The Green Party of Virginia

• Issues Committee
• Membership Committee
• Bylaw Amendment - Steering Committee
• Bylaw Amendment - Local Affiliation
• Bylaw Amendment - Interim Committee

Issues Committee

Proposed Issues Committee Charter:

A. Definition

The GPVA shall have an Issues Committee, accountable to the GPVA and responsible for issues advocacy.

B. Composition

1. The Issues Committee is open to any member of the GPVA.
2. Members of the Issues Committee shall select a Chair.

C. Responsibilities

1. The Issues Committee shall discuss and make recommendations on issues advocacy and outreach strategy.
2. The Issues Committee shall organize issues oriented events at the statewide level and at the national level in conjunction with the GPUS.
3. The Issues Committee shall reach out to activist organizations as partners.
4. The Issues Committee shall monitor the state legislature and make recommendations on influencing legislation to the GPVA.
5. The Issues Committee shall report its activities at each quarterly business meeting.

Membership Committee

Proposed Membership Committee Charter:

A. Definition

The GPVA shall have a Membership Committee, accountable to the GPVA and responsible for growing the membership of the GPVA.

B. Composition

1. Each member of the Membership Committee must be a member of the GPVA.
2. The Membership Committee shall consist of regional organizers from all parts of the state.
3. Members shall be volunteers who are approved at a GPVA meeting or by the Interim Committee.
4. Members of the Membership Committee shall select a Chair.

C. Responsibilities

1. The Membership Committee shall assist Locals that request help in building their membership.
2. The Membership Committee shall organize Greens who wish to form new Locals where none exist.
3. The Membership Committee shall review each new Local's application for affiliation and shall make recommendations to the GPVA.
4. Membership Committee members shall adhere to the privacy policy of the GPVA with regard to member data.
5. The Membership Committee shall report its activities at each quarterly business meeting.

Bylaw Amendment - Steering Committee

XXII. Steering Committee

A. Definition

The GPVA shall have a Steering Committee, accountable to the GPVA and responsible for coordinating the approved activities of the GPVA.

B. Composition

1. The Steering Committee shall consist of the officers and committee chairs of the GPVA.
2. The terms of the above Steering Committee members shall be concurrent with their terms of office.
3. Two additional members from geographical areas not already represented shall be elected by the GPVA for one year terms.
4. The GPVA Co-Chairs shall be the Co-Chairs of the Steering Committee.

C. Responsibilities

1. The Steering Committee shall meet monthly or as needed.
2. The Steering Committee shall ensure that activities approved by the GPVA body at business meetings, or by the Interim Committee between meetings, are coordinated and implemented.
3. The Steering Committee will make suggestions on party building activities to the GPVA body, the Interim Committee or the appropriate GPVA committee.
4. The Steering Committee shall report its activities at each quarterly business meeting.

(The current Steering Committee definition is vague and overreaching. As a result, it does nothing. The GPVA needs a body to coordinate approved activites so that the will of the GPVA will be followed. In addition, synergy will develop when various committee chairs are allowed to interact. This is a brainstorming and coordinating committee. It's not a decision making body. Decisions are reserved to the GPVA body, the Interim Committee or specific GPVA committees within their mandate.)

Bylaw Amendment - Local Affiliation

Add VII. B. 7. Every affiliation shall be temporary for at least the first year. Temporary affiliation may be renewed annually or made permanent as a major decision of GPVA. No affiliation shall be permanent until six months after completion of review by the Steering Committee.

Add XXII. C. 9. The Steering Committee shall report to GPVA on the legal, theoretical, and practical basis of applications for affiliation of every new local, with consideration given to the following factors: membership, history, organizational integrity, adherence to Green values, need, relationship to the community, and relationship to other locals.

(Reasons: GPVA business meetings often have scant information about prospective locals. Two small locals have failed since 2000. Some of the reasons for their failure may have been foreseeable. Recent events in Northern Virginia teach us that we cannot assume every application for affiliation to be in the best interest of GPVA or its members. Some new locals may form in direct competition with old locals. Consistency in review will make the process fairer to all.)

Friendly amendment - replace Steering Committee with Membership Committee.

Bylaw Amendment - Interim Committee

Add: XX. B. 11. Any officer holding a seat _ex-officio_ on the Interim Committee shall be ineligible to simultaneously hold a local seat.

Add to: XX. D. 1. A good faith effort shall be made to include every local in the decision-making process.

Friendly Amendment (replacement for the above paragraph):

XX. D. 4 (and renumber current XX. D. 4 to XX. D. 5) At the time a proposal is made, a timeline for discussion and consensus or voting shall be set. Each IC representative is responsible for participating in consensus or voting during this time period. Decisions will not be final until the end of the period or until all votes have been cast, whichever comes first.

(Reasons: A voting bloc has a probability of deciding a question that far exceeds that of an equal number of independent votes. Voting power should be distributed widely to maximize responsiveness. Members of the Interim Committee should not have to compete to get their votes in before someone closes the gate when quorum is reached. As many should participate as possible.)