TITLE: [[Revision of 10 Key Values for Our Party]] SPONSORS: [[Christopher Dreher, Co-Sponsor: Brian Cady- GRP Treasurer]] VETTING COMMITTEES: [[Communications Committee, Membership Committee, AdCom]] FLOOR MANAGER: [[Christopher Dreher]] SHEPHERD: Christopher Dreher SUMMARY: [[Changing Wording of GRP 10 Key Values 1. Grassroots Democracy Subtopic]] BACKGROUND: [[ The current wording of the GRP 10 Key Values 1. Grassroots Democracy Subtopic reads: “Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect his or her life; no one should be subject to the will of another. Therefore we will work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We will also work to create new types of political organizations that expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in the decision-making process.” I suggest revising this wording to give the first sentence a rework/update that will draw more support.]] TEXT OF PROPOSAL: [[ I suggest a revision of the first paragraph primarily, as it focuses an implicit discussion of all human rights to a fair governance, yet “his or her” excludes many people whom identify as gender non-binary. - A suggested revision: All people deserve valued participation in the decisions enacted in their lives; everyone should be granted egalitarian rights, liberties, and responsibilities, enabling fair activities in civics. Also, grammar changes such as “Therefore (,-insert comma) we will work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them.”]] IMPLEMENTATION: [[Communications Committee, Membership Committee, AdCom]] FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: [[ None]] REFERENCES AND ATTACHMENTS: [[ http://www.green-rainbow.org/10_key_values https://www.gp.org/ten_key_values_2016 ]]

Short title: Bylaws amendment, special meetings

Sponsor: Charlene DiCalogero, Co-chair and StateCom member, CMGR

Co-sponsor: Joshua Gerloff, Secretary, StateCom member, NSC co-chair

Shepherd: Charlene DiCalogero

Vetting Committees

Administrative Committee

Proposal to amend the following two bylaw subsections under Section 8, State Committee:

1. Section 8.3

Amend this bylaw to shorten the number of days required notice to State Committee members for a meeting from ten days to five days. And,

2. Section 8.9 Amend this bylaw on to add to who may call for a special or emergency State Committee meeting.

NOTE: Per Section 8.8, this proposal as a bylaws change must be approved by consensus or a vote of 75% of State Com members present at an official meeting:

8.8. The state committee may amend the Bylaws by a vote of 75%. A state convention may override this change by a majority vote. A 2/3 vote of the recognized Green-Rainbow chapters will also override any Bylaws change or decision of the state committee, but this method cannot be used to override a Bylaws change or decision of a state convention.

Background

1. Section 8.3 currently reads as follows:

8. 3 State committee representatives must be notified at least ten days before meetings, either in writing or by telephone. Such meetings shall also be announced in the appropriate Green-Rainbow Party publications and communications avenues.

Proposed change:

8. 3 State committee representatives must be notified at least five days before meetings, via email, text or by telephone. Such meetings shall also be announced on the appropriate Green-Rainbow Party website and social media.

Reasons:

1. Rapid communication has gotten easier since the spread of internet and cell phone usage. The party has primarily communicated using these tools for years.

2. On occasions such as the need to replace Officer or Director positions, the Party needs to be able to respond more rapidly to decide and act on time-sensitive administrative and political tasks.

2. Section 8.9 currently reads as follows:

8. 9 An emergency or special state committee meeting may be called:

• by a written or proxy vote or a petition of 1/3 of the state committee representatives;

• by a petition or vote of 1/3 of the recognized state Green-Rainbow chapters;

• by a simple majority of state committee representatives at an assembled state

• committee meeting.

Emergency or special state committee meetings would not count towards the limit on the number of state committee meetings that representatives must attend to remain in good standing.

Proposed change:

8. 9 An emergency or special state committee meeting may be called:

• by a written or proxy vote or a petition of 1/3 of the state committee representatives;

• by a petition or vote of 1/3 of the recognized state Green-Rainbow chapters;

• by a simple majority of state committee representatives at an assembled state committee meeting;

• by an Officer of the Party, including Co-chair, Treasurer or Secretary;

• by a simple majority of Administrative Committee representatives on a teleconference or at a face-to-face meeting.

Emergency or special state committee meetings would not count towards the limit on the number of state committee meetings that representatives must attend to remain in good standing.

Reasons:

1. Special or Emergency meetings of State Committee are usually called by an Officer(s) or Administrative Committee to deal with urgent decisions and/or tasks. This makes sense because AdCom meets more frequently and is more likely to become aware of urgent tasks requiring action by State Com.

2. This change would codify what we have already been doing.

Budget Impacts:

None.

Who will do what when:

Charlene DiCalogero and 1-3 other members of AdCom will:

1. check that there are no conflicts with other bylaws provisions.

2. Once this is confirmed, Charlene will provide the final approved text to the Secretary.

The Secretary will:

1. create a newly dated version of the bylaws with the final approved text,

2. email the revised bylaws to State Com and AdCom members,

3. file appropriately on DropBox and/or Googledocs, and

4. make a hard copy for themselves to bring to State Com meetings for reference.

All tasks above to be completed ASAP, at latest by two weeks before the Spring 2019 State Committee meeting.

Whereas: We, the few of us who are active members, have struggled for too long to do the monumental tasks before us as a party, while being unsure of what to ask for help from prospective active members, or realizing how thinly we are stretched at the state level. Meanwhile, newly active members do not know what they are signing up for, or what needs to be done.

Short title: ‘Active Member Proposal’

Sponsor: Brian Cady 617-943-2853 [email protected]

Co-sponsor: Roni Beal

Committees that Vetted: MDVC(Supported), YGUMB, No. Shore Chapter, So Coast, CMGR, PVC.

Explanatory background:

1. Why Sketch Out How More Newly Active Members Would Join Us, Now?

- Because then we can be more specific about where and how to join us, when we ask others to join our efforts. This could make it a very concrete question; instead of the vague ‘we want you to join us’, we can ask ‘Would you serve as local chapter-to-communications committee liaison for the next year, doing the needed work in the communications committee (for example, as the job is described at the below-mentioned spreadsheet’s job descriptions), while keeping the chapter abreast of important developments?’.

- Because then we can see just how thin our current ranks are, compared to what we need, to accomplish our goals. We're operating with just a skeleton crew; a ghost of what’s needed for the job before us, but we do not appear to recognize this lack of human resources.

- Because then I can go to local chapters and ask specific members to fill a specific empty role associated with their chapter - a very concrete ‘ask’ which is easier to think about, and commit to.

- Because then we can see how things could work, and we can think about how to make them work better.

- Because the structure sketched out would empower all chapters equally, rely on all chapters equally, and specifies personal job responsibility. This way we can have a state level group that is well-connected to our local chapters in each working committee, so there’s less alienation and more interconnection. Also we will know who does what, to encourage quality of work.

- Because when a prospective active member considers joining us, they can see the job description for the role they are considering, as well as past job holders. Perhaps their name could be entered for a role; a public commitment to their new role, letting others know who to talk to about this job.

- Because the job descriptions help us all, especially prospective and newly active members, understand job roles.

2. A vision of a more fully staffed crew of active members, with rough job descriptions, and some current and previous folks doing those jobs is available here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HNEs12wqT0cyXeKL0KVR51elLp7tecxyBhwtKztb6Tk/edit?usp=sharing

- It basically has each chapter helping with each committee via a specific liaison. There are about one hundred and fifty odd liaison roles listed here. While completely filling these 150+ roles may be difficult to reach, major steps toward that goal would make a more completely functional party. Proposal summary: Each working committee will aspire and plan to have a liaison from each chapter.

Who will do what when:

- The Member Activator / Integrator will keep track of which of these roles are filled, and strive to fill vacant roles, and will work with local chapters to do so, by video or telephone conferencing with or visiting local chapter meetings.

- Local Chapter Co-Chairs will co-operate with the Member Activator / Integrator, and local chapters will help, too, during regularly scheduled chapter meetings, think about who locally could fill empty liaison roles.

Financial Impact: None.