A Little List (for the political)

Governance With RCS: Many in the U.S. are considering brand new political organizations on a wider than usual scale.

 

 

                They want organizations capable of working with large numbers of active citizens effectively. They are expecting wider participation in self governance. They want to do that which effectively furthers their aims right now.

We might analyze those aims into organizational aims and platform aims, but here here I will just offer a first draft of a "to do" list. It seems OK to call our organization political for now.

To Do Now:

* Restate clarified goals and aims.

* Arrange to have each member help in achieving those goals.

* Arrange to take care of all business promptly.

* Arrange for the ongoing education of all members.

* Make each member an educator.

* Keep in mind that teaching one another is important. Outside help is seldom as good as that which you do for yourselves.  

* Demonstrate abundant and appropriate trust for each member.

* The fewer secrets the better and "no secrets" is the best policy.

* Be inclusive. Help anyone who wants to be a member to be a member.

* Let each member know that he or she is in building and maintaining the organization, its philosophy, and its doings.

* Lay out clear steps for important and doable goals of your organization.

* One goal must not only be important and doable , but also a truly  attractive, challenging,  big deal. 

* Set out two or three goals to be worked on today. You want an organization where there are happenings right now.

* Every member needs a job they can do right now.

* Make clarifying the "grand vision" of your organization an ongoing activity. (Learning and teaching participatory, democratic, self-governance would be an attractive"grand vision" for me.

* Aim to govern yourselves by practicing self governance. Begin with teach-ins.

* A big enough vision for a brand new political organization might be "Govern ourselves and help others to govern themselves.

May you find that your consideration of my early hints lead you to thoughts of your own organizational plan and action. I wish you active citizenship.

Many in the U.S. are considering brand new political organizations on a wider than usual scale.

They want organizations capable of working with large numbers of active citizens effectively. They are expecting wider participation in self governance. They want to do that which effectively furthers their aims right now.

We might analyze those aims into organizational aims and platform aims, but here here I will just offer a first draft of a "to do" list. It seems OK to call our organization political for now.

To Do Now:

* Restate clarified (party) goals and aims.

* Arrange to have each member help in achieving those goals.

* Arrange to take care of all business promptly.

* Arrange for the ongoing education of all members.

* Make each member an educator.

* Keep in mind that teaching one another is important. Outside help is seldom as good as that which you do for yourselves.  

* Demonstrate abundant and appropriate trust for each member.

* The fewer secrets the better and "no secrets" is the best policy.

* Be inclusive. Help anyone who wants to be a member to be a member.

* Let each member know that he or she is in building and maintaining the organization, its philosophy, and its doings.

* Lay out clear steps for important and doable goals of your organization.

* One goal must not only be important and doable , but also a truly  attractive, challenging,  big deal. 

* Set out two or three goals to be worked on today. You want an organization where there are happenings right now.

* Every member needs a job they can do right now.

* Make clarifying the "grand vision" of your organization an ongoing activity. (Learning and teaching participatory, democratic, self-governance would be an attractive"grand vision" for me.

* Aim to govern yourselves by practicing self governance. Begin with teach-ins.

* A big enough vision for a brand new political organization might be "Govern ourselves and help others to govern themselves.

May you find that your consideration of my early hints lead you to thoughts of your own organizational plan and action. I wish you active citizenship.

by Richard Sheehan

 

Be a Participating democrat. Notice the little ""d""

Governance With RCS: To Be A Participatory democrat

It is fair and useful to....

Show up.

Speak up

Frame the discussion.

Name the problem.

Team up.

Find a partner.

by Richard Sheehan

Why Have We Given Up Our Right to Govern?

 Governance With RCS: Do we no longer desire to govern ourselves?

Do we feel incapable?

Do we no longer know how?

What is it?

Don't we want a republic?

Are we no longer interested in democracy?

Why have we put our military in the hands of others?

Why do we no longer have a citizen army or military of any kind?

Why did we give up our war powers?

Why do we no longer teach our children or youth civics and governance?

Why have we surrendered our very word to others?

What does citizenship mean to us now?

Who are "we?"

Where is our education for governance? 

(Are ability to govern ourselves was our ability to take care of ourselves.)

If we just give up most of our children won't even be useful as slaves. How will they be able to take care of themselves. Does it not seem that we are living in denial. Are we unwilling to see reality? How do we go about maintaining a we?

Have you co-operated locally?

Do you have any questions?

Do you have any answers?

                                        RCS

MLK & Gandi

 

I am sorry, YouTube tells me that this Martin Luther King and Gandhi video is no longer available when published in Colombia.               

We do not know enough about Martin Luther King and his deep love for our ideals. How many of his hundreds of speeches have you read or listened to? How many in those in the year or so before he was assassinated?

Oligarcic Empire?

Who governs? When you do not, who does? Check deeply into the meaning of democracy

Democracy Is Participatory: Get what you want

 When you want a democracy, begin to participate. Show up. Show up to have democracy. Democracy is a participatory process which includes participatory decision making. Participation brings better policy. We get more of what we want when we show up. Start close to home, perhaps with schools and learning. The more it interests you the better, Don't wait to be invited, Its your democracy. We can make participation easier by initiating better mechanisms of participation.

Or, by showing up with a friend.

                                                                    RCS

There Are Still Some Little "d" democrats: Why the little "d"?

 There Are Still Some Real democrats: Why the little "d" in democrats?

In the distant past there were democrats. In the recent past there were some democrats. And, there are still some democrats. A democrat might be thought of as one who believes in our ability to learn and to do. I know little about what those who call themselves democrats are doing now. I do have a sharp memory for much of that which democrats have done in the past.

I hope you understand that I am not using the word “democrat” to refer to a member of a political party, but rather to one who holds a certain philosophical position. A Democrat can be a democrat, but she doesn’t have to.

Democrats have tended to promote certain doings. Those doings have tended to be definitive of their beliefs.

Democrats have promoted:

~ improved communications within political organizations and among them.

~ enhancement and protection of democracy among us.

~ the study of legislation affecting democracy.

~ vigorous ongoing education about the use and doing of democracy.

~ development of widespread leadership rather than super-leaders.

~ enhanced education for participation in government.

~ cooperative self-governance.

~ willingness to thoughtfully and promptly change a bad law for the better.

~ strong respect for the law.

~exclusivity and diversity in public life.

~ cooperation within and among groups.

~ knowledge of the history of democracy, including its limitations and advantages.

~ respect for the varieties of democracy around the world.

~ our Constitution at its Bill or Rights.

~ loving care for each and every child.

~ respect and honor for the individual, the family, and the neighborhood.

~ more nearly equal opportunity for access to healthcare for each person.

~ strong support and oversight for our public health systems.

~respect and support for the position of minorities.

~ the practice of better dialogue.

~ wide, ongoing educational opportunities for all.

~ honesty.

This list can be greatly improved. However, there is already enough here to suggests planks for the platform of a present political party or candidate, or, a new party and candidates.

by Richard Sheehan

 

An Active Citizen

You can restart, or start, your life as a active citizen by taking one, or more, of the following steps. More, may be better.

Consider:
1. what an active citizen can do to help his/her school district, town, city, state. You might start at you local library. 
2. keeping politically humble, curious, and modest.  
3. making an opportunity to attend a couple of meetings of civic organizations.
4. Joining a political party. It is Ok to change parties.
5. registering to vote.  It can be more interesting to register as a party member.
6. Getting a better understanding of issues, policies, planks or a specific Bill.
7. Contacting the office of a specific office holder and asking  what his or her position is on your issue of interest.
8.  calling the U.S. Capitol switchboard and telling them your zip code.  They will transfer you to the office of your representative. Tell your Representative's representative what is on your mind; ask your question or say what it is you want. 
9. writing to the office of your Senator. Check out how to spell his name online. Address Your letter to him at United States Senate, Washington DC 20510.
10. Writing to your Congressman/Representative by name at United States House of Representatives, Washington DC 20515.
11. Sitting quietly for awhile and letting what you have learned work itself around a bit in your mind. You may be beginning to cook a bit politically.
12. Remembering that no one has to be a full time politician all the time.
13. Finding a friend who seems politically knowledgeable or civically interested, and  talk civics or issues of governance and like that.
14. watching/attending meetings of your city council or of your local school board.

15.Keeping your sense of humor and having some fun as you remember that political actions can have seriously important  consequences.

Thanks for  reading citizen!


by Richard Sheehan
for you

Beginning Governance and the Political Dumbing of America

We need to redevelop our agile political minds to keep a bit of freedom. Among the critical practices we must learn to practice are governance, and politics. Governing ourselves means taking care of ourselves. Governing ourselves as a culture, society, and political body if not done by us is not done. We learn to take care of ourselves individually. To take care of a culture takes a lot of us and there are a lot of us. Do you really crave to be governed by a person you have never met. Has your club taught you to organize to govern? has your union, your political party, your city council, your uncle, your mother, your father. Have they all abdicated republicanism and democracy? How many civic classes have you been given that teach much more than the bare bones of present government's formal structure how many in organization? How many have you taken? Your education is not given; it must be taken.

We?

Governance With RCS: We the people. A more perfect union.

                We can agree that "we" is a relationship, can't we? When we agree to relate it may be good to speak of the level at which we wish to relate. At what level might it be good for us to relate? We could speak of the reason for our relationship. How might we go about relating ? Might it be important that we show our concern for our "we?"

                What's in it for you? What's your interest? How is a mutual or reciprocal relationship handled?

                A "we" must consist of people, persons, individuals, right? Have you seen
the start of a "we?" Was there a kind of joining? Doesn't a "we" require some kind of maintenance?

                What do you suspect, believe, or know about the "we" in the "We the people..." document?

                That "we" could refer to us. How do we go about keeping track of our common interests? How do we reciprocate? "We the people" are a social relationship, aren't they?

                Let's say that we are the people in the "We the people" we know about.
What is the nature of our relationship? What is reason for our relationship? What's in it for you?

                "We" implies a unity, a union. We can probably agree that better and worse unions can be detected. How might we form a more perfect union?

                You may have some notions of "we" stirring in your mind now.

                Communication is important. Talk, dialogue, discussion are important. Talk of "us" and "we"  may be so important as to be called vitally important.

                I say that communication of persons is vitally important for the initiation and maintenance of a "we".    

                To have a good nation we have to have a good "we". 

                We can learn.

                We can contemplate.



                                                                                        RCS

Active Citizen Two: A brand new political organization

  A Brand New Political Organization.

Many in the U.S. are considering brand new political organizations for many reasons: a new national party, a coalition, an ad hoc effort to promote a special bill or effort, for social betterment, and on and on. They want organizations capable of working with large numbers of active citizens. They are expecting wider participation in self-governance. They want to do that which effectively furthers their aims right now.

There is much which needs to be done and many of us to do it. However, just now I will offer a list of hints which may prove helpful to an organizer. 

The hints:

~ Be inclusive. Help anyone who wants to be a member, be a member.

~ Keep in mind that teaching one another is important. Outside help can be useful, but that which we do for ourselves is more important. Each a learner, each a teacher.

~ Clarify aims and goals. Restate them often. Better them when you can.

~ Arrange to have each member have opportunities to help in achieving those goals. How will that be done?

~ Arrange to take care of all business promptly. How will it be done. Arrange for the ongoing education of all members. That's education in the skills and understandings necessary to the organization and organizational aims.

~ Make each member an educator. You do not have to use any of these hints; but anyone of them can be very useful.

~ Demonstrate abundant and appropriate trust in each member.

~ The fewer secrets the better and "no secrets" is the best policy.

~ Let each member know that he or she is participating in the creation and nourishing of the organization, its philosophy, and its doings.

~ Lay out clear steps for accomplishing the important doable goals of your organization. 

~ Remember you are not alone. You are part of an organization. laying out, demonstrating, making, and doing are group affairs and  doings. Members want to be active. Let them be active. 

~ It is best that a goal members undertake not only be important and doable, but also ought to be attractive, challenging, and a big deal.

~ Set out a goal or two to be completed today. That is you as in you all set out a goal. You all want your organization to be where the "doings" are.

~ Each member deserves a worthy job he or she can work right now. What a power house an organization can be! Your organization is a big powerful group.

~ Make clarifying the "grand vision" of your organization an ongoing activity. A grand vision for me might be the ongoing practice of active self-governance. or the ongoing practice of participatory democracy.

~ Ends, goals, objectives, aims can all be good. However, to be well done is important and the way it is done can be the most important.  

~ Aim to govern yourselves by practicing active self-governance of the whole. Begin with "how to do" teach-ins.

May these hints/suggestions help you in your action plans.

We have a lot to learn and a lot to do. Its that there are a lot of us to help with that learning and doing. 

As That Active Citizen

As a participant in a meeting it is fair and useful to:

~ Show up.

~ Speak up.

~ Name the problem.

~ Team up.

~ Find a partner.

~ Frame the discussion.

That is: be there; address the group; Clarify the topic; Identify those of like mind; make a friend; listen and learn; sum up what the meeting has been about.

It all starts with showing up and being there.

RCS

  

Dorithy Kilgallen and Investigatived Reporting

Women may develop interesting attitudes by learning about Dorothy Kilgallen.  Protect your representatives. We need more investigative reporting and fewer dead journalists. Were we truly a we, we could protect our sources of information. Do you remember president John F. Kennedy? Start learning your USA history from 1964 to today.

In Plain Site:

Our government can be ours. Most federal governments are evidently not ours. We have a vested interest in our governance. We can be an effective we. We have great potential. We can learn and practice governing in. There are meetings we can attend not too far from where we live. There are courses online, at high school districts night schools and community at community colleges. You can find the place which interests you. School board meetings, citizen groups for a nearby state park or forest, local or national paty meetings near you. You have a great deal to choose from to please yourself. Those who live in a repulican society have and a duty to participate in governance. It is possible to be socially responsible and to please yourself at the same time. Your possibilities are enormous. Begin to explore them.

 

Common Sense: Rule of, by, and for the Common Man?

  What happened to the teaching of civics and government? Are parents doing the teaching? Is it really true that we are no longer willing to govern ourselves? Has democracy just become a waste of time. Do we really love becoming serfs and slaves? Why are we unwilling to take responsibility for our own governance? My whom do you expect to be governed.

What does government mean to you. If you don't do it yourself its them that does.

You can be ready, willing, and able to govern democratically if you decide to. There is some learning and enough help and cooperation if you look for it, but does it make sense? What are the likely results of abdication?

                RCS

Organization: What's to like in yours?

 We know that organization increases our power enormously. We know that our organization informs us and educates us well.

We are capable of forgetting the pleasures and satisfactions of organization. I expect the pleasures and satisfactions I am recalling just now will not be the same as yours. Even so, among mine you may find one or two of yours.

I have an interest in ad hoc organizations and those of longer term. Below are are many of my personal likes, of the moment, in organizations. Among mine you may find one or two of your own.

An organization which attracts me often has:

~ members who feel connected, involved, and respected.

~ the motive of helping me an others to thrive.

~ a clear understanding of costs an benefits.

~ members who promote widespread participation and responsibility.

~ members who embrace reality and who are willing to approach the truth.

~ members who value honesty and justice.

~ a mission I find valuable and pleasing.

~ plenty of talk in which all participate.

An organization which pleases me is one which:

~ which keeps me in the information loop.

~ most members feel well connected with leadership.

~ makes very clear who pays how much and who gets what.

~ moves in the direction of democracy.

~ tends to be inclusive.

~ tends to safeguard that which I value.

~ includes those who study and promote actions good for me and others.

~ advocates and protects people and processes important to me.

~ promotes dialogue which leads to appropriate action.

I find an organization congenial when it includes:

~ teaching the process of organizing.

~ the process of advocating and protecting me.

~ objectives very like my own.

~ individuals I like and respect.

 I expect to post more on organizing and organizations here.

Right now and just below were it says "comments," note a like of your own or question me on one of mine. It is easy to do so anonymously if you so wish,

A Little List (for the political)

Governance With RCS: Many in the U.S. are considering brand new political organizations on a wider than usual scale.

                They want organizations capable of working with large numbers of active citizens effectively. They are expecting wider participation in self governance. They want to do that which effectively furthers their aims right now.

    

                We might analyze those aims into organizational aims and platform aims, but here here I will just offer a first draft of a "to do" list. It seems OK to call our organization political for now.

To Do Now:

* Restate clarified (party) goals and aims.

* Arrange to have each member help in achieving those goals.

* Arrange to take care of all business promptly.

* Arrange for the ongoing education of all members.

* Make each member an educator.

* Keep in mind that teaching one another is important. Outside help is seldom as good as that which you do for yourselves.  

* Demonstrate abundant and appropriate trust for each member.

* The fewer secrets the better and "no secrets" is the best policy.

* Be inclusive. Help anyone who wants to be a member to be a member.

* Let each member know that he or she is in building and maintaining the organization, its philosophy, and its doings.

* Lay out clear steps for important and doable goals of your organization.

* One goal must not only be important and doable , but also a truly  attractive, challenging,  big deal. 

* Set out two or three goals to be worked on today. You want an organization where there are happenings right now.

* Every member needs a job they can do right now.

* Make clarifying the "grand vision" of your organization an ongoing activity. (Learning and teaching participatory, democratic, self-governance would be an attractive"grand vision" for me.

* Aim to govern yourselves by practicing self governance. Begin with teach-ins.

* A big enough vision for a brand new political organization might be "Govern ourselves and help others to govern themselves.

May you find that your consideration of my early hints lead you to thoughts of your own organizational plan and action. I wish you active citizenship.

Many in the U.S. are considering brand new political organizations on a wider than usual scale.

                They want organizations capable of working with large numbers of active citizens effectively. They are expecting wider participation in self governance. They want to do that which effectively furthers their aims right now.

                We might analyze those aims into organizational aims and platform aims, but here here I will just offer a first draft of a "to do" list. It seems OK to call our organization political for now.

To Do Now:

* Restate clarified (party) goals and aims.

* Arrange to have each member help in achieving those goals.

* Arrange to take care of all business promptly.

* Arrange for the ongoing education of all members.

* Make each member an educator.

* Keep in mind that teaching one another is important. Outside help is seldom as good as that which you do for yourselves.  

* Demonstrate abundant and appropriate trust for each member.

* The fewer secrets the better and "no secrets" is the best policy.

* Be inclusive. Help anyone who wants to be a member to be a member.

* Let each member know that he or she is in building and maintaining the organization, its philosophy, and its doings.

* Lay out clear steps for important and doable goals of your organization.

* One goal must not only be important and doable , but also a truly  attractive, challenging,  big deal. 

* Set out two or three goals to be worked on today. You want an organization where there are happenings right now.

* Every member needs a job they can do right now.

* Make clarifying the "grand vision" of your organization an ongoing activity. (Learning and teaching participatory, democratic, self-governance would be an attractive"grand vision" for me.

* Aim to govern yourselves by practicing self governance. Begin with teach-ins.

* A big enough vision for a brand new political organization might be "Govern ourselves and help others to govern themselves."

                May you find that your consideration of my early hints lead you to thoughts of your own organizational plan and action. I wish you active citizenship.

                                                                                                            by Richard Sheehan

Why Can't a Third Partty Take Off?

A third party may be best at popularizing new planks and new platforms.
Third party members do gain office. However, their most important function may be to educate voters.
.

Little "d" democrats

Governance With RCS: Democrwatic tendencys in the not so distant past in the good old US of A.    

                   In the distant past there were democrats. There were democrats in the recent past. There are still some democrats. A democrat might be thought of as a person who believes in people and in their ability to learn and do. I know little about what democrats are doing at the moment. I do have a sharp memory of that which some democrats did in my lifetime.  

                Democrats have tended to promote certain doings. Some of  those doings tended to be definitive of their beliefs.

Democrats have promoted:

~ enhancement and protection of democracy among us.
~ the study of legislation affecting democracy.
~ vigorous ongoing education about the use and doing of democracy.
~ improved communication among political parties and within them.
~ development of widespread leadership rather than super leaders.
~ enhanced education for participation in governance.
~ cooperative self-governance.
~ willingness to thoughtfully and promptly change a bad law for the better.
~ strong respect for our laws.
~ inclusivity  and diversity in public life.
~ cooperation within and among groups.
~ knowledge of the history of democracy including it's  limitations and advantages.
~ respect for the varieties of democracy around the world.
~ our Constitution and it's Bill of Rights.
~ our national Bill of Rights.
~ loving care of each and every child.
~ respect and honor for the individual, the family, and the neighborhood.
~ more nearly equal opportunity for access to healthcare for each person.
~ strong support for public health.
~ respect for and support of the position of minorities.
~ wide, ongoing educational opportunities for all.

                The above could suggest planks for the platform of a present party or candidate.


                                                                                  by Richard Sheehan

There Are Still Some Real democrats

Governance With RCS: There Are Still Some Real democrats: Why the little "d" in democrats?

                In the distant past there were democrats. In the recent past there were some democrats. And, there are still some democrats. A democrat might be thought of as one who believes in our ability to learn and to do. I know little about what those who call themselves democrats are doing now. I do have a sharp memory for much of that which democrats have done in the past.

                I hope you understand that I am not using the word “democrat” to refer to a member of a political party, but rather to one who holds a certain philosophical position. A Democrat can be a democrat, but she doesn’t have to.

                Democrats have tended to promote certain doings. Those doings have tended to be definitive of their beliefs.

Democrats have promoted:

~ improved communications within political organizations and among them.

~ enhancement and protection of democracy among us.

~ the study of legislation affecting democracy.

~ vigorous ongoing education about the use and doing of democracy.

~ development of widespread leadership rather than super-leaders.

~ enhanced education for participation in government.

~ cooperative self-governance.

~ willingness to thoughtfully and promptly change a bad law for the better.

~ strong respect for the law.

~exclusivity and diversity in public life.

~ cooperation within and among groups.

~ knowledge of the history of democracy, including its limitations and advantages.

~ respect for the varieties of democracy around the world.

~ our Constitution at its Bill or Rights.

~ loving care for each and every child.

~ respect and honor for the individual, the family, and the neighborhood.

~ more nearly equal opportunity for access to healthcare for each person.

~ strong support and oversight for our public health systems.

~respect and support for the position of minorities.

~ the practice of better dialogue.

~ wide, ongoing educational opportunities for all.

~ honesty.

This list can be greatly improved. However, there is already enough here to suggests planks for the platform of a present political party or candidate, or, a new party and candidates.

 

 

by Richard Sheehan

 

Noam Chomsky on Democracy

More public participation. More choice. I can participate. What is our present method of effective participation in governance? The less participation the less democracy. The more participation the more democracy. Let's be certain of the meaning of "democracy."

Noam Chomsky on Privatization

Governance With RCS: Putting our public resources into private hands

                                             

Moving public property to the hands of very few private hands. Why do the 99% still want to transfer more of their cash and resources to the 1%???. please enjoy  another video right here. Look for hard to find videos here.
Privatization is putting our public resources into private hands.

                                                                    RCS

Habeas Corpus

 

Our U.S. Constitution was written with the Common Law in mind.

You may find the Common Law worth learning about online. 

You may want to know and support more of common law.

Habeas Corpus is an important part of our common law. It has important ramifications. Recently I was reading online of some of the more important details of Habeas Corpus. Let me repeat just one below.

Today, the Common Law's ancient writ of Habeas Corpus is one of our most important defenses against tyranny. Tyranny is a bad word you can enjoy reading the extended meaning of online. 

By issuing a writ of habeas corpus a judge or court may compel those holding a prisoner, to produce that prisoner and to prove that they have legally incarcerated the individual. When that prisoner is friend or family it is best that the judge be our judge and the court our court.

Note that when I use the word "our" above, we have claiming and supporting to do.

We really have a lot to learn. I am willing to learn more about habeas Corpus, our constitution, the Common Law, the growth of tyranny, our judges and courts.

I have already learned much of what my old aunt told me more than once: "Use it, or lose it"

by Richard Sheehan

Governance: Organization, Effective Citizenship, and the Power to Do

 Governance With RCS: Organization, Effective Citizenship, and the Power to Do

               

                 Your organization can make you a more effective citizen. There seems to be a new or renewed urge toward new political organization and active citizenship these days. Many of us have a growing understanding of democracy. We see that more active citizenship brings more democracy.

                A new organization is much like an old organization. It takes people to organize, but many of those organizing are new not old. Persons new to organizing, especially political organizing, have a lot to learn. Their energy and enthusiasm will be an important aid to their progress. 

                An organization may have a beginning in individual minds, but its realization will be in a group. A group of people is most often a mess and a mess of people is not an organization. To become an organization there are doings such a mess of people must do. They can begin with a bit of togetherness and continue with a growing ability to cooperate. 

                Agreement that a new organization is necessary or a darn good idea can be a useful beginning. Agreement, perhaps tacit, to work together can be another important step. Finding ways to cooperate is important. Old organizers found many ways to facilitate cooperation.

                Soon the purpose of the organization must begin to be identified and clarified. Clarification of purpose is an ongoing process and activity. This may often be begun by a small group of leaders, but must be carried on by many others.

                Say that the original growing group is made up of citizens who have discovered that they want a brand new political organization. They have some willingness to work together. The also have understandings and misunderstandings to work out. A lot of work.

            

Do less yourself and let others do more

                Members of this very new organization need to maintain an ongoing understanding of the aims, values, and wants of others in the organization in so far as they affect the organization. Not easy, but important to their ability to increase their effectiveness.

                An important benefit of an organization is that which needs to be done, need not be done by one or a very few, but rather can be shared among and by all members. In fact the more involved with the important work of the organization that are all members, the better the moral and effectiveness of the organization is likely to be. 

                The members of a well functioning group can feel themselves to be effective doers, and can be those effective doers in fact.

There are some doings and practices which have helped others to start and maintain their organization.

Doings and practices to begin promptly:

~ Consider how you intend to keep in contact.

~ Begin identifying your goals and aims.

~ Clarify goals and aims.

~ Restate goals and aims.

~ Arrange to have each member help to achieve these goals and aims.

~ Take care of all business promptly.

~ Arrange for the ongoing education for all members.

~ Practice dialogue skills.

~ Arrange for members to have opportunity to be educators.

~ Enjoy your participation.

~ Keep in mind that teaching one another is important. Outside help can be very good, but seldom as good as that which we do for ourselves. As we teach, we learn.

~ Demonstrate abundant and appropriate trust of one another.

~ Keep in mind that the fewer the secrets the better. "No secrets" is a good policy.

~ Be inclusive.  as a policy, help anyone who wants to be a member to be one.

~ Encourage equality.

~ Remind one another that each of you is important to and responsible for the maintenance of your organization, its philosophy, and its doings.

~ Lay out clear steps for achieving important and doable goals and plans for your organization.

~ Aims and goals ought to be not only doable and important but also be an attractive and challenging big deal.

~ Set out one or two doings or goals to be worked on today. Your organization will benefit by having important things to be done right now.

~ Keep in mind that there is much to be done and that each member ought to help with those doings.

~ Make clarifying the "grand vision" of your organization an ongoing activity. "Learning, teaching, and practicing democratic self governance for all" might be an example of such a vision.

~ Aim to govern yourselves by practicing self-governance.

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                                                                                                           RCS