GPUS Steering Committee Meeting Minutes – June 8, 2014
I. CALL SETUP & BACKGROUND
a) Facilitator – Jody Grage
b) Roll Call – Starlene Rankin, Budd Dickinson, Jesse Townley, Charles Ostdiek, Tamar Yager, Jeff Turner, Darryl! Moch, Karen Young, Kate Culver
c) Agenda revisions – remove Budget Amendment (IIIb.1.); delete MI proposals (III.d.)(final proposals not received in time); delay rebranding discussion to next call.
II. Old Business
a) Annual Meeting Schedule. TY
The rebranding project will be added to the agenda. The anti-oppression training wrap-up will be on Saturday morning. Outreach to millennials is suggested as a Saturday afternoon plenary session rather than workshop. There will be discussion of the planning sequencing of strategic plan. On Sunday, there will be a discussion of the first part of the strategic plan, which should have been passed by then: Growing Membership and Diversity. There will be sections on recruiting and retaining new members and on making our committees more effective.
The forum discussion by Jesse and David Doonan will hopefully include a computer lab tutorial. Kate volunteer to lead the effort to get committee reports. Karen and Kate will outreach to states to get state reports.
We ask the states to submit reports in the following way:
1) current activities and successes
2) recent challenges or ongoing issues (* ask for ideas and suggestions or offers to help)
3) ballot access status and intentions in balance of 2014 and 2015
4) recent campaigns and candidates (and results); include any candidate trainings or campaign schools as well as any intentions in 2014 and 2015
5) Any additional noteworthy things or requests
FunCom report followed by FinCom report and a breakout session will be given 1.5 hours. Tamar will continue to work on the schedule. Six facilitators have been nominated.
b) Letter on TTIP to European Parliament. KC
Consensus to send the corrected copy in the appropriate formal style.
c) Rebranding KY –
Table to next call since materials were late getting to the SC.
III. Standing Business
a) Treasurer’s Report JT
Because of computer difficulties changing from XP to Windows 7, the May
figures are not yet completed. There was $13k the general accounts at the end of May, and about $7.5k now after paying the initial monthly expenses and the payroll on 6/6. The new mailing returns will be coming in any day now.
b) Finance Items for decision- JT
1. The budget amendment discussion is being withdrawn because Missouri has declared it will not be gathering ballot access signatures this year, though a request from PA has just been received. The email appeal this past week raised over $1k for BAC. Funding for IT development to move from Salsa to NationBuilder can be done with SC approval and some committee fundraising – 15 states plus some candidates are already using NationBuilder.
2. Consensus to pay all remaining state sharing balances due that are less than $200 for a total of $1045. Consensus that Jeff will send the list of state sharing still owed and Tamar will write a proposal for the SC to vote online for paying some states where there are delegates needing money to get to the ANM. We would pay regardless but encourage them to use the money for helping get people to the ANM.
3. Consensus to authorize the Media Committee to use $1000 in budgeted funds, half for online pay-for-click ads in July/August to promote our new branding identity with goal of recruiting new donors, merchandise sales, and hopefully new membership involvement, and half for promoting candidates on facebook in October and perhaps new merchandise for publicity.
c) Fundraising Report The new fundraising letter is out. The eblast for BAC brought in over $1000. The staff report deadline may be changed to a later date. Starlene’s information on our letterhead will be updated. David has 5 interns now who are working for state and national doing phone banking of various kinds. One priority is calling delegates around MN to encourage ANM attendance.
d) VOTING QUEUE – BD
In the queue:
ID 742 Mission Statement,etc. (After the call the discussion was extended in a new proposal.)
ID 744 NC Forum Transition; Voting 6/16-22
Starlene has sent the etiquette document, and info on who the admins and floor managers will be will be sent to the NC. It was suggested that all SC members be given admin status.
A proposal may be needed to increase the accuracy of state delegation listings. David Sack’s interns could do some work on this. It’s an ongoing task and may need a paid worker or a system of having each state have a delegation head. A form on the website, a more visible link, and a post to the NC about procedures were suggested.
e) Liaison Reports Discussion: All
Jesse reports that after a series of small edits are sent to the platform amendments are sent to the sponsors, then seven platform planks will be ready. Housekeeping amendment will be coming, including removal of some out-of-date items. The animal rights plank from OR did not contain any new material and so was not included.
IV. New Business
a) Strategic Plan Proposal (Part 1: Membership) KY
The proposal language (background, etc) is the same as before, but as time has passed, some dates have been changed. Some 2014 deadlines in the plan may now prove to be too ambitious and need to be revised later.
We will be submitting each goal area of the strategic plan as a separate proposal.
The first section of the plan, Growing Membership and Diversity, has been revised since last submission based on feedback from committee chairs and members.
Karen will work with David Doonan to ensure all materials are posted. Proposal for voting queue to go up on Sunday 15 June with Karen as floor manager and a 3 week discussion period.
b) Debrief of our activities of this spring. KC
Speadsheet of SC and staff activities being developed for SC review and expansion. This could become a quarterly report to the NC. Kate will look at Wiggio to see if document can be edited by each SC member.
c) Sign on to STOP the Planting of GE Trees in Brazil! KC
Consensus for Kate to forward document, which is due 15 June, and send report to the NC.
V. New business for 6/22 Agenda
a) In-person SC meeting
b) Document on SC elections, questionnaire, training, orientation, etc. – Tamar working on and SC will review before it’s sent to SC candidates. A conference call for SC candidates to ask and answer questions is also planned.
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Budd Dickinson
Secretary