The Green Party of Virginia

Nominations for New Treasurer

C. The duties of the Treasurer shall be as follows:

1. Receive and disburse all funds of the GPVA and maintain records of all such transactions.
2. Present a report at each business meeting covering the current financial status of the GPVA and other such information as requested.
3. Reimburse the Chair(s) for appropriate expenses incurred in the performance of their duties (i.e. phone, postage, etc.).
4. File financial reports as required or requested by the GPVA and law.
5. Present the annual budget, as prepared by the Finance Committee, for approval by the GPVA at the appropriate state quarterly business meeting.

The Treasurer also serves on the Finance Committee (Article XIX), and the Interim Committee (Article XVIII).
The Treasurer may need to be present at GPVA business meetings to establish quorum (Articles VI and XVI).

Nominations for Treasurer
Other Nominations are Welcome

• Jim Polk

Nominations for New Press Secretary

C. The duties of the Press Secretary shall be as follows:

1. Responsible for seeing that all activities and events of the GPVA receive the maximum amount of favorable publicity that is possible.
2. Assist the Locals in seeing that all of their activities and events receive the maximum amount of favorable publicity that is possible.
3. Maintain a data base of publications and other media for use in publicizing GPVA activities and events.
4. Act as spokesperson for the GPVA, in the same manner as the Chairs (Article VIII.C.1).
5. Distribute and follow up all press releases of the GPVA.
6. Maintain a record of all known media coverage of the GPVA.
7. The Press Secretary shall follow all written guidelines of the GPVA.

Nominations for Press Secretary
Other Nominations are Welcome

• Scott Burger

Nominations for New Female & Male Co-Chairs

C. The duties of the Chairs shall be as follows:

1. Act as contacts and spokespersons for the GPVA. (Additional spokespersons may be designated by the GPVA)
2. Coordinate and assist in plans for and publicity of four GPVA business meetings gatherings each year. (The hosting local shall be responsible for developing and implementing the plans and publicity).
3. Coordinate setting of the agenda for GPVA business meetings, and arrange for facilitation.
4. Record the minutes of GPVA business meetings and distribute at least one copy to each local within two weeks of the meeting.
5. Certify acceptance or rejection of proposals adopted at GPVA business meetings by Green Locals, and notify the locals of the results.
6. Maintain a mailing list of all current members, contact persons and alternates for all Virginia Green locals.
7. Other duties as specified by the GPVA.

References to other duties of the Co-Chairs exist throughout the GPVA Bylaws.

Nominations for Female Co-Chair
Other Nominations are Welcome

• Jana Cutlip

• Mason Payne
• Tom Yager

Local Representation Bylaw Change Proposal

IV. LOCALS OF THE GREEN PARTY OF VIRGINIA (GREEN LOCALS)

G. Each affiliated Green Local (including the At-Large Local), through an inclusive democratic process, shall elect or appoint two representatives (Local Representatives), and any number of alternates, to the GPVA. An affirmation of such election/appointment signed by three members of the Local, shall be required for the Local Representatives to be recognized by the GPVA.

H. In order to ensure gender balance at its meetings and to encourage the development of leaders of both sexes, the GPVA will only recognize two acting representatives of a Local if the delegation is gender balanced. Otherwise, only one representative will be recognized.

Amend sections A and B of Article VI. of the GPVA Bylaws: (Changes are in bold text.)

VI. MEETINGS AND DECISION MAKING

A. Decisions shall be by consensus of those Local Representatives [delete-GPVA members] and GPVA Officers present. For major decisions, there must be a quorum which consists of at least one of the Chairs or the Treasurer, and at least one Local Representative [delete-member] each of 50% or more of the affiliated locals. Locals which have no representative present and have not sent representatives to either of the two preceding business meetings of the GPVA will not be counted for purposes of the 50% quorum requirement. If consensus cannot be achieved, a vote of three-quarters or more shall affirm a decision. Minor decisions (Article VII.B.) shall require a simple majority for affirmation.

B. Consensus and voting are recorded according to the wishes of Local Representatives [delete-GPVA members] and GPVA Officers attending a GPVA meeting. Decisions of Green locals will be considered in the process but do not directly affect consensus or voting.

Add the following sections to Article VI. of the GPVA Bylaws:

F. Direct participation in decision making at GPVA meetings shall be limited to Local Representatives, acting alternates and GPVA Officers. Other GPVA members as well as the public are encouraged to attend GPVA meetings and members are encouraged to consult with their local representatives both before and during the meetings.

An open comment period will be scheduled for each meeting, at which time any GPVA member or member of the public (time permitting) may address the meeting. Observers may be given further opportunity to comment or ask questions at times that the local representatives deem appropriate.

G. The agenda and any proposals to be presented at a GPVA meeting, should be distributed to the Local Contacts at least 31 days prior to the meeting. Items which have not been distributed 31 days prior to the meeting, may be placed on the agenda by consensus or a vote of three-quarters or more. Items added in this way which regard Bylaw amendments are subject to the requirements for Bylaw amendments in Article XVI and will be placed on the agenda for discussion only.

Platform Committee Proposal

Rationale: Our platform, the platform of the GPVA, has not been updated since 1997, though our bylaws specify that our platform should be updated in odd-numbered years. It would seem that an attempt at revising our platform is a bit overdue; since 1997, a lot has happened to Green Parties across the country and ours is no exception. Updating the platform may help us to better define ourselves to our own satisfaction and for the benefit of the broader communities of which the GPVA is but one part. For candidates and potential candidates, a comprehensive platform can also become an invaluable resource and aid in formulating their own goals and ideas. Time and dedication devoted to this process of revising our platform may also help allow our party to focus on issues, core convictions, as well as philosophical and reality-based justifications for our party's continuing existence.

Prior to sending the mail-in ballot prescribed by the GPVA in section XIX, part A (the platform revision process specified in our bylaws), 3 stages, or provisions, are proposed to be carried out over the next year from the date of the next quarterly meeting.

Rationale: One year is proposed to allow sufficient time for the introduction of new provisions, to allow these provisions to be thoroughly debated, deliberated upon and discussed; to enable the language of each provision to be suitably refined, and to ensure that the proposed set of revisions to be mailed are put in a reasonable format that can feasibly be sent out to the GPVA membership for voting on each proposed change. The three stages (formation, discussion, and presentation) are designed to maximize interactions among those involved with the process of revising the platform or proposing changes, to allow for the most democratic possible participation, to reward individual initiative and to ensure committee accountability along the way.

I. Initial Formation

A. A Platform Committee Shall Be Formed, Effective Immediately After Specific Approval At The June 9th GPVA Meeting, To Be Composed Initially Of Volunteers From The Meeting.

B. A listserv shall be created specifically to discuss platform issues.

Rationale: A committee can help to formalize significant ideas. It can help to provide a useful forum and enable meaningful exchanges among members concerned with the goal of a committee, in this case the revision of our state party platform.

II. Open Membership Policy

The GPVA platform committee shall be open to the entire GPVA membership and be composed of any GPVA member who wishes to join. Locals are encouraged to discuss the platform, submit proposals, and participate more generally in the process.

Rationale: A free-flowing and open exchange of ideas seems a natural way of discussing the values, issues and policies we collectively embrace, which is what our platform is intended to describe.

III. Mandate And Closure

A. The GPVA platform committee shall have the following mandate: to submit and present a comprehensively revised platform proposal (also referred to here as "the finalized proposal") to a GPVA meeting to be held specifically for consideration of which items should be included in the mail-in ballot to be sent within 30 days of such a meeting.

B. A GPVA meeting (also to be referred to here as the 2003 GPVA retreat platform meeting) shall take place during one of the two days of our 2003 retreat specifically for the purpose of deciding what items get included on the mail-in ballot.

C. This platform committee shall cease to exist after the 2003 GPVA retreat platform meeting.

Rationale: This will allow the committee to become accountable to the GPVA and give it an appropriately lengthy timeframe in which to carry out its work.

IV. Meetings Of The Committee And Use Of Platform Listserv

A. The GPVA platform committee shall be convened at least three times (preferably more) prior to submitting its finalized proposal to the 2003 GPVA platform retreat meeting.

B. The co-chairs shall convene the first platform committee meeting, at a date, time and location approved by the Interim Committee.

C. At the first platform committee meeting, a platform committee chairperson shall be elected by a majority of those present who shall convene subsequent meetings, barring intervention by the Interim Committee or the GPVA.

D. The platform committee chairperson shall have the responsibility of proposing an agenda to be approved, revised or replaced at the start of each platform committee meeting by a majority of those present.

E. Any and all platform proposals submitted to the GPVA platform listserv should be placed in the agenda of a meeting, unless their consideration cannot take place within any reasonable parameters of time.

Rationale: These measures have been included to provide concrete mechanisms by which the committee can accomplish its work and remain functional throughout its duration in a way that will allow it to be accountable to its own members, the locals and the GPVA itself, while giving the utmost respect to the wishes and civil liberties of platform committee members. The advantage of voting at meetings is that it gives a specific time and place at which final decisions must be made. (See Next Item.)

V. Voting On Final Proposals: Thresholds For Consideration

A. To become part of the finalized proposal submitted by the platform committee to the 2003 GPVA retreat meeting, any specific plank must be approved by at least 25% of members present at any platform committee meeting.

B. To be included on the mail-in ballot, new or changed planks in the platform must be approved by at least 50% of those present at the 2003 GPVA platform retreat meeting and deletions must be approved by at least 33% of those present at the 2003 GPVA platform retreat meeting.

Rationale: Approving actual revisions is not a part of the Platform Committee's mandate, nor that of the 2003 GPVA platform retreat meeting. Those guidelines have already been written into section XIX. A. 4. of our Bylaws and they state, "New or changed planks in the platform are approved if the votes in favor are 75% or greater of the total votes for or against that change. Deletions are approved if supported by more than 50% of the total votes for or against the deletion."

Bylaw Change - Delete References to Levies on Locals

XI. DUES AND EXPENSES

A. The GPVA will collect dues from members of the Greens of Virginia at-large local plus a levy on each Green Local.

B. A levy shall be assessed to each Green Local to cover approved expenses. The levy shall be based on the number of members in each local, and be paid in two installments each year. The suggested levy will be set annually by the GPVA. Members of Green Locals may pay their dues to GPVA and request that any or all amounts over the levy amount be returned to the local.

C. Reimbursement of expenses related to quarterly GPVA meetings, including meals, lodging, printing and room rental, will be the responsibility of the sponsoring local.

D. Additional fund-raising by the Green Party of Virginia may take place and be used for such purposes as assisting Green candidates for office.

Add the following section to Article V - Membership - of the GPVA Bylaws:

D. The GPVA may collect dues from its members.

Delete the following phrase from Article IV. F - dealing with the disaffiliation of Locals:

", nor expected to pay state dues levies"