Atkinson Democrats 10-15-2025 General Meeting

6:30: Call to Order

6:31: Alex Passer, Vice Chair of Rockingham Dems Speaks

Guest speaker Alex Passer takes over the mic to discuss election strategy.

She discusses multiple aspects of election strategy and asks for our input and current status in terms of allies and goals.

The discussion touches on several topics including but not limited to:

·         How we would like to see more allies on the selectman and school board

·         How we are interested in getting people more invested in running for positions in town

·         How we should encourage those interested in running to attend relevant town meetings as a way to prepare them for the role and test the waters to see if the work interests them.

She then recommends that we:

1.      Find out what's going on/networking with people about happenings in town.

2.      Form relationships with various persons and organizations within town to build up repertoire.

3.       Use said connections with those boards as a way to raise awareness about decisions made in Concord.

4.      Emphasize nonpartisan allies Because of the nonpartisan nature of local politics.

At 6:47: Alex Passer hands the mic back.

6:49: Nominations for New Delegate

At this point in the meeting we moved on to the nomination process to fill the empty delegate seat in the executive board.

Christine and Mike both expressed their desire for the position, both persons are given 3 minutes to speak. Mike withdraws and Christine takes the delegate position. At 6:55 Christine is officially nominated as delegate.

6:59: Maggie Goodlander, Oktoberfest, and Future events

At this point we move on to discussing the success of the Maggie Goodlander and Oktoberfest events. We discussed how there was considerable turnout to both that have eclipsed the previous years.

We discussed how networking with Maggie and a possible state Rep from mass could help us build momentum as a local committee.

Christine suggests that we establish some sort of democratic gathering place like how the Republicans do with Tuckaway Tavern. Somewhere where we can get involved and be seen by the community.

 Lyn suggests Working with the Rockingham democratic committee as well as other town committees in order to get a big name like Bernie Sanders down in the area to recreate the kind of success the Maggie Goodlander event had.

It's also suggested that we should work with organizations like SOROC or another charity organization as a way to both make a positive impact on the community and help build momentum as a local party. Several ideas for (hosting or assisting other organizations with) charity events are discussed including but not limited to:

·         Wrapping toys for families in need

·         Doing a food drive for canned goods

·         Donating clothing or socks

·         Assisting local organizations in helping the homeless

At 7:10, Chris Tardif suggests hosting a “Lecture on the Tap” Event. During this event we would get speakers at some sort of chill setting like a restaurant or bar, and encourage people to come and be educated by the lecturer on certain topics. This would act as both a way to build momentum and provide a night out for community members as an engaging event.

At this point in the meeting we move on to discussing the idea of getting kids at Timberlane and their parents more involved at local elections. That we should emphasize how getting involved in these processes is an important way to show that you care about and support education.

7:31: Identifying Candidates, Fundraising, And Wreaths Across America

This portion of the meeting began with identifying the seats currently open in town. There is one open seat for Selectman, two on the Budget Committee, and four for Library Trustee.

Next, the committee discussed plans to support Wreaths Across America and how the town committee could get involved. We agreed to donate 15 wreaths to match the number recommended for local businesses (which totals approximately $255).

We also explored the idea of hosting our own fundraiser to encourage donations to both the local committee and Wreaths Across America. The preferred approach would be a virtual donation campaign, with the final total split (Though the percentage of the split is still TBD) between the two causes.

Finally, we reviewed the upcoming Veterans Day event in Atkinson, which is open to the public. The committee agreed to attend in support of Wreaths Across America and discussed inviting Maggie Goodlander to join us. The general consensus was that this would be a strong idea, provided we first secure support from Tom Kelly.

7:39: Final Thoughts

Michael Boucher brings up that on the 18th of October the Atkinson lions will be hosting a meat raffle. He encourages members to show up to the event to support the lions in their endeavors, as well as to become more engaged with the community and its various organizations.

7:40: Meeting End