Hey hey hey…!

The 107IST board and committees are really excited to finally break the news to you, our members, about something we’ve been working on for the past few months. We’ve been limited to whom we’ve been able to talk to about it, but we can finally get you excited about it, too: We are moving into the Rack Attack building! That’s right! We’re going to have all our facilities (and more) under one roof, right across the street from the stadium on 18^th & Morrison. Getting things dialed in is going to take a lot of work, and we want to get y’all hyped to pitch in.

What a wild few years it’s been. For those of us leaving the board this year after two terms — and for those remaining — we often reflect on all we’ve seen over the years: Front Office negotiations, MLS code of conduct struggles, a pandemic, many playoff runs, a Timbers Cup game at home with a week’s notice, The Athletic article, the Yates report and resulting fallout, and so much more.

Just before the elections process starts, we usually talk as a board about what we’re looking for going into the year. This year, a few things bubbled to the surface more than others:

• Leadership. We need someone good at project management and organization. There are always a lot of things in process, and having someone with the power to herd cats is invaluable. Also, with the Front Office issues and new Thorns ownership, someone willing to lead the organization and work with others to reimagine the path forward is needed.

• Financial experience. Budgets! Reporting! Fundraising! This is a large part of nonprofit work, and we always need people with this experience, especially as we grow.

• Secretary role (nonprofit administration). This is an important role. We need folks who love managing the nonprofit side of the organization: legal matters, rules, trademarks, insurance, meeting minutes, documentation and all the things that keep us a 501(c)(7).

• Communications. We’ve really worked to improve communications over the past several years through many forums — but we can always be better. What new ideas can you bring about how to communicate with our members about our activities and work? In what spaces?

• Conflict management and people skills. The board deals with the Front Office, volunteers, members, the community, other nonprofits and more. People who can help navigate sticky situations and interact with new partners and our community are always appreciated.

• Forward-thinkers and organizers. We have so many ideas and so many plans, but we need minds and hands to really make them a reality. Are you good with building community and organizing events? We need you!

Another item that came up regularly: Make sure people really understand the time commitment. Yes. It is more of a time commitment than you might realize. Between meetings (board meetings, committee meetings and other meetings as needed), there is constant communication and project work that happens. It requires a lot of time and mental energy to keep up. For some, it’s almost a part-time job; for others, it may be an hour or two a day. Still, it is something that requires dedication and it can be a lot.

An evergreen question that arises during elections is: “Are we a working board or a strategic board”? We would love to be the latter, but we need the folks to get us to that point. We need ideas and the people to make those ideas happen. It’s one thing to say, “What the board needs is [this]!”; it’s another to take that idea and run with it. People who have ideas and inspire folks to get involved and lead projects.

The board of today is not the same as it was 10 years ago, or even five years ago. Every year brings a new focus; a new challenge. We want you to take us to the next version of 107IST. We have a lot of things planned, and we need your energy to bring them to fruition.

On this Giving Tuesday, please join 107IST by supporting some of the incredible community organizations we have partnered with this year.

Portland Community Football Club and the Liberate Sports campaign stand for everything we value. Their commitment to equity and access in youth sports is unmatched, and is backed up by the unique work they do to support families who are part of their community. A competitive youth soccer org with a food pantry! That is gender-inclusive and affordable! We love PCFC and are so proud to be one of the first official sponsors for their Liberate Sports kickoff event in March 2024. Please join us and amplify the impact of your member dollars by donating today. Let them know you heard about it here by choosing “107IST” from the dropdown menu.

Operation Pitch Invasion and Giselle Currier Scholarship Fund are independent 501C3 organizations that grew out of our 107IST community. Both are also focused on the goal of providing access for everyone to be involved in the beautiful game. OPI builds and maintains soccer and futsal courts around the Rose City, and GCSF provides direct scholarships so individuals can continue to be involved in youth soccer. Visit OPI and GCSF donation pages to donate directly to these organizations.

In the realm of social services, we encourage your support to some trusted and effective local organizations. These folks have been doing the real work, on the ground, through some of the toughest conditions ever. With the politicization of poverty and houselessness, they have faced unprecedented backlash and hate while doing their best to serve all individuals with dignity and respect. Please show them some love if you can. Rose Haven, Blanchet House, Outside In, Hygiene4All, Street Roots, and William Temple House are just a few of the organizations we are proud to support.

Finally, all the support we share year round wouldn’t be possible without our members. The 107IST mission is to support soccer in the Rose City from the grassroots to the highest professional level, and our additional community connections are inherent to who we are as an org. While the 107IST isn’t a tax-deductible organization, we are a member-driven nonprofit.

Please renew today if you haven’t already. Once again, we are offering various membership add-ons because basic memberships just don’t cover the costs of all we do. Your additional donations allow us to keep the cost of a basic membership low, while continuing to spread the love throughout the community. Renew or join today or make an additional donation if you can!

Thank you all for your support. We’re extremely glad you’re here.

“For such as we are made of, such we be.” Twelfth Night, 2.2

Well, it’s that time of the year. The days are getting shorter. The weather is getting colder. The Timbers season has ended and, by the time this blog post is published, the Thorns may have either won their fourth star or bowed out from contention. One of the things about our organization is that tradition is a big part of the culture, and so this is a blog post that is as good as tradition: the call for you to renew your membership to the 107IST.

This year has brought a lot of change both for the clubs we support and for the organization itself.

On a club level, we eagerly await a sale of the Thorns, which we hope will be completed before next season. The Timbers turned over their head coach, and there have been numerous changes in the front office composition in the last 24 months. Both clubs look to be in a state of transition. The Thorns between ownership groups and the Timbers between roster orientations.

On an organizational level, we are a bit in a state of transition as well. This year we had a temporary store front in 1919 Morrison, and it was an amazing success. Both No Pity Originals and RivetGear put out merchandise that seemed to resonate with the public in a big way. People are finding us in a way that we haven’t seen before. So many new faces, new folks, are wandering into 1919 Morrison Street and asking who exactly we are. They’re buying things (often) but perhaps just as importantly, learning about who the 107IST is.

The thing that stuck out most to many of the folks working the space was that for a lot of folks, this was the first time they had heard of the 107IST. The amount of time spent on education was massive, and it gave us a chance to think critically about the role we play in the community of soccer fans in Portland. How many more folks would join us if only they knew who we were?

Now, as much as any year in recent memory, there is so much to be proud of when it comes to what the 107IST has accomplished. This year, through our monthly drives, we were able to support incredible local organizations like IRCO, Rose Haven, and Blanchet House. Both the Pride scarf co-sold by NPO and RivetGear, and the two tee shirts designed by Meghan Klingenberg and sold through RivetGear raised money for New Avenues for Youth this year. For New Avenues for Youth alone we raised more than $10,000 to support the purchase of gender-affirming clothing and other items for the youth they serve.

While the Timbers Army and Rose City Riveters are two pillars of the 107IST, two spaces of amazing impact that close ideological and organizational alignment to the 107IST are the Gisele Currier Scholarship Fund and Operation Pitch Invasion. The Gisele Currier Scholarship fund recently finished the application cycle for their 2023 applicants, and it looks like an amazing group of folks. Operation Pitch Invasion put on several well attended events this year.

So where are we headed next year? What are we hoping for? What are our dreams? What are our hopes for our membership base in the future?

We feel as though this is an important moment to announce that we have a big membership push coming up, we’re calling it 25% by 2025. By 2025 we want the 107IST to represent twenty-five percent of the stadium capacity. While this may seem to be an incredibly ambitious goal, we view it as something that is remarkably achievable. We also know that some of that 25% will include members who rarely set foot in Portland — those 107IST members who value and support this work from all over the world.

Since the 107IST was founded, the soccer market in Portland has grown. More people love the game and attend PTFC matches, University of Portland matches, and soccer at the grassroots level, such as PDXFC. Providence Park has expanded, adding capacity and increasing the amount of folks who attend both Timbers and Thorns games. While this growth has occurred within our stadium, our membership numbers have stayed relatively stagnant. We have a wonderful, consistent membership base, but we want to make sure that we continue to be a voice of the stadium. As we expand, so does our capacity to impact our community.

Put simply: We want to do more, and the more members we have, the more power we have to be a respected voice and enact change in the stadium.

This goal is achievable if we continue creating an environment of welcome for new folks. We need to continue to spread our mission of “support soccer in the Portland area from the grassroots to the highest professional level” to all corners of our stadium, and if we each take it upon ourselves to be stewards of this organization.

We cannot achieve this goal without you. For such as we are made of, such we be.

Have an idea about how we can grow our numbers and want to pitch it? Now is the time. Ever wanted to paint tifo, load membership packets, organize away travel, help organize a match day drive, and help bring the yielded donations to the organization? Now is the time. Have time to lend a hand in any way? Now is the time. Ever wanted to be part of spreading word of who we are and what we do? We want you. Now is the time. Attend a committee meeting, attend a board meeting, email us about how you can get stuck in. Learn more. Ask questions. Find a niche, a role. As we grow, our volunteer pool and the people passionate about helping the organization needs to grow too. We want to facilitate your involvement and help you feel seen.

We are nothing without our members. There is so much good that we can do, so much more that we can do, and now more than ever our mission is vital.

The following is a guest blog post by Sunday White on behalf of the TA and Riveters’ Capos/DnT.

This is what I know in my heart. I shout it at the top of my lungs with my peers, my friends, my community. I feel that in my bones, with the beat of the drums, the blow of the horns, and the roar of the supporters. But what are we... without you? 

We (the Capos and the DnT) are nothing without you. It is our love and passion for the players, for our neighbors in the stands, for our community here, in Portland and abroad that drives us to buy tickets to be here and volunteer to turn our back to the pitch, to hype everyone up and become a united wave of passion and support that our teams can FEEL on the pitch. With you we create a raucous, joyous cacophony that drives our players on, so they know they are not alone. They hear your community VOICE, your PASSION, and your LOVE for the beautiful game. 

On an annual basis, we show our love and passion through this BYCAP event. Our goal is to help amplify those voices in our community that are most vulnerable. Children that for a variety of reasons cannot use their voices, are unable to get what is in your head or heart OUT to be heard. Those that have been stifled, and muted, or are barely whispers becuse of oppression, assault, or abuse. 

BYCAP funds raised will provide help to the voices of children and mothers in our neighborhoods, to aid them in becoming strong and confident, to provide them with the support they need to communicate their dreams, ideas, and opinions. I know I spend a lot of time yelling, but I also want to listen, to HEAR all of your voices and theirs, the chants and drumbeats of our community.

So - what is this BYCAP thing exactly?

As the season is becoming extra tense (or wrapping up) often folks are feeling kind and nostalgic for the events of the season, and many want to “buy us (Capos, DnT) a pint” to say thanks. Thanks for helping to hype the crowd, to keep us all on time, to provide eyes and assistance when there is an interloper or altercation, to represent good habits (drink water, use sunblock), and in general for each of us buying our own tickets to turn our backs to the pitch for the season, so the sound of the North End can roll across the pitch, resonate beyond the PP rooftop and through the neighborhood. All because we have passion for our teams on the pitch. 

While we all appreciate the random beverage, our livers can only take so much at once. We want to accept your appreciation and do something powerful with it. Thus BYCAP was born. 

*Buy Your Capo A Pint  [or other thank you goodie]

It has been noted that our livers cannot take so much thanks… so…  instead we have collection buckets out at our stage, nests and drums, and we ask you to donate that ‘pint’ (or soda, water, coffee) money to our fundraiser so we can help others find their voice the way we have. We get the “thank you” vibes and affection AND our community gets much needed help and support.

On the last regular season match for both the Thorns and the Timbers please take a few spare bucks, change, or whatever you would be willing to use to give us a ‘thank you’ and instead, put the funds in a BYCAP bucket, or donate online. Help us save our livers and make a big difference in the strength and volume of our community. 

100% of proceeds raised (both in person and online) for BYCAP will be donated.

Please help us surpass prior years fundraising by donating and signal boosting this event. 

>>>  GOAL: meet and surpass the BYCAP best year  <<< 

>>>    $6240-  the combined amount   <<<

>>>    TA and RCR 2019 BYCAP   <<<

A donation link will be available on the open access part of the 107ist.org website for the month of October. This will provide time for both TA & RCR BYCAP matches, and some extra time in case of budgets and paydays, for those that may not be able to make it to the stadium, but want to say "Thanks for your passion” to the Capos/DnT.

2023 BYCAP proceeds will be donated to: 

• Raphael House (Riveters) - Oct. 7th v. Gotham
  
• Camp Meadowood Springs (TA) - Oct. 21st v Dynamo
  

Swing by 1919 SW Morrison this weekend for the soft opening of It Did Happen Here, an exhibit that chronicles the anti-fascist movement in Portland. Starting tonight, June 23 before or after the Thorns match, the exhibit will be on display through the end of July for everyone who swings by the space before or after matches.  

It Did Happen Here: An Antifascist People's History is a 2020 oral history book by Erin Yanke, Celina Flores, Moe Bowstern, Mic Crenshaw, and Alec Dunn. The book tells the story of the anti-fascist movement in Portland, Oregon, in the late 20th century.

The book begins with the murder of Ethiopian immigrant Mulugeta Seraw in 1988 by white supremacist skinheads. In response, a diverse group of activists came together to form Anti-Racist Action (ARA) and Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice (SHARP). These groups used a variety of tactics, including street violence, to combat white nationalist violence and right-wing organizing in Portland.

It Did Happen Here is a powerful and inspiring story of how ordinary people can come together to fight against fascism. The book is full of interviews with activists who were involved in the movement, and it provides a unique perspective on the history of anti-fascism in the United States.

The book has been praised by critics for its timely message and its powerful storytelling. It has been called "a must-read for anyone who cares about fighting fascism" and "a vital contribution to the history of anti-fascism in the United States."

If you are interested in learning more about the anti-fascist movement, we highly recommend It Did Happen Here. It is a well-written and informative book that will give you a deeper understanding of this important movement. They also have a podcast with eleven episodes, which you can access here. 

For the hours of operation at 1919 SW Morrison, please check the calendar here.

The following is a blog post from Dominique Whittaker in collaboration members of the BIPOC Advisory Board. 

June is not only the month of Pride, the beginning of Summer, when we play our rivals in the fishing village to the North, but it also is when we reflect and celebrate Juneteenth. For millions of Americans, Juneteenth is Independence Day. Juneteenth (a portmanteau of June and 19^th), also known as “Freedom Day,” commemorates the day, June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce the abolition of slavery and the liberation of all enslaved African Americans who remained in bondage after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued and instated in America, two-and-a-half years later. 

In Portland, the first Juneteenth celebration took place in 1945, when shipyard worker and community leader, Clara Peoples, coordinated the first "Juneteenth" celebration at the Kaiser shipyards with her co-workers. Clara helped to make Juneteenth recognized by Portland in 1972 before becoming a statewide holiday in 2001. Juneteenth honors the resilience of Black People and to me, is about the freedom to live your life how you want, learning about the Black experience throughout history, and celebrating joy with community around you. If you’re interested, Juneteenthor.com hosts a ton of information on local events and is run by the non-profit organization created by Clara Peoples and her family. 

Here are a few:

• Freadom Festival (Portland)
• Celebration of Black Lives (Portland)
• Juneteenth Jubilee (Portland)
• Juneteenth Celebration at Alberta Street Pub (Portland)
• Juneteenth Celebration (Oregon City)
• Juneteenth Celebration at Hush House Museum (Salem)

What does any of this have to do with soccer? Everything.  Did you know, first Black professional soccer player in the U.S. was Gil Heron, who in 1946, debuted with the Detroit Wolverines in the NASFL (and is also the father of musician Gill Scott-Heron)? As the only Black player, he was often singled out for abuse by other players and fans. His wife shared that after matches, Gil had to rub his legs with alcohol to soothe heal marks from players’ studs. In a time where living while Black is fraught and dangerous, players not only have to deal with life off the pitch but deal with abuse on the pitch (here are just a few recent incidents: U.S.A vs Mexico match, Jeremy Ebobisse, Damion Lowe, and Diego Chara). Players, just like everyone else, lean on one another and their communities to navigate and weather those moments. Discrimination and hate doesn’t stop once you enter Providence Park, but what kind of person are you when you witness it or hear about it? Who are we?

#Juneteenth, #OregonHistory, #CelebrateJuneteenth, #TogetherThereWillBeChange, #RCTID, #BAONPDX

Dairon Asprilla and Sophia Smith aren’t the only ones that can surprise a crowd--the 107IST is excited to announce our pop-up location at 1919 SW Morrison Street for the remainder of the 2023 Thorns and Timbers seasons!

For many it might come as a shock - to have such a close location to where we all enter into the stadium to cheer on the players. While the Civic plaza is a staple of many on match days, we've seen the loss of Uno Mas and most recently, Hot Lips Pizza. Through a serendipitous encounter, we were fortunate to be presented with the opportunity to rent a space for the season. Having a location so close to where many spend a significant portion of their match days, presents an abundance of opportunity -- to reintroduce ourselves to the broader PTFC community, reconnect with those we have not seen since the before times, and a place for 107IST members to gather.

As our occupancy of 1919 Morrison is a bit of an experiment, we'd like to take this chance to encourage folks who are in the neighborhood on match days to stop by--see RivetGear and No Pity Originals merch close up, talk to the folks who help our organization run, drop off Match Day Drive donations, and meet one another! 

For those who are new to the game day experience, this new space serves as an initial welcome into the North End - for Rose City Riveters and Timbers Army supporters to learn about who we are, what we do, and how to get involved. We'll continue to utilize the Fanladen for meetings, Office Hours, membership questions (address changes, membership status, etc.) and the Warehouse for general operations and tifo creation, but this experimental space is an exciting opportunity and we'd love to welcome you by. 

We are very excited for the opportunity to combine our storefronts of supporter made merch and bring our community even closer together. This experiment has brought a new level of collaboration to our organization and we are excited for what the possibilities are. And we hope that on Thorns and Timbers match days, you’ll stop by and see the growth and change as we work to make the space our own. 

When will we be ready to open our doors? Starting today, before the Thorns take on Louisville FC, we’ll have the doors open and we’ll have a DJ, 107IST leadership present, and folks from the membership committee who will be able to answer questions. You can drop off your diapers for IRCO on the way to the match, too. Going forward, 100% of Riveters matchday activities will take place at the 1919 Morrison location. We're excited to welcome you to the new space, whether that's today or ahead of the Open Cup match on April 26th.

See you on SW Morrison and in the North End!

Our stadium has evolved over time, but one thing remains constant—The North End. The supporters of today—and of the future—simply want leadership from our Front Office. That desire is an extension of why we are in the North End in the first place: Team, Town, and Timbers Army/Rose City Riveters. Even from our earliest humble days, we have always been here to support the players and celebrate our community, while also seeking and speaking truth.

While the Timbers Army, Rose City Riveters, and 107IST board continue to push for accountability and changes in our Front Office, we are going to use the celebration of the players to help heal our community. Supporting the players in the stands doesn't mean not holding the Front Office accountable. Rather, the two goals work in concert with one another. We want a Front Office as aligned and excited about our ethos and mission as we are; an organization that our community deserves. Our work is not finished. That work cannot punish the players who work day in and day out to produce results and go through the highs and lows of emotions—just like us. If we let the North End fall silent, those who abuse power will not face opposition.

We ask each of you—regardless of how long you have been a supporter—to bring the energy, the noise, the passion. Remember the reasons why you first started coming and returning to matches, and harness those reasons with the frustration you may have to make sure everyone knows the North End is not going away. A unified North End is a powerful tool to support the players and bring accountability.

We also recognize that, for some supporters, the transgressions of the Front Office cut too deeply to allow them to stand in the North End right now. Despite their deep love for Team, Town, and TA/Riveters, the pain caused by the actions of PTFC executive leaders is so profound and unforgivable that they cannot see themselves at Providence Park while the current owners remain. If this is where you are as a supporter, we recognize and empathize with your dilemma. We can be unified in other ways to support our teams. Together, we can assist with match day drives, organize watch parties, and be present and passionate supporters at away games. We know you love the Timbers and Thorns, and we want to join you in making sure players hear your voices and feel your support.

Let’s get stuck in with our hearts and voices to help heal and move forward.

Onward, Rose City!

The following is a post from Stephan Lewis.

We know this past year has been taxing on all of us, and there is a crisis of faith that permeates the clubs. Even the most die-hard supporters have questioned their commitment among the slow drip of disheartening information oozing out of PTFC — ultimately leading to things being far worse than even the most pessimistic supporters had ever anticipated. It has been described as a rollercoaster year, both emotionally and spiritually. Everyone from supporters to long-time, committed volunteers is burned out.

Our community is in crisis. The question then becomes: How do we start to heal? How do we rebuild? And what does that look like for next year’s board?

As we roll into another election cycle, we’ve been pondering about the future and ruminating on the past. Last year’s post still seems relevant: What does it mean to be on the board today? Real talk: It's complicated. It’s safe to say that more of you have a deeper understanding of what we were talking about now — wanting to create a more healthy, professional relationship with the FO. That shit was toxic. (And, like at this point last year, we’re back to not meeting with them.)

One of the age-old questions in our elections is: Are we a working or strategic board? While that answer for a long time was "a working board with aspirations of being more strategic," we have actually made that transition for the most part. The 107IST board of ?the past few years is different from what many have past experienced or understood.

Thinking forward, and looking back over the past year, the org could really benefit from members with more professional services experience. Anthing from financial services/accounting, fundraising, data wrangling, to the management of complex relationships. While having these skills on the board would be great, we would openly welcome involvement on many of our committees from Finance to Community Outreach. We’re all volunteers, and many hands make light work, as we say. Maybe more so, however, we could use more help rebuilding our community. That’s likely to be an all-hands-on-deck situation, but someone may have unique skills that could help.

It’s not all doom and gloom. The Thorns lifted the championship trophy, and the Cascadia Cup is back home. We also saw a return in the number of people coming out to paint tifo this year. We’re hoping to be in a place where we can offer our sweat equity to some of the other organizations we support again.

We all have legitimate reasons for joining this community in the first place, and a reflection of those reasons and those moments may just be the key. 

Everybody hurts. Hold on. We can get through this, but only if we work together.

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