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Do you live in or very near Seattle?
Well, we invite you to join a new group called Seattle and Puget Sound Kossacks, organized by Daily Kos volunteer EagleOfFreedom. Not to be confused with PacNW Kossacks, organized by my dear friend N in Seattle, which encourages the sharing of pertinent news. Their recent diary and member list is extensive and active but accomplishes a different and much needed thing rather than face-to-face organizing.
EagleOfFreedom posted a first diary on the group yesterday. You can still comment there to be invited to the group or you can send EagleOfFreedom a Kosmail instead. In-person social and political events will be made available to you if you join. EagleOfFreedom is looking for other volunteers to help recruit more members, manage the email listserv and be general support for all endeavors of the group. If you don't want to volunteer you can still easily help by noticing other Seattlelites in the Daily Kos comments and inviting them to join the group.
EagleOfFreedom will be gathering personal emails addys to form an offsite listserv to more easily facilitate communication and notification of events and actions.
Latest Updates on Kossack Regional Meet-Up News Below the New Day sunrise cloud
We're so glad to see people volunteering to form and lead groups in their regions. An important part of our progressive strategy is to connect Daily Kos users in real life. The forum here is vast and we want to maximize the potential of this strong community and what it can do when connected in person.
I want to encourage more readers to step up and form a group. It's not hard and our team will help you with every step. The rewards are great. I love our SFKossacks group. We have a lot of fun but we also can rally quickly for political events, to move the progressive agenda forward. We've been connected since 2005.
So, if there isn't a group in your town or city please consider becoming the leader of one.
Here are some instructions to help you get started:
First, check to see if a group already exists in your area. If so, contact the group owner and ask to be added as an editor to help plan events. You can search by scrolling through all the Groups at Daily Kos or you can use the Search Groups interface and type in city names, regions or states to look for existing groups.
Before you start the group, take some time and think of a good name. My advice is create a name that anyone will recognize where the group is located in the country. An example of a good one is Nashville KosKats. An ambiguous one is SFKossacks which I created in 2005 as one of the very first group organizers and not knowing what I know now. If you use the Search Groups interface and type in San Francisco or Bay Area, nothing is returned. You have to type in SFKossacks exactly to find the group. You can learn from my early attempt. Don't make the group name so eccentric that only a knowledgeable few can understand it. Create a group for an entire state or a group of small states. Or, feel free to create a group for a region such as the San Francisco Bay Area, like I did. Or, create a group for a town or city.
If no group exists for your area, click the Groups link at the top of any page and then click the Create New Group link. You can enter your new group name there. The group username will be used for your url and and the url cannot be changed once you have set up the group. You can change the group name later but the url will remain the same as the first one you set up.
Click Edit Profile and describe your group. There is a space to post your group's non-mandatory avatar. Avatars should be 250 pixels wide by 56 pixels high. I can help you make an avatar if you don't know how. Some regional groups have banners as well to head their diaries in addition to their avatar. Banner dimensions should be 550 pixels wide by 100 pixels high.
I made this banner for the Houston Area Kossacks with organizer Chrislove's photograph:
Once you've set up the group you can start inviting people to join. In your group interface members list you'll see a link to ADD USERS TO THE GROUP. Click that and simply type in a user name, which you'll have to do one at a time. Have a pre-composed invitation stored to use as you invite each user. After they accept your invitation you can select new members to be an Admin with you, granting them all of your privileges. You can make some editors, granting them a some of your privileges or simply a contributor, which allows them at a minimum to post a diary to the queue and receive group Kosmails. Diaries posted to your queue by contributors will need to be published by editors or admins. You should check your queue daily or ask to be notified of a diary deposit.
A word about Kosmails. I love this new DK4 feature! It does have one thing that is likely on the back burner of site updates and that is, you don't receive notification of Group Kosmails like you do a personal Kosmail. So, I suggest you set up an external email group such as a Google Group. With this you can send one email to your group and everyone can reply with one click. You'll need everyone's private email addys to set up your Google Group. Consider requesting that addy in your pre-composed invitation to your DKos Group. There are many advantages to having a DKos Group but one we SFKossacks like is being able to ask for support for our individual diaries, regardless of the subject. It's so depressing spending precious time writing and posting a diary to get 0-3 recs. Our SFKossacks love supporting each other in our diaries. That's the point, creating a camaraderie. The SFKossack camaraderie also rises to the need of physical support, say in the case of illness or personal crisis.
In the beginning of building your group, try to find a small team to help you find potential members of your group in the comments. In 2005, I was lucky and had enthusiastic members like side pocket and highacidity (now in North Carolina) to reply to people with an invitation to join our group. I had on hand a linky-html invitation to reply to people who casually mentioned they lived in our region. It looks like this:
Would you like to join our group? [Group profile description]
1. Follow us here at DKos, SFKossacks.
2. Join our Yahoo Group to receive email notifications from SFKossacks about fun get togethers and activism around the Bay Area. And you can send us emails to support your diaries.
Having a casual meet-up and writing a diary about it helps promote your group and gather more members. Our series exists to help you promote your community building efforts. Your
Recommend of our series helps us gain visibility to build the Daily Kos community. Please comment in our series when you start a group or post a diary about it. Our readers will gladly
Recommend your diary to help you gain visibility.
I started building the SFKossack group in 2005, we rally very fast now. Not only for fun but for support of each other's diaries and for any political action we need to take locally. This is my goal for all regions across the nation, strong teams of Kossacks, ready to work together for causes or just good old recreation.
Are you interested in forming a Daily Kos Group in your town?
Tell us in the comments!
If not,
What do you want from Santa? He'll bring you anything. Just say.
:: COMMUNITY BUILDING UPDATES ::
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Let's build communities!
Every region needs a meatspace community like SFKossacks.
We take care of each other in real life.
I urge YOU to take the lead and organize one in your region.
Please tell us about it if you do and we're here for advice.
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THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
>>>Instructions on HOW TO FORM A NEW DAILY KOS GROUP
NEW GROUPS IN THE PROCESS OF ORGANIZING:
Send a Kosmail to the organizers and ask for an invitation to the group.
• Northern Indiana Area: Kosmail Tim Delaney
• Long Island: Kosmail grannycarol
• Northern Michigan: Kosmail JillS
• Nebraska: Kosmail Nebraska68847Dem
• Westburbia Chicago Kossacks: Kosmail Majordomo
• Caprock Kossacks (Panhandle/Caprock/Lubbock/Amarillo area) : Kosmail shesaid
• West Texas Kossacks (including Big Bend Region and El Paso) : Kosmail Yo Bubba
• Las Vegas Kossacks: Kosmail miracle11
• Vermont Kossacks: Kosmail 4Freedom
Note to the above new leaders: Feel free to leave a comment any day reminding readers about your new group. Also, tell us about your progress in gathering members. Kosmail me when you've chosen a good name for your group and have created a the group. Then I'll move you to the NEW GROUPS LIST. When you've planned a date for your first event I'll make a banner for you to highlight your event in our diaries and your diaries.
These are the groups that have started since * NEW DAY * began. Please Kosmail navajo if you have started a group before that.
NEW GROUPS LIST:
• California Central Valley Kossacks - Formed: Jul 29, 2012, Organizer: tgypsy
• New England Kossacks - Formed: Aug 6, 2012, Organizers:
Clytemnestra for Lower New England (Conneticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island)
nhox42 for Upper New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont)
• Houston Area Kossacks - Formed: Aug 7, 2012, Organizer: Chrislove
• Kossacks in India - Formed: Aug 14, 2012, Organizer: chandu
• CenTex Kossacks - Formed: Sep 9, 2012, Organizer: papa monzano
• Central Ohio Kossacks - Formed: Sep 26, 2012, Organizer: VetGrl
• Kansas City Kossacks - Formed Oct 15, 2012, Organizer: [Founder stepped down]
• Phoenix Kossacks - Formed Oct 16, 2012, Organizer: arizonablue
• Chicago Kossacks - Formed: Oct 31, 2012, Organizer: figbash
• Koscadia the Pacific Northwest coast from Northern California to Alaska
- Formed Oct 17, 2012, Oganizer: Horace Boothroyd III based in Portland, OR
• Boston Kossacks - Formed: Nov 7, 2012, Organizer: GreyHawk
• Motor City Kossacks South East Michigan (Detroit) Area - Formed: Nov 10, 2012, Organizer: peregrine kate
• Pittsburgh Area Kossacks - Formed: Nov 12, 2012, Organizer: dweb8231
• Salt Lake City Kossacks - Formed: Nov 17, 2012, Organizer: War on Error
• Twin Cities Kossacks - Formed: Nov 17, 2012, Organizer: imonlylurking
• Dallas Kossacks North Texas - Formed: Nov 21, 2012, Admins: Catte Nappe and dalfireplug. Please contact them to join the group. An Event Organizer needed.
• The Southern California Inland Empire Kossacks - Formed: Dec 3, 2012, Organizer: SoCaliana
• Los Angeles Kossacks - Formed: Dec 17, 2012, Organizer: Dave in Northridge
• Northeast Ohio Kossacks - Formed: Jan 16, 2013, Organizer: GenXangster
• Kansas & Missouri Kossacks - Formed: Jan 17, 2013, Organizer: tmservo433
• I-77 Carolina Kossacks who live from Columbia, SC to north of Winston-Salem, NC. - Formed: Jan 30, 2013, Organizers: gulfgal98 and eeff
• Indianapolis Kossacks - Formed: Feb 6, 2013, Organizer: CityLightsLover
• Southwest Ohio Kossacks - Formed: May 10, 2013, Organizer: Dr Erich Bloodaxe RN
• Northern Arizona Kossacks - Formed: Jul 5, 2013, Organizer: Sam Sara
• Mexican Kossacks - Formed: Apr 14, 2013, Organizer: roberb7
• New York Hudson Valley Kossacks - Formed: Oct 27, 2012, Organizer: boran2
• North Carolina Triangle Kosmopolitans - Formed: Aug 2, 2013, Organizer: highacidity
• Silicon Valley Kossacks - Formed: Oct 31, 2013, Organizer: Glen The Plumber
ESTABLISHED GROUPS LIST: (List will grow as we discover them)
• SFKossacks Founded by navajo, Formed: May 2, 2005
• Maryland Kos Founded by timmyc, Formed: Feb 23, 2011. Contact: JamieG from Md for a group invite.
• New York City Founded by Eddie C - Contact the group organizer for meet-up events: sidnora
• Baja Arizona Kossacks, Event Organizer: Azazello
• Three Star Kossacks Tennessee, Founded by maryKK, Formed: Apr 8, 2011
• Nashville KosKats, Founded by ZenTrainer Formed: Jan 30, 2012
• Virginia Kos Founded by JamieG from Md, Formed: May 3, 2011
• Kos Georgia Founded by pat208, Formed: Feb 13, 2011
• Colorado COmmunity Founded by Leftcandid, Formed: Feb 13, 2011
• New Mexico Kossaks Founded by claude
• Philly Kos Founded by mconvente Formed: Aug 29, 2011
• DKos Florida Founded by ThirstyGator, Formed: Feb 14, 2011, Currently organizing: Kosmail Vetwife to be included in next event.
• Oklahoma Roundup Founded by BigOkie, Formed: Feb 13, 2011, Currently organizing: Kosmail peacearena to be included.
• DKos Asheville Founded by davehouck, Formed: Feb 13, 2011 - Organizing Assist by: randallt
• San Diego Kossacks Founded by La Gitane, Formed: Nov 18, 2011
• Massachusetts Kosmopolitans Founded by mem from somerville, Formed: Feb 13, 2011
by ColoTim ♥ for COLORADO COMMUNITY
Seven Kossacks from the Denver area got together to enjoy each other's company. Casual conversation included: "...various past elections, various upcoming elections, interactions people have had with elected and/or government officials, discussions of various parts of the Denver metro area, showing some pictures of [ColoTim's] new woozle, past and future gatherings, food and drink and fantasy football."
Good times in Colorado!
L-R: ACPA, ColoTim, whoknu, RockyMtnLib, Leftcandid & Phoenix Rising
Please visit ColoTim's diary for obligatory food shots. Enjoy, there's pie! You can join COLORADO COMMUNITY by sending a Kosmail to ColoTim.
by Dave in Northridge ♥ for Los Angeles Kossacks
Nice turnout for the lastest gathering:
L-R, Front: jakedog42, flowingone, deniserobb, mvanier and son,
San FernandoValleyMom, MugWumpBlues, Dave in Northridge,
susans, joemarkowitz, optimistic pizza.
Rear: Shockwave, Gay CA Democrat, otoelbc, Lisa, Richard (Mr. Lisa)
~Photo Courtesy of SanFernandoValleyMom
Please visit Dave in Northridge's diary for MORE photos! Enjoy! You can join Los Angeles Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to Dave in Northridge.
by CityLightsLover ♥ for Indianapolis Kossacks
CityLightsLover pulled together another Indianapolis Kossack event. This time at a Mexican restaurant complete with her orangey Daily Kos tablescapes and schwag she produced herself.
Here's their group photo:
L-R: maryabein, MKDAWUSS, Tim DeLaney, CityLightsLover, im2004Lurker, Mrs. Mokurai, Furbabies2013, Dragon5616, Mokurai and mithra666
Please visit CityLightsLover's diary for many MORE photos of those Daily Kos tablescapes and food pr0n! Enjoy! You can join Indianapolis Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to CityLightsLover.
by randallt ♥ for DKos Asheville
Asheville, NC gets out the vote!
The following is a brief roundup of the DKos Asheville Voter Registration Project's fifth outing. We've been setting up every Tuesday for the last five weeks at Earth Fare, a natural food store at Westgate Shopping Center in Asheville. We have a nice spot on the patio outside the store. This week with no icy wind and much more moderate temps. Oh it was cold alright, just not stupid cold. Back to having three of us was great. LamontCranston, David and Myself received many thumbs up and "thank you's" from passers by and shoppers and more than a few questions as to why we were doing this now. "Didn't we just have an election?". We officially re-registered one voter and took advantage of the interaction to do some Daily Kos evangelism. And here is a tease for next week. It involves llamas!
LamontCranston, our new Salvation Army bell ringer friend, randallt and davehouck
You can join DKos Asheville by sending a Kosmail to randallt.
by tmservo433 ♥ for Kansas & Missouri Kossacks
Organizer tmservo433
~Photo Courtesy of Michael Bersin
tmservo433 delivered a great event. Almost 30 people attended what tmservo433 calls the first session of the evening that lasted until 11:30 P.M. The second session of the evening included about ten more people lurking outside the door and some working as hotel staff inside the room. So after the meet-up ended, on-lookers from the hall and hotel service people wanted to talk about what they overheard coming out of the ballroom. For example, the round table discussion about the importance of increasing the minimum wage resonated with the waitstaff and they chimed in about that with strong opinons. A ballroom dancing couple applauded the progressive discussion they could hear on the other side of the partition. This event united progressives within its reach!
Please visit tmservo433's diary for written details on this terrific event! You can join Kansas & Missouri Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to tmservo433.
by tmservo433 ♥ for Kansas & Missouri Kossacks
L-R: Some where in this photo are Kossacks Glitterscale, Man Oh Man and tmservo433.
Please visit tmservo433's diary for a description of the rest of the attendees which were mostly non-Kossacks, but folks who should be there, such as, State Legislator John Wright. tmservo433 gathered a great group of Progressives and hopefully we can get a few more of them to join us at DKos. Kudos to tmservo433 for reaching out and uniting like-minded folk in Missouri!
You can join Kansas & Missouri Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to tmservo433.
by navajo ♥ for SFKossacks
L-R: SFKossacks meeting at the home of Andrew McGuire in the Wine Country
You can join the SFKossacks by sending a Kosmail to navajo.
:: Events Currently on the Books for ALL Kossacks ::
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Saturday, December 21st
SFKossacks Holiday Luncheon in the City!
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Limon Rotisserie
524 Valencia Street • San Francisco
Near 16th & Mission BART
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. navajo
2. dharmasyd
3. ceebee7
4. sfbob
5. side pocket
6. Lusty
7. remembrance
8. Glen The Plumber
9. TLO™
10. maggiejean
11. citisven
12.
13.
14.
15.
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Maybees:
Trapper
Mrs. side pocket
PatG
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Sunday, January 12th
NYC Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: Noon
LOCATION: Spitzer's Corner
101 Rivington Street (Ludlow) • NYC
Meet in the back room. This venue is wheelchair accessible.
ORGANIZER: Send sidnora a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. sidnora
2. blue jersey mom
3.
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Maybees:
mconvente
Ian Reifowitz |
Latest diary: Coming In From The Cold: January 12, A NYC Meetup!
Date Moving to January 2014
Connecticut Kossacks Meet-up!
TIME: TBD
LOCATION: The Shamrock Pub & Grill
210 Meadow St. • Waterbury
The Shamrock is a short walk from the MTA Metro North Station. If anyone wants to take Amtrak, thankgodforairamerica can pick you up in Meriden and drive you to the event.
ORGANIZER: Send thankgodforairamerica a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. thankgodforairamerica
2. gchaucer2
3.
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Maybees:
annieli
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Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Sunday, January 26th
SFKossacks Welcome matching mole to San Francisco!
TIME: TBD, daytime car trip to the Delta for birding with lineatus
LOCATION: Grizzly Island Wildlife Area
2548 Grizzly Island Road • Suisun City
lineatus will have a spotting scope and a few spare pairs of binoculars, so novices can have something to use.
ORGANIZER: Send lineatus a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. lineatus
2. matching mole
3. navajo
4. tgypsy
5.
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Maybees: |
TIME: TBD, evening event for city folk and to celebrate dharmasyd's and kimoconnor's birthdays!
LOCATION: TBD
[Address] • [City]
ORGANIZER: Send lineatus a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. lineatus
2. matching mole
3. navajo
4. dharmasyd
5. side pocket
6. norm
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Send navajo a kosmail if you post a diary about an event so we can update our round-up.
Okay. Floor's open.
Tell us what you are doing on this NEW DAY?