Good news! Rootscamp is back!!!

I was starting to wonder if there was going to be a Rootscamp this year, an annual get-together organized by Progress Ohio that brings together progressive activists, organizers, volunteers, bloggers, officeholders, and candidates from all across the state. I've been to every one — I think it's been five now — and really love getting to meet and talk to people from other parts of the state, gaining perspective on how things look from Wood County or Warren County that I would never see up here in Cuyahoga.

The last Rootscamp was immediately after the November 2010 election, not the happiest of occasions. The next one will be Saturday, February 25. Like the last two, it's being held at Ohio Civil Service Employees Association in Westerville (Oh gosh — know who else lives in Westerville? Our gov! Maybe we can all go visit him). That's turned out to be the most comfortable place for the event, with meeting rooms in proximity around a spacious central hall.

Rootscamp has an informal, attendee-driven format. There's a big board in the hall with all the time slots and meeting rooms on it, and anyone can write in a topic for a discussion they'd like to lead. Get there early to grab your favored slot. Topics range from nuts-and-bolts things like how to do social networking for a campaign to more theoretical things like how to respond to the religious right. Members of groups like the Ohio Democratic Women's Caucus do forums introducing people to what they do, and there are usually forums about topics like Planned Parenthood, hunger, the peace movement, and election integrity. Last year, I co-led a discussion on how to get our message out in the face of a media far friendlier to the right. This year, I expect people will be eager to talk about Occupy.

Rootscamp is an all-day event, kicking off at 9:30 a.m. (registration starts at 8:30). It is free and includes lunch, in case John Kasich didn't invite you over to his house for lunch.

Here's the link to register:

http://www.progressohio.org/blog/2012/01/rootscamp-ohio-is-back-get-your...

Hope to see you there!