[zenspearo]

Speaking Points:

The Watermen's Alliance crew has been working their hineys off. Speaking points are ready for everyone in the fishing community if they need it.

If you don't have a speaking point, come up to the Watermen's Alliance table and get one. Some friendly faces will be at the table.

Ceding Time/Needing time:

This aspect needs some explanation for you newbies. The Commission gives everyone a tiny amount of time based on how many public members show up. To get that time, you must fill out a time card.

There are two ways you can use a time card: To speak, or to cede time (not both).

If you want to speak and only need the tiny amount of time given to you (think one minute or two at most), then you are set.

If you want to speak and need MORE than the tiny amount of time given to you, you will need ceded time cards from others who don't speak. Come up to the WA table and get hooked up with ceded time cards.

If you don't want to speak and want to cede time cards to fishing-friendly speaker, come to the WA table, give us your time card (thank you thank you!) and your cell phone #. The speaker assigned your time card will call you and make sure each team of speaker/ceded persons is together when it's time for the speaker to speak. In some meetings, they require this so be ready to get together with your speaker to make your ceded time card count.

Three possible options. It's that simple.

General Note:

We will try something new this meeting. We will ask all ceding persons for their cell phone #s (provided on a post-it note). We will staple the post-it note to your ceding time card. The speaker given your time card will tear off the post-it note and use it to coordinate with you via the cell phone # you provided.

If you really really really want to give your time card to a particular person, then let us know but it is really hard since people wander around and we have only a small time window to coordinate hundreds of speaking cards with dozens of speakers. Pairing a particular ceding time card with a particular speaker is time consuming.

Trust us that we only dole out time cards to fishing friendly speakers.

The fishing-friendly speaker who got your ceding time card will call you on your cell to gather up all the people who ceded time to him/her. That way, when the Commission calls that speaker, all the people ceding time will know who your speaker is, and can raise their hands to support that speaker if the Commission asks (in the past, a ceding time card only counts if the person ceding time raise his hand as present at the meeting at the time his speaker comes up to speak).

Pizza, T-shirt, drinks, etc. Come to WA table. We have it set up. We'll hook you up.

Be civil, polite, and speak with reason or at least tempered and reasoned passion. Don't rant. The other side WILL truck in students. You can expect massive pro-closure turn-out as they are trying for last-minute enlargement of many areas. Many of the students have no idea why they are there except it's a freebie school trip. We think it's sleazy but be mindful that children are present. If we come across as intimidating belligerent rants, the Commissioners sympathy won't be with us for long.