[Northampton-GP] Conn. River Valley Green-Rainbow Meeting Annoucement

Tue Apr 8 20:32:40 EDT 2003

We (Northampton Local) approved the new Conn. River Valley Green-Rainbow bylaws at our monthly meeting last night (Monday, April 7). I plan to attend the CRVGR April meeting next Tuesday, April 15th, at 7 p.m. at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment in Amherst. It would be great to have someone else from Northampton join me. This is a great opportunity to network and hear about what other locals in the area are doing. The planning for the Hampshire County Convention is also happening as a part of this regional group.
Jim Bosman 

Agenda:

Connecticut River Valley Green-Rainbow meeting

Hitchcock Center for the Environment, Amherst, 7 p.m.

Agenda for 4/15/2003

1.  Introduction and Welcome (2 minutes)

    a. Introductions

    b. Choose facilitator, minutes_taker, timekeeper, and (if necessary) stacker

2.  Reports and Announcements (32 minutes)

    a. County Convention/Jill Stein appearance _ Jim/Kristopher? (10 min.)

    b. Treasurer _ Kristin/Doug (1 min.)

    c. Candidate Development Committee _ Vince/Doug/Kristopher? (10 min.)

    d. Statecom _ Jim/Scott? (10 min.)

    e. Website/listserv _ Rob (1 min.)

3.  Approval of minutes from 3-11-2003 meeting (1 minute)

4.  Affiliated/Coalition organization reports (2 minutes)

    a. IRV _ Emily/Susan?

5.  Town Committee reports (15 minutes)

6.  Discussion of and vote on CRVGR bylaws (15 minutes)

7.  Conclusion (5 minutes)

     a. plan May meeting date, appoint facilitation team

     b. other announcements

     c. adjournment

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Revised Conn. River Valley Greens Bylaws

Connecticut River Valley Green-Rainbow Bylaws

I. Description and Purpose

      A. The Connecticut River Valley Green-Rainbow (CRVGR) is an informal association of the Massachusetts Green_Rainbow Party (GRP)_affiliated locals of western Massachusetts, as well as a meeting place for members and friends of Green Rainbow Party of Massachusetts who reside in towns where a local committee has not yet been established.

      B. The CRVGR’s mission is as follows:

                        1. The CRVGR will connect local committees and affiliated groups throughout the Connecticut River Valley in Massachusetts to share campaign expertise, institutional knowledge, and communications from the State and Administrative Committees of the GRP.

                        2. The CRVGR will share knowledge and coordinate volunteer efforts to help interested people form local committees and/or organize and coordinate Green Rainbow electoral campaigns.

                        3. The CRVGR will coordinate regional events for MRGP electoral campaigns.

                        4. The CRVGR will help local committees interpret and adhere to the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

II. Ten Key Values

The CRVGR will act in accordance with the Ten Key Values as described in the bylaws of the GRP: Ecological Wisdom, Social Justice, Grassroots Democracy, Non_violence, Decentralization, Community_based Economics, Feminism, Respect for Diversity, Personal and Global Responsibility, and Future Focus/ Sustainability.

III. Membership

      A. Attendance at meetings of the CRVGR is open to the general public.

      B.  Quorum for substantive decision_making will require the presence of CRVGR members (or delegates) from at least three CRVGR_associated towns, with the aforementioned members or delegates defined as a member of the GRP who also meets either of the following criteria:

                  1. Attendee must be a member of the GRP local of a CRVGR town or have been approved or recognized as a delegate of a GRP local authorized to represent the local at the meeting.

                  2. Attendee must be have attended at least two consecutive CRVGR meetings and reside in a town that does not yet have a GRP local.

      C.  GRP locals in the CRVGR region may designate any member or members of their group, or any other person, to represent them formally at a CRVGR meeting.

      D.  MRGP members from towns without established locals may be recognized as members of the CRVGR by consensus of existing members.

IV. Meetings and Decision Making

      A. The CRVGR will strive to meet monthly or bimonthly until a significant number of GRP locals are established in the CRVGR region, at which point meeting frequency will be reevaluated.

      B.  To encourage wide participation and geographical diversity at CRV Green meetings, meeting location will be rotated among all towns represented in the CRVGR.

      C.  Meetings will be conducted and decisions made according to the consensus process described in the “CRVGR Meeting Process” document attached to these bylaws.

      D.  The meeting facilitator will determine whether quorum is present and whether a decision requires quorum.  This determination should be made prior to the beginning of any discussion pertaining to a substantive decision.

      E.  Minutes will be recorded by the secretary (or secretary alternate) at all CRVGR meetings and made available to all members as soon as possible following the meeting.  At the beginning of each meeting, the minutes from the previous meeting will be amended as necessary and approved.

      F.  Participants at CRVGR meetings are expected to treat each other with civility and consideration according to the “Civility Guidelines” document attached to these bylaws.  Persons who violate this standard may be asked to remain silent or leave the meeting by a 2/3 vote of all present.

V. Offices and Committees

      A. Facilitation Team

                  1. At each regular meeting the CRVGR will designate members to comprise a facilitation team to prepare for and facilitate the next meeting.

                  2. The facilitation team will consist at least of one member of the incumbent facilitation team and one member of the local of the host town.

                  3. The facilitation team will be responsible for assembling an agenda for the meeting, securing a meeting place, and notifying CRVGR members of the scheduled meeting.

                  4. The facilitator of a meeting will follow techniques that assure equal opportunity for all voices to be heard, including the use of a co_facilitator, stacker, and/or timekeeper if necessary.

      B. Secretary

                  1. The CRVGR will elect a member to record the minutes of regular meetings of the group.  The secretary shall be elected to a one-year term at the first CRV Green meeting after July 1 of the year.  At that time, a secretary alternate will also be elected in the event that the secretary is unable to attend a meeting or is unable to complete his or her term.

                  2. The secretary will distribute a draft of the minutes to all those attending a meeting as soon as possible after that meeting for comment and amendment, if necessary.  The preferred method of distribution will be via electronic mail unless members request otherwise.

                  3. The corrected minutes will be presented for approval at the next regular meeting of the CRVGR and then posted on the group website.

      C. Treasurer

                  1. The CRVGR will elect a member of group to monitor the safekeeping and dispersal of all funds collected in the group's name.  The treasurer shall be elected to a one-year term at the first CRV Green meeting after July 1 of the year.

                  2. The treasurer will report on all financial activity of the group, including current balance of funds, at each regular meeting.  In the event the treasurer is unable to attend a meeting, s/he will submit a report to the facilitation team as soon as possible before or after the meeting, for inclusion in the minutes.

                  3. Under no circumstances will the CRVGR incur debt.

                        4. In accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, any funds collected by the CRVGR shall not be used for any political purpose or electoral campaign.

                  5. In the event of the dissolution of the CRVGR or of an unresolvable dispute about the disposition of the group treasury, the remaining balance of funds will be donated to the Hitchcock Center for the Environment in Amherst, Massachusetts.

      D. Website administrator

                        1. The CRVGR will designate a member of the group to maintain the group website at <westernmassgreens.org>.  The website administrator shall be elected or appointed, at the CRV Green members’ discretion, to a one-year term at the first CRV Green meeting after July 1 of the year.

            2. The website shall include at least the following:

                  a. these bylaws

                  b. current officers with contact information

                  c. approved minutes of previous meetings

                  d. schedule of upcoming events

                  e. links to the GRP and all CRVGR_associated locals with their own websites

      E. Election of officers

                        1. The offices of secretary, secretary alternate, treasurer, and website administrator will be elected for the period of one year at the first meeting following July 1 of every year.

            2. Election will be by consensus of those attending at a meeting in which quorum is present.

            3. Officers may be reelected indefinitely.

            4. Officers may be recalled by consensus, or by a 2/3 vote if consensus cannot be reached.

      F. Ad hoc committees

                        1. The CRVGR may create ad hoc committees to address specific issues, plan particular events, or coordinate activities among constituent CRVGR-associated locals.  There shall be neither a minimum nor a maximum number of ad hoc committees in existence at any time.

                        2. The composition of, funding for, and aims of any ad hoc committee shall be determined at the time of the committee’s formation.  

                        3. The CRVGR shall approve the creation and composition of any ad hoc committee by consensus.

                        4. Ad hoc committees in existence for more than one calendar year shall be renewed or reaffirmed by consensus at the first CRVGR meeting after one year from the date of their formation

                        5.  Ad hoc committees shall provide updates on their activities at each CRVGR meeting.

VI. Ratification and Amendment of Bylaws

      A. These bylaws will become ratified when they are endorsed by at least three GRP locals associated with the CRVGR.

      B. Amendment of these bylaws requires the endorsement of the majority of the locals of CRVGR_associated towns, following a consensus approval vote of those attending a regular CRVGR meeting at which quorum is present.  If consensus about amending these bylaws cannot be reached, amendment of these bylaws requires a 2/3 vote of a CRVGR meeting and the endorsement of 2/3 of the local committees in the Connecticut River Valley in Massachusetts.

Connecticut River Valley Green-Rainbow Meeting Process Guidelines

Consensus

The Connecticut River Valley Greens (CRVGR) tries to make decisions by consensus when possible.

Consensus depends on each individual’s ability to place the success of the group as their highest priority.  Consensus does not necessarily mean unanimity.  The group can proceed with an action without having total agreement.

To do this, a proposal is made and the facilitator asks if there are any blocking concerns.  These are concerns held by any of the participants that cause them to be unable to support the proposal.  If a participant has a blocking concern, the facilitator will ask them for an alternative proposal.  Participants with blocking concerns must take responsibility to work for a compromise or substitute agreement.

The facilitator then asks for agreement on the alternative proposal.  If none can be found, the facilitator may ask if those with blocking concerns are willing to “stand aside,” or agree to no longer block the proposal from moving forward.  The facilitator may also ask that a vote be taken.  If a vote is taken, it requires a 2/3 majority of those present to pass.

Structure

Each meeting is planned by the facilitation team.  The facilitation team is a group of at least two volunteers, one of whom shall be a resident of the town in which the next CRVGR is to be held, that meets two weeks before the next meeting to plan the agenda and secure a location for the meeting.  The secretary is strongly urged to be a member of the facilitation team as well.

The agenda is to be distributed no later than one week before the CRVGR meeting, and ideally sooner.

The facilitation team will be responsible for ensuring that CRVGR members fulfill the roles of meeting facilitator, stacker, and timekeeper.  The meeting facilitator is responsible for keeping attendees on task at the meeting so the agenda is completed in a timely fashion, and for coordinating the flow of discussion.

The stacker notes participants who want to speak when they raise their hand.  After a participant has been noted by the stacker, they can put their hand down and wait their turn.  The stacker will call on members in the order in which they raised their hand.  However, if one individual has been talking more than others, the stacker may choose to call first on someone who has not yet spoken.  If a member has a point of information/clarification or a point of process about the proposal being discussed, rather than an opinion, they may raise one finger and the stacker will know to call on them first.

The timekeeper is responsible for helping the facilitator complete the agenda and adhere to the estimated amount of time allotted for each agenda item.

Civility Guidelines

Civility guidelines shall be hung on the wall at each meeting.  They are agreements that CRVGR members have made that recommend behaviors and attitudes that we believe result in a more successful and productive meeting.

Connecticut River Valley Green-Rainbow Civility Guidelines

Behavioral

Treat each other with respect: everyone has something of value to contribute.

Do not use language that stereotypes others.

It is okay to disagree.

No side conversations shall occur.

No one is always right.

Do not interrupt a speaker.

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