GPUS SC Conference Call Minutes
Sunday, March 11, 2012 – 8:00 p.m. ET
I. CALL SETUP – 10 minutes
a. Facilitator – Nan Garrett
b. Start recording of call
c. Roll Call – Co-chairs Audrey Clement, Susan Chunco, Darryl Moch, Tamar Yager, and Farheen Hakeem, Secretary Budd Dickinson, Treasurer Jeff Turner (left call after his report)
Absent – Theresa ElAmin
Staff – Brian Bittner
II. STAFF REPORT
a. Office Manager – Brian Bittner – Grand Jury summons. Will submit documentation of the hardship to be excused. Preparations for PNC/ANM proceeding. There are 78 registrations. We talked about registration of SC members.
b. Fundraiser Report – None (Budd asked about info on the calls fundraiser has made and the project to get others to help.)
III. TREASURER’S REPORT & FINANCE ITEMS – Jeff
a. Cash report to date: $2500 in general and web account; $14,500 in reserve account, including $6500 ANM funds transfer from general account.
IV. Staff reporting – Tamar
Staff will report in the future when their time sheets are due (1st and 15th of each month).
V. PNC/ANM (Presidential Nominating Convention/Annual National Meeting) – Discussion about workshops. Darryl wants workshops on bylaws and other Green Parties (see Strategic Planning below) and also on electoral work. Tamar suggested a subcommittee to talk to the ANMC about what will happen in the ANM portions on Friday and Sunday. The PNC will be on Saturday.
VI. VOTING QUEUE – Budd
In the queue:
648 – SC Vacancy election – Voting 3/5-3/11.
649 – Platform Amendment Process and Timeline for Presidential Nominating Convention Years – Voting 3/12 – 3/18
650 & 651 – IC Proposals for confirmation of FPVA delegates: Julia Willebrand and Carl Romanelli – Discussion 3/12-3/25
Received for the queue:
Endorsement of the 99% Spring event to train 100,000 Americans for Non-Violent Direct Action, April 9 – 15, 2012; Green Party of Washington State; See below. Request for expedited schedule – immediate posting on queue and 1 week discussion, 1 week vote. A unanimous vote approved the expedited schedule.
VII. LIAISON REPORTS
Darryl – CCC, GSCC, GHCC – want to complete voting for more members; are looking at bylaws.
Susan – Funcom discussed delay in prospect mailing and outreach to major donors.
Tamar – AJ has resigned as ANMC co-chair. There are only 4 members left. We discussed the need to recruit committee members. Secretary was asked to send a message to the NC about the need of several committees for members. Farheen – New co-chair was elected, Julia Willebrand. Marian Douglas-Ungaro did not run for re-election.
VIII. ACTION ITEMS/OLD BUSINESS
1. Employment Agreements and Personnel Manual revision
2. Strategic Planning –
Project 2 – Review RP&PS for what isn’t working now (some changes may be suitable only after GPUS restructuring). Darryl volunteered to work on this. He wants a face-to-face group at the ANM to talk about this and #3 below.
Project 3 – Working group to study a variety of organizational political structures, including US major parties, Greens around the world, etc. Consult with those who created the structure we have. Darryl and Budd volunteered.
3. Mark Hinkle of Libertarians working with Constitution Party on May meeting in DC on topics of joint interest – Brian available to attend if SC wants him to. Need date. Others showed interest in going.
IX. EXECUTIVE SESSION about a recent letter from GPCA on 2/29/12 seeking clarification from the PCSC co-chair on the process by which he determined to officially recognize presidential candidates. The SC acknowledged receipt of the letter, which was introduced on the last SC call. In its letter of transmittal, GPCA indicated that it wanted the matter discussed in Executive Session. Tamar, Farheen and Darryl objected to executive session. The discussion in regular session resulted in consensus to send a message to the parties urging them to work together to identify and resolve any remaining or additional questions raised by GPCA which were not addressed or clarified in the recent PCSC co-chair’s report to the NC. If GPCA and the PCSC co-chair do not come to a mutually satisfactory resolution of GPCA’s concerns, the matter can be brought back to the SC and the SC will consider further action, including referring the matter to the Dispute Resolution Committee.
X. Next call 3/25/12
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PROPOSAL: ENDORSEMENT OF THE 99% SPRING APRIL 9 – 15, 2012
SPONSOR: Green Party of Washington State
APPROVAL THRESHOLD: Simple majority
DECISION-MAKING TIME LINE: one week discussion, one week vote
BACKGROUND: The 99% Spring event to train 100,000 Americans for Non-Violent Direct Action is well within our 10 Key Values, as is the list of issues that have made the event both necessary and possible (see the99spring.com). The long list of signers and the organizations they represent includes political parties and does not yet include the Green Party of the United States.
PROPOSAL: The Green Party of the United States endorses The 99% Spring event to train 100,000 Americans for Non-Violent Direct Action and encourages our state Green Parties and their members to participate in this event. In keeping with the form of current endorsements, the endorsement would be listed as Budd Dickinson, Green Party of the United States.
IMPLEMENTATION/TIMELINE/RESOURCES:
This endorsement, if passed, should be followed by a press release issued by the Green Party of the United States.
CONTACT: Green Party of Washington State
Jody Grage, jodytgrage@gmail.com
REFERENCES: www.the99spring.com