Fwd: [Convention] convention info for the newsletter

[Owen Broadhurst]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jamie O'Keefe <jokeefe at jamesokeefe.org>
Date: Aug 24, 2006 10:00 AM
Subject: Re: [Convention] convention info for the newsletter

> The bylaws nowhere define party membership to include all the enrolled.
They say only that enrolment qualifies a person for membership. To become a
member of a voluntary organization requires, in addition, some act of will,
i.e. we all consciously and willingly joined. Surely all the 9500 enrolees
don't consider that by enrolling they became members.

I might agree with you if:

1)  The intent of the people who authored this section (me and a
number of others) and the people who approved it based on how we
explained it, agreed with you.  However, while the language can be
interpreted this way, it was not the intent to limit membership to
only those who say they want to be members, but, in 2001,  to broaden
the definition of membership from just dues paying members to include
registered voters.  I believe that the Mass. General Laws define the
members of a party to be the registered voters in the party.

2)  We had someway of keeping track of who the members are under your
interpretation of Section 4.1.  I believe that we do not have a
accurate way to do this.  We cannot do just dues payers and state comm
members, but would need to include anyone who has participated in a
state party decision since we modified the by-laws.

Clearly we need to send to notify all members per the by-laws.
However, our best estimate of who those members are is the list of
registered voters and dues paying members.

Jamie


-- 
Owen R. Broadhurst
Candidate for State Representative
Third Hampden District
http://www.owenbroadhurst.org