrats, how would you recommend we outreach to them

18:31:48 [Friday] join a Yahoo list and say hello

18:32:00 [Seth] Meetup.com....

18:32:00 [katdillon]

18:32:03 [Friday] or attend a meeting and say hello

18:32:50 [katdillon] Meetings are a great idea. Instead of a speaker you can just chat with people about the idea

18:33:05 [Friday] my mother is a Democrat, and even she's getting disgusted with CA

18:33:15 [Nick] Democrats= social freedoms all the way

18:33:20 [RussellK] wow

18:33:22 [katdillon] But there are speakers available *points at Phil*

18:33:22 [Seth] Meetup.com told me that starting a Democratic Freedom Caucus -within- the standard Democratic Party meetup system is perfectly ok with them. Perfect outreach - find others who really want liberty, and aren't dogmatically Left is right, Right is wrong.

18:33:33 [svillee] just make sure they're not looking to introduce a state income tax

18:33:36 [katdillon] wow, Friday

18:33:45 [Friday] did anyone see Not In Our Name's statement that's going to run tomorrow?

18:33:59 [katdillon] no, what was it

18:34:00 [katdillon] ?

18:34:16 [Friday] I assume NION is mostly a liberal/progressive group, but their statement really can appeal to people on the opposite end of the spectrum

18:34:27 [Friday] things are getting weird in America!

18:34:45 [Phil] Would love to be a speaker - but very hard to imagine a Democrat joining fsp - independents are more likely

18:34:48 [Aon] I would think reaching out to groups is the easy past, stirring people to action might prove more complex

18:34:49 [katdillon] too liberal even for the democrats!

18:35:04 [katdillon] I know some democrats in the FSP

18:35:06 [Nick] What is NION?

18:35:08 [Friday] Kat, I'll post it to the forum; it's really quite beautiful

18:35:16 [Seth] Phil: we have Democrats in the FSP.

18:35:20 [katdillon] cool

18:35:30 [Friday] reminds me of the sort of thing a

1776 patriot would have published

18:36:07 [katdillon] Are all of you near an FSP local group?

18:36:17 [Friday] NION is a coalition of people opposed to the Iraq War, with some rich Hollywood types involved

18:36:24 [katdillon] http://freestateproject.org/community/localgroups/

18:36:25 [Nick] yupper

18:36:27 [Seth] Before I forget to ask: anyone here who got the Challenge, who did NOT sign up, and if not, why not?

18:36:54 [katdillon] I didn't.

18:37:05 [Friday] Aon, you said it!! Stirring people to action; I'm stymied.

18:37:16 [Seth] besides you, Kat. You do plenty else.

18:37:21 [katdillon] You can work with others in the local groups at recruiting...more fun that way

18:37:34 [Nick] Opposition to the war isn't charateristically liberal

18:37:59 [Friday] I know, but judging by the big names on this list, that's the leaning of NION

18:38:42 [katdillon] The FSP will provide some of the funds for printing costs for things like flyers, for booth space, etc

18:38:49 [Nick] Doesn't mean that libertarians can't join and steer it

18:39:28 [Friday] I don't think the group actually does anything other than put insanely expensive ads in major publications,

18:39:31 [Aon] The ideas speak for themselves, making ideas actionable seems difficult

18:39:39 [Friday] sending a big F.U. to Bush et al

18:39:44 [Nick] oh ok then

18:40:11 [Friday] tomorrow their ad will be in the NYT, SF Chronicle, and assorted others

18:40:25 [katdillon] Seems like a worthy occupation

18:40:49 [Nick] Happy Inaguration day all

18:41:01 [Friday] phtphtphtff

18:41:48 [PatK] it looked like a may day celebration from theold ussr

18:41:50 [Seth] Don't blame me. I voted for Badnarik. (grin)

18:41:52 [katdillon] Maybe use anti-bush feeling towards recruiting

18:41:55 [Friday] Kat, are you still on the BoD?

18:42:09 [katdillon] Heck if I know

18:42:25 [Nick] Did you see the security, it was Orwellian

18:42:31 [Friday] er, I don't think I like the sound of that

18:42:32 [Aon] yes

18:42:36 [PatK] well no tanks this time mabey thats later

18:42:39 [Aon] more like a coronation

18:42:50 [Seth] The BoD is currently in 'flux'. Only official members are Jason, Jean, Eddie

18:42:59 [katdillon] I'm on the "circle"...there's 3 people on the official BOD right now

18:43:06 [Nick] I think a lot of small govt. types are sick of Bush

18:43:10 [Seth] it's a sore subject, Friday. Let's move on. It's not the chat topic.

18:43:15 [Friday] When will it be out of flux? And is Amanda still President?

18:43:26 [Friday] um, OK then

18:43:32 [katdillon] Amanda is still President

18:43:40 [Seth] Out of flux: in the next week or 2.

18:43:44 [svillee] That's right. George Reich's term expired last Saturday.

18:43:47 [PatK] circle the fluxing board?

18:44:03 [katdillon] Hi Lloyd

18:44:14 [Lloyd] HI

18:44:17 [katdillon] It's a lot like ring around the rosie

18:44:32 [ScottRoth] Thye all fall down!

18:44:40 [Seth] ashes ashes we al lfall down.

18:45:04 [Aon] BoD...? Meaning someone is planning , directing...toward a goal?

18:45:04 [Lloyd] Thanks Pat

18:45:11 [Seth] Ok, to get back to Recruiting.....

18:45:18 [Aon] actionable items ?

18:45:30 [katdillon] How are recruiting activities in No Cal going, Friday?

18:45:49 [Friday] Discouraging, Kat

18:45:51 [Seth] Question for everyone to answer: Name 3 things you could do in the next week to help recruiting. Concrete 'I could do XYZ'

18:46:06 [Friday] but there are a lot of events lined up in the next 3 months

18:46:15 [katdillon] Oh, what's wrong?

18:46:16 [Seth] I'm looking for brainstorming here, so speak up.

18:46:18 [Phil] letter to editor

18:46:39 [Friday] I put out calls for volunteers and donations, and only the same 2 people ever respond

18:46:39 [Phil] I wear my t-shirt at the gym

18:46:54 [katdillon] Aon...the goal is getting 20,000 liberty lovers to NH

18:47:01 [katdillon] too bad, Phil

18:47:02 [Nick] The goal being directed towards is getting 20K and moving

18:47:22 [katdillon] At least you have two people responding, Friday!

18:47:24 [Aon] individuals

18:47:35 [Lloyd] Re- phmphlet local colleges, make hat or shirtthat says: "ask me about the FSP" and some other thing

18:47:46 [katdillon] Friday, how much have you used the member list?

18:47:57 [Seth] Friday: how others are not responding?

18:48:04 [katdillon] cool idea, Lloyd

18:48:10 [Friday] Kat, I only got it within the last 2 weeks, so very little!

18:48:17 [katdillon] it could be made into a sign....

18:48:19 [Seth] oops, how _many_ others are not responding.

18:48:42 [ScottRoth] Does the FSP have a brochure in PDF? I could print them out and hand them out.

18:48:44 [Lloyd] Sandwich board!

18:49:00 [katdillon] Scott, yes

18:49:04 [PatK] make up a leaflet =everthing you wanted to know about pocupine sex but were afraid to ask? Ask at FSP.org

18:49:06 [Seth] ScottRoth: yes, we do. Downloads.

18:49:13 [Friday] Seth, perhaps we should get into details outside of chat...

18:49:16 [Lloyd] Brochures on the FSP website

18:49:19 [katdillon] http://freestateproject.org/getinvolved/downloads/

18:49:31 [ScottRoth] Thanks Kat.

18:49:42 [PatK] Lloyd had to say sandwich now I am hungry

18:49:48 [katdillon] I like it, Pat. I might even be inclined to write it

18:50:00 [katdillon] Hi lori

18:50:00 [Nick] Has anyone heard more about the war protests scheduled for the 15th of February?

18:50:00 [Seth] Friday: in general terms. If you're calling on 20 people, and only 2 are answering, it's a motivation issue, and perfect for us to talk about.

18:50:10 [Lloyd] Sex sell again!

18:50:19 [katdillon] I haven't Nick

18:50:19 [Friday] Seth, I email 500 people, and 5 respond.

18:50:42 [Friday] I encourage you to join the NorCal Yahoo list for evidence of how very hard I have been trying.

18:50:53 [katdillon] I wonder if calling is more effective?

18:51:06 [Seth] Friday, you aren't alone in this. It's fairly universal.

18:51:06 [Nick] Morrison hasn't e-mailed me back, give him a kick in the tail for me if you run into him ok

18:51:06 [Friday] We have tried that; the majority of numbers are invalid.

18:51:10 [Lori] well we could let people know how much eating does go on once you get here and "get involved" last saturday we had breakfat in wilton and then drove to somersworth to the seacoast porcupines meeting for lunch lol

18:51:34 [Seth] Dave Mincin sends personal emails, or calls people, because he found email was working even here in NH.

18:51:35 [katdillon] Good eating and company in NH!

18:51:48 [Seth] wasn't working.

18:51:57 [Lori] but then we went out and handed out flyers in the cold in hampton, you do have to be willing to get cold. brrr but the company is warming

18:52:01 [Seth] (grrh, my typos are bad as always)

18:52:19 [katdillon] You're doing an awesome job out there, Friday. Don't get discouraged

18:52:34 [Friday] :-}

18:53:10 [katdillon] It's not even just the FSP. It's true in any organization that only a few people are really active

18:53:24 [Seth] Friday> email me so we can talk later... sethcohn@gnuhampshire.org

18:53:46 [Lloyd] Lori, I wonder what the guy whose pickup truck had the licence plate: Zoning did with his flyer?

18:54:37 [katdillon] If you want people to come to meetings, you could try making them just something fun...work into activism once people get used to coming

18:54:41 [Friday] OK, Seth

18:54:46 [Lloyd] Kat, I'm not sure that being active results in recruitment.

18:54:50 [Seth] Commitment is a hard thing to gauge. We're finding that true in the FSP.

18:54:53 [katdillon] I saw a licence plate here in keene: GLOCK

18:54:59 [Friday] we've been having "just fun" meetings for a year already...

18:55:09 [Lori] like that one kat

18:55:10 [katdillon] That's true, Lloyd

18:55:18 [Seth] But it's true everywhere. It's also why a scant handful of activists _can_ make a difference.

18:55:23 [katdillon] Aah

18:55:46 [katdillon] seems to be especially true in NH

18:56:04 [Lloyd] I can't believe were not getting more signups out of the colleges!

18:56:12 [Lori] that's very true seth. look at how just a few sqeaky wheels have been the ones that have brought about many of the laws and legislations that have taken away many of our freedoms

18:56:21 [Seth] NH's more 'open' than most states, at least in important ways (state and local government)

18:56:32 [katdillon] I don't think anyone is working on college students that much

18:56:47 [JonM] lloyd: turns out they can't read

18:56:57 [Friday] I've been hounding the Cal Libertarians

18:57:06 [katdillon] heh

18:57:20 [Seth] Friday: resistance?

18:57:25 [Nick] gotta go,bye

18:57:33 [Lori] bye Nick

18:57:36 [katdillon] night, Nick

18:57:38 [Friday] Seth: no response

18:57:40 [Lori] Hello George

18:57:48 [Friday] bye Nick

18:58:02 [katdillon] so..uh...we need speakers at the colleges instead

18:58:34 [RussellK] good talking with you guys....but I need to say goodnight

18:58:41 [Nick] Oh and if you all want to be ordained as non denominational reverends by an official church, go to http://www.ulc.org and head to instant ordinations, tax exempt

18:58:57 [Seth] Friday: if at first you don't get an answer, bug bug bug again.

18:58:59 [Friday] I know about that church!

18:59:00 [Lori] goodnight Russell

18:59:09 [Lloyd] Not sure what it would take. Anyone contacted libertarian clubs on campus to see if they want speakers?

18:59:10 [Friday] goodnight Russell

18:59:41 [Seth] Nick: some of us have been Rev. for over 10 years now... I think I'm going on almost 15 or more.

19:00:00 [Friday] I prefer to worship Bob, myself

19:00:15 [Aon] That is interesting

19:00:27 [katdillon]>[Friday] Could you save the transcript from this and send it to me? bookish_lass@yahoo.com

19:00:40 [Lloyd] Good night all

19:00:50 [Friday] oops, I should point out that I am NOT *that* Friday of the Church of the Subgenius

19:00:53 [Lori] goodnight Lloyd

19:00:57 [katdillon] Night Lloyd

19:01:18 [Friday] how do I do that, Kat?

19:01:39 [katdillon] either cut and paste the whole thing, or do /save

19:02:14 [Friday] OK, will do (until I leave)

19:02:27 [katdillon] thanks

19:02:55 [Seth] I gotta run myself... only came because of Kat's email, and have stuff still to be done... Night all

19:03:03 [Lori] Scott had mentioned to me that it might be good to get information to the college students here in NH too, since they already know NH and maybe would want to come back here or just stay if they believe in what we do

19:03:08 [katdillon] Night

19:03:11 [Friday] 'night Seth

19:03:19 [Lori] night seth

19:03:28 [katdillon] That's a great idea, Lori

19:03:28 [Friday] that's a good idea, Lori

19:03:34 [katdillon] hehe

19:03:54 [Friday] also, the alumni associations of NH colleges

19:04:06 [katdillon] ooh, yes

19:05:07 [katdillon] Thank you all for coming tonight. It's time for me to take off, too

19:05:25 [katdillon] Good luck with your recruiting

19:05:29 [Friday] goodnight, Kat, thanks for the chat!

19:05:38 [Lori] goodnight kat and goodnight to you all

19:05:42 [Aon] g'nite Kat

19:06:19 [Friday] OK, looks like most people are exiting and it's dinnertime in PST, so...

19:06:39 [Friday] goodnight, all, and the transcript will cut off shortly!

19:07:15 [Aon] It has been a nice visit , nice meeting all of you

19:07:26 [Friday] Aon, do you have a forum account?

19:07:52 [Aon] No, I only heard about this group last night

19:08:12 [Friday] sign up here: http://forum.freestateproject.org/index.php

19:08:23 [Friday] it's the best way to "get to know" FSP people

19:08:54 [Friday] I hope you decide to join us!

19:09:08 [Aon] This has been the most interesting thing I have done online in some time

19:09:48 [Friday] also, check out the NH Underground

19:09:50 [Aon] I spent most of my time in chat rooms where the word" sup" seems to be the most intelligent thing said

19:10:24 [Friday] http://www.soulawakenings.com/underground/tikiwiki/tiki-index.php

19:10:59 [Aon] I have saved every link put into this room

19:11:21 [Friday] I avoid chat rooms myself; I make an exception for the FSP

19:11:52 [Aon] I have time on my hands

19:12:16 [Friday] OK, see you next time!

19:12:21 [Aon] Single, just moved to a new city.

19:12:31 [Aon] g'nite all

19:12:50 [Friday] bye all

Activist of the Month - Sept '04

Activist of the Month – Septemeber, 2004

Please join me in congratulating Dan McGuire, Jacqueline Passey, Eric Hartford, Bob Lowe, Emily Sandblade, and Ethan Pooley. These fine activists have been named September Activist of the Month for their outreach efforts at the Seattle Hempfest. Their endeavor informed many hundreds of liberty lovers about the Free State Project. Thank you all for your initiative and hard work. You are stellar examples for the rest of us.

Following is Dan McGuire's Hempfest account:

Hempfest Recap

It was a lot of work, but we handed out close to 1000 flyers at the Seattle Hempfest last weekend. Many thanks to those porcupines who came to help: Eric Hartford, Bob Lowe, Jacqueline Passey and Emily Sandblade. A number of LP members were also there handing out our literature (and theirs), notably Don, Ruth and Scott. Finally, very special thanks to Ethan Pooley who put some late nights working on our signs and banner. The banner, with its bright orange background of fall leaves, really stood out and got us noticed.

This was an interesting experience for me, as I had never worked a crowd like that before. Especially for live-and-let-live types like us, it feels awkward to make that first step and impose on someone who didn't seek contact. However, politics is something that can't be done in a vacuum. We need other people, not just for our membership, but to believe in the principles of liberty and to vote and act accordingly.

Hempfest provided an opportunity to meet a LOT of people. There were many times when the flow in front of our booth was so heavy that by the time I had handed out a flyer and separated the next one from the top of the stack, ten people had gone by. We learned how to get flyers into people's hands. You need eye contact, a smile and to extend the flyer towards them at right moment. Scott and Eric had success using a leading statement, like "Are you in favor of legalization?", but I just liked a simple, "How are you?"

It's nice having a variety of literature to hand out. Besides our own tri-fold and two-sided full page drug legalization flyer, we also had some business cards, stickers (popular with high schoolers), the smallest political quiz, a clever bright green marijuana-related handout that Jacqueline made and a variety of other LP literature. Bright colors are good and small sizes are good. They cost less to produce and people are more likely to accept them.

There were a few special moments. Like the time someone refused to take a flyer, then four steps later turned around and said, "Oh are you libertarians? I'll take one."

Activist of the Month

Bill Walker

2005 Porcupine Freedom Festival Report – Bill Walker

After months of communications and planning, Porc Fest '05 sort of snuck up on Kate & me, and we began scurrying to make the necessary arrangements for organizing and packing a ton of stuff into our tiny car for the 700-mile trip to the Free State.

We got a screened-in tent for our campsite, large enough to fit over a picnic table so that we could keep things dry and insect-free during the week-long festival. We also picked up a heavy-duty fabric roof rack to supplement the limited space inside the Mazda.

Since I was and would be organizing the "Second Amendment Activities", and was therefore bringing six rifles, eight handguns, and a shotgun – along with the usual related equipment, supplies, and several thousand rounds of ammunition, I needed to secure everything in a manner that would comply with Federal law for interstate transport of firearms as well as not set off any red flags for the socialist Grenzpolizei in MD, NJ, and NY. I didn't have enough locking containers to put all of the ammo and firearms into, and I needed a way to transport and secure all of the guns after we unpacked the car at the campsite. Many hours of research, design, and redesign produced a blueprint for a gun cart that could be loaded up with everything needed for a complete range trip – guns, ammo, targets, cleaning supplies, a chair and shooting bench, even a padded gun vise and a Dremel tool for cleaning and minor repair. It had wheels, and it locked. Two sheets of plywood, lots of sawing and gluing, and four or five trips to various hardware stores over the next few days produced a rough prototype – sans chair and shooting bench.

THURSDAY [July 21, Richmond VA]

We began packing the car on Thursday night. Piles of guns in a giant cart needed to be wheeled down a flight of steps that the rear cart edge didn't quite clear. Lift, roll, clunk. Lift, roll, clunk. As sweat poured off of me, I imagined taking a giant spill that would crush Kate and dump $5000 of guns all over the concrete below. Ugh. Finally reaching the bottom, we had only a short off-road trip up a grassy hill to the car. At least the wheels worked nicely. The cart had to be turned around and carefully maneuvered into the trunk – and then the legs wouldn't clear that last 2 or 3 inches. AHHHHHHH! Murphy had predictably visited us. We popped the cart open and removed the legs, managing to JUST slide the cart into the car – and then at the last second ripped off the wheels in the process. @#&*! Oh well, we can fix that after we get there.

Next we had fun shoving the roof rack onto the car, creatively securing it with straps and buckles – since the metal clips that were supplied wouldn't hold onto the doorjambs of the Mazda. We dripped sweat in the heat and humidity to get the thing loaded and sealed – just before it poured rain all night long. I guess we'd see if it was really as waterproof as the manufacturer claimed. I hoped so, since the tent – and all of our clothes – were in it.

FRIDAY

Friday morning, we ran up and down the stairs, carrying the last of the mountain of stuff into the car and rearranging it so that WE could fit into the car as well, and so I could see out of the rear window. A few items were judged at the last minute to be nonessential (cardboard IDPA targets, etc.) and left behind. We stopped for gas and food, and began to run the interstate gauntlet while monitoring channel 19 on the CB radio my boss had gifted to me. Lots of chatter about The Man in the Big Hat, bears, "brushing your teeth and combing your hair", and girls. We listened to an intellectual and very libertarian conversation about race. Every so often we'd have someone get on the channel and teach us some new vocabulary words. Once – in the Catskills – we were repeatedly serenaded by an escaped mental patient singing, "Meow meow meow meow, meow meow meow meow." Through tolls, off and on exit and entrance ramps, under "Report All Suspicious Activity" notices, and past the watchful eye of toll-collectors, we proceeded north as the July sun beat down and radiated through the windshield. Every so often we had to pull over on the side of the road and heave the roof rack forward onto the car since it had slid backwards on the roof and was dangling over the edge, causing it to flap in a truly disconcerting manner at highway speeds. Up and down mountainous roads we drove in our little 4-cylinder import, loaded down with a ton of stuff and straining against gravity and the air-conditioner to reach our friends in the Free State. The closer we grew, the gloriously cooler it got.

At long last, we arrived in Keene, and made our way to Varrin & Edi's home by about 8pm. We made good time and it was smooth sailing all the way. No blocking off all five lanes of Route 95 like the year before, no MD state po-lice confiscating all of my guns, no NJ state po-lice arresting me for 1000 years for transporting mountains of hollow-point ammunition, and no NY state po-lice shooting me to death for transporting handguns. Whew. I slid out my Galco NSA-II leather holster and proceeded to secure my H&K USP Compact (.357 sig) with the LEM trigger into the rig as an assertion of my Rights and as a celebration of my safe arrival in the Free State. I also marveled at what was surely a 30-degree lower temperature than what we left in Richmond, VA.

We enjoyed meeting Virgil and Lois Swearingen (Varrin's Parents) and watching Varrin scurry around the house as he – oh yes – just then began to pack. We talked and drank, and ate, and played with Edison and Erin, and poo-poo'ed the government, and then ate and drank some more. We discussed the weather and how Varrin usually likes to camp without a tent, and how the last time he went camping and it rained, his friend forgot to pack one. And we ate and drank some more.

SATURDAY

Saturday morning entailed stuffing Edison head first into my sleeping bag stuff-sack so that Varrin was free to pack and load the van, unpack and rearrange the van, search for missing items, and run last-minute errands. Once Varrin's family had loaded into the van, they all predictably had to get back out to use the restroom and then get settled back in. A few brief directions were relayed, and the caravan headed out toward the highway. A mere twenty minutes out, and I was frantically braking to avoid rear-ending Varrin's van as he swerved off to the side of the road. Varrin apparently likes camping without a tent so much that he neglected to pack one. The Fellowship parted ways and would meet up again at Roger's.

We made our way into Lancaster and stopped at the grocery store for a quick supply of camp food. And beer. Then we made our way down the street to the campground and checked in. It was still light out, we were awake, and we knew exactly where our campsite was. It was an amazing improvement over the year before. We parked the car and began setting up the campsite, and Lloyd Danforth wandered into camp to tell us that he had a 12' x 24' tent he could bring over for social gatherings since we had a double-sized campsite. As we talked and set up, we noticed that there were LOADS of people already in camp and it was still only Saturday! I had a feeling that this year's festival was going to be BIG. Mary'L Gere stopped by and dropped off a huge pile of hearing protection for the Second Amendment activities. As we walked down to Dawn's camper to see who was checked in, we met Tony Stelik and his friend Mike, Russell Kanning and Kat Dillon, Pat K., and lots of other people I recognized from either MD FSP meetings, the 2004 Libertarian National Convention, last year's Porc Fest, or one of the local FSP meetings at Millie's.

We headed down to Site 31 to cook chicken wings, meet people arriving at the festival, and take part in the Kickoff Party that of course had cake – yummy cake. And beer. We met Bill Campbell, Matt and Sidney [KY], Nick and Jeremy and Carl-the-Swede (TM) who were going to film a documentary [MN], Ward and Lisa Griffiths, and tons of other folks. Some folks burned a UN flag over the campfire. We played with my Bushnell night vision monocular, and then Dawn kicked us out from in front of her RV so that they could sleep – sheesh. So I lit up my ?-million candlepower flashlight so we could all find our way back in the otherwise pitch black, and a few other night owl porcs and I sat around and talked until well past midnight.

SUNDAY

Jeremy Noyes and I drove down to the grocery store to buy real food, and he proceeded to go hog wild and buy everything in sight. He must have been hungry. Or pregnant. And then he tried to pay for it all. He must have had low blood sugar. Anyway, we loaded food-for-twelve into the car and then made a trip to the hardware store to buy eye & ear protection, some 1 x 3 lumber for target stands, and some brackets and a pound of screws for reattaching the wheels to my gun cart. We then hopped across the street to the other hardware store to get a compass for when Jeremy would go evaluating properties for the White Mountain Land Club, and I got a shovel to do a little sprucing up at the shooting range.

After we unloaded all of the goodies back at camp, we hooked up with John Conner who volunteered to come along and help set up the range. We headed out of Roger's and down Route 2 past Santa's Village, a little tourist place that was packed to the gills, and made a left onto Ingerson – a gravel road across from Six-Gun City. At the end of Ingerson, we drove into the woods along Pond Safety Road – an unpaved dirt road full of big rocks and sometimes even bigger potholes. The second dirt path on the left was the entrance to the range, so we parked our cars and carried the lumber and tools through the ruts and gullies until we arrived at a clearing. I had forgotten that the clearing had stretched out so far out from the left side of the road – it was perfect for the clay target shooting I wanted to do the next day. We walked farther up to the little range, which was a LOT smaller than I remembered, but it would serve the purpose that I needed it to. We hacked away some brush, shoveled away some detritus, and began fashioning points on the lumber to be driven into the loose but very rocky soil. After all of that was set up, we cleaned up some of the garbage left by other people, dug some of the larger rocks out of the way, and filled in some of the holes that people might stumble into. Then we measured out yardages and pounded in stakes to mark the various ranges.

Not to let a perfectly good visit to the range go to waste, I showed Jeremy how to shoot my H&K, and he quickly got the hang of it. Unlike throwing a ball at a target you don't focus on what you're shooting at, you focus on the little front sight at the end of the gun barrel while lining it up with the distant blurry target that you want to hit. It doesn't sound right, but when you compare the results of both methods you quickly learn that keeping your focus on the front sight makes an amazing difference. I've seen people miss targets at a range of 5 yards when they had forgotten to focus on the front sight instead of the target.

John Conner was eager to learn how to carry a pistol, and we somehow managed to finally fit my inside-the-waistband (IWB) holster inside of his waistband – after he loosened his belt up and sucked it in. Draw, fire, reholster. Well, that last part turned out to be a little tricky....

Later on in the evening I wandered over to Matt and Sidney's campsite and sampled some of their store-bought beer and delicious homebrew. About ten people were gathered around the picnic table, engaging in hardcore libertarian conversation and lamenting the state of affairs that the government has led our once-proud and beautiful country into.

MONDAY

Some time around 9 or 9:30am, people began arriving at the campsite, and wondering what was going on. I figured that we'd wait until 10 in order to give people time to finish showering, eat breakfast, and find their way over.

We got a bunch of people together and thankfully, Peter Herrick had a huge van that we could pack all of our equipment into, and would clear the ruts and gullies on the dirt path that led up to the range. I wanted to see if the two local gun stores were open so I could pick up some targets and provide people with eye protection. I hopped into the car while people were packing their stuff into Pete's van, and went to the little gun store across the street – it was closed. So I came back and led everyone out to Whitefield to see if the Village Gun Store was open, but they too were closed. Well, we could manage.

I think that Lloyd showed up about then to assemble his mammoth canopy, and a group of 10-12 people sorted poles and connectors, tightened thumbscrews, and bungeed the giant tarp to the frame. We then lifted the entire roof up while we shoved poles into the connectors and then slid the whole assembly over so it overlapped the little wooden structure on the campsite. Next came a few lessons on the taut-line hitch to secure the corners down in case if high winds. The thing was as big as an aircraft hangar.

Peter, Jeremy, Joseph, Lloyd, John, Jerry Lynch and the entire Gere family all hopped in and we finally got to the range at about 1:00 and shot about half of a case of clays – once we figured out how to stabilize the thrower in the loose soil with makeshift stakes and rocks. The trick to clay target shooting is to know where to position the clay in relation to the sights, and knowing where the shotgun shoots. Then just relax, get that shotgun up and mounted as fast as possible and smoothly track the clay across the sky until you're on it – and squeeze the trigger. It's a knack. Sometime I got it, and sometimes I don't. Robert Gere definitely had it that day and proceeded to powder clay after clay as we launched them across the clearing. I think he may have found a new hobby. We called it quits around 3:00 and picked up a few hundred spent shotgun shells and bits of trash before heading back to camp to make dinner.

When we got back, we found a Gadsden-Style flag for the Militia hanging on the canopy, donated I'm sure by JP.

After dinner, we made our way down to Kat and Russell's campsite where there was a horde of people doing the libertarian socialization thing. This entailed large quantities of alcohol – probably as a talisman to ward off the feds – and vampires as well. Lisa Griffiths was having a grand old time, and Jane Aitken, Web Mistress of the Darkness was enjoying wine, lots and lots of wine, so I enjoyed some with her. Lloyd and I burned a UN flag over the campfire, sort of as a daily affirmation to avoid entangling alliances and protect the Constitution from foreign enemies. Later that evening I headed down to "31" and met more new arrivals and old friends. We got kicked out and stayed up late at my campsite talking with Robert, Thomas, David, and others about libertarian activism.

TUESDAY

Sometime really early in the morning we awoke to the industrious crunching of plastic, and when I unzipped the tent and looked out, there was a squirrel busily chewing on a newly purchased loaf of bread. Hoots, hollers, and threats were of no avail, since the little guy just looked over at me, did a little mental "yeah, whatever" and brazenly continued munching into the loaf. I looked over at my .357 sig and decided that 115 grain CorBon hollow-points would be overkill, and settled for just pulling on some jeans and chasing the little thief over to someone else's campsite.

Sometime around 9 or 9:30am, people began arriving at the campsite, and wondering what, if anything was going on. Once again, I figured that we'd wait until 10 in order to give people time to finish showering, eat breakfast, and find their way over. Eventually we had assembled a typical libertarian gathering, where there were lots of people standing around trying to figure out how to get organized. I decided that the cats needed to herd themselves, and Peter once again let us use his van to haul our gear to the range.

While equipment was being transferred and loaded into vehicles, I hopped into the car while people were packing their stuff into Pete's van, and went to the little gun store across the street to buy a box of .38 special for Bill & Dawn and a box of .380 auto for Neil Alexander. Dave, the guy that runs the store, had gotten robbed while he was away in Florida and all of his guns were stolen. I supposed the kid who robbed him had panicked afterwards, because he dumped all of the guns in the woods or the river, and then – no kidding – committed suicide by shooting himself with a crossbow. You can't make this stuff up. Dave didn't have any cardboard targets, so I drove out to Whitefield risking an unfamiliar and as I discovered hardly faster route, to see if the Village Gun Store had any cardboard IDPA silhouettes. They didn't have any cardboard targets either, so I grabbed a business card to post at my campsite and headed back. By the time I got back, people were finally packed and organized, and I led a huge – yes, huge – caravan of cars, trucks, and vans to the sand pit. I think we had about 18 people.

While I scrambled around trying to make the best of the supplies I had, Jeff Jordan – "Hunter" graciously instructed people in the basics of gun safety and firearms handling. I managed to set up about 4 targets with some old cardboard I found and the really stubby staples in my staple gun, and then set up a piece of shot-up steel shelving as cover for the IDPA course I had planned to run. IDPA stands for International Defensive Pistol Association, which is where cardboard targets are set up to simulate real-life self-defense scenarios, and the shooters must engage the targets with concealed weapons as fast and as accurately as possible. Most of the people we had were new shooters, and so we spent a lot of time showing folks how to load magazines, how to operate revolvers and semi-automatic pistols, and people shot guns of their own. So IDPA got scrapped, and we had lots of fun introducing new shooters to the joys of guns. Stance, grip, front sight, and then Squeeeeeeeeeze. Bang. SMILE. These folks were having a GOOD time – boys and girls ranging in age from 12 to 55. When we were done, everyone picked up spent brass and bits of trash, and helped pack everything up.

We headed back to camp and made some food while Thomas, Dave, Jeff, Jerry, and Emerson stayed to help disassemble and clean firearms. Gunmetal and moist outdoor air don't mix well, so I had invested in a few cans of Break-Free CLP, G-96, and Sheath to keep my guns from slowly corroding into piles of red powder.

Later on we wandered from party to party, sampling the different atmospheres at the different campsites. I stopped by the film crew's campsite to see what was going on there, just in time to watch Jane shift that crucial fraction of an inch beyond the center of gravity of her chair – in slow motion I reached out as I watched her topple backwards, taking the folding table and its assorted beverages and condiments with it. Jane, a dedicated and enthusiastic wine connoisseur found this to be uproariously funny. The lass so endeared herself to me that I sang the opening bars of "The Hero of Canton" from Joss Whedon's libertarian space-western Firefly. Nick immediately recognized the ballad, being a huge Firefly fan himself, and began unpacking a video monitor so that we could watch an episode (or more) of the show – perhaps another night – since he had thoughtfully brought along the DVD's. "Mi mi mimi. Ahem. Jane! The girl they call Jane!" Now I had that song stuck in my head – probably for the entire rest of the week. We made our way down to Dawn's RV, and it began to rain. Sometime after 11pm she came out and shooed us away, so we reassembled back at my campsite to discuss politics and the future of freedom until the wee hours of the morning.

WEDNESDAY

A few people wandered by throughout the morning wondering if we were going shooting, but it had rained off-and-on all morning, the sky still looked a bit gray, and people staying in Roger's Motel had reported that there might be thunderstorms. The previous year had taught me how volatile the weather could be, and so I decided that we might wait until 1:00 or so to see if the sky cleared up. It didn't.

It rained. It rained and rained and RAINED. And then it POURED. Later on in the day it switched to an all-out deluge. Water cascaded in almost a solid sheet across the ground, leaving just a few dry spots under Lloyd's cavernous canopy where we piled tarps and ammo boxes. So we just ditched the day's shooting plans and made coffee, munched food, smoked cigarettes, and talked when we could hear ourselves above the thundering din of raindrops pounding against 288 square feet of canvas roof. I used my shiny new shovel to enhance the almost overflowing drainage trench around the little wooden shelter – the one that drained straight into the fire pit. I checked into the tent to see how it was holding up – the last North Face tent I had camped in had leaked like cheesecloth – and I discovered that we had some leakage around one of the seams near the tent stake. So I shoved a few small towels against the side to keep things localized, and pulled the ground cloth out from under the tent, where water was collecting into a small lake.

We had the Minn-eh-sodah film crew come by, you know. They took some footage of us talking about politics and freedom and activism, and of a few people sinking down low in their chairs so as not to be caught on camera.

Late in the day the rain finally stopped, and we ventured out to visit our friends in other parts of camp.

THURSDAY

People started assembling at the campsite as usual, and I quickly announced that the cats had to herd themselves and find their own rides. This is a great secret for getting libertarian activities moving. We made pretty good time organizing ourselves and driving to the sand pit, and a few experienced volunteers helped set up the range while Jeff made sure that everyone new was familiarized with gun safety and basic gun handling. I made the command decision that we would actually run the 3-gun match I had scheduled, and got people to grab a handgun and get in line. One by one, I ran them through the course: move to the left as 3 targets were shot at least 3 times each with the handgun, then drop the gun, pick up the pump shotgun and move to the right while taking out 5 clay targets lined up along the ground, and then finally load and fire the AR-15 at 5 cans or plastic bottles arranged on the metal shelf. Not surprisingly, the handgun portion seemed a little challenging, but once people picked up the shotgun and the rifle there occurred an amazing transformation – even first-time shooters did really, really well. And after each person shot all of the rifle targets, I just had them unload the rest of the 30-round magazine, making all of the fallen cans and bottles fly around – sometimes clear to the other side of the range. Some folks supplied their own handguns, Dave brought his shotgun – which he was determined to shoot at least once this week, and another Porc brought his MAK-90 (Chinese AK variant) with two 75-round drum magazines. Let me point out that there is a noticeable and very clear difference between a 60-grain .223 and a 122-grain 7.62 x 39 bullet. Maybe half of the cans and bottles went down with the AK in a carefully aimed manner before the decision to simply unload was made. The entire area around the platform erupted into flying bits of dirt and plant matter as he bump-fired from the hip and annihilated a good 6-foot square area with bullets and muzzle blast. Once Machinegun Kelly was finished "recycling" the targets, I finally stopped laughing long enough to thank everyone for attending "Bill's anger management class." When we cleaned up later, we found all of my .223 cases and picked them all up, but I don't think that any of the AK brass was anywhere to be found.

There was a lot of free-form shooting where people practiced with their own firearms, sighted in rifles, and tried more of the handguns that we brought for the events. There are many authors in the Freedom Movement who advocate that Americans reclaim our place as a Nation of Riflemen. I could not agree with them more, and after watching the joy and skill with which all of the participants engaged the rifle targets, I think that such is a sound and reasonable goal. We can peaceably assemble and teach each other the lore and craft of riflery – however I think that training a nation of skilled handgunners will take a lot more effort – I know that achieving speed and accuracy with a handgun has sure been an uphill battle for me. But the interest and enthusiasm are there, so I am excited to see what new equipment and skill shows up at Porc Fest '06!

FRIDAY

I took my time getting some much needed sleep and fueling up with sandwiches and coffee before heading down to hear Bernard von NotHaus speak about the Liberty Dollar. He was down in the pavilion where Poker Face was setting up their equipment. The "dollar" (Federal Reserve Note, Æ© is worthless fiat currency, and only serves to help balloon the already unmanageable National Debt. Debt to whom? Why, The Federal Reserve of course – a PRIVATE company that's no more affiliated with the federal government than most banks or the Federal ammunition company. While there, I got a donation in silver from a generous Porcupine to defray my costs in setting up and running the shooting activities, and I picked up a copy of Bernard's Liberty Dollar DVD.

Poker Face was finishing setting up their equipment, so I headed back to my campsite to pick up some beer and cook dinner at Dawn's campsite – Steak, onions, peppers, and pineapple. After I had stuffed my face and picked up some more beer, I headed over to the pavilion to hear the show. The sun was streaming over the hills and shining brightly onto the band as they worshipped freedom and energized themselves and the steadily growing crowd with a mounting frenzy of sound and light. These were musicians with a message, and as they sang their songs into the blazing rays of the setting sun, they appeared to me as Warriors of Freedom wreathed in fire. Laden with electronic gear and armed with instruments of Liberty, they raised their voices in unison to greet an army of Freedom Fighters bent on working towards – and achieving – Liberty in our Lifetime. Anyone who missed out on this show missed out bigtime. I owe a huge thanks to Chris Gronski and all of the people who worked and donated money to make Poker Face's presence at the festival possible.

The band played well into the night, and finally closed their show with what I hold to be some of their best songs – and the near complete destruction of their drum set. As the band began packing their equipment up, hordes of porcupines made their way up to the campgrounds to search out the night's festivities. There were acres of food and refreshments at Joel's site, and I got to meet all sorts of people who had made their way up to Rogers for the weekend. In addition to tons of new folks, I talked with Matt and Sidney, Ritchie from Poker Face, and just an endless number of great people having a great time. Some time around midnight I finally tore myself away from the party so I could get some sleep and be up early enough to pick up Michael Badnarik from his motel room.

SATURDAY

Somehow I managed to get up in time to get dressed and drive down to pick up Michael Badnarik at the motel he was staying at in Lancaster. There was some sort of festival being held in the center of town, and I had to take a small detour around Route 2. As Michael and I were getting into the car to return to Porc Fest, a po-lice oppresifer was walking past us and my spider sense just KNEW that something was going to happen.

"Excuse me, sir," the oppresifer said as he wandered up along the front of the car. "Yeah?" I said. "I see that you're carrying a firearm, do you have a permit for that?" "No, but I'm open carrying, so I don't NEED a permit." (visibly backing off) "Yes, well, thank you for carrying it openly, but there's a festival going on and people might have questions." "Well, I'm certainly confident that I can supply them with answers." (backing off further) "Well, yes, you have a nice day, and stop by and enjoy the festival." "Well, we're actually headed back to Roger's campground where we're having our own festival – you're more than welcome to stop by." ..ooOO( and the folks there might have more than a few questions for YOU. )

So Michael and I headed back along the detour as the public road that was closed off began to be clogged on either side by traffic, and he just looked over at me with a hint of a smirk. He's probably been through the same sort of thing 1000 times before. If I had not joined VCDL as soon as I had moved to Virginia and became a gun owner, I would not have had the knowledge, the resources, and the resulting confidence and courage to defend myself against the lies and tricks that police officers routinely use to intimidate completely peaceful citizens just going about their daily business. I am also grateful to Michael for educating me about my Rights, inspiring me to be a proud and sovereign citizen ("It's good to be King!"), and further strengthening my resolve to never again back down from a petty tyrants while enjoying the free exercise of my Rights. Do I have a "permit" – oh PLEASE! Nothing causes me to rededicate myself to my goal so much as pointless and arbitrary official harassment. Freedom. Freedom at any cost.

We made it back to Roger's without further incident, and Michael went and got his vendor table set up – paperback editions of It's Good to be King! and a DVD copy of his Constitution class. I got to hear Heather Talley's presentation for Bureaucrash, and I plan to heavily plug into their activist network in the upcoming year. I really think that they can help floundering libertarian activists to network with each other and so get more accomplished in their local area. I then wandered around to check out the vendor tables and eventually made my way back to the campsite with Kate to make lunch with Hunter. I made it down to the Breaking the Chains event, which was really inspiring, and the very kind of thing I love about Porc Fest. Next, Varrin & Amanda gave out Free Stuff to festival organizers, and I got a VIP shirt (Very Important Porcupine) for going out and having fun at the range shooting guns. Go figure. I already have a job where they PAY me to hang out all day in a gun store. Maybe next year they'll actually rook me into doing something useful.

Michael was up next and gave a run-down about his plans for freedom and political action. I always love to hear him speak, because he understands the core issues so readily and is able to come right back with a clear, sensible answer that always makes me wonder why I can't think of that kind of solution and response.

Right after that another porcupine and I did get rooked into doing something useful – setting up the projection screen for the next speaker. We sort of stared at each other, and then back at the screen, and then bumbled our way through setting it up with all of the things that folded out, twisted, turned, and unraveled. We didn't get injured and I'm pretty sure that we didn't break anything, so I guess we did okay. Katherine Albrecht of CASPIAN gave a talk about RFID chips and tracking consumers, which was really Orwellian and totally raised my hackles. We're talking serious creep factor. I'm preparing to start repackaging all the stuff that I buy and then dissect the containers for hidden tracking devices. It's not paranoia when they're actually there. (Some links: Spychips · Supermarket Privacy · RFID · Biometrics)

Partway through James Bovard's presentation I had to make my way back to my campsite and get dressed for the NHLA dinner. I'm glad that we had the P.A. system and that I wore hearing protection at the range, because I didn't miss much.

We then hitched a ride to the NHLA dinner with Bill & Kathy Beeman. It took about 50 minutes, which was pretty short, and we got to see a lot of really beautiful countryside. We talked about a bunch of issues and about next year's Porc Fest. Always planning ahead. We got to the dinner and Dawn Lincoln & crew were – checking people in. Familiar theme there. Bureaucrash also drove down to set up a table. We had a few drinks in the lobby and checked out a bunch of vendor tables – some of which had cool books about activities in the Freedom movement. I love cool books. Hell, I just love books. And books on freedom swiftly divested me of yet more cash. Well, Kate's cash.

Dinner was really good, and there was plenty of food and coffee and dessert. We got to hear a talk by Fred Cole from Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), and then there was a mad dash during the break to go outside and smoke. I was steadily working my way through a carton of cigarettes – brought up from PhillipMorrisLand, and I felt the need to help support the home state's economy. Congressman Ron Paul spoke next and had a good Q&A session. We made the trip back and got to Roger's around 11:30pm, and I was quite amazed to find that the parties were JUST starting! I hung out with Joel and Amy at their campsite where again there was a ton of food and beer and all sorts of stuff. We talked about next year's Porc Fest and then I got to talk to Tony Stelik about guns and his experiences in Poland, and then Evan Nappen showed us his billion-dollar holster from Mitch Rosen – a very high-quality gunleather company in New Hampshire.

Late in the night I made my way down to visit Tim Condon at the Circle of Liberty that was taking place down by the pavilion. We shared our thoughts and our beer around the fire, and then we packed up all our trash around 3am and headed to bed.

SUNDAY

I wandered about to find the Seekers meeting, since there was an actual lecture on how science gets mixed in with freedom and spirituality – or something. I was running on a week of whirlwind activity and a corresponding lack of sleep, so the title and the name of the speaker didn't fully register. I wasn't up for hymns at 80 dB – you could hear them clear across the campsite, and the year before I had spent the morning at the atheists' gathering. I figured I'd try something new. There was a lot of really interesting history and intelligent interpretation of events, all of which was aimed at explaining how Liberty is spiritually healthy and we have a spiritual Right to destroy tyranny. There were plenty of other folks like Gardner who were really into this and who had read all sorts of books that I hadn't – so I mostly just listened and then hunted and gathered breakfast and coffee.

I ran into the Minn-eh-sodah film crew, you know, and they were drooling over the opportunity to go to the range and shoot their rifles. They were just finishing filming an interview with Varrin the Porc Fest Czar, and had to rearrange half the van to get to the firearms that were buried under a thousand pounds of camera gear. We picked up Thomas, Kate, and Hunter and drove down into Lancaster to get some lunch at a little diner. We ate a ton of really good food, gave the waitress a healthy tip, and made haste to the Sand Pit. The boys had a pair of Schmidt-Rueben straight-pull rifles in 6.5mm Swiss, a .223 bullpup carbine, and a WASR-10 in 7.62 x 39; Kate and I brought a matching WASR-10 (Romanian AK-47) and a tricked-out AR-15; and Hunter brought his "FrankenFAL" FAL (Fusil Automatique Leger, or Light Automatic Rifle) in .308 (7.62 x 51 NATO).

The Schmidt-Ruebens have an interesting loading device that's sort of a cross between a fiber M1-Garand clip and an SKS stripper clip. You grab a pre-loaded package of 5 rounds, insert the metal rim into the action, push down on the casings through the slot in the fiber container, and all of the rounds are smoothly loaded into the fixed box magazine. The container is removed from the action, and the bolt is slammed home. Those things must have been one hell of a battle rifle in its time.

We put a few magazines through Nick and Kate's WASRs and cut down some of the intervening vegetation partially obscuring our view of the targets. After a while, we made use of the handguns to shoot a steel spinner,

and repeatedly pounded the target with 45 caliber bullets – there are few more satisfying sounds than big bullets hitting steel targets. We each put a few rounds of .308 through Hunter's FAL, "The Right Arm of the Free World," and while Thomas was shooting I studied the gas blasting out of the muzzle brake during each shot. I noticed that the jets seemed to have rotated counterclockwise from my vantage point, and asked Jeff if they were supposed to be at an angle like that. Apparently the silver solder holding on the muzzle brake had broken loose and the brake had begun to unscrew. So we tightened it up and started winding down.

But then, Nick and I decided that the vegetable minions of the UN that were encroaching on our libertarian gun range had to be dealt with – and swiftly. So we loaded up two 30-round magazines and assumed a tactical stance with our pair of Romanian AK's. "Go, go, go!" I whooped, as we rapidly made our way forward to engage the offending scrub – me crouching to the right and keeping my muzzle down while Nick stayed upright and pointed his muzzle over to the left. "Now!" I hollered, as I got down on one knee and shouldered my weapon. Nick and I let off a barrage of 60 rounds of Russian ammo that seared through the scrub, felling a few branches and causing bits of foliage to erupt out the rear. Ratatatatatatatatatat! Ratatat! If terrorist trees ever have any nefarious plans for the good-ole' US-of-A, Nick and I will be there to stop them. We detached our mags and showed clear, then headed back to the van with our muzzles down. Nick had a big stupid grin that showed we had bonded in a manly fashion, with guns. All sound and fury, and signifying – well – that perhaps a scythe is far more effective at removing scrub than an assault weapon. We cleaned up all of our brass and then ferried everything back to the road where we transferred our gear back into my car. We said goodbye to the crew, since they were heading straight back home from the range, and then went back to Rogers to clean up.

We spent the rest of the day lounging around the campsite, saying goodbye to people as they headed out, packing the car and organizing the rest of our stuff. I dug out a huge boulder whose tip was sticking up out of the dirt and causing people to trip. Never attempt to dig up a "little rock" in New England. We had already collected some wood, and then a few bundles of split wood were donated to us, so that night we built a nice size fire and enjoyed the company of Hunter, Charlie & Dorothy Parker, Thomas Brown, and other late leavers. Charlie showed us an old "sporterized" Enfield bolt-action rifle in .303 British that he picked up for 75 bucks at an auction. A few patches down the bore and some CLP on the bolt showed it to be in good working condition, and the crown looked like it hadn't been abused. I hope he has fun shooting it when he gets back home. I think that Hunter and I finally called it quits around 1:30 and made plans for meet for breakfast.

MONDAY

We got the last of our stuff together and shoved it into the car for the ride home. Of course, the car got packed slightly differently from the ride up, and I had less legroom and reclining space. We took a quick breather and talked with our friends, then finally headed out to begin the long journey home. Somewhere along the way we had packed up the power adapter for the CB, but I think that we were zonked enough to enjoy the silence on the ride back. We stopped in Vermont on the way back to peruse a sale at a sporting goods store, and get some coffee and donuts at Dunkin Donuts.

We picked up some snacks at the gas station across the street so I could guiltlessly use their restroom, since I was ready to pee out of my eyeballs, and I used the cleanest gas station bathroom I have ever experienced. We made another stop for gas in New York, and met a biker and his wife coming back to New Hampshire from their vacation.

We made good time, and again successfully snuck under the radar of the oppressive authorities. Worn and tired, we carted most of our gear from the car to the apartment, and then passed out.

AFTERMATH

So now that I'm back in Virginia, what are my impressions of the festival?

I just met 400+ people who proved that Liberty can and does work. An entire campground was filled with people – with backgrounds and upbringings as diverse as any college campus or large corporation, probably even more so – yet there was no Government that was centrally planning how many of what type of people were going to show up, and there were no penalties to be paid for failing to have the appropriate number of racial, cultural, or social minorities. I would have to think very hard to find a segment of the population that wasn't represented. [Whoops, we had no lefty democrats, I mean Communists.] We had whites, and blacks, and Polish immigrants, and Latinos, and women, and atheists, and republicans, and polyamorists, and Christians, pot smokers, and old white men, and open gay people, smokers, and black women, and democrats, gun nuts, and children, and college students, and libertarians, and Asians, and Costa Ricans, and on and on. We didn't need a Board of Diversity to tell us to show up, in what numbers, and who we should hang out with camp with, cook with, eat with, sleep with, or indeed who we could be and what our value as people was for just being US. And everywhere I went people were getting along, and doing things, and working together without anyone telling them what they had to do, or that they had to do it a certain way or with certain types of people. And they were having fun. And they were responsible and trusted each other. That was obvious. People were handing over valuable personal property to use, lending money, lending people cars, leaving their campsites unattended, and there were a heck of a lot of people drinking beer or walking about with openly carried or concealed handguns – and no one got into a fight, got shot, got robbed, or injured a child, and all of the campsites were clean.

New people would roll into camp, and folks would just show up and help erect tents and canopies, give directions to local businesses, explain the layout of the campsite, and invite perfect strangers to drop by for dinner and drinks once they had gotten settled. At night, I could wander down the pathways and be welcome at any number of small or large parties taking place – and everyone brought food, and drinks, and chairs, and a ton of other creature comforts. People would talk about books, and music, and almost everyone was smiling! You could even tell that the people who weren't smiling – because they were deep into discussing serious subjects – were having a good time, because they were in the company of people who really thought, and understood. There was a large Quantity of Quality Time spent at Porc Fest, and I found it very rewarding. It really cleansed my soul and energized me to DO what needs to be done to move to the Free State and kick major statist butt. I think that I'm really going to love my new neighbors, whoever they turn out to be, and I'm excited to see the results of all the discussions and collaborations that took place throughout the week.

There was a very strong sense of can-do attitude. No task seemed daunting, and the speed with which people grasped and exploited entrepreneurial opportunities was impressive. T-shirts, bumper stickers, CD's, books, beer, chili, FSP Buck knives (!)

and loads of other goods and services were available or in the process of being planned out by people sitting in the grass. It was so pervasive, that people you'd never met before would show up and say, "Can I help?" and it was just so natural. You'd meet someone for the first time, and 5 minutes later you'd be discussing business opportunities or the streamlining of some existing service.

I would walk through the woods and stumble upon a group of 3 or 4 people with widely varying opinions and viewpoints discussing – not arguing – economics, gun Rights, religion, politics, housing construction, schooling, entrepreneurial business, and a host of other intellectual subjects. They discussed, and considered, and reasoned, and didn't try to shove their opinion down someone else's throat or out-shout an opposing view. While drinking beer. While armed.

I had to travel 700 miles to a mountain campsite to find real, civilized people. It was awesome.

[I have to admit that Kate and I were quite busy during the whole week, and I look forward to reading other attendee's Festival Reports to learn about what I missed and gain insight into events that I attended – from someone else's point of view.]

Porc Fest '05 - Chris Lopez

Report on Porc Fest '05

by Chris Lopez

Here is a little bit of an idea of what Porc Fest '05 was like as seen through the eyes of Chris Lopez.

We arrived in Lancaster about 7 pm on Thursday. There was still plenty of light & I was able to snap off a few pictures of the mountains and a few attendees. Dawn Lincoln was heading up the registration camper & had it down to a science by the time we got there. Many people had been there since the previous Saturday, but most people showed up for the Friday & Saturday events. There were a few neat items for sale with the FSP logo on them & I was quick to pick up a t-shirt & bumper sticker. The golf shirts sold out by Friday, but I hear there are still quite a few that can be ordered on-line. Probably the cutest item available was the porcupine planter.

From there Seth & I ventured forth to meet & greet some other campers. It didn't take Seth long to start up a conversation near the registration area. Jean & Neil had their bus parked next door and, as they say, that was that. I however couldn't sit still for too long at any one spot throughout the festival & soon found Kat, Kira & Russell's campsite. Oh yeah, they also had food! They had quite the crowd there that first evening of mine, but I did overhear that it definitely wasn't the first party of the week. I met Estelle who was the most recent mover & found her story of luck & fortune very hope filled. John brought his guitar along & sang his Porcupine Anthem. It brought JP to tears & gives us all something to think about.

Friday morning started out nice & brisk & we went on down to the cafe. It was filled with hungry campers, so we made conversation while waiting for our food. The hikers all gathered together & it looked as though it was going to be a great day. At 10 am, I enjoyed the presentation by Don Gorman of the NHLA. He was very spirited & he let us know how easy it can be to effect change in the State House of New Hampshire. I know this from first hand experience because I have been to the State House several times with Don & the NHLA. It is very open and lobbying for a specific bill of interest is as easy as standing up and stating your case. Basically. Here's a little article that I wrote for the NHLA about that.

For the next few hours I had the privilege of helping out at the registration camper. I really enjoyed meeting new people and answering whatever questions I could. Probably the most fun, though, was just plain socializing.

At 2:30 that afternoon many of us gathered in the main hall again for the "breaking the chains" ceremony. It was very dramatic and symbolic of our victory over the "oppression of the state." (grin) Our Vice President & new mover Evan Nappen brought in both small & large chain along with a 2 sets of bolt cutters. Each one of us that had made the move in the last year came up front, broke our chain & told the audience a little bit about our moving experience. The grand finale culminated in our lifting our chains high with a loud "Hurray!"

Soon after was our Porcupine family dinner. I was the one collecting tickets :) The food was good, but I think the highlight here was definitely the conversations that sprang up between the movers and those who had not quite decided. Seth & I met some great people & I was able to tell them a little bit about what I have been doing in the short time that I've been here.

From here were the Poker Face concert and various evening events. Seth & I danced to the rock & roll music & it made me want to grab my guitar and play. My room was next door to the polyamory party, so I stopped in to say hello. It was a very small group of people who were nice and polite. I looked through the collection of buttons that were displayed & expressed interest in one that stated "Civil marriage is a civil right." After all, Seth & I have never needed the state to tell us that we are married to each other. After playing a couple of songs there, I brought my guitar over to Joel & Amy's camp site & hung out for a while. We played cards and had some fun, but soon the night was over & it was time for some rest.

Saturday morning started off pretty early (for me) and I went to help with the FSP and Liberty Ladies tables. From the tables we could see & hear the presentations in the main hall, so I didn't feel like I was missing too much. The morning really flew by with all the activity around the exhibit tables. There were so many interesting groups and people asking & answering questions, that it was all very exciting. I was even presented with the pin that I had admired so much the night before.

It's funny, when I look back on it all, that I really do know a lot of people here. I've been here less than a year & I already have so many friends and acquaintances. I don't share every interest with all people, but I recognize faces & am actually remembering some peoples' names! I had friends at the NHLA table, the Liberty Scholarship table, the Objectivist table, the Liberty Ladies table, the Libertarian table, and the GONH people. That's a lot for a girl that moved out from Oregon & wasn't really sure about the whole thing a year and a half ago.

I believe that this morning and most of the afternoon were very productive in helping people gain more of an understanding of who we are and what we are doing here in NH. It was more than selling t-shirts and promoting our particular brand of philosophy. Here we were able to ask and answer questions that I believe are important to people that have not quite decided to move. There were also some presentations that I did not attend, therefore, I will not review them.

As soon as the volunteers were properly recognized, Seth & I were off to Plymouth for the NHLA Liberty Dinner. We first made our way to the VIP social and had some delicious hors d'oeuvres with Congressman Ron Paul and others. It was very small and quaint, but a nice little get together after all.

When we got to the college, the line to get in was pretty long, so I tried to help out as much as I could with the registration process. Dawn Lincoln was definitely the hero there. Our Liberty Ladies booth was one of several in the lobby during the reception. It was a little crowded, but as soon as the program started we had plenty of room.

After dinner the program began with Jack Cole from LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.) I thought it was a very interesting presentation about how the war against drugs just isn't working. Mr. Cole gave us some statistics as well as his own personal history in law enforcement. He's seen first hand how this war has not kept people from buying drugs, in fact the number of people addicted has stayed constant while the number incarcerated has risen. The specific piece that I found most interesting is that some countries that don't have prohibition also offer assistance to those who want to get off drugs. They actually give them a choice, drugs or life without drugs, instead of "Just Say No!." Hmm.

Next it was Don Gorman's turn as Political Director of the NHLA to hand out the Legislature of the Year Award. This award went to Clifford Newton from the Strafford District with a 92.59% Liberty Rating. There were a few other legislatures to acknowledge, including Sheldon Sawyer from Cheshire county, Bea Francoeur and David Buhlman from Hillsborough county, Richard Marple from Merrimack county & Paul Ingbretson from Grafton county. FYI, all 6 legislators are Republicans.

Last but not least for the evening we heard Congressman Ron Paul speak of his experiences in Congress. Apparently we went over our alloted time in the hall and the air conditioning shut off. Unfortunately, I can't elaborate about his speech, as he touched on so many things.

So now we headed back to Rogers and the Saturday night camp fires. Seth & I brought our glow sticks and sparklers to the Circle of Liberty. It was a pretty big crowd and people were taking turns holding the 'big stick' and telling stories. We didn't stay long, but headed up to the Irregularly Shaped Polygon of Non-Conformity. We stayed for a few hours and played guitar, sang, ate snacks & talked, talked, talked. It was a nice way to end our adventures at Porc Fest '05 with friends and new acquaintances.

The next morning we said our goodbyes and even had brunch with some other porcupines. It was also our first anniversary, so Seth & I drove around the state and found a waterfall and other neat sights to see. We had dinner in North Conway at a good Thai restaurant and then headed home. It was a great adventure and I can't wait for next year!