Ottawa 2011-12-22 newsletter

Dear Ottawa Pirates,

First, Happy Holidays! It’s a very special time of year for a lot of people, and I hope that each and every one of you gets some well-deserved rest so you’re all ready to tackle the New Year.

Things have been very exciting for the PPCA over the course of the past couple of weeks, with our team in Ottawa being no exception. Things are starting to really heat up across the boards with regular hang-outs starting across the country, taking cue from our lead. Here’s a brief look at what’s happening:

=December 27th Meeting=

PPCA Ottawa will occur at 7:00pm at the Tim Hortons on the corner of Metcalfe & Slater this upcoming Tuesday (Dec 27th). I will have my PPCA folder propped up on the table to mark our whereabouts, and will have extra PPCA Bumper Stickers, QR-code stickers, and B&W pamphlets on hand. The meeting will be over by 9:00pm the latest. If there’s a topic you would like to discuss, just send me an e-mail (shawngray@pirateparty.ca) and I can be sure to put it on the agenda. I do recommend looking over the minutes from previous meetings in advance (http://wiki.pirateparty.ca/index.php/Ottawa_Meetings).

In the New Year, our meetings will continue to start at 7:00pm at the Tim Hortons on the corner of Metcalfe & Slater, so as you purchase or program your new calendars, please mark down the following dates & times.

=Pamphlets, Stickers & Hitting the Ground=

We’ve been very hard at work getting things in order here in Ottawa. Here in Ottawa, we are now in possession of several PPCA flags, banners, and corplast signs. Additionally, we have access to an inflatable pirate ship that can be used as a float or attention-getter. On top of all that, our candidate in Nepean-Carleton has obtained an RV that is currently being decorated with PPCA logos and QR codes, giving us an absolutely fantastic vehicle for advertising our party at festivals, campgrounds, and events.

We have nearly finalized a general PPCA pamphlet, which I have attached to this e-mail, that we can begin to hand-out to friends, family, co-workers, and any random person that you please. If every Ottawa-based member on this e-mail list were to print out just 20 pamphlets and distribute them, we would reach 1900 people.

I’ve also attached a QR-Sticker template to this e-mail. Each page yields 12 stickers, which we would recommend spreading on cork boards, bus stands, hydro poles, benches, and wherever else your local bylaws allow. With a scan of the QR-code, the curious individual will be taken straight to the PPCA Website, where they can learn more about the party.

5-printed pages will yield 60-stickers, which would adorn 5700 places if each member on this list were to print that off. These stickers would be viewed by hundreds of people before being removed or destroyed, and could potentially lead to a lot of new members and people interested in the party. Please take some photos of places where you’ve posted stickers so we can share the success and ideas through social media and on the PPCA website.

=Executive & Political Board Nominations=

With the new constitution now in place, the Pirate Party of Canada is looking for a bastion of responsible people to help us organize things nationally.

Elections for officers of the Executive Board are slated to occur on January 18th. We are looking for people to act as Party President, Vice-President, and Secretary. We are also looking for a couple people to become directors of the Pirate Party of Canada Fund, our NPO. The Executive Board is responsible for financials and various other management related duties. More information on the Executive Board can be found at http://tinyurl.com/83soq4b. To view prospective candidates, or to run for President, Vice-President, Secretary, or to volunteer as a member of the NPO, please follow the instructions on the forum: http://tinyurl.com/7oao3nd

The Political Board will hold its first elections on February 15th. The Political Board is responsible for working toward the platform, policy, and other political directions. This is the board that contacts media, focusses on candidates, and tries to raise our visibility while stepping forward to act according to the ideals of the Pirate Party of Canada. Additional details about the Political Board, including the positions of Leader & Deputy Leader, can be found at http://tinyurl.com/7v5l4fl. To view prospective candidates, or to put run for the Political Board, please check out the forum: http://tinyurl.com/bpzbjyj. Please note that the Political Board meets Thursday nights at 9:30 pm every week, and both the Leader and Deputy Leader positions are required to attend weekly Executive Board meetings (date and time TBA).

=Meetings of the General Assembly=

With our new constitution approved by an astounding vote of 170 yes – 6 abstain – 0 no, we have a number of changes in regards to our monthly meetings of the General Assembly. Starting in January, our monthly meeting will occur on the third Wednesday of the month at 8:00 pm Eastern. Meetings will be held in the #canada channel on our IRC server, which can be accessed through the website at https://www.pirateparty.ca/chat. Please mark the following dates on your calendars:

=Meetings Across the Country=

Travelling or moving in 2012? A number of different areas have indicated that they will be holding PPCA meetings. Feel free to drop in and introduce yourself. Here’s what we know for January so far:

=Donations=

The Pirate Party of Canada is funded entirely by donations from our members and concerned individuals. Without funding from the membership, it isn’t possible to run advertising campaigns to bring attention to issues relating to our core values of personal privacy, government and corporate transparency, cultural freedoms and human rights. All donations are tax deductible, so any donations are substantially paid back at the end of fiscal year, only a few short months away! To donate today, please visit the donation page on the PPCA website ( https://crm.pirateparty.ca/contribute.php )

Files above listed as being attached can be found on the Media & Collateral page

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