June 17, 2005

SC Call Notes — 17 June 2005

Participants:
SC: Gwen, Jake, Jo, Jody, Marc, Maya, Peggy, Steve
Staff Brent McMillan, Emily Citkowski

Facilitating – Jody; Notes – Maya, Steve

Abbreviations used:
AC = Accreditation Committee
ANM, ANMC = Annual National Meeting Committee
BAWG = Ballot Access Working Group
BRPP = Bylaws, Rules, Policies and Procedures Committee
BC = Black Caucus
CC = Coordinating Committee
CCC = Coordinated Campaign Committee
CG SC = Campus Greens Steering Committee
ComCom = Communications Committee
DC = Diversity Committee
DIA = Democracy in Action internet service
DRC = Dispute Resolution Committee
FC = Fundraising Committee
FEC = Federal Election Commission
GP = Green Party
IC = International Committee
LC = Lavender Caucus
NPWG = Nominating Process Working Group
NWC = National Women’s Caucus
PEC = Presidential Exploratory Committee
PCSC = Presidential Campaign Support Committee
SC = Steering Committee
SPWG = Strategic Plan Working Group
[Brackets denote editor’s suggested corrections. Some punctuation corrections done with no content change. -ed.]

Staff reports
Brent:
Political: 31 new candidates last week. John Eder coming to Tulsa to help with campaign school. Phil Nash may be able to produce a DVD for $700 to educate on online fundraising.
BAWG: The Ballot Access Committee proposal draft went before the CCC for vetting. Jen Walling is working on getting states as sponsors. She is targeting states with difficult ballot access requirements. BAWG should have a workshop at Tulsa.
COFOE: Need to pay $50 does.
Attended Carter-Bacon hearing on voting reform at request of David Cobb, can submit a brief to the commission if we get it in by a week. Media committee is preparing a PR about the hearing and a briefing to be included in book.
Fundraising: Ohio recount mailing is currently producing most money. Doing DC mailing for Green party card.

Following up WV direct mail (377) with phone calling. Working with Morgen, new Fundraising Assistant, to strengthen sustainer program both with former sustainers and people who have given but not as sustainers.

Working on June re-solicitation focusing on caucuses’ work.

Emily:
Interns: 3 volunteers working with us, one more about to return next week. Johannes is 3 days/week, designing sustainer pin, insert for info pack. David Blum is working on improved filing system for donations.
David Bosserman is working on GP card follow-up and phone calling. Alex Evans will return next week.

Online and Outreach Fundraising Coordinator: Richard Scott was hired for this. Emily has been introducing him to people he is going to work with and getting him up to speed, also with Morgen.

ANM committee: hiring process for organizer is underway and decision will be made on Sunday. Working with OK Greens on mailing about GP card. T-shirts will be ready in time for Tulsa.

Office move: landlord wants us to renew lease, if we do that sooner the rent increase will be lower. May depend on WCS negotiations for their lease which expires when ours does. Will talk in August after the NC meeting.
Steve: question if we should open the office up to state bids at NC. We will not hear from landlord until Aug about rent increase; the consensus is against moving for now.

Voting Queue:
Biodemocracy Conference voting ends on June 19th. Vote 6/27+
LA proposal on Committee membership (Greg)
Nomenclature (Jo)
Tulsa Roll Call/Agenda (Marc)
White Privilege (Steve).

New proposals:

IL: SC/NC removal – bylaws change, so 3 weeks discussion, Jake will floor manage. This is a bylaw change and does include language to be changed.

VT: ANM Reg. Fee – question about math in proposal, but VT refused to amend.
Gwen: we should send to voting page only after math is corrected.
Steve: wants to propose corrections as friendly amendments after it goes up for discussion. Vote is against (4 no, 3 yes) to send this to voting page. Steve will try to help VT get the proposal worked out..

ME: Voting process in Tulsa:
Marc: this is a bylaw change and should get 3 weeks.
Jody: thinks it should be two proposals.
Jake: how does this change bylaws?
Marc: would be changing SC elections; also, if there is quorum in Tulsa, we must be able to vote on proposals.
Jake: Then proposal is misnamed. Suggest something other than just affecting NM in Tulsa.
Brent: which bylaw has been changed? Needs language as to which bylaw has been changed.
Jake: this is a bylaw change and not ready for voting.
Jody: contact Morgen? Ask them to revise and go up next week?
Steve: one time only? This is a motion to suspend bylaws.
Gwen: Exception to a bylaw is still a bylaw change. Marc, Maya concur. Steve withdraws objection. Marc will contact sponsors and bring this up.

BC proposal on the Right to Vote Act .
Marc: Is this coming from the BC or DC?
Maya: It’s not from DC.
Brent: Will check meeting minutes.
Maya: Actually, DC did sign on.
Gwen: Spoke with BC co-chair; workshop time discussed was 1 hr 15 min.
Brent: Minutes say DC endorsed proposal.
Gwen will floor manage; 2 wks discussion.

Working Groups:
About 400 responses to survey. Would hope that this would be an ongoing matter, perhaps broken into smaller, more frequent surveys of membership.
Steve: What about members (on LiveJournal, other sources) who wish to fill out survey? Average age of LiveJournal Greens is 18.
Brent: Members of Youth Caucus may fill out form; others must be vetted by their states after the fact.

Presidential Nominating Process WG:
Steve: Three proposals put forward: that the PNP-WG end now, that they continue until Tulsa, or that they continue past Tulsa. First option definitely not favored. Some members (Steve Greenfield, NY, and others) have suggested opening discussion of floor rules. Review of decision matrix is being prepared.
Marc: response to concerns from PCSC?
Steve: Consensus seems to be that our mandate does not cover the concerns of PCSC.
Marc dissents; Brent concurs.
Marc: Would appreciate response in writing;
Steve agrees to provide along with Elizabeth Arnone, NJ, co-facilitator, if original concerns are re-sent.

Privacy Policy:
Emily will bring forward proposal to legal counsel; Jody may contact local lawyer for opinion.
Steve: We have a call to hire a legal counsel for the GPUS; this would be a good source.
Maya: We have a job description, but nothing further.

Tulsa:
Gwen: Need to clarify things with Brent, and the vegan issues, but things are slowly coming along. 75% is due by end of registration. What will we be doing for the fundraiser? Contact info? Will send out list of questions to SC.
Jody: Suggest ANMC questions be responded to.
Jake: Can write the checks. Next meeting Tues, 9pm East.

Portfolio review

Finance Portfolio
Jake: Pitch at Tulsa for FinCom for new members. Vetting by caucus and state may take bylaw changes; as is, one person can wear both hats.
Emily: Budgeting workshop as well as FinCom meeting and Treasurers Workshop at Tulsa (planned). Revamp of database, will happen mid-Aug. Progress on inventory of listserv.

Electoral Portfolio
Jo: CCC reached quorum; recruit folks for CCC! BAWG will be separate committee. Pretty much vetted; Jen Walling is looking for sponsors for proposal. Want to bring it to floor before Tulsa, but we’ll see.

Policy Portfolio
Gwen: Platform summaries are being voted on. Key points brochure. as literature; paid for by Tier II money. Jim Stauffer edited platform for format. 10 copies free to each state. Do we need paper copies in Tulsa?
Jody: 2 copies for meeting.
Gwen: BCOC is supposed to be an informal group, not a split. No news on Int’l, Pax, etc.
Jo: Is BCOC recognized subcommittee?
Gwen: No, just a group that formed because of crisis. Problematic if they are recognized within BC.
Jo: Website? Should we recognize BCOC?
Gwen: No recommendation. BCOC is meeting on 21st.
Marc: At least put up email address. Are they in a bylaws crisis?
Gwen: From the beginning, yes. Not sure if they are past that point.

Executive Session:
Personnel and possible legal issues; staff harassment, internal issues within the BC, and inappropriate behavior on the listserv were discussed.

Outreach Portfolio
Peggy: Campus Greens have made some progress; bylaws and accounts have gone forward. Discussion continues on changing CG/GPUS relationship. Media, Green Pages progressing well. Merchandising will increase focus on marketing, now that many new items have been added to inventory.

Internal portfolio
Maya: Working with personnel to find Meeting Coordinator in Tulsa. DRC is considering changes to P&P.
Jody: Accreditation is on hold waiting for 30-day period to be exhausted.

Annual meeting:
Need to work on this a lot. Greg and Gwen are working on agenda and committee/workshop slots.

Executive Session (personnel matters):
Discussion on GNC Delegates serving as independent contractors.
Minimally edited and HTML formatted by Charlie Green