{news} Bylaws proposal: definition of membership

[Ronna Stuller]

I don't think anyone from New London will be able to attend Tuesday's  
SCC meeting, so I'd like to weigh in on this.  I think the proposed  
guidelines are excellent. I would favor bringing them to the local  
chapters for discussion, and voting on them next month (taking any  
recommended changes into account).

In New London, where we have had continuous minor party status since  
2001, we also require Green Party registration for membership.  We do  
not stipulate the 90 day wait period, though I understand that would  
make our rules consistent with those of the major parties in CT.

Thanks to the Fairfield Greens for working on this.

See you in June.
Ronna


On May 20, 2008, at 3:19 PM, David Bedell wrote:

> PROPOSAL
>
> PRESENTER (committee, chapter(s) or group of individuals): Fairfield  
> County
> chapter
>
> CONTACT (name, address, phone number, email):  David Bedell, 12  
> Ardsley Rd,
> Stamford, CT 06906, 203-581-3193, dbedellgreen(at)hotmail.com
>
> SUBJECT (10 words or less): Definition of party membership
>
> BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE (100 words or less; include relationship,  
> reasons
> and/or justification to the State Central Committee):
> At its February 2008 meeting, the Fairfield chapter adopted a stricter
> definition of membership than that in the state bylaws. New Haven  
> has also
> adopted a stricter definition. The purpose of this proposal is to  
> make party
> membership contingent on a simple written declaration, just like  
> membership
> in the major parties, instead of the current definition, which  
> includes
> vague criteria such as what constitutes a volunteer activity or what  
> is a
> "coalition partner." This proposal also addresses the contingency of  
> losing
> minor party status, which happened in some towns during 2004-2006.  
> Further
> comments can be read at
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldCountyGreens/message/839
>
> PROPOSAL:
> (Distribute to chapters for discussion:) In the CT Green Party bylaws
> (http://www.ctgreens.org/bylaws.shtml ), the section under "Individual
> Membership" shall be revised to read:
>
> If the Green Party has minor party status in a town, then:
> A person enrolled on their town voter list as a Green Party member  
> is a
> member of the Green Party for all purposes.
>
> If the Green Party does not have minor party status in a town, then  
> a person
> may become a member of the Green Party under the following conditions:
> 1. The person must be an unaffiliated voter and must not have been
> registered with any other party affiliation during the past ninety  
> (90)
> days.
> 2. The person shall fill out and sign a CT Voter Registration Form  
> declaring
> enrollment in the Green Party and submit this to an officer of the  
> local or
> state Green Party.
> 3. Upon submission of such declaration, the person's membership in  
> the Green
> Party will be effective after ten business days.
>
> A person not yet old enough to vote under state law may become a  
> member of
> the Green Party under the following conditions:
> 1. The person will turn 18 and be eligible to vote before the next  
> General
> Election Day.
> 2. The person has applied to vote by filling out and signing a Voter
> Registration Form with declaration of enrollment in the Green Party  
> and
> submitted this to their town hall or to an officer of the local or  
> state
> Green Party.
> 3. If the form is submitted to a local or state Green Party officer,
> membership in the Green Party will be effective after ten business  
> days.
>
> Party members shall receive announcements of State Party general  
> meetings,
> and shall be entitled to vote when attending State Party general  
> meetings.
> When an Active Member of a Chapter, the member shall be entitled to  
> vote at
> all general meetings of the Chapter. No member, however, shall be  
> entitled
> to vote in more than one Chapter. Chapters may institute their own
> requirements for membership different from those for State Party  
> membership.