This month’s Kitchen Table Activity is to decide who will represent your group and your community at the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session on Saturday, June 25th and Sunday, June 26th in Central Oregon!
WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY?
For 30 years, rural organizers and community leaders from across rural Oregon have joined together at the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session to reflect on the last year and to plan for the year to come. Join us to reflect on what your community has been working on, connect with other human dignity groups from around the state, and set the priorities and direction of ROP for the next year. Stay for Sunday, June 26th for the Rural Organizing Intensive where organizers of all experience levels will grow their organizing skills and add more tools to their organizing toolboxes. Register by May 1st to reserve your seats at the early bird discounted price!
Saturday will be filled with reflection and sharing the work rural Oregonians have done for human dignity and democracy over the last year (or 3!) and planning for the year of community organizing to come! Together in Strategy sessions, skill-building workshops, and conversations, we’ll set the ROP’s priorities. Because ROP turns 30 this year, we will have opportunities throughout the day to reflect on what lessons from the last 30 years we can apply to today, including the debut of our statewide traveling exhibit “Bridging Divides, Defending Dignity: how everyday rural Oregonians have advanced democracy since 1992!”
We will close out Saturday celebrating our 30th anniversary with a dance party, complete with live music, dance lessons, and plenty of opportunities to mingle with folks we haven’t seen in person for the last two years! On Sunday, June 26th, join us for a Rural Organizing Intensive to build skills to strengthen your organizing for the years to come.
WHY THIS ACTIVITY?
The Rural Caucus and Strategy Session is an important touchpoint for all of us who are a part of ROP. It is an opportunity to build each other up when we feel overwhelmed or discouraged. A time to challenge each other and grow by sharing our experiences and knowledge. A moment to sing and dance and remember how strong and connected we are. One of hopefully many more opportunities to literally show up for each other and to deepen our relationships across rural Oregon as we connect the dots between the issues that matter most to our communities.
HOW TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY:
- Gather your leadership team, fellow organizers, and friends. Pull out your calendars and mark Saturday, June 25th and Sunday, June 26th for a trip to Central Oregon!
- Decide who will be a part of your group’s Caucus team this year! Groups say they get the most out of the Caucus when they send a team of at least 3-5 people in order to bring back home more of the lessons from the many strategy sessions and workshops that will be offered!
COVID safety is a priority for us at ROP and we’ve compiled this handy list of Frequently Asked Questions to share the safety procedures we are observing to make an in-person Caucus possible for as many folks as possible this year. - Make your carpool plans and let us know how we can support you on the registration form! Does anyone in your group need translation or interpretation? Do you need a ride? Child care? How about a room at a fellow organizers’ house to sleep each night?
Each year ROP coordinates carpools with leaders from neighboring communities and works with the human dignity groups in the community hosting the Caucus to make sure there’s enough community housing for everyone who needs a place to crash overnight. The pandemic has only increased economic inequality in rural Oregon and we have funds set aside to help cover the costs for folks to participate, including scholarships, gas money, bus/train tickets, and motel rooms. Please make your needs known on the registration form and we will follow up! - Register your group! You can register online or download, fill out, and this printable registration form.
- Email (or mail) a copy or photo of the vaccination cards for each person who is registering to caucus@rop.org. For everyone’s safety, we are requiring proof of vaccination for everyone participating in the Caucus this year. We will be following up with a friendly reminder if we don’t receive proof of vaccination with your registration!
- Pay your registration fees by May 1st to get the early bird discount! You can mail a check to ROP at PO Box 664 Cottage Grove, OR 97424 (preferred) or pay online here.
- Let us know what you’re most excited for! Are you hoping to build certain skills? Do you have a community conundrum you’re eager to connect with other community organizers about? All of your input shapes the program for the weekend! Reply here or give your friendly local ROP organizer a call. 🙂
ROP is committed to making participation in the Rural Caucus & Strategy Session as accessible as possible! We will provide childcare, interpretation, food, as well as carpool arrangements and community housing as requested. We offer scholarships to rural organizers who need support with registration costs, transportation, and housing to make participation possible. Register today and we will follow up to ensure your group has the support you need to fully participate! Reach out to us at caucus@rop.org with any questions!
We can’t wait to finally be together in person!
Warmly,
Jess and the ROP Team
Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly activity by the Rural Organizing Project. The idea is that small actions can lead to powerful collective results when groups of people gather to complete the same action across the state of Oregon. ROP works to keep each KTA easily achievable so that groups with other projects or groups with limited immediate energy can still manage to complete the KTA each month.