DC Tea Party news March 28, 2009
I had a great meeting with the parks dept people Wednesday morning, and got all kinds of info and rules from them for use of the park. As soon as I can state exactly what equipment will be coming to the park- stage, sound system, back up generator- and the name of the company providing them my contact there will fax me the permit and we are in!
Update to the days schedule (expanded version from the one posted on the Facebook page)
0600- Equipment drop off at Lafayette Park.
0900-Park police inspection of all equipment; stage, sound system, etc
0930-1000-set up stage and sound system
1000 People start to gather at Lafayette Park
1100-beginning of program at Lafayette Park
Welcome
Presentation of the colors
Pledge of allegiance
National anthem and other patriotic music by the Freedom Quartet
Scheduled speakers
Open mic to the public, for up to five minute segments. Reply to this letter to be added to the speaker list
1200-1330-move across the street to Treasury Building and listen to the guest speakers there
1330-1430- back to the park for more speakers at Lafayette (one radio host can't make it till 1330)
Sign parade across the stage
Open mic to the public for 5 minute or less segments
Closing remarks and thank you's
1430-1455- pack up equipment and stage because we can't block H street after 3 pm as per DC Metro
1500-1600- site pick up and after event chatting.
Park rules everyone needs to know
With the exception of the stage, there are to be no other structures put up on park ground. This includes pop up sunshades, tables and even lawn chairs.
No helium balloons (bad for the animals they said)
No glass containers
Do not leave any packages, backpacks, etc unattended. We are right across from the White House, and security gets nervous about mystery parcels that close to it.
Help needed!
I will need 20-30 volunteers to be our marshals and work security in the park, the idea being 1 marshal for every 100 people.
Kevin Murphy has volunteered his sound system (thanks Kevin!) but needs a couple of extra heavy duty batteries to power it. We have permission to use the parks power outlet…but it doesn't always work, so a backup set of batteries or a generator is needed. Anyone have a small spare generator we can borrow?
We also need cable troughs/guards for running the cable from the center of the park where the plug is to the east side of the park where the stage will be.
Frank Smallwood has a good lead on a stage (yay Frank!) which we can rent, but if you also know of where we can get one for a reasonable price or FREE that we can keep in mind as a backup, please let me know.
A truck large enough to haul the stage pieces-around the size of a small UHaul, which can move 4 by 8 foot pieces and their supports.
Set up and tear down crews- if you can be there for either putting up the stage or taking it down and moving it to the truck, I need you.
Are you certified as an EMT/CPR/First Aid person? Would you like to be our on site emergency first aide coordinator? Hopefully we won't need you, but it is good to have such people available just in case!
Clean-up crew leader and clean up crew- One coordinator and 10-20 folks to check that the park is left neat when we go. We want the parks people to want us back again some day!
I found a place to get baseball caps for a low price, with no logo on them for all security marshals and other workers at the event. I will find a way to get a good logo on them if I have to paint them myself before hand. If you know of a group who would like to donate such caps (we will need around 50) my wallet will thank you.
Things I would love to see
For the presentation of the colors, either a group dressed in revolutionary war style costumes, or a Boy or Girl Scout troop, or a Veterans group.
Someone to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, and perhaps a home schoolers group to read the Preamble to the Constitution for us.
Lots of signs! I want to have all the people with signs get a chance to line up across the stage for photos. Want to say something to the crowd? Let me know and I will put your name on the list; please keep it under 5 minutes. This is a very 'We the People" event, and I want to give as many folks as possible a chance to be heard.
Things are really getting going now- there are over THREE HUNDRED Tea Parties scheduled now across the country for the 15th of April. Let Freedom RING!
JoAnn
