GPUS Steering Committee Minutes – 29 July 2018
SUMMARY FOR DISTRIBUTION TO STATES AND LOCAL CHAPTERS:
1. New Business: Presentation including background, goals and focus for Steering Committee work, committee liaison interests, etc. by each SC member
2. Standing Business: Treasurer’s Report (Treasurer’s Reports to the GNC available at
https://gpus.org/treasurers-reports/), Fundraising Report, Fundraising Consultant update, Discussion of liaison assignments
3. Voting Queue – https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/login
In the queue: Platform Amendments – Livable Income, Monetary and Banking Reform, Economic Justice and Sustainability/National Debt, Amend the GPUS Platform Preamble
Received for the queue: Endorse GPAX letter to the International Criminal Court for investigation of Israeli war in the State of Palestine; Endorse the School of the Americas Annual Border Encuentro
Online SC Proposals approved since last call and sent to the NC: None
4. Old Business: ANM summary, ETC 2018 update
5. Executive Session: None
The full minutes are at http://gpus.org/committees/steering/minutes/july-29-2018/
The call recording is at 712-451-0309, 926334#, reference 28 and
https://gpus.org/steering-committee-recordings/
Jody Grage, Secretary
GPUS Steering Committee Minutes – 29 July 2018
AGENDA:
I. CALL SETUP & BACKGROUND – 15 min
a) Facilitator: David Gerry
b) Roll call – Joy Davis, Margaret Flowers, Gloria Mattera, Andrea Merida, Anita Rios, Violet Rose Zitola, Jody Grage, Hillary Kane; Tony Ndege (from 10 pm Eastern)
Observers – Holly Hart ETC, Starlene Rankin Staff, Tamar Yager ANM/FundCom
d) Agenda revision suggestions – Old Business – ETC report for 2018 SC Elections – accepted
II. NEW BUSINESS – 60 min.
a) Presentation including background, goals and focus for Steering Committee work by each SC member
Andrea – Co-Chair GPCO, former elected official, use SC role as leaders and spokespersons, improve communications with and organizing of state parties. improve SC listserv communications as a model for the NC, use NonViolent Communications
Anita – Get committees and caucuses working, build strong NC that will work to create strong presidential presence in 2020, increase leadership role and spokesperson role of SC, would like to meet and offer support and help to as many Greens as possible including candidates, NC lists are chaotic but there is much potential among NC members
Gloria – Co-Chair GPNY, has been candidate several times, public health care worker, working with FundCom and fundraising consultant to be able to increase staff, need to offer practical political education and political analysis to members
Hillary – Involved with GP since 2000, many local and state roles, now on CCC and ANM, strength more in internal work than public role, not on listserv because it’s so toxic – needs to improve, desire to get out and see people and urges all SC members to do so, working with fundraising consultant so we have better financial footing, has 2 young kids and day job in non-profit for adult education
Jody – Green Party work since 1980’s, has been co-chair, treasurer and now secretary, David Gerry is interested in running for secretary in 2019 and will be working with me this year, need to improve state/national connections – see SC agenda and minutes summaries – suggestions welcome, need to improve listserv culture, suggest advertising GPUS committees to increase membership
Joy – Co-chair TX, NWC, and Outreach; GP needs improved visibility and awareness – apparel, banners, etc. ; reach out to independents, new voters, non-voters,etc.; educate voters about our platform and positions, support grassroots efforts to form bonds in various communities, provide committees with needed resources including Diversity Committee; supports national dues
Margaret – 3 adult children, pediatrician until 2007, active on single payer, GP Shadow Cabinet, latest office campaign in 2016; active in Baltimore local state CC and electoral committee and Popular Resistance.org; strengths fundraising, media, strategy, social movement theory; represents growing US social movements, supports national dues and other contributions from Greens;, improve cross collaboration and communication among groups in GP; GP should organize and initiate actions
Tony – absent
Violet Rose – Green for whole political life 2000 with Nader, Jill for governor, etc.; science and engineering background including climate research; strengths include many political ties over a wide spectrum from behind the scene, work on internal technical issues; aim to be in strongest possible position for 2020
III. STANDING BUSINESS – 30 min.
a) Treasurer’s report – Hillary Kane – 10 min. ‘
Treasurer’s Reports to the GNC available at https://gpus.org/treasurers-reports/
SC urged to study Treasurer’s Report though budget info is not included
Total in all accounts $118,204.34 – savings/reserves $104,402.40, checking $12,456.39, 2nd checking $537.45, PayPal $808.10
Now sending Treasurer’s Reports to SC as well as to Jody to forward to the NC
May income up because of good direct mail returns and fewer expenditures – David and Starlene only staff
now, June not as good but holding steady, no need to dip into reserves as had been anticipated, still much miscellany surfacing such as back payments for OR and NY workers compensation
Discussion of need for strategic plan with goals, increase staff based on priorities; need actual income and expenses summarized by categories with percentage of budget to date; Gloria urged renewed efforts for SC meeting including strategy session
b) Fundraising report – Gloria – 10 min.
June $24K, July $15k to date ($9k since last call) with more checks to deposit; 4th of July eblast $672; Green Cents 25 signed on, messaging will be reviewed; Eblasts to come on Rapid Response, Sustainers, Telethon, GreenLine and GreenCents; Ali Baldree working on direct mail, Tamar put together a history of direct mail and analysis of income
Fundraising Consultant update – Hillary, Gloria
Sent an initial retainer payment, received request for documents needed for audit of current practices, initial phone cal(s) with FundCom and background from Hillary next, documentation of hiring process available at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxPr8aUIVquETUVMei02U3dsbXBlQk9jeDUzQmRrS1hzTEdj/view, contract for 6 months at $20k based on hourly rate; Starlene strength is in technical aspects
c) Liaison assignment discussion – 20 min
Discussion of committees of interest by each SC member:
Gloria – FundCom, Media, Eco-Action, CCC, AC (temp)
Andrea – BRPP, IC, AC
Anita – continuity needed; Div, G Pages, others as needed
Margaret – ANM, PlatCom, PCSC, BAC
Joy – Diversity, FinCom, Eco-A, IC
Violet – PCSC, AC, BAC
Accreditation (AC); Animal Rights; Annual National Meeting (ANM); Ballot Access (BAC); Bylaws, Rules, Policies, and Procedures (BRPP); Coordinated Campaign (CCC); Dispute Resolution (DR); Diversity; Eco-Action; Finance (FinCom); Fundraising (FundCom); Peace Action (GPAX); Green Pages; International (IC); Media; Merchandise (MerchCom); Outreach; Platform (PlatCom); Presidential Campaign
Support (PCSC)
IV. VOTING QUEUE – Jody – 5 min.
(https://secure.gpus.org/cgi-bin/vote/login)
In the queue: Platform Amendments – Livable Income, Monetary and Banking Reform, Economic Justice and Sustainability/National Debt. Amend the GPUS Platform Preamble
Received for the queue (Floor Managers needed):
Endorse GPAX letter to the International Criminal Court for investigation of Israeli war in the State of Palestine – Floor Manager Margaret;
Endorse the School of the Americas Annual Border Encuentro – Anita
latform Amendment Proposal: Remove mention of Jerusalem as a capital – withdrawn after discussion of need to suspend the rules and procedures on platform amendment submission to proceed with proposal and of determining if the proposal was urgent, further discussion of submitting two proposals – one on suspending the rules and the other covering the content, covering the content in a resolution, and/or writing a platform amendment for the next round of same, continue discussion online
Online SC Proposals approved since last call and sent to the NC: None
V. OLD BUSINESS – 15 min.
a) ANM summary – 15 min – Tamar
Excellent location, fundraiser income highest ever for non-presidential year , convivial, made money though dollar figure not yet available, 164 attendees, media excellent, issues well covered in workshops, good plenary sessions, left with good energy, 41 states represented, many new people
b) ETC report – 10 min – Holly – smooth process though individual ballot keys not yet available on voting page – ballot keys probably released to web mail automatically or manually but haven’t been automatically or manually released to voting page, Hugh tried to do it manually but ran into a block and has sent a ticket to Pair which should be answered soon – if it isn’t ETC will tabulate from info in mailbox; Recommendations – extra ballot keys may be generated but do not enter into tabulation and RCV, vote and then confirm recommend to be replaced with popup window to make second step more obvious; possible to eliminate alternate voting before delegate but each state has different system – perhaps software can make it impossible for alternate to vote under some conditions, need to have better communication within states/caucuses; candidates should be notified before public announcement – asking ETC to look into; election liaison to reach out to candidates – Andrea and/or Jody in 2019?
b) For future agendas: Strategic Planning meeting; Tech – voting page/ETC and misc. maintenance; Freshdesk
End of call recording – 10:30 Eastern
VI. EXECUTIVE SESSION – none
Jody Grage
GPUS Secretary