CoCaCoP (Colorado Caucus Community of Practice)

Decided to operate as sole proprietorship to simplify operations. I'm going to finance this through non-voting memberships. Setting up checking account today or tomorrow to deposit the checks that are starting to come in from the donated ad in the Statesman Newspaper at last weekends Democratic State Convention; the publisher, Jody Strogoff, has been very, very helpful in this effort.

I'm also talking with David Fogel and some others about setting up a separate 501C-something non-profit corporation to raise money for advertising and promoting the 2006 Colorado caucus. But that will be separate from this educational activity.

Very busy week. Opened a new office at 1600 Broadway near the state capitol. Met with my District Captians and discussed what needs to be done. They agreed to have caucus for this neighborhood in a local place here in the precinct if I could find one. Charlie Brown's agreed to let us use their non-smoking area, should work fine.

CoCaCoP Downtown Denver 2nd Wednesday Group met Wednesday. Very good meeting. Phil Perrington spoke, gave us a lot of very good information. Vickie won the award for doing the most since the last meeting. She's invited neighbors over to here house to help them understand how the caucus system works, and volunteered to serve as precinct committee person. We had 11 people attending for the first time, this is really a great group. We will next meet the 2nd Wednesday in February, 6:30 p.m., Panera Bread Cafe here in Denver. Several people are in the process of starting new groups. We should get some very rapid growth after the Caucus Conference January 26.

Idea came up for having a conference on the caucus the afternoon of the League of Women Voters Legislative conference. I met with my Buffalo LWV unit, the Denver LWV board, and it's going to happen. Theresa Jones from Denver LWV agreed to MC. Sent out this news release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 15, 2004
Contact: John Wren (720)495-4949 or JohnSWren@aol.com

NEW CONFERENCE TO STRENGTHEN NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS.

The new Colorado Neighborhood Caucus Conference will be held Monday, January 26th from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Colorado State Capitol, Senate Committee Room 356. The Colorado LWV Legislative Conference is that morning. The new Caucus Conference is free and open to all. Contact (303)861-1447 or JohnSWren@aol.com

Announcing the new event, founder John Wren said, “The defeat of Amendment 29 in the fall of 2002 gave our wonderful neighborhood caucus-assembly system a reprieve. This event will generate an increased level of interest and participation. It may take a couple of election cycles, but we believe we can help revitalize the Colorado grassroots.”

MC for the event will be Theresa Jones, Voter Service Co-Chair, Denver League of Women Voters. Theresa has been a member of the LWV for over 10 years.

Speakers will include: Julie DeWoody, Colorado Democratic Party, Interim Executive Director; David E. Wardrop, Colorado Republicans, Executive Director; Mike Nelligan, Denver Republicans, Chair; Sharron Klein, third term Chair, Denver Democrats; Jo Anne Gray, former Republican National Committee Person; and Frank Sullivan, Denver Democratic Captain.

Speakers will each give their perspective on the current health of caucus system and what needs to be done to restore it to full strength. After their brief statements there will be questions and answers. Written questions submitted in advance will be given preference. Submit questions to: John Wren, 1600 Broadway, Suite 2400, Denver, CO 80202-4921 or JohnSWren@aol.com or at the event.

###

John Wren is a social entrepreneur and businessman. He was one of the founders of the Rocky Mountain Direct Marketing Association (RMDMA), the IDEA Café, and Save the Caucus which defeated Amendment 29. He is former president of the University of Denver Graduate Student Association, Colorado College Republicans, Denver City Club, and the RMDMA. Wren is a business consultant, and he organizes and facilitates adult learning groups. He is a member of the League of Women Voters (“We’re not just for women.”)

The Colorado caucus-assembly system was created by the Colorado legislature in 1912 as part of the Teddy Roosevelt era reforms that were sweeping the country at that time. The Colorado League of Women Voters says the neighborhood caucus is where the ordinary citizen can have the most influence. (see http://www.members.aol.com/lwvco)

The Colorado Caucus Community of Practice (CoCaCoP) was recently started by Wren (www.orgsites.com/co/cocaucus) to help restore the Colorado caucus-assembly system to full strength for its 100th anniversary in 2012, and to maximize informed participation at the next caucus April 13, 2004.

Emailed out to media contacts and others, then took printed copy around to newspapers. May not get much pre-event coverage, but this may help get better coverage of the event itself.


Posted the event on Black-Tie, where I plan on doing ticketing for the teleconference followup to this event.

Sent our email asking who'd like to stay on email list, who might be able to attend a breakfast meeting to announce plans for CoCaCop next Wednesday.

Last Sunday, December 28th, we had neighborhood meeting. Very small turnout, but heard from others who said they'd come next time. Won't really know if this is a good idea for another time or two.

Just not getting into gear organizing my own precinct. Am I just a hypocrite, not willing to do the work I'm asking of others. Cold day today. Need to write column for community newspapers today or tomorrow. This is what I wrote after seeing the play Oklahoma!, the title song of which I think could be made the fight song for the caucus:

OK Christmas Lessons and Carols for CO.
The DCPA’s gift under the Denver Christmas tree is the very enjoyable and moving new production of OKLAHOMA! I left the show whistling, looking forward to the work that is needed to make the Colorado caucus next spring a success.
This new show at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts is the national touring debut of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s landmark musical that changed the American musical forever. It will play a limited engagement here through January 3.
First performed in New York City in 1943 and running a record 5 years, there are now about 600 productions of OKLAHOMA! across the nation each year! We don’t get tired of hearing Oklahoma, Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’, Surrey with the Fringe on Top, and People Will Say We’re in Love performed again and again.
OKLAHOMA! was the first Broadway musical commemorated with a U.S. postage stamp and a recent survey by New York’s Drama League deemed it “the Best Musical of the Century.”
What’s the big appeal?
First, of course, the show is a lot of fun. If you can, treat yourself to this fabulous new production at the DCPA’s Buell Theatre. Or check out the DVD or video. There was a recent production from PBS, see http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/shows/oklahoma/multimedia/index.html
But one way or another, if you’re interested in Colorado politics, see this show.
A line of Aunt Eller’s in the song "The Farmer and the Cowman" is at the very core of the play’s strong message "I don’t say I’m no better than anybody else/But I’m damned if I ain’t just as good."
Farmers and ranchers, men and women, we are each no better than anybody else, but we are each just as good as the other person.
Liberals and conservatives, Republicans and Democrats, hunters and gatherers, tune-smiths and text-writers, sales people and accountants, we are each made in the image and likeness of our creator. We need each other.
Benjamin Franklin and the other founding fathers knew this. That’s why they launched our Republic, trusting the power to the people.
This understanding eventually led to the creation of our wonderful caucus system, the full flowering of our Republic here in Colorado in 1912.
The dance scene in the Second Act of OKLAHOMA! is the perfect image for the Colorado caucus. Rough and tumble, but eventually everyone pulls together. Except for Jud.
The hired hand Jud shows us what happens when selfishness and self-centeredness leads to isolation and alienation. Is this what is happening today with the shrill voices of the extreme right and left? Is Rush Limbaugh today’s Jud, self-destructing in front of the entire nation? Time will tell.
The title song from OKLAHOMA! became the official song for the State of Oklahoma in 1953. Maybe it should be the official theme song for the Colorado neighborhood caucus between now and our next statewide meeting April 13.
I’ll have sheet music at our next Colorado Caucus Community of Practice meeting on January 14th. It will be OK if you just hum along!

Single tickets for OKLAHOMA!, ranging from $10-68, are available through Denver Center Ticket Services at (303)893-4100 or TicketsWest at (866)464-2626. Groups of 20 or more, call (303)446-4829. Tickets may also be purchased at the Denver Center Ticket Office, located at 14th and Curtis Streets. TicketsWest outlets are located in all King Soopers stores. Tickets are available on-line at www.denvercenter.org, along with some very interesting information about this and other DCPA shows.

John Wren is the founder of the Colorado Caucus Community of Practice (CoCaCop), adult learning groups with the mission of maximizing informed participation in the Colorado caucus-assembly, the statewide neighborhood meetings that are held every two years to nominate candidates to the primary ballot. A model meeting is held the 2nd Wednesday of each month at Panera Bread Café, 1350 Grant Street from 6:30 to 8 p.m. For more information or help in starting a CoCaCop group in your neighborhood, see www.orgsites.com/co/cocaucus or contact Wren at (303)861-1447 or JohnSWren@aol.com.

I just sent out Thanksgiving thank-you note to people who have been helping work towards a good caucus next April 13th.

Hope we have a good turn out at our next meeting, Wednesday, December 10th at Panera, 1350 Grant Street here in Denver.

I hope to have found block workers for my precinct (Denver 534), although the Election Commision deciding to reprecinct makes this a much more difficult job.

I wrote this for the Herald Dispatch that came out today, and I hope other papers will pick it up:

Got Caucus?
Between now and next April 13th, a handful of us are going to try and help a few thousand people learn how to fully participate in the Colorado political system.
For those of you who haven’t been paying attention here for the past few weeks, in Colorado we have a wonderful system for nominating to the primary ballot through a neighborhood caucus system.
By Colorado State law, the state is divided into 3000 neighborhoods where on the 2nd Tuesday of each even numbered years neighbors come together to discuss and decide on candidates and issues.
Most who have gone to these little neighborhood meetings love the system. A man who recently moved here told me, “the Colordo caucus system is fantastic, much better than the petition system we had back in California.”
But most people have never been to a caucus for the simple reason they don’t know how it works.
We are going to try and correct that problem.
The Colorado Caucus Community of Practice has been launched, you can see our website at www.orgsites.com/co/cocaucus.
We’ve started a model adult self-directed learning group that will be the template for similar groups around the state. Each group will be independent and self-supporting.
What’s a community of practice? The recent book Cultivating Communities of Practice published by Harvard Business School Press puts it this way, “Communities of Practice are groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis.” See www.cultivatingcommunities.com
The shared concern for the community we are building is the importance of grassroots participation in our political system, people with a passion for representative democracy.
Free, open monthly meetings will be held around the state. These will be adult self-directed learning groups, designed to address five assumptions about how adults learn:
1. As a person matures, his or her self-concept moves from that of a dependent personality toward one of a self-directing human being.
2. An adult accumulates a growing reservoir of experience, which is a rich resource for learning.
3. The readiness of an adult to learn is closely related to the developmental tasks of his or her social role.
4. There is a change in time perspective as people mature—from future application of knowledge to immediacy of application. Thus an adult is more problem centered than subject centered in learning.
5. Adults are motivated to learn by internal factors rather than external ones.
Malcolm Knowles called learning activities based on these assumptions androgaogy, meaning “the art and science of helping adults learn.”
We will adopt bylaws for the group at our business meeting prior to the next model learning group meeting December 10. We hope to have a board of adviors consisting of people who are willing to lead a learning group. We may incorporate if and when it becomes necessary to raise money. Our finances, and all business meetings, will always be kept open to the public.
The bylaws and the format for our model meeting are intended to be a template for other groups around the state. We hope to help form groups in each major county between now and next spring, so as many people as possible can learn about our wonderful Colorado neighborhood caucus system. If you’d like more information, please contact me at the address below. I’ll send you an updated list of meetings, and a free copy of my little booklet, “April 12, 2003: How you can participate in Colorado’s Next Statewide Neighborhood Meetings.”

John Wren learned about the Colorado neighborhood caucus system from his neighbors: Lyle Lindesmith, one of the key people in Colorado Governor John Love’s political career; and Jo Anne Gray, former national committee person and long time precinct committee person. Wren help Lindesmith present the last session of his “Action Class in Practical Politics” which had helped hundreds of people to become informed participants in their precinct caucus in the ‘60s and early ‘70s. Previously, in graduate business school at the University of Denver, Wren served as State Chair while Karl Rove was National Chair of College Republicans. Wren was President of the Graduate Student Association at DU, President of the Denver City Club and the founding President of the Rocky Mountain Direct Marketing Association. He now organizes and facilitates IDEA Café/ Franklin Circle adult learning groups and he does business consulting. In addition, he recently started Community Press Service to provide public relations and marketing for community newspapers. He is a member of the League of Women Voters (“We’re not just for women anymore!”). Contact him at 960 Grant St. #727, Denver, CO 80203, (720)495-4949 or JohnSWren@aol.com.

Wrote this last week for my Colorado Common Caucus Report, revision of the piece I wrote for the Colorado Statesman last December:

You are invited!
Tuesday, April 13, 2004 is the day Colorado will next hold state-wide neighborhood meetings for the purpose of getting candidates onto the primary ballot.
Are you planning on attending? If not, why not?
Maybe you are new to Colorado, or for some other reason just haven’t been active in politics in the past. Maybe you’ve gone to your local neighborhood meeting (caucus) in the last few years and were discouraged by the cold reception you got. Colorado needs your help.
Here is a list of 10 things the average citizen can do between now and next April 13 to make sure our wonderful system survives for our children and grandchildren:
1. Learn. Talk with the reference librarian at your local library. Make a list of resources about how the unique Colorado caucus system works: reference books, magazine articles, phone numbers, and websites. Check out all the good information at the Colorado Secretary of State Website www.sos.state.co.us.
Encourage your library to conduct workshops and invite speakers about the caucus system. Do the same thing with your service club or any other group you belong to that invites speakers. Invite your local party leaders to speak, or contact me at the address below for a list of possible speakers. (Also contact me if you’d like to be on the list).
Consider participation in the new Colorado Caucus Community of Practice that some of us are forming. To attend our next monthly meeting November 12, get the details on our new website at www.orgsites.com/co/cocaucus, or contact me at the address below.
2. Affiliate. If you haven’t already done so, decide which political party best reflects your personal philosophy. Only by affiliating do you get to vote at the caucus and attend nominating conventions as a delegate.
Again, a good resource is your local library. Do an internet search, check out the national, state, and local websites of political parties.
Make a list of the elected officials who represent you. Contact someone from each party, ask how he or she decided which party to join. Ask your friends and relatives about their political affiliation. Then when you call your county clerk (below) ask what you need to do to get affiliated with the party of your choice.
3. Take Names. Call your county clerk, find out who your precinct committee people are. For a list of county clerks, see http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/countyclerk.html
4. Volunteer. Contact your precinct committee people. If they are open, get together with them right away, and give them your support. If they are unfriendly and brush you off, start talking with your neighbors about what needs to be done. These unfriendly blowhards probably have just about blown out the caucus for your party in your neighborhood and need to be replaced.
If there are no precinct committee people for your neighborhood, and this is often the case, call the state headquarters for your party and volunteer to do the job yourself. You can reach the Dems at 303-623-4762 or www.coloradodems.org; the Repubs at (303) 758-3333 / (800) 236-3769 or www.cologop.org.
5. Write. Using the information you’ve gathered, write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper and in your own words encourage people to learn more about the Colorado caucus system.
Mention www.orgsites.com/co/cocaucus, and all the other useful resources you are able to identify. Keep writing letters as you learn more between now and the next caucus. Even if most of your letters don’t get published, they will help keep newspapers focused on this important issue. More newspaper stories about the Colorado caucus will result in more TV and radio coverage.
6. Call. Contact your district and county party leadership. Ask them the key question: Do they support and encourage open primaries where there is no incumbent (current party office holder)?
It is absolutely clear that open primaries result in winning candidates. Volunteer to help party leaders who support open primaries where there is no incumbent, avoid the rest.
7. Find a political mentor. Best is an older person who has been active in the past who now wants to pass along his or her practical wisdom.
How to find the right person? Go to older people in your neighborhood, ask them if they have ever been active in politics. If they have not, ask who they know in the neighborhood who has been. Ask older people where you work, at your church, synagogue,temple, or at local nursing homes.
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. But you may have to make a few phone calls.
8. Form a group. Get together frequently with others interested in Colorado politics. Meet to exchange ideas, and to offer each other encouragement and support. I’ve benefited from this kind of group since I met one of my political mentors, Lyle Lindesmith, in the early ‘70s, and they have been a big help to me.
Consider joining or starting a Franklin Circle, see www.orgsites.com/co/poorrichard. These are closed, confidential adult-learning groups with similar learning objective modeled after the group Ben Franklin and his friends started in 1727.
9. Report. Those also serve who only wait and watch. Even if you don’t want to become an activist as outlined above, you can still be a big help in strengthening your neighborhood caucus. Observe what has been happening in your neighborhood with your caucus, then pass the information along to the political reporters at your local newspapers. It is especially important to recognize your neighbors who have been doing a good job contacting you and trying to be inclusive. Encourage your local papers to write stories about these people, holding up good examples for us all between now and the next caucus in 2004.
10. Remember! Put April 13 on your refrigerator! Mark you calendars. Ask your church, service club, and other groups to put the date in their newsletters.
Devoting just an hour or two a week to these things between now and the next caucus could make a world of difference in your neighborhood. Light your candle, help Colorado shine!
Reprint this article, pass out copies to your friends, neighbors, and business associates. Your help, and their’s, can make a big difference!

Despite having virtually no money to spend, John Wren helped lead the successful opposition to a well-funded Amendment 29, which would have abolished Colorado’s caucus system.
Rocky Mountain News Editorial
November 17, 2002
John Wren helps people who are starting a new business, project, or campaign by developing practical grassroots marketing campaigns through his Community Press Service. He also leads a free IDEA Café Startup Workshop each Friday (except holidays) from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Panera Bread, 1350 Grant Street, Denver. In addition, Wren organizes and facilitates Franklin Circles adult learning groups. He is founder of the new Colorado Caucus Communtiy of Practice that is working to maximize the informed participation in the next Colorado neighborhood caucuses. Contact him at (303)861-1447, JohnSWren@aol.com, or John Wren, 960 Grant St. #727, Denver, CO 80203.

My problem: I need to get busy here in my own precinct!

I finally got the minutes Mary prepared last week at the first meeting of the Colorado Caucus Community of Practice posted to the website just now.

Meeting Monday with Sharron Klein, Jo Anne Gray, Mike Nelligan and David Fogel at Poppies on Monday went very well.

Sharron (then and present Denver Dems chair) and Jo Anne (former RNC National Committee Woman) were the prime movers in getting the Save the Caucus Committee formed and moving in the fall of 2002 which has given the caucus system a reprieve. Mike Nelligan is Denver GOP chair, and David is past Denver Dem chair.

Everyone agreed it would be a good thing to encourage the group to keep going forward. Sharron felt that it was very important that the group focus on one project like printing and distributing a brochure, and then do it very well. She and Mike agreed to give a presentation about how the caucus system works at our next meeting. David seemed open to taking a leadership role with the group.

Gabe Schwartz, my precinct co-committee person is very open to documenting our efforts here in Denver 534 between now and next fall. We are going to plot our strategy at the District 5 meeting tomorrow, I'll try and post a report here after the meeting.

Sent this email to my co-chair for precinct:

Hi Gabe, take a look at www.orgsites.com/co/cocaucus. Then click link to John Wren's Blog. I shouhave talked with you about this a couple of months ago, but not too late to NOT focus on our precinct if you'd preferI not.

Going public could make 534 feel a little bit like a reality TV show,
could be a lot of fun, and I'll be we could really drive up the Republican vote. Let's you and I do that whether we record what's done on the Blog or not, ok?

After you've take a look at this, give me a call and let's talk further.

I sent this email out last night:

October 8, 2003

The organization meeting for the Colorado Caucus Community of Practice was held tonight at Panera Bread Cafe, 1350 Grant Street. The purpose of the group is to increase informed participation in the Colorado statewide neighborhood meetings that will next be held April 13, 2004.

23 people attended, including a county party chair, president of a campus political organization, volunteer for a Presidential campaign, and the owner of a software company for political campaigns. It was a very diverse and enthusiastic group.

It was decided that we will meet next November 12, 6:30 p.m. again at Panera Bread Cafe, 1350 Grant Street in Denver. The purpose of the meeting will be to adopt bylaws, elect officers, and decide on a plan of action. Everyone who attends will be asked to report on interviews with the precienct committee people in their neighborhood.

Those who attended will be emailed minutes of the meeting in the next day or so. If you did not attend and would like to have a copy of the minutes return this email with Caucus Minutes in the message. Please also indicate if you will be able to attend our next meeting November 12.