2008 Summer Freedom Festival Info

[FSW Calendar Administrator]

Who:   Sovereigns of the High Frontier Society and You!
When: Thursday evening 19 June to Monday morning 23 June 2008
What:  Summer Freedom Festival
Where: Newcastle, Wyoming
How:    Just as you please!
How Much: $25 to register for the festival, includes access to the camp site
What next: Private message to planetaryjim or e-mail planetaryjim@yahoo.com for details.

We have a special deal on motel rooms with a local hotel.  We have one shooting class on offer from MamaLiberty

[MamaLiberty]

These are some other threads where the Festival has been discussed.

http://www.fundamentalsoffreedom.com/fswforum/index.php?topic=5959.0
http://www.fundamentalsoffreedom.com/fswforum/index.php?topic=5533.0
http://www.fundamentalsoffreedom.com/fswforum/index.php?topic=5879.0
http://www.fundamentalsoffreedom.com/fswforum/index.php?topic=5505.0

If anyone finds others, please post them.

[nv_dad]

How close is the nearest hospital?

We would like very much to go, but my wife will be 8mos pregnant at that time.  Since we are not youngsters, we fall into the "high risk" category, and we don't want to jeopardize our baby's health.

Thanks!

[manfromnevada]

I know that Rapid City, SD, has a large regional hospital, or maybe several. RC is about 60 miles away from Newcastle.
Perhaps Mama Liberty could comment on whether Newcastle has a local hospital and what they're able to handle.

Mac

[MamaLiberty]

Newcastle has a very nice hospital. If there was an emergency they couldn't handle, they would send her out via helicopter to Rapid City.

Unless she has serious problems already identified that would require her to stay near her own doctors, you should be just fine.

I am an RN with some OB experience. I could certainly help to anticipate problems and, perhaps, reassure via some monitoring if it was wanted. We also have experienced EMT folks in our bunch too, so you'd have plenty of support no matter what happened.

I hope you can come.

[Boston]

As I certainly do not want Jim to feel that I am
stepping on his SFF toes, I think it wise for me
to no longer post on these threads.  The SFF
is Jim's event, and he certainly has the right to
host it however he and others wish. 

Although I won't be offering further input/advice
on the event, I wish it every success.  Please
continue to organize/promote it on this forum
as you all see fit.

 
Boston

[Boston]

UPDATE:

While I am happy to offer this forum for the benefit of
the Summer Freedom Festival, I do so only with the
proviso that the event is neither sponsored by nor connected
with Free State Wyoming or myself -- nor is implied to be. 

This is to protect the reputation and common-law trademark
property right of Free State Wyoming ("FSW"). 

Any misrepresentation thereof -- such as using "FSW" as any
SFF moniker or name change -- will be deleted from this forum. 

That said, I wish all Summer Freedom Festival attendees a
safe and memorable weekend.

 
Boston

[Boston]

FINAL UPDATE:

Jim has always objected that he could not use either "Free State Wyoming"
or "Jam" in the naming of his June event. 

I thought that with sufficient time and explanation, he was assuaged on
the matter.  Apparently not.  (More on this shortly.)

Jim is in a fit of pique with me because I PMed him on 4/14 to "cowboy up"
and not waffle in public by threatening to "walk away from" his SFF.  This
was taken by him to be "micro-managing" and "hobbling" his event.

Our exchanges by PM spiraled quickly, and rational communication with him
has proven impossible.  On Monday he refused to post further on the forum,
not even for SFF business, and refused to even delegate another to post for himself.

Today he avowed to want nothing more of the FSW project.
(Though I expressed gratitude for his past efforts, support, and contributions,
sometimes, there's just no pleasing some people.)

Today I learned that he'd renamed his event the "Freedom Summer Wyoming"
(without informing me directly until now) in disregard of courtesy and FSW
trademark property.  Certainly the forum hadn't been informed of it, for the last
we read this week it was still the Summer Freedom Festival.

"Freedom Summer Wyoming" seems to me pretty shabby, and wholly uncalled
for given the time and support I and others have given Jim for the SFF.

(If Jim had hosted successively larger SFF weekends for four years in a
row, and then could not in year 5, does anybody believe that he would
not strenuously object to somebody else co-opting the SFF name and
reputation he created and nurtured?  Unlikely.  We'd all be deaf from the
screaming that ensued.)   

When he further asked my forum adminstrator to add links to his "FSW" site,
I today banned his posting privileges for forum misuse.  Even though he unilaterally
refused to post since Monday, he today claims "So, if you volunteered to help out
and haven't heard back from Jim on the forum, it is because of Boston's banning him."

(The length of time between my posting ban of him and his claim was about 3 hours.
The length of time between his unilateral refusal to post and my ban was two days.
You all can do the math.)

Since Jim objects to the "dictatorship" of myself, I've realized a way to free him
utterly of it.  He has a website for his (formerly) Summer Freedom Festival, with
contact info.  Those of you interested in attending can go to:

http://www.hisovs.org/fsw.html

. . . and dialogue with him further if you wish.

His homepage includes the following basket of misstatement and misrepresentation:

This event was organized by Sovereigns of the High Frontier Society members Jim Davidson and John Wiltbank as a result of a request posted by Boston T. Party on the Free State Wyoming forum. This event is not being organized by Boston T. Party. This event is not being organized by his personal dictatorship, or group, otherwise known as Free State Wyoming. Boston insists that we may not use the term Free State Wyoming, presumably even in this disclaimer, to discuss this event. He also apparently insists that he owns the alphabet, and objects to our use of the three letter abbreviation FSW for this event. He also seems to claim ownership of the entire color wheel, and objects to our use of purple, blue, and green in our logo for this event. As a result of attempting to be helpful in organizing this event, Boston has banned Jim Davidson from participation on the FSW forum, or its use for private messages. So, if you volunteered to help out and haven't heard back from Jim on the forum, it is because of Boston's banning him. Jim is not the first person Boston has banned over a difference of opinion.

I link his site solely as a courtesy to any potential attendees, but due to Jim's
discourtesy and disregard for the implicit trademark property and name value of "FSW"
this post concludes our forum's threads on the matter, and my assistance for his event. 

Since his new site is linked here, Jim no longer needs FSW forum support. Thus, please
do not begin new threads about the SFF (or whatever it might be called next month),
but rather email him directly.  Also, I've really no more time to spend in keyboard ping-pong
with Jim or on this whole silly saga. 

Jim devoutly wishes me not to attend, saying that he will leave the event to its own devices if I do. 
Well, I certainly wouldn't want to (as he put it) "thrust" myself into his event.  So, I am
forced to go play "dictator" elsewhere.  If there is anybody who needs to be
"micro-managed" and "hobbled", please let me know as I now have the time on my hands. 

Summer is fast upon us, and I wish you all a great one.

 
Boston

[Boston]

Dear Friends,

I thank the Sovereigns of the High Frontier Society members
for revising their disclaimer and for changing the name of
their event to the "Wyoming Summer of Fun." Its new link is:

http://www.hisovs.org/wsf.html

Jim and others have put in considerable work into putting on
the event in lieu of a June 2008 FSW Jamboree, and I sincerely
wish it to be enjoyed and remembered as a great success.

I urge folks to put all unpleasantness aside and behind, and attend
the 19-23 June 2008 Wyoming Summer of Fun!

___________
Some of you may not yet understand why I so jealously guard the FSW name.

Trust and good faith are precious commodities, and the FSW and its four highly
successful Jamborees enjoy a spotless reputation which I vigorously protect.

If, for example, I knew in advance that a Jam attendee was a convicted felon
(even if wrongly adjudicated), I would protect the Jam by forbidding him to
wear or handle a firearm, for any arrest would long taint the entire Jam, and the FSW.

Whenever I negotiate for the FSW, I do so knowing that perfect integrity is a must,
for what I do as the FSW Founder reflects upon all FSWers.  For example, I have
never falsely maintained that I'd secured a Jam campsite when such was actually
"hearsay", and I've never collected Jam fees for water/latrine "costs" when I'd yet
to even speak to the landowner at all. 

When I announce something as the FSW, it must be rock solid and dependable.
This puts great pressure on me to get it absolutely right, but you all deserve no less.

I did not give out last year's Guernsey location until I had paid for the park rental in
full and had a signed receipt/contract.  That protected the Jam from others' whimsicality.
I pay any FSW debts before the other party has even thought to ask for payment,
such as to the Camp Guernsey Wyoming National Guard for their shooting ranges.

Your good names and my good name -- our good name -- I take very seriously.
If the FSW is to host a sponsored event, make an announcement, or take on some
obligation, there is none other but me and/or my specific delegates to act for the
FSW at large. 

This is no different from any other org.  As I understand it, even the Free State
Project has a board which makes FSP decisions on behalf of their members, and
FSPers in general haven't the independent right to act in the FSP name. 

I continue to welcome comments and advice from FSWers on how to serve the FSW
ever more effectively and professionally.  I thank you for your years of faith and
trust in my helmsmanship, and appreciate all the support you've given me.  I've
enjoyed many a wise counsel from PMs, so please consider that door always open.

While my personal style may seem to some as too intense or confrontational, it
stems from my belief that hashing things out -- if momentarily unpleasant -- usually
results in important things getting aired out with greater understanding.  I don't claim
to have always been right about that, but it's served me well more often than not.

So, if you've a beef, speak up!  I certainly do.      Do realize, however, that I'm not
one to hold grudges against those who have tried to make amends, and I eagerly
accept the olive branch.  When I'm wrong, I offer it.


___________
Finally, to clear one last thing up, I was never opposed to hosting a 2008 Jam
per se, but I just couldn't do it in June.  A Labor Day weekend Jam
I could have likely done (as far as I knew in Dec. 2007), but as this
was not the favored poll date I didn't float the idea. 

Once Jim announced his June event, I dismissed all thoughts of a September
Jam because I did not want to drain off attendance of his Summer Freedom Festival. 
Most folks haven't two large vacation blocks each year, and I thought it unfair to them
to effectively force attendees to choose between June or September.  And, since Jim
had stepped up for June with a scheduled event, I thought any subsequent announcement
of September Jam would be most unfair to him.

So, I just left things as they were, and hoped that the event would be a success.
That's how I felt then, and that's how I feel now.

Again, I appreciate that people are working on a June event that I could not host.
I do wish you all a fine time there.

 
Boston

[Boston]

Oh, and just to perfectly clarify what I thought was already clear:

I am not planning on hosting a September 2008 Jam, or any other
month this year. Those organizing and attending the June WSF
may rely on that. 

They may also rely on the fact that I would never do anything to
cause the WSF any problems.  I wish it to be a great success.

Boston

[Boston]

JULY 2009 UPDATE:

Since Jim Davidson is incessantly howling about on any blog or forum:

http://georgedonnelly.com/politics/why-boston-tea-party
http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2009/tle528-20090719.html
http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2009/tle525-20090628-01.html#letter9
http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2009/tle526-20090705-01.html#letter2
http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2009/tle527-20090712-01.html#letter2
http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2009/tle528-20090719-01.html#letter3
http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2009/tle529-20090726-01.html#letter4

. . . that will print his loggorhea that I have "stolen" his $25 FSW fee by not
allowing him forum access, this publicly readable thread seems the place
to dispel that absurd accusation.

The FSW $25 in no way guarantees forum registration or continued access
to anyone.  This forum is free, and unrelated to the FSW SofI.  A person can
be an FSWer and not on the forum, or vice versa.  Or neither.  Or both.

Even though Jim left the forum and FSW in April 2008 (though he disagrees with
his own PMs about this), I returned his $25 the day after he provided me a domestic
mailing address (vs. something unreliable in . . . Panama). 

To fully flesh out the whole saga of Jim/2008, I quote here my post to FSWers at:
http://www.fundamentalsoffreedom.com/fswforum/index.php?topic=6004.0

This backstory was originally privy only to FSWers, but now that the 2008
event/disaster is past us, and Jim Davidson continues to blame anyone but
himself for it, the details are now available to the public. 

Finally, Jim has accused the FSW of "overt racism".  Paul Bonneau was first to
discredit that silly notion, and others are welcome to contribute by writing
a letter by this Saturday to the TLE editor at:  editor@ncc-1776.org

Don't forget to mention the fine success of the June 2009 Freedom Exposition,
an event organized and hosted by FSWers (and without Jim Davidson's "help"). 
And, if you would also include that I somehow managed to keep my dictatorial self
out of the loop, I'd appreciate it.    

 
Boston




ALL OF THE BELOW FROM April 18, 2008, 02:40:02 PM _________________

As a result of attempting to be helpful in organizing this event, Boston has banned Jim Davidson from participation on the FSW forum, or its use for private messages.

I want this to be very clear:  Jim had already quit the forum by explicitly refusing
to post, and before I blocked his posting privileges two days later for clear and
intentional attempt to misuse the forum with links to his "FSW" event. 

Jim also avowed to have nothing more to do with the FSW days before I sadly took
him at his word and removed his forum status as "FSW Founding Member, Wyoming Bound."

Let me state quite clearly that I am not in any "war" with Jim.
I do not wish to run or ruin his June event.
I do not wish to grieve or embarrass him.
An excerpt from one of my PMs:

I will apologize that I used a sterner approach to you about
your waffling than what I should have known would have
been effective or even neutrally received.  You were obviously
overwrought, having replied so nastily to Jen, and I should have
timed/worded my PM better.

Jim, you've done a lot for me and the FSW.  I will always
remember that, and I extend my deep gratitude to you for
your support, effort, and generous contributions.  Thank you
for sharing and enhancing the Wyoming vision as you did.

I wish you peace, joy, and happiness in your quest for freedom.

I say good-bye and fare thee well, with all blessings,

Boston

I do, however, two serious ethical issues regarding how he
has till now handled his SFF, which you are learning of here.


______________
One ethical issue with Jim's handling of the SFF comes from an email I
read after I'd posted my FINAL UPDATE.  Jim claimed that his June event had
been called the "Freedom Summer Wyoming" for over four weeks:

The funniest part of this whole story is that I created an event on
Facebook called Freedom Summer Wyoming, subtitled Wyoming Woods
Weekend, on 14 March 2007.

Anyone with a Facebook account can see the date of creation on
my Facebook profile (planetaryjim, of course).

What's really at stake here is that I didn't release the web site
until I was confident that I had a clear understanding with [the landowner].
I felt it would be inappropriate to promise things on a web site
that I wasn't completely confident would be available to us.

Had he insisted on the forum since 14 March that he wanted to host a so-called
"Freedom Summer Wyoming" and have it promoted here, he knew that I would
object. 

I'd explained very clearly that Free State Wyoming was not sponsoring his event. 
"Free State Wyoming" reasonably includes "FSW" given that those initials are
indelibly tied to the org.  (Ask the International Business Machine corporation if
you can call your company "IBM.")  I do not claim to "own the alphabet" but only
certain permutations of it.  All of us do, especially in regards to our own names,
and the names of what we create/trademark. 

Regardless of his disagreement with me on the "FSW" initials issue, he knew that
I would find his SFF name change to "FSW" antagonizing.  That is the pertinent
issue, because it evinces his motivation.  Jim created the "Freedom Summer
Wyoming" name in private, while still maintaining on our forum the fiction of
"Summer Freedom Festival." 

Why would he do so?

The purpose of this subterfuge was apparently to maintain the innocent assistance
of myself, many of you, and the forum at large . . . until he was ready to release
his "FSW" website as a hah-hah-hah! fait accompli.  He was arguably trying
to (against my will and his right) benefit from the positive cachet of a four year-old
organization . . . an organization that he unilaterally quit on Tuesday.

I saw that as a very serious matter, especially with regard to the second
ethical isuse I'll explain next.  I want to avoid any possible taint to the
FSW, and that is why I objected so strongly to his "FSW" initials.



_____________
Point 2:

Jim announced on 3 March that he'd secured private property for the SFF:

We have more details for you now.

The property where we are to be camping is in Weston County, a bit West of Newcastle out off US Highway 16.   There are lots of trees for shade, we are working on arrangements for water and sewage, and there is an on-site gun range.

March 03, 2008, 10:58:46 PM
http://www.fundamentalsoffreedom.com/fswforum/index.php?topic=5533.msg44816#msg44816

Can anybody read this and not believe that the campsite had been secured?

Five weeks later, however, Jim finally posted the truth about the SFF campsite:

I am really close to walking away from this whole thing.  I've repeatedly tried to get in direct contact with the land owner.  I'm doing all kinds of work on this event, and we have six registrations.  I don't know what expectations the land owner has, what we'll have to do to bring in water and latrine services, and I don't have much help on this thing.  It is taking up time that I could spend getting out from under a mountain of other obligations.

Unless I get a good feeling that this event is going to be workable, including direct contact with the land owner, I'm going to have John return the registration fees.

April 11, 2008, 06:08:13 PM
http://www.fundamentalsoffreedom.com/fswforum/index.php?topic=5533.msg46143#msg46143

For five weeks Jim had been soliciting and accepting $25 registration fees from
folks who had been led to believe that their money was going to expenses for an
already reserved campsite:

I've previously mentioned that the registration fee helps cover the costs of providing water and latrines at the land owner's property . . .

April 11, 2008, 01:18:31 pm
http://www.fundamentalsoffreedom.com/fswforum/index.php?topic=5533.msg46136#msg46136

. . . only to soon after post that campsite permission had actually been "hearsay"
since his 3 March "details":

Okay, I finally had a chance to speak with the landowner, Rich, so now the location is more than just hearsay to me.

April 11, 2008, 02:08:13 pm
http://www.fundamentalsoffreedom.com/fswforum/index.php?topic=5533.msg46157#msg46157

Was Jim innocently confused that he did have a secured campsite?
I don't see how, given his email of 4/16:

What's really at stake here is that I didn't release the ["FSW"] web site
until I was confident that I had a clear understanding with [the landowner].
I felt it would be inappropriate to promise things on a web site
that I wasn't completely confident would be available to us.

Well, how was it not also inappropriate to promise the same things on our forum in the meantime? 
I.e., things that he was not "completely confident would be available"? 

Jim knew full well that the location had not been confirmed between 3 March
and 11 April, else he would have released his own "FSW" website to that effect. 
He waited, just as explained by email, to first get confirmation from Rich.

From 3 March to 11 April he actually deceived us on the forum.  While I do
believe that he had every intention of seeing the event through and solicited
registration fees for that sole purpose, and I can understand his eagerness
to "count his chickens before they hatched," there was no reason to falsely
claim to us a secured SFF campsite as he did.  His forthrightness only came
later, from his own frustration in not having sewn up the campsite.

Jim's deception (however well-intended) is a choice example of why I am wary
of letting others act for the FSW, which included hosting a 2008 Jamboree. 

Had Jim been in charge of a 2008 Jam and posted false claims as he did with
his SFF, I would have replaced him the moment I discovered it.  (Had I read
back far enough in that SFF thread on Monday, I'd have caught it then.  My apologies.)

Even still, Jim apparently has no signed contract, and the landowner Rich has
expressed "right of association issues" (which are understandable, but
still vague regarding who may or may not be "subversive").  Jim nevertheless
claims that the location is reliable.  Such is a judgment for prospective attendees,
I think, and that is where I will leave it.

____________
This explains my dissatisfaction with how Jim had handled the SFF on the forum.

I want his June event to happen, and be a memorable success.
This will occur only if those organizing it operate ethically and with courtesy.
I have not seen either from Jim this past week, but certainly wish to.

I have no desire to "micro-manage" his event on my forum, as I explained:

As I certainly do not want Jim to feel that I am
stepping on his SFF toes, I think it wise for me
to no longer post on these threads.  The SFF
is Jim's event, and he certainly has the right to
host it however he and others wish.

Although I won't be offering further input/advice
on the event, I wish it every success.  Please
continue to organize/promote it on this forum
as you all see fit.


Boston


http://www.fundamentalsoffreedom.com/fswforum/index.php?topic=5959.msg46256#msg46256

If any of that seems to be an example of his accused "hobbling"
or "micro-managing" then please explain how because I don't get it.

Since Jim wrote me on 4/14:

I absolutely, categorically refuse to post on your forum. 

. . . if he claims any material inaccuracy of mine in what I've just written,
I will post any concise, truthful, and civil correction forwarded to me.

But I just cannot communicate with a man who inexplicably insists on taking
hyphens as daggers, commas as scimitars, and periods as musket balls.  Even
the mildest and best-meant of reproachment is viewed as an assault.  I have
found utterly no way around his eternally raw nerve endings, which telegraph
to him nearly everything as some form of personal oppression.

He is off the forum for good, as I cannot risk another melt-down of his.
I wish him well, and no ill will.


______________
Regarding further use of the FSW forum for Jim's event, I do not wish to risk any
second bout of unpleasantness from something that I could not possibly anticipate. 
(The first bout took me totally by surprise.)  For whatever reasons, rational or not,
it's become clear that Jim and I simply cannot work together.  He has explicitly and
unilaterally broken with me, and with the FSW.  My emailbox is full of his abuse and
name-callings.  It's pretty bad, and he insists that I am "lying" about him to others,
which would seem pretty difficult to do by quoting his own words.

At the moment, I don't see any way around us having to work together
at least tangentially if his event were to have active participatory threads on
this forum.

I am open to being persuaded that the forum threads could be used on
his event's behalf without risk of a subsequent debacle, yet still retain admin's
and my right of general oversight with regards to forum rules, forthrightness,
and civility.

Please feel free to post here or PM me with any ideas, comments, or advice.

I apologize for the length of this post, but couldn't seem to pare it down
any further.  Thanks for all your time.

Boston

[MamaLiberty]

I thought about writing a letter, and/or writing to L. Neil about it... but it seemed after some contemplation that the more we do that, argue with him, respond to him... the worse it all gets. At least I don't have anything to add that wouldn't simply be my opinion or hearsay... and he spouts enough of that already for all of us.

My advice... don't feed the troll.

[KentuckyRifle]

Funny, I was just reading the chapter in ONUS about Sociopaths. Going down the list of characteristics, I can check off several of them.

You certainly have the advantage of wisdom and experience on me, and I am merely quoting your own words paraphrased back to you, but from the points you have laid out here it is apparent that the individual in question is at best unreliable and unreasonable. At worst, he fits some of your sociopath criteria. I understand you wanting to help supporte any event that promotes freedom in this state, but perhaps it is best to cut ties to avoid giving him more "evidence" that he can twist and use against you.

[FlyingDevildog]

WOW is all I can say

And to think I had issuse with my ex were bad.   I don't feel so bad now.
And Boston as a dictator.  now thats funny.

Dawg

[Boston]

I don't know what Jim's problem is, but it was never me or anybody else here.

I thought about writing a letter, and/or writing to L. Neil about it... but it seemed after some contemplation that the more we do that, argue with him, respond to him... the worse it all gets.

Mama, good advice generally, but I have seen him shut up when enough people replied.

I won't feed the troll, but I also won't be publicly called a liar and thief, or allow ridiculous
allegations of FSW racism to go uncorrected.  By now, Davidson is so discredited a source,
that he doesn't even comprehend that he's his own worst enemy.

From here on out, all I have to do in reply is provide several links to the backstory.
Maybe I'll even automate it.   

Boston