RRVDSA New Member Handbook

Welcome to Democratic Socialists of America, Red River Valley! 

This page was created for new and prospective members to learn more about our chapter, our current campaigns, and how to get involved. 

Join us as we build community, working-class strength, and create a more equitable and just society for all. 

Who are we?

Red River Valley DSA is a local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, currently the largest socialist organization in the United States. We seek to build local support for socialist policies that benefit the working class while building cultural changes that can go beyond our region. We believe in expanding democracy, building worker agency, and fighting all forms of oppression and discrimination including racism, sexism, patriarchy, white supremacy, transphobia, and homophobia. We believe a better, more equitable North Dakota and Minnesota are possible with local organizing and actively pushing for thoughtful change in our communities. 

Through organizing, we can build change. We need you (and your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors) to pitch in, show up, and grow a new world into being. There is no time to lose and everything to win. 

RRVDSA is located in the Red River Valley of Minnesota and North Dakota which includes Fargo/Moorhead, Grand Forks/East Grand Forks, and the surrounding areas. RRVDSA is currently the only active chapter in the state of North Dakota. All of our chapter’s members are volunteers. We are workers, students, retirees, unemployed people, artists, and others. We are various ages, races, and genders. We have diverse backgrounds, interests, and skills. We engage and contribute our time and labor each as we are able. Some of us are veteran activists while others are just beginning, but we all share a vision of a just and equitable society. 

Join us as we organize across the Red River Valley (and beyond!) to achieve that vision! 

How do I get started?

The principal goal of DSA is the complete elimination of capitalist modes of economic organization and all interrelated forms of oppression. Members typically believe that capitalism is inseparable from racism, misogyny, ableism, anti-LGBTQ+ violence, classism, and the myriad of intersecting forms of oppression we experience and witness on a daily basis. Democratic socialists believe our economy and society should exist not to make profits for a few, but to meet human needs and foster true equality. Learn more about National DSA priorities here.

You do not have to be a member to join us at chapter events. Take a look at our calendar for upcoming events.

• Contact membership@rrvdsa.org for the next New Member Orientation! NMO consists of:

  • Social media policy, to lay out guidelines we all adhere to in order for each member to keep themself, and the rest of us, as safe online as is currently possible.

  • Signal sign-up and explanation of codes of conduct across signal channels. Because we use Signal to coordinate working groups, branches, and other sub-committees, as well as to communicate as a full chapter between monthly Regular Meetings, this is an important way to connect with fellow members and stay aware of the goings-on. 

  • A “DSA-101” session to learn about the priorities of the Democratic Socialists of America and the role that each member plays both at the chapter-level and within the national organization.

  • A chance for us to get to know and vet new people.

• Start asking questions in Signal chat, reach out to your GC at gc@rrvdsa.org, or ask questions of the Membership committee at membership@rrvdsa.org.

• Join a Working Group you are interested in!

• Officially join by visiting National DSA and choosing RRVDSA as your chapter!

  • A note on dues: DSA is entirely member funded. This means we are accountable to members, but that sometimes we must raise additional funds for special projects. In our highly capitalistic country, we appreciate every dollar from memberships, special fundraising, or bequests. ALL MONTHLY dues payment strategies will provide a portion of your monthly dues payment to our local RRVDSA chapter, enabling us to more effectively do our work. 

What activities can I get involved in?

We believe that fundamental change comes only when people rise up together to demand it. We use a variety of strategies and tactics to build political and social power, defend human rights in our communities, and improve the lives of working people right here in the Red River Valley, both in Minnesota and North Dakota. 

Our work includes but is not limited to supporting local labor organizations, supporting electoral and legislative campaigns, hosting public political education events (including a radical reading group and other outreach events), supporting regional mutual aid efforts, free distributions of pet safe ice melt and other winter gear, and other direct action. 

Whether you have one hour to give, or twenty!, we always need your help. Ongoing chapter work includes and is not limited to: printing, cutting, and assembling zines; designing pamphlets and buttons; printing and pressing buttons and other outreach materials; canvassing or phone banking on campaigns we are supporting; distributing event flyers; editing emails to drive attendance at meetings and events; hosting member 101 events; planning social events for the chapter; leading a book group discussion or film panel; attending the monthly Regular Meeting to weigh in on full chapter issues; serving as a notetaker, stacktaker, or facilitator for any meeting. 

Join Red River Valley DSA in creating board solidarity and making your community stronger, kinder, and more equitable for today and tomorrow. We cannot do it without your help, and no one can do this work alone. DSA is 100% member led, funded, and organized. Ask your friends to go to dsausa.org/join and become a member, and/or invite them to an event. 

How do I learn more about Socialism?

Check our calendar for the next political education event hosted by the chapter. While events posted here are designed to engage the public with socialist values and other local and national organizing priorities, those events are also an excellent opportunity for current and prospective members to deepen their own political education.

In addition, DSA national offers frequent webinars, training, and other educational opportunities to advance the political education of members, which RRVDSA encourages all members to get involved with. We know that new and long-time members of RRVDSA will become stronger organizers as they continue to learn. 

Another opportunity to get involved with DSA National is to join any of the national committees, working groups, or campaigns. These organizations within DSA offer members from all chapters to engage with one another regardless of their geography. Each group represents another opportunity to learn more political tactics and grow organizing know-how, as well as to advance the national platform of DSA.

What can members do and how is RRVDSA structured?

All RRVDSA actions, education programs, and events are member-funded and member-led. DSA is a great space to learn new ideas and skills. You don’t need previous experience organizing or in politics. And you’ll be surprised by how much you already know from living under capitalism. We all know the stress of rising rents, the fear of an expensive medical bill, the feeling of alienation at work. We’ve all seen what racism, patriarchy, and imperialism at home and abroad has done to our communities. We need all kinds of skills in our movement. We need people to read, write, teach, analyze, debate, carpool, make calls, take to the streets, provide child watch, bring snacks, make banners, design spreadsheets and everything in between. All that’s necessary is a willingness to show up and work democratically. One of the most powerful parts of organizing with DSA is that you aren’t working for your boss or volunteering for a distant politician who will never know your name. The work we do is for others and for ourselves. 

We build our communities, economy, and society together. So come join us! Do something! 

• What members can do

  • Every single dues-paying member of RRVDSA makes up our general membership. As a democratic organization, our general membership’s vote is the highest authority in RRVDSA. We meet once a month for Regular Meetings, as well as once annually for our chapter General Meeting.

  • Add things to the agenda of a Regular Meeting by directly contacting GC or (when appropriate) sending it to a working group. 

  • Speak up during meetings. We use parliamentary procedure, which will be covered later in this document, because we know that we make better decisions as a chapter when our members take the responsibility of working together to share information and help one another determine the best course of action. When the meeting chair calls for speakers for or against a motion, or when other business is being discussed, participate! (Just remember to get on stack, wait for the chair of the meeting to recognize you, and, while you have the floor, keep your speech focused on moving business forward.)

  • Volunteer to advance the work of RRVDSA by taking on responsibilities and providing service to our various committees and working groups. 

  • Vote on chapter business at the monthly Regular Meeting. Items likely to come to a vote include: bylaw amendments, working group creation, elections for GC or other roles, budget drafts, or various chapter actions.

  • Support other members! Frequently in DSA, we all have our own, often strong, views. And our individual perspectives and wills make the organization stronger. At the same time, participating in DSA asks us to support the collective will of our chapter in order to advance the goals of the collective.

  • Reach out to ask questions!

• Who the Governance Committee (GC) are

  • In order to further our movement and our shared vision for a better future, DSA National requires every recognized chapter to have democratically-elected chapter officers. These chapter officers serve as administrators of the chapter, have access to and training on organizing tools and tech we use to organize ourselves effectively, and complete mandatory reporting to the national organization on our activities, campaigns, and needs. In RRVDSA, we call our chapter’s officers the Governance Committee. 

  • Need to contact a GC member? Email gc@rrvdsa.org 

• Harassment and Grievance Officers (HGOs). 

  • Harassment and grievance officers help make sure that everyone is able to organize without fear of harassment, abuse, or harm. They are not members of the GC, and they don’t hold any other elected position in the chapter. In their position, they process all complaints or grievances filed by members of the local chapter and help resolve and mediate conflicts as needed.

  • One HGO is always from the GGF branch and one HGO is always from the FM branch, but either can be contacted about chapter issues.

  • Need to contact HGOs? Email hgo@rrvdsa.org or file their anonymous grievance form.

• What Working Groups can do

  • A Working Group is a Committee that has sought formal recognition from the chapter to extend its work beyond a short-term basis and form a permanent or semi-permanent structure within RRVDSA to focus on a particular area of interest. Working Groups do most of the planning for the branches and the chapter. Working Groups are created by the chapter to tackle long-term issues or temporary working groups may be created for an event, campaign, or other short-term project.

  • Working Groups meet as frequently as needed, but generally at least once per month. These groups create their own agendas, goals, plans, and action plans. Then, they provide a brief report to the full chapter on their goals, progress toward their goals, roadblocks, budgetary requests, and updates on completed actions at each monthly Regular Meeting. Generally, the notetaker from the previous working group meeting will complete the report, and link that working group’s most recent meeting minutes to the agenda of each monthly Regular Meeting. 

  • Meeting times can be found on our calendar. 

  • Working Groups lead most of the action of the chapter. Join us! Working Groups are listed on this page (under construction).

• What is a “branch”? Is that the same as a “Chapter”?

  • A Chapter of DSA is defined by DSA National as a subdivision of DSA that covers a specific geographic area (like most chapters, our coverage area is defined in our bylaws).

  • We have chosen to divide our Chapter into two distinct local Branches. These Branches are Fargo-Moorhead and Greater Grand Forks. Each Branch works on its own separate events and efforts, as well as contributing to region-wide events and campaigns together!

If you want to do informal sociable things with your comrades like volunteering in town, pot lucks, or park clean-ups, just start doing it. Our movement gets stronger when we have other activities that stitch us together alongside the work.

When you want to do work officially as a part of DSA, you need democratic sign off. Since we’re an organization entirely made of working people up against the billionaire class, our strength and power comes from our people power, which is our ability for all of us to work together towards specific strategic goals. For that reason, proposing things like new campaigns, electoral endorsements, or new chapter subgroups requires building support from other members and having a proposal discussed, voted on, and democratically passed. 

Democracy is the process by which individual wills are shaped into a collective action, and vice versa. Generally, that means writing up what you’d like to do with the chapter, getting other members to support the idea before adding it to an agenda for a Regular Meeting, where you can introduce it as a resolution, ask for a specific type of motion, or call for a vote. Organizers use this process as a way to talk to fellow members and make sure that we have enough people willing to actually put in the work on a project. 

For information on the structure of DSA National, please refer to page 12 of the linked document.

Chapter Policies

Social Media Policy

Please read and be familiar with our Digital Communication Guidelines.

Communication Channels

Email (Action Network)

The chapter communicates via Action Network, an email management system, as our main “slow” communication channel. Become a member of our mailing list here.

If you are not receiving emails after signing up, please add gc@rrvdsa.org to your spam exception list. Periodically Action Network will stop sending emails to members who do not open any of them for an extended time period; if you take a break but want to start receiving emails again, contact us to fix the issue.

Signal

We use Signal as our main “fast” communication channel. Rules, etiquette, and best practices for Signal are found in our Digital Communication Guidelines.

To help you navigate Signal, here is a breakdown of our currently existing groups:

• RRVDSA Chapter

  • For discussing chapter business. This channel should be kept free of socializing and announcements.

• RRVDSA Greater Grand Forks and RRVDSA Fargo-Moorhead

  • These two separate channels are for discussing branch-specific business.

• RRVDSA Socializing w/Socialists

  • This is our “anything goes” chat channel. Members post news articles, share memes, discuss local or national news, and really anything else. While “anything goes” here, please keep the conversation respectful and don’t say anything you wouldn’t want shared in court.

• RRVDSA Notification Chat

  • This chat can be joined by any member but only the Governance Committee has posting privileges. Event reminders, chapter meeting reminders, and other announcements are posted here.

• Other RRVDSA chat channels (various)

  • Each Working Group (or Committee) has its own Signal chat, which is used to coordinate meeting details, discuss action, share notes, and generally move forward our many projects together.

  • No RRVDSA business should be discussed in any chat that is not listed here or otherwise approved by the chapter. 

  • No non-member should be in any official RRVDSA chat. 

Google Drive

RRVDSA uses Google Drive to facilitate the drafting and editing of various documents, from action plans to legislative proposals to various communiqués. We rely on the communal nature of this medium to provide transparency, accountability, and inclusion. Some documents stored in Google Drive are public and accessible to anyone but many areas are members-only. Sharing of members-only documents such as meeting minutes may be considered 

Meeting Etiquette

Please follow the DSA National Guidelines for Respectful Discussion. 

Our meeting follows Parliamentary Procedure, which is very similar to Robert’s Rules of Order. Basic information about Robert’s Rules is found here.

Note that while guests and non-members are welcome to join us for meetings to learn more about our organization, only members in good standing may cast a vote on any issue. Guests must “abstain”. 

Bylaws

Please read our bylaws. 

Election Policy

While we encourage community members to join us at meetings and events, only members in good standing may vote in elections. 

Community Agreements

Please read and adhere to our Community Agreements.

Chapter Calendar

Located on our website, the Events Calendar is a quick and easy way to keep tabs on and gain access to the chapter’s actions, campaigns, and events. Regular chapter emails will refer to this calendar of events. 

To submit an item for inclusion on the Calendar, contact any GC member or gc@rrvdsa.org. 

To submit an item for inclusion in the regular e-newsletter, contact the Membership Committee, which is currently in charge of the e-newsletter.