Steering Committee Rules, Policies & Procedures
adopted
October 8, 2006 | amended
December 3, 2006 | amended
November 29, 2009
April 25, 2021
Table of Contents
1. Job Descriptions
A. Treasurer
B. Secretary
2. Meeting and Conference Call Procedures
A. Quorum
B. Agenda
C. Executive Session Policy
D. Minutes
E. Observers on GPUS-SC Conference
Calls
3. Resignation Agreement
1. Job Descriptions
1) In consultation with the Steering Committee authorize payment
of GPUS funds as approved in the annual budget
2) Write checks and maintains a check disbursement log along with
the appropriate invoice files
3) Provide accountant with check and credit card expenditures log
at of end of each month
4) Monitor and balance bank accounts as needed
5) Authorize and monitor GPUS credit card usage
6) Prepare weekly financial reports for review by the Steering,
Fundraising and Finance Committees
7) Coordinate annual budget process as co-chair of Finance Committee
8) Prepare annual report to GNC including FEC and merchandise information
as described in the GPUS fiscal policy
9) Work with states, caucuses, networks and committees on fundraising
plans and record keeping in coordination with the Fundraising Committee
10) In conjunction with the Steering and Finance Committees authorize
independent annual audit
11) Manage financial income and expense operations of the GPUS Operations
Director.
12) Supervise the GPUS Fundraising Director with his/her fundraising
activities.
l) Schedule SC conference call setup and prepare agenda, meeting
notes and summary
2) Handle official correspondence as directed by the SC
3) Send Delegate Manual and other information to new delegates/alternates
4) Oversee Voting Queue
5) Assist with website as needed, as part of web content and design
team
6) Assist communication with listserv administrator and web page
managers
7) Oversee updating of archives by webmaster
8) Respond to miscellaneous requests for information, referrals,
questions from within and from outside GPUS
2. Meeting and Conference Call Procedures
A quorum of the Steering Committee is a majority of the current
membership of the Steering Committee.
1) An agenda shall be established for each meeting. Each agenda
shall include those items required by GPUS Bylaws, Rules and Procedures
or otherwise determined by the National Committee. Additional items
may be submitted by individual Steering Committee members. GPUS staff
may suggest agenda items related to their work, but only Steering
Committee members may submit them for the agenda. The Secretary shall
regularly agendize reports from GPUS staff, unless otherwise directed
by the Steering Committee.
2) Agenda items shall be sent to the Steering Committee and compiled
by the Secretary. Agenda items shall include whether an item is a
decision-making item, report or a discussion item, a title and brief
description, who are the anticipated presenter(s) and how much time
is requested. If the item is a decision-making item, it shall contain
a brief description of what is being proposed, and if the entire
text of the proposal is available, it shall include that. While it
is not always possible to present a proposal fully in advance of
a meeting, sponsors are strongly encouraged to submit as much specificity
about decision-making items as possible in advance and to provide
supportive documents or references as needed.
3) The Secretary shall circulate a draft agenda to the Steering
Committee for input and feedback at least 96 hours in advance of
each meeting (the 96-hour draft). Draft agendas shall include whether
an agenda item is a decision-making item, report or a discussion
item, its title and brief description, who are the anticipated presenter(s),
how much time is proposed, as well as any attachments from a proposal’s
sponsor, including the full text of any proposal where available.
A link to such attachments is acceptable in lieu of reprinting the
entire text within the agenda.
4) Steering Committee members may suggest changes to the 96-hour
draft agenda. The Secretary shall revise the 96-hour draft agenda
in response to those suggested changes and present an updated draft
agenda to both the Steering Committee and National Committee at least
48 hours in advance of a meeting (the 48-hour draft).
5) There may be instances where extraordinary circumstances prevent
adherence to these time lines, but the Secretary shall make a reasonable,
good-faith effort to follow this schedule by posting as close to
the 96-hour and the 48-hour draft agenda deadlines as possible. When
the Secretary knows in advance that these deadlines can not be met,
notice shall be given to the Steering Committee (for the 96-hour
draft and 48-hour draft) and National Committee (for the 48-hour
draft) stating that this is so and when the relevant draft agenda
can be expected.
6) After the release of the 48-hour draft, if Steering Committee
members have additional agenda amendments they would like to propose
at the beginning of the meeting, they are strongly encouraged to
submit them to the Steering Committee email list as soon as possible
before the meeting, to the extent they are able to anticipate the
need.
7) At the beginning of each meeting, the Steering Committee may
amend the agenda, and an agenda item to this effect shall be included
as the first order of business at the beginning of each meeting.
The time and order of already agendized items may be amended by a
majority vote. New agenda items may be added by a 2/3 vote.
8) Steering Committee members are encouraged to suggest items they
may have for future meetings in order to aid in long term agenda
planning.
The Green Party of the United States has a strong commitment to
openness and transparency in the conduct of its business. We intend
to honor the practice and spirit of open meetings laws.
When Executive Session is Appropriate:
The GPUS Steering Committee will go into Executive Session only
under very specific circumstances. Executive Session is appropriate
only for personnel matters, sensitive legal and financial matters
in which the Party itself is involved in actual or likely legal proceedings,
sensitive conversations concerning potential electoral candidates
or elected officials, and when dealing with the proprietary information
of vendors and contractors. No other circumstances are appropriate
for Executive Session.
Entering and Exiting Executive Session:
It shall take a unanimous vote by the Steering Committee members
taking part in the meeting or call in order to enter Executive Session.
Any Steering Committee member who believes that Executive Session
is the inappropriate response to the business at hand may prevent
the body from entering Executive Session. Entering Executive Session
is conditional, and any time any member of the SC believes that the
discussion is entering areas that are inappropriate for Executive
Session, s/he may withdraw consent for Executive Session and the
meeting returns to an open meeting.
Topics for which Executive Session is denied or permission is withdrawn
shall either no longer be topics of discussion or the SC may choose
by a majority vote to discuss them in open session.
When the SC does enter Executive Session, it shall note both the
time of entering and exiting ES and provide a general summary of
topics discussed, noting that the summary shall in no way reveal
the private business of the people or vendors involved.
SC members will have 72 hours from the time the minutes are posted
to send corrections.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, minutes will be posted to the
National Committee Votes list no later than ten days after the adjournment
of the meeting and to the GPUS web site no later than twenty days.
E. Observers on GPUS-SC Conference Calls
SC calls will be open to NC delegates and alternates (limited only by the technology). To observe the call contact the SC Secretary at least 12 hours in advance. Observers will be provided with a call number and access code that they will be advised not to share. Observers may observe only and may not participate or ask questions during the call unless they have specifically requested to be added to the agenda in advance, to speak on a specific agenda item germane to their committee work or other work in the party. The steering committee will set a time limit on the amount of time that will be allocated for each observer to speak and for the total amount of time set aside for observers to speak during any one Steering Committee call. Observers who have not been added to the agenda may make comments or provide information during a steering committee call, on a specific agenda item germane to their committee work or other work in the party, if requested to do so by a steering committee member, and at least two thirds of steering committee members present agree to allow the observer to speak.
Each SC shall consider signing a resignation agreement for which
the following is a potential model:
The members of the current Steering Committee of GPUS acknowledge
that for the SC to function well, it is vital that each member be
an active participant.
For each of us, the level of participation will ebb and flow to
some extent because of personal and professional circumstances. It
is certainly our intention to support each other and to accept support
when we need it. But there may come a time when one of us cannot
continue for an extended period of time to participate at the level
that is appropriate and necessary.
Participation will be deemed to have fallen below a reasonable level
when, without explanation or prior notice, an SC member misses meetings/conference
calls for two months, is unavailable by email for one month, or does
not return phone calls within one month.
In consideration of the health of GPUS, of the Steering Committee
as a whole, and of each member of the SC, the following members of
the SC pledge to resign from the SC if the conditions described above
occur so that GPUS, with the procedures in our bylaws and rules and
procedures, can select a new SC member to finish their term.
References:
Proposal to Amend the Steering Committee PPs (adopted 11/29/09)
http://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/propdetail?pid=251
Proposal to Amend the Steering Committee PPs (adopted 12/03/06
http://secure..gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/propdetail?pid=251
Steering Committee PPs (adopted 10/08/06)
http://secure..gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/propdetail?pid=246