Attending: Norman G. Kurland, Dawn K. Brohawn, Michael D. Greaney, Harriet Epstein.

Materials Distributed: Agenda, Core Values; Code of Ethics; minutes of the 1/17/04 Board of Directors Meeting; Illinois CIC Legisl. (HB4626); Cleveland Plain Dealer article on Oglebay Norton Employee Buyout Bid; Norm Kurland abstract for Halifax Conference paper; Michael Greaney’s Silver Trail (first expanded ownership western) cover; Volunteer profile.

Meeting was called to order at 12:15 AM by Harriet Epstein, rotating chairman.

The Opening Prayer was offered by Dawn K. Brohawn. The Core Values and Code of Ethics were read.

Approval of Board Minutes from Prior Meeting. A motion was made by Dawn K. Brohawn to accept the minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting of 1/17/04 as corrected. Norman G. Kurland seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

News/Information Items

·        Lincoln’s Birthday Presentation in Carbondale, IL: CIC Coalition. Bill Perk is doing an excellent job of presenting the CIC option to the community as an alternative to returning land to the local government. On Lincoln’s birthday, he arranged for Norm Kurland to make a presentation at the Carbondale Civic Center on Capital Homesteading and the Community Investment Corporation. Prior to Norm Kurland’s visit, Bill got coverage in two local newspapers. Four out of seven of the City Council members attended to examine whether the CIC idea could be applied in Carbondale. Plans have been developed for an advanced waste-to-energy system to be built on 90 acres of the land in question. Bill is working to get a $168 million Bond issue. The new mayor, however, and others have decided that the non-profit that currently owns the site should no longer receive a city subsidy. The question then becomes what is to happen to the ninety acres? Bill Perk and John Linehan, the head of the non-profit Carbondale Business Development Corporation, want to transfer the land to a for-profit CIC. This would enable all Carbondale residents to participate as shareholders and share in rising land values and profits from leasing. About 50 people showed up for Norm’s presentation. Louise Harrison, sister of Beetle George Harrison, was in the audience. She knows social commentator/filmmaker Michael Moore. She bought the book (Capital Homesteading for Every Citizen) and signed the Shared Vision Statement. Father Bill Christensen and Jim Dayley went with Norm to the presentation and reinforced the message. At Fr. Bill’s suggestion, the CIC Coalition is being organized, to be launched in Carbondale and East. St. Louis. Hugh Muldoon, head of the SIU campus interfaith council, was there. He has read Father Ferree’s writings on Social Justice.

·        CIC Legislation Introduced (Rep. Wyvetter Younge). Illinois State Sen. Wyvetter Younge introduced HB4626 on February 4, 2004 to establish CICs (as defined by CESJ). We would like Carbondale and East St. Louis to be the first targets for application. We should try to get similar legislation introduced by every state legislature around the country, along with federal legislation to reinforce its special borrowing and tax features that would be similar to those of the ESOP. We need to start organizing CESJ friends around the country (such as Virginia State Rep. Bob Marshall) to begin this process.

·        Cleveland Plain Dealer article on proposed Oglebay Norton employee acquisition. Reporter Alison Grant, who interviewed Norm Kurland for about an hour and who has been using ONEEEA President Rob Woodman as her primary source, wrote an excellent first article describing the workers’ initiative. There should be some follow-up articles. The Oglebay Norton Employee Economic Empowerment Association (ONEEEA) has been organized. They have been collecting some money to cover the up-front costs of the buyout (i.e., legal work and feasibility studies). May get some matching soft money from NCB Development Corporation,. The Plain Dealer has denied permission to post the article on the CESJ website. Norman Kurland will call Rich Osborne to see what we should do about this.

·        KVON Radio Interview and series. Norman Kurland was interviewed by Nancy Stapp for a radio show in Napa, California. She and her listeners liked the 25 minute interview. She wants to have Norman Kurland featured on the first Wednesday of every month. Topics left open to CESJ, but would deal with issues relating to social justice, the Just Third Way and Capital Homesteading. We should develop questions to feed her. Focus on Capital Homesteading book and the CESJ web site as a source for listeners to go to.

·        NK paper: Conference of The International Assoc. for the Economics of Participation (Halifax). 7/8 – 10/04. Norman Kurland, Marie Kurland, Dawn K. Brohawn and Rowland Brohawn will be representing CESJ. The conference sponsors approved Norm’s abstract for a paper to be written by Norm and Dawn. The title will be “Justice-Based Management and the Just Third Way,” addressing a major conference topic, “The Future of Economic Democracy in the Global Economy.”

·        Michael Greaney publication of “First Expanded Ownership Western”(Silver Trail). Michael Greaney’s novel Silver Trail was accepted by Publish America, a Rockville firm. It is currently in distribution.

Focus Topic: Planning for CESJ’s 20^th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Meeting.

·        Status Report on Selection of restaurant and meeting space; cost; invitees. We have selected the 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia to hold our annual meeting and 20^th Anniversary Celebration. The cost will be $40 a person to cover all luncheon costs plus some of the meeting materials. We would like to attract special guests like Wyvetter Younge who might not normally attend our annual meetings. Saturday evening we might hold an informal dinner at Norm Kurland’s house for out-of-towners. Get a sheet cake for the 20^th Anniversary. Maybe get someone to donate table favors that tie into the theme of the gathering. Possibly distribute a free copy of Capital Homesteading. See if we can get a donation from Curt Winsor or Bill Middendorf for this, and have Curt say a few words, along with Wyvetter, at the celebration. Should get flowers. Decide on an image to describe the theme of “Our First 20 Years … Our Next 20 Years.”

·        Plan for meeting and celebration presentations (“Our First 20 Years and Our Next 20 Years”); using the 4-pronged Communications Strategy to build our volunteer network capabilities. At the meeting, Norm will give an introductory overview of our 4-pronged strategy. We’ll have the group apply those principles to charting our next 20 years, in terms of strategic objectives and how we can begin organizing for that. We’ll have four people from the group report back to the luncheon attendees at the celebration. We need to determine our featured speakers. The annual meeting will be from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. The luncheon will be from 1 pm to 3:30 pm. We’ll have a cash bar for wine and beer.

·        Plan for meeting notices and invitation mailouts. By Friday Dawn will send out e-mail notices asking people to hold the April 18^th date. This will be followed up with a mailed invitation. Send to the CESJ mailing list.

Decision/Follow-Up Items

·        Marketing plan for Capital Homesteading for Every Citizen.

—  Status report on book (complimentary copies distributed; sales; Amazon/Barnes & Noble listings). Purchased 200 copies so far, sold 83, 3 through Amazon.com, 77 complimentary, 10 on consignment with Cornelius Crane. Have 33 in inventory. We’ve sent a copy of Capital Homesteading to Edwards’ campaign, to NAF (?), Nancy Stapp, 3 people on the Coalition Provisional Authority and a representative of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Geoff Gneuhs donated a copy to Yale University, Norm has sent two copies to the University of Chicago Law School, and Dawn will send a copy to Georgetown University. Harriet will be hand delivering copies to regional libraries (Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Montgomery County) and George Mason University.

—  John Pimenta library marketing; free “Intro. To Social Justice” proposal. John Pimenta has been sending e-mails with a PDF flyer of Capital Homesteading to libraries around the country (mainly in Catholic universities), encouraging them to obtain copies of the book for their collections. He also suggested that we send e-mails to the same libraries offering them complimentary PDF copies of Fr. Ferree’s Introduction to Social Justice. Mike suggested we also put Intro on the UPA website.

—  Michael Greaney distribution plan. Michael Greaney is attempting to get various CESJ members who have expressed interest in making some extra money to broker deals with their local churches and other non-profit organizations to use the book as a fundraising item. The CESJ member would receive $2 per copy sold in this fashion.

—  Next steps. Get listing information to Amazon, Barnes and Noble. Send three copies to Jeff Green at the Coalition Provisional Authority to be sent to CPA officials in Iraq.

·        Approval of Personal Revision of Core Values. Norm moved to accept Josep Ortega’s restatement of the CESJ core values as being not inconsistent with CESJ’s core values, and to accept him as a member of CESJ. (He is an atheist, but accepts the idea of universal and absolute values such as Truth, Love and Justice.) Dawn seconded the motion. Passed unanimously. We need to create a folder for people’s revisions of the core values (special acceptances).

·        JBM Certification Registration (status of revised application to Trademark Office). Dawn K. Brohawn and Kemp Harshamn are working on resubmitting material to trademark office. Kemp will be talking to the examiner.

·        10,000 Name Campaign: Josep Lluis ortega (Andorra) — approval of personal revision to CESJ core values for membership, Steve Roy (Wellspring Productions), Louise Harrison. Andorran WIKI site, organizing this for Spanish. Getting close to 7K names. Personal restatement of the Core Values. Norman Kurland moved to accept, Dawn K. Brohawn seconded. Not inconsistent. Need to sent e-mail. Steve Roy offered to help develop marketing strategy, Norman Kurland meeting here on 12 March.

·        Brazil Project (Update). No action.

·        Bangladesh Project (Update). No news. Fr. Bill is trying to get Bangladesh lawyers to focus on Norm’s JBM and ESOP design recommendations.

·        Focus Topic for Next Meeting. Harriet Epstein: plan out discussion for the April meeting? Develop questions for brainstorming. Draft agenda for meeting and celebration. Review invitation list.

·        The next Executive Committee Meeting will be held Wednesday, 17^th March 2004 at noon. The next Board Meeting will be held Saturday, 17^th April 2004 at 9:30 am.

A motion to adjourn was made by Dawn K. Brohawn, and seconded by Norman G. Kurland. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 3:38 PM.