GRP Statecom Minutes 2018-09-30

Attendance: John Andrews, Matt Andrews, Roni Beal, Hal Brown, Brian Cady, Charlene DiCalogero, Danny Factor, Joshua Gerloff, Dan Kontoff, David Rolde and Elie Yarden.

Quorum: With 11 out of 14 Statecom members, quorum is reached!

Guests: Terra Friedrichs.

Approve agenda:

  • Add Co-Chairs report
  • Remove discussion of Ballot Question 2
  • The agenda is approved as modified

Summer 2018 statecom minutes are approved by consensus..

Next meeting:

  • Charlene and Sean Connell nominated to facilitate Winter 2019 meeting. ACTIONS: Charlene will contact Sean. They will work with others to determine the location, date and time. Danny Factor will look into Assabet River Valley t location, Matt A will look for Boston area venues.
  • All members except for Matt Andrews could attend a Saturday January 12, 2019 meeting.
  • All members except for Hal Brown could make a Saturday January 26, 2019 meeting.

Chapter rotation hosting of StateCom meetings:

  • CMGR 4/18/18
  • North Shore 7/18/18
  • PVC 9/30/18 (however, no PV members attended)
  • ARV
  • YGUMB
  • GBC
  • South Coast

The next teleconference will be Wednesday November 14, 2018. Everyone present at this meeting can attend.

Action item: Josh will contact absent Statecom members regarding Winter Statecom attendance.

Possible proposal to change GRP Standing Rules so that teleconference facilitators don't have to be the same facilitators as the last meeting.

Co-chairs report:

  • Matt: We had our first telecon for dues implementation. The YGUMB forum was excellent and featured Jill Stein, Jamie Guerin, Jed Stamas, Danny Factor and Matthew Moncreaff. He will send out an email blast soon regarding the Women's March on the Pentagon.
  • Charlene read a statement from North Shore chapter founding female co-chair Bea Reardon about the Salem witch trials and how witch hunts continue even today and we need to engage with people who don’t agree with us on issues or viewpoints without demonizing them or letting ourselves be demonized.

Election reports:

  • Josh: Statewide candidates are busy with press releases, events, and questionnaires for various organizations’ voter guides. We have reached out to Jim Braude, who hosts the show “Greater Boston”  on WGBH-TV to debate opponents.
  • Charlene reports that State Rep candidates are active and volunteers are out representing these candidates.
  • Matthew Moncreaff is running in at two-way race against a Republican in the First Worcester District.
  • Danny is running in a two-way race against a Democrat in the 14th Middlesex District. Campaign volunteers will be tabling every weekend until the general election.
  • Action item: Please hold signs with ARVC on 1. Thursday October 18 6:15 p.m. at Acton Town Hall for a League of Women Voters Forum. Danny and ARV Chapter endorsed independent State Senate candidate Terra Friedrichs will participate. 2. Candidate Forum at Congregation Beth Elohim Sunday 9am 10/21/18.
  • Danny asks that GBC members travel to the 14th Middlesex District (Concord, Carlisle, Acton amd Chelmsford) to hold signs on election evening..
  • Action items please like their Facebook pages and please contribute to their campaigns.

Treasurer search

  • The second email blast yielded three candidates
  • Matt, Charlene and Josh interviewed 2 candidates.
  • Jeff (add last name) doesn't want the job.
  • Patrick Powers backed out but we can keep him on the back burner. He doesn't want the assistant position. Josh referred him to the GBC FB page and talked about the Women's March on the Pentagon.
  • Debbie Clasby is a  resident of Whitinsville, Massachusetts. She was treasurer for the Mendon Food Co-op. She owned a small business. Raised 7 kids. Her daughter supported Jill Stein in California and suggested that  Debbie to get involved.
  • Action item: Charlene will call a special  Statecom telecon for Thursday, October 25, 2018 for first half-hour of the Adcom call to approve this appointment.
  • Action item: Charlene will call Debbie and will forward her resume to Statecom.

Budget

  • Elie: We are lowest tier Nation Builder plan. We currently pay $96 / month. In order to track membership and dues cycles using NB, we could  pay $208 a month.
  • John A: we need to review all our data management policies, password management. We need a level of functionality; how are we going to get the job done?Action item: Delegate MDVR Committee to draft a proposal including various options and present to Winter 2019 Statecom.

Appointments

  • Hal Brown, registered J, is appointed to Statecom at this meeting. He currently serves as Interim Secretary to the NSC. He also serves on the GRP ANMWG and intends to serve on the Legislative Committee.

Endorsement of Terra Friedrichs

  • The GRP endorses Independent Terra Friedrichs campaign for State Senate, Middlesex & Worcester District with 9 voting in favor and 2 abstaining.

Response to WBUR On Point program slander of the Green Party.

  • On the August 10, 2018 WBUR show On Point, media analyst Jack Beatty went on an ill-informed rant about the Green Party.
  • Matt and Charlene drafted an email to On Point and the WBUR General Manager demanding that they read our letter on air and that they host one of our Co-chairs to speak on the show. They ignored this email.
  • Matt followed up by phone, asked for the producer of the show and was sent to voicemail.
  • Action item: ask chapters to call and email demanding corrective action.

Annual National Meeting Working Group confirmation

  • Statecom created the ANMWG on the Summer 2018 teleconference. Members include John Andrews, Hal Brown, Darlene Elias and Jordan Hodges.
  • The GPUS ANM committee wants GRP Statecom and  chapter support of the chapter nearest the potential meeting site.
  • Our proposal is due October 8, 2018.
  • GPUS ANM teleconferences will require a GRP member to be on the call between November 2018 and July 2019.
  • 4-5 GRP volunteers must staff desks during the 2019 GPUS ANM Thursday through Sunday.

Action Item: The approval of GRP statements on Ballot Questions 1, 2 and 3 is shifted to the October 11, 2018 Adcom call. Deadline for comments is Monday October 8th 2018 before 9 p.m.

State Com requests that Working Committee and Chapter Reports be submitted via email.

Update on Statecom members joining working committees

  • Hal Brown is serving on the ANM working group and the soon-to-be resurrected Legislative Committee.
  • Action item Ralph Walton may need accommodation if he wishes to serve on a working committee. Perhaps the participation fund can be used to reimburse Ralph for his phone bill on the teleconferences.
  • Action item Brian Cady will write Ralph Walton an email regarding him serving on a working committee
  • Elie is seeking a strong female lead with legal background for the Legislative Committee
  • David Rolde is willing to serve on Convention Committee and Platform Committee.
  • Daniel Kontoff will serve on TGRWG.

Recruiting candidates for 2020 (CDLC)

  • Voters are ready for something else. We need to run as many candidates as we can. Ask people to run.
  • Action item Talk about running for office in 2020 now with your chapter.
  • Action item Josh will ask the Statewide candidates to obtain the voter rolls from the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

Round Robin

State Com voted to Adjourn by consensus.

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