2014 Chapter 004 Summary of Actions, News, and Events
December 20, 2014 | Reports
- January
- New chapter by-laws rewritten and approved
- Hosted Tarak Kauff & Ellen Davidson who gave a talk on their recent visit in Palestine
- Work on “Full Disclosure”
- Sponsored talk by author/activist David Swanson
- Donated $ to Chamber Music Society in memory of Marianne Whitman
- Supported & donated to Regis Tremblays’ tour with film “Ghosts of Jeju”
- New USPS stamp from portrait by member Robert Shetterly
- Veterans interviewed by students in local schools
- February
- New Board of Directors set for chapter 001
- March
- Larry Dansinger talk about Draft and Military Counseling
- Members attended St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Boston
- Richard Wolff speaks at USM Hannaford Hall
- Native American, Oren Lyons speaks at Bates College
- April
- Member Clarence Smith chosen Hospice Volunteer of the year for State of Maine
- Members went to NYC for “Full Disclosure” kick-off events
- Asia-Pacific speaking tour & panel discussions at UMO & Brunswick
- Protest at BIW Zumwalt stealth destroyer “christening”
- Members visited Palestine
- May
- Member denied access to Maine National Guard and UMO sponsored conference on “Opportunities” on Arctic ice melting
- $ sent to National to support younger vets to be able to attend National Convention in Asheville, NC
- Members “marched” with PeaceWorks in Memorial Day Parade in Brunswick
- Co-sponsored Adolph Reed to speak in Brunswick
- Members attend annual MaineShare meeting in Augusta
- June
- Members attend 25th anniversary celebration of MaineShare at Bowdoin College in Brunswick
- Continued success for “Ghosts of Jeju”-screened in Amsterdam and translated into several languages
- Contributed $ to World Beyond War Billboards campaign
- Sponsorship for Tri County Mental Health event
- Supported public forum on conversion/diversification of the military production system across Maine
- $ support to jailed fellow VFP member in Florida
- Donated $ to place add in National Convention booklet
- July
- Members attended VFP National Convention in Asheville, NC
- Member Doug Rawlings named VFP Poet Laureate
- Members “march” in 4th July Parade in Bath
- Sponsored Lily Yeh and donated $ to her organization “Barefoot Artists”
- August
- Members table at 10th annual Brunswick Peace Fair
- 2014 PeaceMakers Award presented to Maine Veterans For Peace from PeaceWorks
- September
- Tabled all three days of Common Ground Country Fair. Shared space on table with BDS campaign. Member had poetry reading in Social/Political Action tent. Member helped MaineShare in talk in Social/Political Action tent. Member took MaineShare supplies out to Fair and back which earns us points for year total.
- Members working on plan to hold veterans song writing and performance event in Portland in the Spring
- Member held two workshops at Farmington PTSD Conference
- $ donation given for a talk at UMF about the plight of Palestinian children
- Members speak on panel at the first annual Belfast Peace Festival
- PRESENTE: $ donation made to Jacob George Celebration of Life (veteran committed suicide)
- $ donation in support of member and White Cane Awareness Walk
- October
- Members participated and we supported the Maine Walk for Peace & Sustainable Future. Walk from Rangeley to North Berwick. Pledges made to MaineShare for annual Hike & Bike event
- Members attend Maine Hospice Council event at Togus featuring Dr. Ed Tick as main speaker/moderator
- PRESENTE: Remembered the life of wonderful Maine poet and activist Henry Braun
- Members attend Climate March in NYC
- Member Clarence Smith honored as “National” Hospice Volunteer of the Year
- November
- Robin Spencer voted to Board of Directors replacing Peggy Ackers (term expired)
- PRESENTE: Remembered the all too short life of Iraq War vet Tomas Young (Body of War)
- Members attend and stand in remembrance at Armistice Day Parade in Portland
- Member in DC on Armistice Day and did the “Walk the Wall”
- Endorsed NAACP action in Portland to support the Ferguson movement
- Members attend march and rally in Portland to support Ferguson movement
- Member supported in his travels to Ferguson, Mo to witness and stand with the black community
- Member has written book about his remarkable life
- Support to Ivan Karakashian to speak at UMF & Blue Hill. He is a lawyer & journalist from Jerusalem
- December
- MaineShare annual report completed and submitted
- Regis interviewed S. Brian Wilson for his upcoming series of videos with veterans
- Planning underway to protest yet another return to Brunswick of the Blue Angels
- Letter drafted and sent to National Board of Directors with statement from chapter 001 supporting Peace at Home, Peace Abroad
- Members working on a Teach-In on Vietnam at UMO in 2015 as part of National VFP “Full Disclosure” project
- Sponsored Lily Yeh and Alice Rothchild for speaking events in Blue Hill, Ellsworth and Bangor
- Donated $ to Kennebec Habitat for Humanity which is building a home for a veteran
- Wonderful poem by Gerry Kamke that has been put to music. Gerry agreed to let Regis use it in his upcoming videos with veterans