On Saturday, June 10, the North Carolina Green Party (NCGP) will hold its seventeenth statewide Spring Gathering at the Seedbed in Mebane, just outside Durham and Chapel Hill. NCGP members and nonmember supporters are both encouraged to attend.

This event is free and open to the public. Donations to the NCGP are welcome at our Donate Page to help cover expenses.



This year, we're holding our meeting at the beautiful Seedbed venue in rural Mebane. The Seedbed is the former location of the Stone House retreat center and is now home to an allied organization working on social, racial, and environmental justice initiatives. As part of our meeting, we'll hear from Seedbed organizers about their important work. A detailed agenda is below.

Note: We'll be kicking off our Spring Gathering with a talk the prior evening by Green Party vice presidential nominee Ajamu Baraka in Durham. The event, titled "Building People Power in the Time of Trump: The Path to Real Democracy," is at 6-8pm Friday, June 9, at the Vault. RSVP for the Ajamu Baraka event here.

Immediately after Ajamu's talk, please join us for a potluck supper and some fun at the Seedbed in Mebane (directions from the Vault in Durham to the Seedbed in Mebane). See below for potluck contact info.

LODGING

On-site lodging and camping are available at the Seedbed for those who wish to stay the night Friday after Ajamu's talk and the potluck to attend Saturday's Spring Gathering. Beds are $25, and camping is free. To book yourself a bed, please contact NCGP secretary Tommie James at secretary@ncgreenparty.org.



Several hotel/motel options are also available. Click here for a list of motel/hotel options near the Seedbed. Most are under $99 a night, with the exception of the Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express & Suites locations in Mebane, both of which are more expensive.

ABOUT THE SPRING GATHERING

In the aftermath of the 2016 elections, we meet in a time of awakening among US citizens. The stark reality of the failure of the two-party system is on display for the world to see, and the need for alternative political views has never been as widely recognized as now. The Green Party is bustling—we're building locally and statewide and are uniquely positioned to challenge the status quo parties in North Carolina and across the country. Come to celebrate, join, and plan with us to move North Carolina toward a lasting social and economic system that respects humanity, abhors war, and understands our fundamental relationship to the natural word in which we all live.

We'll begin the meeting at 9:00 a.m. with a meet & greet and light breakfast provided by the NCGP. People are welcome to arrive and set up prior to 9:00. We'll begin party business at 9:30 a.m. The business meeting will last from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the NCGP will provide lunch.

Donations to the NCGP are welcome at our Donate Page to help cover such expenses.

DETAILED AGENDA



Click here to view the agenda on a separate page.

9:00-9:30 Meet & greet and light breakfast (provided by NCGP) 9:30-9:45 Call to order, quorum call, introductions 9:45-10:15 Reports from local NCGP chapters (5) 10:15-10:50 Other reports: GPUS delegates, ballot access, membership, officer openings, accomplishments summary 10:50-11:00 Break 11:00-11:30 Discussion of bylaws changes. Voting. 11:30-12:00 Discussion of platform changes. Voting. 12:00-12:30 Brainstorming exercise: adopting a signature issue 12:30-1:15 Lunch (provided by NCGP) 1:15-1:30 Presentation on the Seedbed and Grassroots Movements 1:30-2:15 Treasurer’s report and discussion of budget proposal 2:15-2:45 Voting: Budget and any remaining issues 2:45-3:00 Break 3:00-3:15 Further discussion of signature issues 3:15-4:15 Party planning: • Senate Bill 656: What if we suddenly have a ballot-access requirement of only 10,000 signatures? • Campaigning / Educating on the Issues 4:15-4:30 Wind-down, final announcements

Members may notify the NCGP co-chairs (cochair@ncgreenparty.org) of issues they need addressed.

As always, members and nonmember supporters alike are welcome to attend the meeting, though only members may vote on party business. Nonmembers are encouraged to attend as observers to learn more about the Green Party. You can become an NCGP member at our Membership Page.



This event is also on Facebook here.

DIRECTIONS TO THE SEEDBED IN MEBANE

Here is a map of the location. Look for "Green Party" signs directing your way as you approach Nicks Rd. Though the address is technically Nicks Rd, the Seedbed venue is down a small dirt road off Nicks. A simple green gate and a "Green Party" sign will mark the entrance to the dirt road. Turn onto this private road ("Hurston Rd.") and proceed till you see the parked cars. The Seedbed is on the left.



If coming from Hwy 85 South: the most straightforward exit to get off is exit 153, Mebane Oaks Road / Tanger Outlets exit. It's a left onto Mebane Oaks Rd from the exit, and then ultimately a left onto Nicks Rd.

POTLUCK 🍏🧀🌮 🍏🧀🌮



Are you planning to bring something to the potluck Friday (June 9) evening at the Seedbed after Ajamu Baraka's talk in Durham? To sign up to contribute to the potluck the evening of Friday, June 9, in Mebane at the Seedbed, and to find out what others are bringing, please contact Jan Martell at ninth.st@frontier.com or (919) 286-2056.

See you at the gathering!