Winter StateCom Minutes Part 1 Feb 17, 2024 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

• 12:00 - 12:05 pm Come to order12:05 - 12:15 pm
• Take attendance and determine quorum: Please welcome new statecom members * and returning statecom members:John Andrews, Brian Cady, Roni Beal, David Barkley, Charlene DiCalogero, *Mark Connor, Danny Factor, Jamie Guerin, *Kate Hamel, Elizabeth Humphrey, David Keil, Daniel Kontoff, Frank Jeffers (Joined at 1:15 pm), Jamie McLaughlin (Alt), Mike Pascucci, (left at 1:24 pm), Eileen Sheehan, Linda Thompson, Richard Vaillette observers: Val O'Keefe, Danika Bybell, Maha Grey, John Blumensteil, Zack Kontra

Quorum (11) was achieved.

• 12:15 - 12:20 pm Seat alternates: None present
• 12:20 - 12:25 pm Announce meeting roles:  note taker (Maureen Doyle), timekeeper (Richard Vaillette), vibes watcher (Jamie Guerin), stacker (Eileen Sheehan), parliamentarian (John Andrews/ Danny Factor)
• 12:25 - 12:35 pm Approve agenda:  Maureen brought up that there was no secretary report included. no other concerns; agenda accepted.
• 12:25 - 12:35 pm Approve minutes from Fall StateCom:  there are three sets of minutes to approve. After some discussion, there was a consensus to approve all minutes. A discussion ensued about DRAFT vs. APPROVED minutes being posted. Elizabeth voiced concern about draft minutes being posted because there may need to be some corrections made; we don't want people to get the wrong impression. John A. encouraged posting minutes because we need to keep up with the efficiency of the party. Maureen said she would like to post DRAFT minutes for the reason that John A. pointed out and if it is marked DRAFT, if there is a correction needed, that can be pointed out.
• 12:35 - 12:45 pm Set time and date for Spring StateCom, choose facilitators:  Linda suggested that we set a meeting schedule for the entire year (not going meeting-by-meeting). (On-screen finger wiggles of approval from MD!) Spring Statecom needs to be held after regional conventions (due to members of Chapters being elected then). Jamie G. spoke about this procedure of people being elected at their regional conventions. She pointed out that the GRP Co-Chair needs to be in attendance at Statecom if a non-state com member is co-facilitating. There was a proposal passed last spring 2023 (see further minutes.) Brian suggested April 13th as the spring state com date. Mark and Val offered to co-facilitate; since Mike P. (our co-chair) needs to also be there, they will confer offline and then let us know via email. 

Plan for how to reconvene state committee in 2024 https://www.green-rainbow.org/davidspanagelcomcastnet/plan_for_how_to_reconvene_state_committee_in_2024  "the only actions that may and must take place in the following order by the newly elected state committee representatives for the Green-Rainbow Party elected at that primary election, are to:

• choose the current Secretary of the party as the Secretary of the party
• choose the current Treasurer of the party as the Treasurer of the party 
• call the regular spring state committee meeting at which there will be an orientation for newly elected regional representatives and whatever other business that may be taken up
• adjourn the meeting." It says the newly elected co-chairs but DF corrected it to read the current co-chairs need to preside.

• 12:45 - 1:05 pm Chapter and Committee Reports:  

Western: Mike Lavery and Rick Purcell are co-chairs but no meetings have been set. Lois is presently co-chair and she has 4 new members! They will meet next Sunday  (2/25)

Central: Roni and Maureen spoke. there is a meeting on 2/24. Hopefully, it will begin to grow again!

Northeast: Mark commented that they are excited to get going. Mark wants to make sure that Diversity is brought up (as Jamie M. has encouraged us to).

Southeast: report not included

Membership: Mark summarized this for Zack as he is not here yet.

Communications: report not included

• 1:05 - 1:45 pm Urgent Matters: 

Presidential Working Group implementation of 2024 Plan:  

JA made a clarifying statement that PER THE GRP BY LAWS, THE PNC WINNER IS WHO MASS GRP WILL ENDORSE.

DELEGATE SELECTION: should they be proportional? Should all go to Jill Stein? See JA's above statement.

Discussion of relationship with GPUS. People who want to declare their wish to be delegates can do it NOW since the GPUS Annual National Meeting (ANM) is virtual in 2024. DF advised NOT doing the delegate selection NOW but waiting until April 13th. (If you are interested send me your name, though.)  On April 13th, the tentative date of the next statecom meeting, delegates will be chosen (if anyone is interested in being a delegate, please send me an email (to the email address these notes are on); I will share this with the co-chair and co-facilitators of April 13th statecom. 

NAME ON PETITION: Jill Stein as president and Gloria Cabarollo-Roca as vice president

Funding for registration drives: there is no budget for fundraising [now or always??-Maureen] David Scwab has offered to fundraise. LT offered to host a fundraising party at her home to raise money for either Jill or the GRP

Remember, the GRP does not have ballot status this year so we are technically running as UNENROLLED, not GRP! Lots of conversation about 'Is ballot access endorsing Jill Stein'! Should we ask the GPUS NC for approval? MD asked if we should go right to the SC (Steering Committee). 

• 1:45 - 2:00 pm  Planning for regional conventions.

Discussion of chapters vs regions; Brian C asked for this discussion to be urgent business.  He has a database of memberships in each region. Danny F pointed out that this has been a proposal and that he endorsed what Brian C. said. Brian showed a map of MA governor's council regions to correspond to our regions (decertified Boston chapter can work with other chapters).  Danny F reminded us that it was the CHAPTER that was decertified NOT the region!!)

Looking at: https://malegislature.gov/Redistricting/NewDistricts/GovernorsCouncil

3,6,5 can combine for conventions (as the NORTHEAST)

1,2,4 can combine for a convention (as the SOUTHEAST)

ultimately, we want a town committee in each municipality!!

Danny F pointed out that the map is a good overlay for Governor's Council Regions (that Brian displayed- https://www.mass.gov/orgs/governors-council, The map is not on this BUT we should have someone run for governors council- we could really show the 10 key values there!!- comment from notetaker, Maureen)  Lots of discussion here. Kate H. pointed out that according to our by-laws, a 75% majority vote needs to be held at the regional conventions.  

A vote was held to add 10 minutes to this agenda item. CONSENSUS

According to the by-laws, 60 members are apportioned to statecom (in 8.5.2). The membership committee will work on the formation of each regional chapter. Danny F and Brian C will handle the numbers required; they will report how many according to their database. When Zack arrived, Danny F explained all this to him.  Confusion ensued. Lois G. said that statecom is NOT about chapters but regions. The Governor's Council map is an overlay

• 2:00 - 2:15 Budget update; Brian Cady. 

Treasurer Brain Cady talked about the budget. The GRP has two outstanding (uncashed) checks: (1) 1st Unitarian Church in Worcester and (2) David Schwab

Round Robin/adjourn.

Rest of agenda for Part II:

• 2:15 - 2:25 pm Old business items: 

Finalize GRP decision-making mechanism for endorsements and co-sponsoring events.

Define the reach and scope of the press arm of the GRP:  Mark Connor: 

• 2:25 - 2:35 pm  Bylaw review with Kate Hamel  
• 2:35 - 2:45 pm  Funding for Young Greens tabling and outreach:  Kate and Mark. 

Round Robin / Adjourn

TO DO"

• Communications: place all APPROVED 2024 sets of Statesom minutes on the website
• Present facilitators: do #12-14 of this agenda on March 3rd at 7 pm
• Next Facilitators: please place Linda Thompson's idea of scheduling for the whole year on the spring agenda
• Linda: share again what you wrote about this idea
• Next Facilitators: Place Secretary's report in the agenda! see for all needed info: https://www.green-rainbow.org/procedures
• All: Read By-laws (see above link)
• Lois and Brian: set up a Zoom with David Schwab to talk about fundraising (remember he is on the West Coast when suggesting times!)
• Brian: please include the map at **** on '10. Planning for regional conventions. Thank you. (I tried that link and it says that it is forbidden to me!!) maybe this is it: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massgis-data-massachusetts-governors-council-districts-2021
• Brian and Danny F: confer about apportionment in each region; see by-law 8.5; tell the GRP the numbers for each region's statecom membership.
• Cheryl and Henry: give 300 petitions to Lois; give 300 petitions to Danny F
• John Blumensteil: get petitions from Danny Factor; distribute to Roni and David S.
• ALL: If anyone is interested in being a presidential  delegate, please send me an email (to [email protected] )
• Membership Committee:  work on the formation of each regional chapter (see above and 8.5.2 of by-laws)
• Linda: you offered to lay out something; I didn't get what
• Danny F. and Mark C: get together to discuss the Northeast chapter (combining 3,6,5 of the Gov. Council map)
• CDLC: run someone for governor's council
• ALL: Regional Conventions need to be held by April 13th! (or by the next statecom)

Respectfully submitted, 

Maureen Doyle, 2022-2024 GRP Secretary