Entries from April 2009 ↓

I picked up another great tip from Tools for Radical Democracy by Minieri and Getsos.

In their amazing chapeter on recruitment, they recommend recruiting new activists with one-on-one conversations. That’s nothing new, but what I hadn’t thought of systematizing was doing a quick rank of prospects so you know who you most want to follow up with.

Minieri and Getsos recommend a 3-point ranking.

Does someone really get it? Do they seem like they really want to get involved? That’s the person you most want to follow up with. He’s a 1. You want to make sure you get back to him and soon.

That person who is interested in the issue but doesn’t necessarily seem keen on getting involved? You still want to follow up with her, but she’s not as high of a priority. She’s a 2.

And that guy who signs your petition to get you out of his way? He’s not worth a lot of time. He gets a 3. Keep him on your list for suveys and such, but you don’t want to put a lot of time into him.

Now, this is something most of us get intuitively. It’s not rocket science to follow up with the people who are the best prospects for getting involved.

What I like about this is the idea of creating a system for identifying who those best prospects are and recording it right then and there so you don’t forget.

Being in a meeting is a lot like waiting for the train.

No, I don’t mean that they both seems to take forever.

I mean they are both easier to deal with when you know what’s coming next and when.

Consider this. I used to live in Washington, DC, and when you had to wait for the train there, you never knew when it would come. So, you would sort of switch from foot to foot, look down the tracks for the train lights, and then go back to fidgeting.

It’s not like that anymore. A few years ago they installed displays that tell you how long until the next train comes and where it’s heading to. Now waiting is much easier to bear. There’s something reassuring to know that the Grovesnor train will come in 2 minutes, but that you’ll have to wait 5 for the train to Shady Grove.

The time displays don’t make the train come any quicker (but then neither did looking down to see the train lights), but somehow knowing when the train is coming and where it is going makes the waiting easier.

The same is true for a meeting, and that’s why an agenda is so important. If people know what to expect, it makes it easier for them to be present.

That’s why plays print programs.

That’s why churches print orders of service.

That’s why when I run a movie showing, I tell people, “We’ll show the movie, then take 20 minutes for small group discussion, then we’ll check in with the small groups.”

People feel more comfortable when they know what is coming and when. Make them comfortable. Have a plan for your meeting or event and share it with them.

Last night I walked home listening to the Speaking of Faith interview with Avivah Zornberg about Passover. Much of the Passover observance centers around asking questions, Avivah Zornberg’s interview left me with 3 questions for this year:

1. Exodus says that the Passover meal should be eaten in haste. There is a sense of urgency here. Do we have the same sense of urgency about today’s struggles for liberation?
2. Exodus is a process. It begins with the first acts of revolt of the Hebrew midwives. It continues and Moses resists the exploitation when he is in Egypt, through the plagues, across the Red Sea, into the wilderness before the Israelites reach the promised land. Where are we in the process of liberation for this generation? What challenges does it face for us? What is our task at this stage?
3. One of the key themes in the story is the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart. How have we hardened our own hearts? Whose suffering have we become indifferent to? To Iraqis? To Palestinians? To Israelis? To people who were formerly incarcerated? To the poor? To that family member who really gets on our nerves? How do we soften our hearts and avoid the pattern of Pharaoh?

I have thoughts about these questions, but no clear answers. Indeed, even to ask question 3 is a scary proposition, because when we open our heart we may find we are called to respond (and how to respond leads to even more questions). But still we must ask.

So I recently invited friends, family, and other people who want to see me act foolish in public to donate to ICPJ as part of a Birthday challenge.

I said if we raised $250 I’d shave my head, $500 I’d recite the Lorax in public, and $1000 I’d run a half marathon in a pink peace fairy costume (details at www.thewarpreport.org)

Well, the most excitement was around the Lorax and the fairy run.

We’ve raised $1,214, which is enough to get me into a tutu with a tiara and a wand (and get it on video), but there was so much interest in the Lorax, I’ve decided to extend the deadline.

If we can get up to $1,500 by Monday, April 13 I’ll do BOTH.

So, if you’d like to get the Lorax reading AND the run of the peace fairy, you can donate now at:

http://tinyurl.com/chuckschallenge