[Convention] RE: [statecom] RE Decision on Interim Convention Reg

[Betty H. Zisk]

I am sorry to have been out of the loop. I still have contiuing med
problems. I am one of those who paid my dues for full two days. I can also
lead a workshop on anynumber of things including basic green values (I dont
think we can stress this too often) or more advanced seminar on either peace
or environ issues.Let me know, Betts Zisk

-----Original Message-----
From: statecom-admin at green-rainbow.org
[mailto:statecom-admin at green-rainbow.org]On Behalf Of Wanda Boeke
Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2004 2:02 PM
To: convention at green-rainbow.org; statecom at green-rainbow.org
Subject: [statecom] RE Decision on Interim Convention Reg


Hello, all,

Having read the responses to the various items regarding the upcoming
Convention and having spoken over the phone with a number of people, I'll
try to be brief.

1) Anyone who has ever organized a conference or convention for any
business or organization knows that conferences and conventions NEVER make
money. We have to put on a party-wide convention due to state law - making
money is a bit of a pipe dream, and I'm afraid breaking even will also be a
vain hope. The only conferences that make money are high-price (i.e. $500+
registration fee) for professionals. Most continuing education-type or
other conferences lose money, but must be undertaken due to professional or
state code requirements.

2) As a convention co-chair (with Mark Laserte), I do not intend to support
any kind of child care that is not professional and performed by a fully
insured person/organization/business.

3) Such professional child care costs money. We cannot hire just any
well-intentioned person. And we can't hire anybody with professional
qualifications for peanuts. Everything always seems fine until some
disaster strikes. Once it does, parents and others will rightfully want
justice. Litigation would involve not only the GRP, but specific
individuals. I will not stand by and leave the door open for such an
oversight and I will not have my name associated with irresponsible child
care provided at the GRP convention. I believe I speak for Mark as well.

4) Adding the possibility of catered food available for late registrants,
while using the late registration form is fine with me - as long as the
deadline will fly with Devens (and Currier & Chives - but I guess all goes
through Devens now). Using the late registration form means no child care,
no bus transportation, no Green hours. The Convention Planning Committee
was unable to reach consensus on the sliding-scale amounts to be used. The
'mid-point' of the sliding scales was not the break-even point. We
realistically foresaw that folks would pay at the lower end, so the scale
was developed to provide for 100 people paying $30 each.

5) Asking people to fax and then mail in their registration/payment PLUS
asking the same-day walk-ins to phone ahead of their intention is
unrealistic. The latter kind of participants do not know ahead of time that
they will want/be able to attend. The former, having already had many weeks
of notification, will not suddenly jump through yet more hoops. As I
understand it, no registrations trickled in after the deadline, so those
who chose to jump through hoops already did.

6) Reducing the time of the convention will not save money. We will have to
return payments, publicize the new schedule, reduce the workshops (and that
means all kinds of rearranging with presenters, who, if they cannot
present, may no longer attend = more money lost), and Devens' cost will
probably not be 1/2 of a 2-day event.

7) I'm glad that Devens will keep their pub open.

8) I attempted to contact yet another musician/band, but their phone (which
was still connected 10 days ago) has been disconnected. That leaves a
single political folk singer, and I don't know if that would be sufficient
for entertainment purposes. Am still trying.

9) Regarding Merelice's comments on supporting part of the organizing team
for the March to Abolish Poverty since the event was so beneficial to the
GRP, I am sorry, but I do not agree. As an endorsed event, the GRP's
network extended itself to accomodate the March. It did not 'benefit' the
GRP because a political party cannot be associated with the numerous
state-funded groups, churches & other organizations that participated by
providing speakers, food, and lodging. In fact, in my area we had to DENY
that the GRP was sponsoring the March - we had to state again and again
that our local club was a supporter (continually defining it as a civic
organization, which it is). It did not 'benefit' the GRP because many
active members who were part of the network had no time to get behind GRP
candidates whose nomination papers are due April 27. Getting nomination
papers signed means standing out for hours on a daily basis soliciting
signatures and informing the public about a particular candidate or number
of them as well as telling the public about the GRP. We are a political
party, after all - that means running candidates. This is our primary
purpose, even though we may choose to take on other commitments.

Also, the organizers (including a GRP co-chair) knew very well about the
state convention and had the opportunity to request child care etc. well
beforehand (two organizers, in fact, picked up the very Newsletter that
contained all the relevant information). Even during the March, the
organizers had computer and phone connection for the entire duration of the
March and could have contacted any number of people on the Convention
Planning Committee regarding their needs.

If anybody deserves support, hats off to Michael Gainer for going way
beyond the call of duty to make the March a success, for keeping people
safe on the road, for stepping up and cooking when needed, and for being a
wonderful uncle to the children.

9) Finally, in reference to participation on the whole, I have to say that
a number of workshops still need presenters. I am on this, although I will
be away for this holiday weekend. I will make sure that as many of the
workshops as we wanted to offer will happen. I am looking outside of the
GRP for some presenters, but the fact that we cannot offer money may be a
hindrance.

10) The fact that 22 people sent in registration/payment is a message that
the GRP must take seriously. This is less than the average quorum for a
State Committee meeting. We should ask ourselves why. I have a few answers,
but won't go into them now. It is also obvious from the lack of candidate
forms & statements received that hardly anyone stepped forward to take on
any of the positions that the convention is officially supposed to be held
for. Another message.

The State Committee meeting on April 10 will receive the most recent report
from the Convention Planning Committee. This will undoubtedly lead to some
interesting discussion regarding organizing the last convention details as
well as the convention itself.

I look forward to hearing the results of such discussion.

Respectfully,

Wanda B.
boeke at berkshire.net
413 997-2108


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