Membership and Outreach Demographic Data and Participation Survey
If you haven’t yet done so, please fill out the Membership and Outreach Demographic Data and Participation Survey.
The Monarch Pledge
Co-Chair Noah is working with Kansas City DSA to bring The Monarch Pledge campaign to the Flint Hills. The Monarch Pledge is a campaign to get local community organizations and businesses to “say no to ice!” You can learn more about The Monarch Pledge by visiting the KC DSA Monarch Pledge website.
Electoral Victory
Thanks to the work of our Safety and Political Action Committee, who canvassed neighborhoods throughout Manhattan, we were able to help defeat the proposed amendment to the Kansas constitution on how our supreme court justices are chosen. This is a huge win for all Kansans, but especially those of the working class! Bravi comrades!
August Chapter Meeting
We held the August Chapter General Body Meeting last week where we passed a resolution to elect two representatives to a Kansas-wide State Convention planning committee. Comrades Matt and Babe were unanimously selected for this role. We also discussed collaboration with Salina DSA, the Membership and Outreach Demographic Data and Participation Survey, and voted to establish an Electoral Committee. The Meeting Minutes are now available.
Happening over the Next Two Weeks
Comrade club will meet tomorrow at 6pm at the Manhattan Public Library in the Collaboration Space. Come join us! This is a very lowkey and chill way to come meet some of the local socialists. Bring your reading, your homework, or latest craft!
THIS IS HAPPENING TOMORROW THIS WEEK!
Every Wednesday, comrades come together at the City Park in Manhattan to run. While some folks are training for a 5k, we welcome all comrades at all levels. Your running speed can actually be walking, that is fine! NOTE: Running club for the week of August 16, 2026 will take place at 7:00pm on Monday, August 17.
Steering Committee meeting
The next steering committee meeting will take place next Monday, August 24, 2026. Steering Committee meetings are open to all members. Reach out to the Steering Committee for location if you are interested in attending.
Call for Volunteers
Chapter Socials and Drives
The Membership and Outreach Coordinators are working on two upcoming events for the end of August and beginning of September and need volunteers to help plan and coordinate.
The first event is a Community Potluck and End-of-Summer Food Drive on Saturday, August 29, 2026.
The second event is a Community Drive for K-State students and is in partnership with the YDSA, slated for Saturday, September 12, 2026.
Reach out to Matt and/or Nhic if you are interested in volunteering to help with either or both events!
Common Table
Common Table serves dinner every night, 365 days of the year. They are always looking for volunteers to help in providing this service.
Comrade Derron has signed up to volunteer as head cook on Sunday, August 23, 2026 and to be a cook’s helper on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Consider signing up to volunteer with Derron. We would love to see if we can’t get a group together each month to volunteer.
The opportunity to volunteer opens up in batches by month, so be on the look out for when volunteer opportunities for November and beyond open up!
Yuma Street Cultural Festival
We will be tabling at the Yuma Street Cultural Festival and would love to have you join us. If you do not want to table, we do encourage you to attend the festival in order to support the construction of the Yuma Street Cultural Center and Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills. An official sign-up for volunteering will be sent out in the next newsletter!
Flint Hills Socialist Book Club
We Make the Rode by Walking
For the August Flint Hills Socialist Book Club, we will be reading We Make the Road by Walking: Conversations on Education and Social Chang, which is a book that was produced by the conversations between the activists and educators, Myles Horton and Paulo Freire. If you are not unfamiliar with these two gentleman, do a little research. They are extraordinary. We will be meeting on August 30, 2026 at 5pm, location TBD, to discuss the book. If you need help finding the book or accessing it, do not hesitate to reach out to Derron.
We have moved from Bookclubs.com to Fable, which is app-based. Join us on Fable. We will be reading Robin D. G. Kelley’s Hammer and Hoe for September, in case you wanted to get a head start on procuring it.
Committees and Working Group Updates
CIVIC
The last time CIVIC met in June, before the July break, we were tasked with brining our ideas for engaging with the community that first, would improve upon the materially lives of our neighbors, and second, would provide an opportunity to recruit (if possible) new members to the chapter. If you were not able to attend the last meeting, begin thinking about these things. Information about regular meeting times will be forthcoming.
Housing Working Group
The Flint Hills Tenants United have been working over the last month to gather information and resources to provide to the public. We are excited to share our update website!
We are also tabling at the Chautaqua – At Home in Manhattan event on September 19-120 in the City Park. If you would like to be involved in tenant organizing, reach out to the steering committee to be added to the Flint Hills Tenants United Discord server.
Political Education
Besides the book club, some members are interested in trying out The People’s Free School. Please fill out the this form if you would like to be part of the group convening for The People’s Free School and to provide your availability.
Political Action
BIDEN Grant
Besides that, members also attended a Riley County Law Board meeting to voice concerns about the Riley County Police Department’s application for a $31 grant through the FY 2026 Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide (BIDEN) Program, which would require the RCPD to house undocumented immigrants for HSI and ICE.
So far, an application has been submitted, and it would be up to the Riley County Commissioners to approve accepting the grant if it is awarded. The PAC will keep members up-to-date on this.
Data Center
No new movement has been made on the data center, though signatures are being collected in Pottawatomie, by one of our members to get a five-year moratorium on the county considering the construction of the data center. Any updates about the data center will be shared with the chapter in future newsletters.