[Community Rights Network] Fwd: Further Introduction...

Mon Apr 7 08:38:28 PDT 2014

Many thanks to the process team for their hard work on these difficult
topics! Since it was alleged that my informing Peter & Shannon about my
background and experience is untrue, I felt I should forward the response I
received from Shannon to an introduction e-mail I sent to both Peter &
Shannon on March 17. I also included Ali and Baile on that introduction,
since they didn't know me well, either. My introduction is below Shannon's
response, which was a reply-all to everyone listed, so everyone in that
thread received her response, as well. I assumed that by sending my
introduction to the leadership at that time, it would be forwarded to the
rest of the community. I did not have access to the whole list of e-mails
in order to send an introduction of myself, and I felt it more appropriate
to go through the leadership to make that introduction.

Thanks again to the process team!

[Please see forwarded e-mail content below.]

Thanks! -Scott
Scott Menzies, M.A. (Environment & Community)
Instructor/Proprietor
Perfect Circle Taijiquan
330 N. Franklin St, Fort Bragg, CA
530-410-3333 (cell)
707-962-3009 (studio - ringer always off)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Shannon Biggs <shannon at globalexchange.org>
Date: Mon, Mar 17, 2014 at 10:45 AM
Subject: Re: Further Introduction...
To: Scott Menzies <scott.m.menzies at gmail.com>, peternorris at gmail.com
Cc: Ali Boecker <alis_element at yahoo.com>, Baile <baileoakes at gmail.com>

 Hi Scott,

Thanks for all of this, such an inclusive introduction! I'm so glad to know
more about you and so very excited to hear your thoughts and perspectives,
which helps me better understand what the needs are as we strive to be of
the best assistance to everyone in the County as you all make history and
protect precious water and create a real local democracy in Mendocino.

Looking forward to meeting you ALL so soon.

My best,
Shannon

On 3/17/14 10:30 AM, "Scott Menzies" <scott.m.menzies at gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Peter and Shannon,

I thought it would be best to further introduce myself, since it seems I'm
going to be involved in this campaign here on the coast. It has been awhile
since I've done any community organizing, but it looks like my education
and organizing training fit well with what is being attempted, here. So
here's a bit about me and my past organizing experience and education, how
I see my role as possibly being in this campaign, as well as what I feel is
important for and to the group on the coast:

Community Organizing Training

   -
   - Education for Action: Semester long seminar taught by long-time
   organizer Eric Rofes (http://www.ericrofes.com/bio/general.php) using
   the Midwest Academy's manual, *Organizing for Social Change* (
   http://www.midwestacademy.com/manual/*)*, providing skills and tools
   which have supported me from organizing my first efforts in election reform
   and Instant Runoff Voting advocacy to starting my Taijiquan (T'ai Chi
   Ch'uan) studio last May.

Education

   -
   - Masters of Arts in Social Science, Environment & Community, Humboldt
   State University, 2005 cohort
   -
      - Intensive seminars on mulit/inter-disciplinary subjects and
      perspectives including Rights, Politics, and the Environment; Native
      American/Ethnic Studies; Community & Place; and Sustainable Cities.

Community Organizing Experience Highlights

   -
   - Voter Confidence Committee
   -
      - My first attempt at community organizing after my training.
      -
      - Advocated for the implementation of Ranked Voting in Humboldt
      County.
      -
      - Held actions that included parallel elections to show how results
      might have differed under a different voting system.
      -
   - Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County, under director Kaitlin
   Sopoci-Belknap and 2004 Green Party Presidential candidate David Cobb (Paul
   Cienfuegos founded DUHC, but was no longer involved in when I came along.)
   -
      - Worked on campaign that ultimately passed Measure T, which banned
      non-local corporations from donating to local elections.
      -
         - Ultimately overturned as unconstitutional with help of the
         Pacific Legal Foundation.
         -
      - Humboldt County Independent Business Alliance
      -
         - Co-founded with Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap as a project of DUHC,
         using the American Independent Business Alliance model
         -
   - Healthy Humboldt Coalition Outreach Coordinator

Other

   -
   - Heavily involved in journalism during high-school, which provided
   skills that I use to write news releases that follow journalistic style,
   read like actual articles, and often get printed verbatim.

I knew Paul personally when he and I lived in Humboldt County, but it was
during his hiatus from activism (from burnout), when he was focusing on his
bookstore, 100fires. Since his move to Portland we haven't had any contact.

I did not to go to Paul's workshop for a cpuple of reasons. For a few years
I've actively avoided getting involved in activism due to my own burnout
and concerns from my own "spiritual" perspective that my work had to come
from the right place of inner peace before I could re-engage. As a
practitioner of Taijiquan (T'ai Chi Ch'uan), which I studied in Taiwan and
China, and which is a Daoist martial art, I take the concept of nonviolence
(yet not pacifism) seriously, and any actions that come out of ego, anger,
fear, or any other space other than peace are not technically nonviolent by
Daoist (and Buddhist) philosophies. I had been that guy myself and I saw
too many other "activists" who relied on their anger or passion to get
things done, who were "driven" (and not, in my opinion, doing the driving),
and, sometimes, even told me my efforts at internal work were a waste of
time. I needed to figure out how to re-engage on my terms and without
burning out. Though, I also know that by trying to develop Perfect Circle
Taijiquan that I'm already doing right by my community. That could be all I
do and I would feel it enough.

Second, knowing the circles in which I worked in Humboldt, and considering
the vast breadth and depth of subject matter my master's program covered, I
also expected that little of what Paul had to offer would be new to me.
This is also why I never had an intention of going to Democracy School. I
already have $25,000 of debt surrounding my master's. Not really interested
in spending more money and time unless it's strategically critical for me
to do so.

But, attending the Sunday meeting at John's gave me a sense that this was a
clear, worthy topic that could actually get me out of my organizing cave.
Noting that, while there were a few seasoned organizers there, there didn't
appear to be anyone with formal organizing training similar to mine,
especially amongst the very few folks who stepped up to take a leadership
role in the tentative "Campaign Management Committee" for our local area, I
decided to try to break off the rust and offer up my knowledge and skills
by asking to be on the Campaign Management Committee myself. That resulted
in the holding of a couple of regular meetings and regular communication.

What I feel is important for the coastal group are as follows:

One, that it be well-organized, especially considering our short timeline.
This, to me, is where my training with the Midwest Academy manual comes in.
I'm really not that concerned about the ordinance itself. I'm concerned
about the community organizing. The ordinance is just what we're organizing
to support (at this point), and I'm not really interested in participating
in the drafting process.

Two, that this campaign not just be treated as a campaign, but, as is the
practice of the Midwest Academy and which has been shown in studies to be
effective with Independent Business Alliances, as an action of an
organization that sets up that organization for the NEXT action. In other
words, creating a coastal group that can generate and store momentum, not
just fizzle at the end of this campaign. I know that there are others who
share this desire, and I believe this is a main premise for the group of us
who have been meeting regularly since John's gathering.

So there you have it. If you have any questions you can write me back or
call me on my cell at 530-410-3333. I am still trying to develop and grow
Perfect Circle Taijiquan, which is, at this point, just breaking even, so I
won't be dedicating my life to this campaign, but I will be involved and
hopefully assist it in being efficient in its work.

Best,

Scott

Scott Menzies, M.A. (Environment & Community)
Instructor/Proprietor
Perfect Circle Taijiquan
330 N. Franklin St, Fort Bragg, CA
530-410-3333 (cell)
707-962-3009 (studio - ringer always off)
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