Dormancy, adcom & quorumRe: [statecom-discuss] (no subject)

[Betty H. Zisk]

Please forgive my jumping in here. I am not on statecom at present but most
of you know me. I just want to make one point about the consensus process
and I hope that it will be taken seriously. I agree that it really hasnt
worked at times for GRP. I think that is partly because it has been
presented (at most of the statecom mtgs I have attended) as something
needing massive step by step explanation. It doesnt. Bill argues that
Roberts Rules is almost second nature for us as a society. I argue that
consensus process is easier IF it is presented very simply and as a matter
of how we do things here. Yes I am biased--I am a Quaker. I have also dealt
with the frustration of Quaker biz mtgs where consensus was not easily
reached. (In Cambridge we took 2 years way back in the late 80s to approve
gay marriage. Most Friends get marriage licences as well but we dont need
them for a marriage to be valid in our Meeting.) We took a horribly long
time recently to reach unity on CORI checks. But when we finally reached
unity we have always stood by it and not sniped or complained.) I am not
entirely sure that the Quaker experience has ever applied to GRP because of
the major differences. For instance Friends children are raised in a
consensus mode on the whole. I have never heard massive dissent among my
children or other kids about this way of doing things. I of course felt
awful when we are most upset as we were on CORI.

 GRP people on the contrary seem almost contentious by nature. I hesitate
even to talk about silence or prayer. I am not a religious nut. I am a human
being who depends on the presence of god.

Greens however are different. They havent been raised in consensus or unity.
I also use the term unity quite pointedly because it is different from
consensus: it brings the idea of god (or divine guidance) into the equation.
Quakers seek unity with god's help. And we have a clerk who helps us in that
task. (Our GRP facilitators serve that role except that I doubt that they
ask for silence and for prayer and pause before making a suggested
compromise or a ruling of someone being out of order.)

I am NOT suggesting that the Quaker way is better. Perhaps until GRP shows
some self restraint Roberts Rules will suffice to keep order. I wld hope we
could do better. I have served as vibes watcher at many GRP events--and I
prayed for us silently. But I am highly aware that GRP includes rage and
sarcasm and pressing of free speech to its extreme limits. I lament that
fact. I wish we could work together peacefully.That implies some self
restraint. Frankly I have yet to see that in GRP. Sigh. With love Betts Zisk
(Again I do not talk lightly but from the heart. I know that some of you are
offended by talk of divine guidance. I promise I will not do it again.
Please contact me if you are offended. BZ)

-----Original Message-----
From: statecom-discuss-bounces at green-rainbow.org
[mailto:statecom-discuss-bounces at green-rainbow.org]On Behalf Of Ron
Francis
Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 10:14 PM
To: Discussion List for StateCom members
Subject: Re: Dormancy, adcom & quorumRe: [statecom-discuss] (no subject)


I don't think anyone is rejecting diversity as I read the proposals, and
certainly no one would prevent folks from coming if they they really wanted
to (both are against our fundamental principles).

The large number of adcom people makes sense if it fulfills some purpose.
What is accomplished by an adcom of 11 people that 7 couldn't do fine ?...
because the price in lost person-hours is very high.

If the only answer is diversity of opinion then I guess that is the heart of
the disagreement.

I would say the adcom can make decisions just fine with 4 people getting
input from all statecom members.   The decisions that adcom makes are
administrative; they are simple to make (rarely any dispute) and also just
not that important compared to local organizing.

Can one example be provided of a decision that required a large adcom ?

We need to streamline our operation as much as possible to help people get
out into the field and do local organizing - the heart of any social
revolution.

We just can't afford the person-hours if we want to be serious about the
local work that we've shortchanged for years.   Let's take 4 adcom members
and have them shift to generating energy in any local of their choice;  our
party flounders and will die unless we take local organizing seriously.

Until we have several strong healthy locals we will continue to have little
effect on anything.   Our strongest local (Cambridge) is, despite great
efforts, not that strong or healthy by the admission of one of its own
members.  Why would anyone take us seriously if we don't have enough of a
base to be a factor.

We have some peaks when people run for office locally, but that that is
different than having local bases.  I visited another state recently where
the progressive community was built around the rent control issue and is now
a permanent force in city politics.  A permanent force.

We need a state party that emphasizes local organizing and not
administration.

As to the form of local organizing,... there are many options including
running for local office... whatever builds a real identifiable issue-based
local force, I would support.

However consider this thought:

In ordinary resident's minds, we need to connect the party to passionate
issues, like Return, IRV and Iraq, where the party was or can be affiliated
with a large fraction of people.  We've won some IRV ballot questions and
got 45% on Return.  WE could distinguish ourselves on Iraq with the correct
position.   These are places where we have a chance on building a because
because people can see clearly why and how we are different.

ron



Gracegrnrnbw at aol.com wrote: I am not getting this argument - people keep
saying "more efficient": smaller
adcom meetings have not been more "efficient" in my experience.   Getting
enough diverse voices in the room so we can really get a full range of
perspective and have liaisons to all the GRP activities is WAY more
"efficient" in my
experience.

But I tend to find being inclusive and more democrat to be "efficient" but
then I am a radical - Love, grace
In a message dated 6/1/07 7:27:37 PM, ronwf777 at yahoo.com writes:


> I can't speak for others, of course, but I think the call for reducing
> adcom is based on the need for efficiency as is the call for reorganizng
into
> supercommittees.
>
> The decisions that adcom needs to make just don't warrant 32 person-hours
> being spent at an adcom meetings. We need to free up more individuals to
focus
> on local organizing instead of putting in 8 hours per month to do two
adcom
> meetings... meetings which often don't deal with stuff that directly helps
> the party with local base-building and often is non-controversial.
>
> In two years as co-chair I recall at most, two situations where there
wasn't
> unanimity or close to it. In any event, if it is a bigger decision, it can
> be overturned by statecom.
>
> a) I would say adcom should be 4 officers and three others with a quorum
> being 4 out of 7.
>
> b) Other committees (4 supercommmitees maybe now) should meet once per
month
> with every other meeting being a phone meeting.
>
> These two ideas above would really start to free up time for some solid
> local work by statecommers who want to do it.
>
> Ron
>
>
>
> Gracegrnrnbw at aol.com wrote: Mike - I like the focus on getting our
> committees going, on clarifying how
> many locals and committees people are on. I would love for instance for
> EVERYONE to really commit to a committee and a local - one each - and
REALLY
> commit,
> put energy into getting it up and running and getting tasks done, so
people
> feel effective and excited.
>
> A few things specifically:
> we have had active committees when we have had leaders who did work to
> increase energy and excitement and worked specifically interpersonally to
> build
> those - email does not increase energy of excitement. Convenors, for
> instance,
> need to get on the phone and call their folks. we really are still human
> beings not extensions attached to key boards.
>
> I know that people only recognize a little diversity but diversity is
> complicated and we have a wonderful adcom these days with enough members
to
> actually
> be able to have quorum even withour busy schedules - why do those not on
> adcom
> keep trying to take apart something that is actually working?
>
> As for quorum for statecom, someone needs to look into the state
> requirements
> for statecom now that we are again a ballot-access party - Love, grace
> In a message dated 6/1/07 12:46:02 PM, mikeheichman at verizon.net writes:
>
>
> > June 1, 2007
> >
> > Members of State Comm.
> >
> > I have just submitted the proposal below for the July State Comm.
meeting.
> >
> > I am officially asking for this to be vetted by State Comm., Adcom and
all
> > of the Working Committees.
> >
> > I request your feedback. There is plenty of time to modify this
proposal.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Mike Heichman
> > mikeheichman at vrizon.net
> > 617-265-8143
> >
> > ------------------
> > Major Item for July State Comm-Improve the Operations of the State GRP
> > Friday June 01, @12:05PM, by Mike Heichman, Suffolk county
> > Subject : State Comm Improvements
> > from the State Comm & Working Commitees dept.
> > Summary :
> > 1.$(D*$ $(D*$ For most of 2007, the State GRP has been working with
very little
> > energy. Some of the reasons for this are
> > structural in nature-how our State Comm. Meetings are run, the dormancy
of
> > most of our working committees, etc.
> > 2.$(D*$ $(D*$ For the last few months our state party has been engaged
in a
> process
> > of
> > reflection and planning for the future.
> > While SPWG is the major motor for this focus, it would be productive for
> > members of the State Comm. to reflect on
> > our past practice and to make changes that will improve the operations
of
> > the State GRP.
> >
> > I have introduced these ideas before and I want to thank some members of
> > the State Comm. who have responded to
> > my ideas and shared some of their own.
> >
> > I am officially making these proposals now (June 1). I$(D+$"om asking
for
> further
> > discussion and feedback. Later on, after I
> > modify my proposals, I will ask for co-sponsors. I encourage others to
> make
> > their own proposals to improve the
> > operations of our State GRP.
> >
> > Text :
> > A.$(D*$ $(D*$ Operations of the State Comm.
> >
> > 1. The State Committee meeting will prioritize its agenda more wisely by
> > focusing most of its attention in the
> > following areas:
> >
> > i. making of policy between conventions
> > ii. improving communication and coordination
> > iii. evaluating the progress of the party
> >
> > It will stop doing the work that should be done by other organs of the
> > party. Examples:
> >
> > i. It will stop making endorsements (Adcom or Another Comm.)
> > ii. It will stop working on the Platform (Platform Comm.)
> >
> > 2. Every State Comm. member must belong to at least one (but no more
than
> > 2) local chapter. (The only exceptions
> > are the State officers of the GRP.) (Justification: State Comm. members
> are
> > supposed to represent other members of
> > the party.) Every State Comm. member must be a member of some other
aspect
> > of the State GRP (including Adcom,
> > Working Committees, member of a Caucus, involved with the National
Party).
> > The only exceptions are members who
> > have just joined the State Comm., who will be expected to quickly become
> > involved in other parts of the party.
> >
> > 3. The quorum will be changed from 50% of the State Comm. to 40%.
> >
> > 4. The consensus process will be changed:
> >
> > An attempt will be made to reach consensus. After a reasonable time, the
> > facilitators of the meeting are authorized
> > to shift to other ways of making decisions (straw votes, etc.) When
votes
> > are taken, a 2/3 vote or greater will be
> > needed to make a decision.
> >
> > 5. The new vetting process will be changed in the following ways:
> >
> > i. Initiators of proposals should be encouraged (not required) to vet
> their
> > proposals to the appropriate committee(s).
> > Committee should be encouraged but not required to vet these proposals.
> >
> > ii. We should go back to the old system of expecting that members of
State
> > Comm. will $(D+$¢®
> >
> > a. read the proposals before the meeting.
> > b. offer their support by co-sponsoring if they are in agreement.
> > c. share their concerns with the sponsors with a mutual attempt to
resolve
> > concerns before the meeting.
> >
> >
> > B.$(D*$ $(D*$ New Committee Structure
> >
> > (Justification: Most of the Committees are dormant or operating with
> > minimal energy.)
> >
> > (Note: I am stealing this idea from Bill Cunningham and making a couple
of
> > changes. If Bill still likes his idea, I
> > consider him to be the primary sponsor.)
> >
> > 4 SuperCommittees will replace the current Working Committees.
> >
> > 1.$(D*$ $(D*$ Adcom
> >
> > a.$(D*$ $(D*$ Membership: The elected officers and 3 members elected
by the
> State
> > Comm. A majority of the members of
> > Adcom must be $(D+$)Mdiversity members$(D+$¢®.
> > b.$(D*$ $(D*$ Responsibilities: The current responsibilities except
that it will
> not
> > be involved in platform development.
> >
> > 2.$(D*$ $(D*$ Membership Support SuperComm. (This will include the
tasks of the
> > current Membership, Communications and
> > Tech Committees.)
> >
> > 3.$(D*$ $(D*$ Outreach SuperComm. (This will include the current tasks
of the
> > Platform, CDLC and External Relations.
> > Additionally, it will be the place where we may decide to take on
> > $(D+$)Mmovement$(D+$¢®/issues work (Examples: Abolish
> > Poverty, Anti-War, etc.)
> >
> > 4.$(D*$ $(D*$ Finance, Legal, Office and Records
> >
> > Reply
> >
> >
> >
> > Contact the tech team with suggestions/corrections for this site.
> > About This Site
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------
> > myhosting.com - Premium Microsoft$(D*$"n Windows$(D*$"n and Linux web
and
> application
> > hosting - http://link.myhosting.com/myhosting
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > statecom-discuss mailing list
> > statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
> > http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/statecom-discuss
>
> >
>
>
>
>
> **************************************
> See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
> _______________________________________________
> statecom-discuss mailing list
> statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
> http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/statecom-discuss
>
> _______________________________________________
> statecom-discuss mailing list
> statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
> http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/statecom-discuss
>
>




**************************************
 See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
_______________________________________________
statecom-discuss mailing list
statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/statecom-discuss

_______________________________________________
statecom-discuss mailing list
statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/statecom-discuss