Brainerd Area Coalition for Peace (BACP) held our monthly meeting on Monday, September 13 in the Brainerd United Church of Christ (UCC) upstairs library.   Judi and Richard Schiller, Donna Bowen, Gayle Nielsen, and Doug Olson joined the meeting.

The BACP Crow Wing County Fair booth received a very positive reception from fairgoers.  Most of the fairgoers who visited the BACP booth supported BACP's peace activism.   BACP hosted our booth every day of the fair, from Tuesday, August 3 through Saturday, August 7.   Thank you to everyone who volunteered at the booth, to BACP member Elaine Kain who created buttons for the booth, and to Richard and Judi who set up and dismantled the booth.

The Camp Ripley peace vigil will be held on Sunday, September 19.   The vigil will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside of Camp Ripley.   BACP and Brainerd Lakes Area Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are hosting the Camp Ripley peace vigil.   Many Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) and Veterans for Peace (VFP) members plan to join the vigil.   BACP member Larry Fisk will bring BACP's peace float to the vigil.

[The Camp Ripley peace vigil went extraordinarily well.   At least 24 people joined the vigil, including many WAMM and VFP members.  BACP members Larry Fisk, Gayle Nielsen, Isaiah Oleson, Donna Bowen, and Doug Olson joined the vigil.  DSA members Julius Kapushinski, and Holden Hollister joined the vigil.  (Larry, Gayle, and Isaiah are also DSA members).  For many vigil participants, this was their first Camp Ripley peace vigil.  The vigil received more positive than negative responses from passing motorists.  The vigil received the most positive responses a Camp Ripley peace vigil ever received.  A Camp Ripley peace vigil announcement and photo appeared in the Sunday, September 26 Morrison County Record.  The next Camp Ripley peace vigil will be held in September 2023, when Camp Ripley hosts Open House Day again.]

The Brainerd Pride Picnic will be held on Saturday, September 18 in Gregory Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.   Brainerd Lakes Pride, the Brainerd area LGBTQ rights group, is hosting the Brainerd Pride Picnic.   BACP will host a table at the Brainerd Pride Picnic.   The BACP table will have pro-peace literature and a donation bin.

[The Brainerd Pride Picnic went well.   Doug and Donna volunteered at the BACP table.   Many picnic attendees visited the BACP table.
Everyone who stopped at the table supported BACP's peace activism.   Four people signed up to be on BACP's listserv to receive event notices.   Doug and Donna believe BACP should host a table at next year's Brainerd Pride Picnic.]

[A Stop Line 3 vigil took place immediately after the Brainerd Pride Picnic.   Donna, Doug, Holden, and Julius joined the vigil.  The vigil received mostly positive responses from passing motorists.]

BACP meeting attendees discussed possible dates for the Fall BACP Adopt a Highway cleanup.   Everyone agreed Saturday, October 16 might work best for the cleanup.   Cleanup volunteers would meet at the former Cabin Fever restaurant, located off Highway 371 north of Little Falls, at 1 p.m. to plan the cleanup.   The cleanup would take a few hours.   At least four volunteers are needed for the cleanup to be held.   A date for the Fall BACP Adopt a Highway cleanup will be chosen at the Monday, October 4 BACP meeting.

[Isaiah told Doug he could join a cleanup on Saturday, October 16.   This means there would be at least four volunteers for the cleanup that day:  Donna, Doug, Gayle, and Isaiah.   Richard and Judi might be able to join a cleanup on Saturday, October 16.   BACP members who are interested in joining the cleanup are encouraged to respond to the listserv notice announcing the date for the Fall BACP Adopt a Highway cleanup.]

BACP members discussed the Minnesota Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Community's online Palestine presentation.   The Minnesota BDS Community, a Twin Cities based organization supporting the Palestinian struggle for justice and freedom, decided to hold the presentation online because it would be more convenient for the Minnesota BDS Community presenters and due to concerns about holding an indoor meeting in the Brainerd UCC during the coronavirus pandemic.   BACP and DSA are hosting the online Palestine presentation.

BACP members discussed the possible dates for the online Palestine presentation:  Tuesday, October 19, Thursday, October 21, Tuesday, October 26, and Thursday, October 28.   No one had a strong preference for any of the dates as they would all work for the BACP members at the meeting.  Doug will ask DSA members at DSA's online meeting on Tuesday, September 14 if they have a date they prefer for the online Palestine presentation.    If there is no strong preference for a presentation date, Doug will ask Minnesota BDS Community member Mary Bader if she and her fellow Minnesota BDS Community members can set a date for the presentation.

[DSA members preferred holding the online Palestine presentation on a Thursday because DSA often holds meetings on Tuesdays.  Julius strongly preferred holding the presentation on Thursday, October 21 because he believed there would be a better turnout for the presentation than on Thursday, October 28, when some people might attend Halloween parties.   Doug shared this information with Mary Bader.   Mary informed Doug the Minnesota BDS Community will hold the online Palestine presentation on Thursday, October 21 at 7 p.m.   Mary will provide Doug additional information about the presentation in the near future.]


Gayle mentioned an idea Larry had for a billboard demanding serious action on climate change.   Everyone agreed a billboard demanding real action on climate change is a good idea.   Billboards are very expensive.   BACP doesn't have the funds to purchase a billboard.   However, BACP working together with DSA, Brainerd Lakers United for the Environment (BLUE), and Lakes Area Move to Amend (LAMTA), could hold a fundraising drive to secure donations for the billboard.   Facebook could be used for the donation drive, particularly the Stand Up Brainerd Lakes Facebook pages.    This is an idea everyone agreed should be explored further.
   

BACP will hold our next meeting on Monday, October 4 at 7 p.m.   The meeting will be held in the UCC upstairs library.   The UCC is located at 415 Juniper Street, Brainerd, near Gregory Park.   If bad weather prevents a meeting in the UCC, the BACP meeting will be held online via Zoom.


The BACP meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.   


BACP Meeting Notes Submitted by Doug Olson