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Proposal Details

Proposal ID	567
Proposal	GPUS Mission Statement
Presenter	Green Party of Virginia
Floor Manager	David Strand
Phase	Closed
Discussion	11/15/2010 - 12/12/2010
Voting	12/13/2010 - 12/19/2010
Result	Failed
Presens Quorum	31 0.6666
Consens Quorum	53 0.6666 of Yes and No Votes

Background

The "Purpose" language contained in Article I of current GPUS
Bylaws is the same text as in the bylaws of the Association of State
Green Parties from November, 1996, before there was a GPUS, and does
not accurately describe or reflect current GPUS practice. In addition
GPUS Bylaws do not currently incorporate a mission statement for the
GPUS federation.

Insofar as a mission statement is critical to accomplishing an
organization's purpose and GPUS Bylaws lack a mission statement., GPVA
proposes in Part I of this proposal to amend GPUS Bylaws to include
the following Mission: "The purpose of the Green Party of the United
States is transform government and public policy at all levels by
running, electing and supporting Green Party candidates and
officeholders and engaging in other electoral and advocacy efforts,
consistent with the Party's Four Pillars of ecological wisdom, social
justice, grassroots democracy and non-violence."

In addition to this Mission Statement, this proposal would:

- remove outdated and factually inaccurate content in Article I that
goes back to the Association of State Green Parties

- establish a Primary Functions section, which contains some aspects
that could arguably be included in a Mission Statement, but instead
are placed into a separate section to make the Mission Statement
shorter and to the point, and to make clear which functions are
clearly the province of the national party;

- establish a short administrative sub-section that clarifies the
hierarchy of authority of the party's governing documents, that is
currently lacking in the GPUS bylaws and fits well in an
organizational section; and

- in Part II of this proposal, direct the GPUS Steering Committee to
place the following proposal before the National Committee for a three
week discussion followed by a one week vote, with discussion starting
on Monday, January 3rd: "Amendment to GPUS Bylaws Article I,
Caucuses", Proposal: "That sub-section 1-1.2 of Article I of the GPUS
bylaws be amended to read "The GPUS is a legally structured national
Green Party federation of state Green parties and caucuses". Putting
this proposal before the National Committee would give the National
Committee the ability to debate the addition of caucuses to Article I
as a stand-alone question, debated upon its own merits.

Proposal

Part I: Replace Article I of the Bylaws (see text in References
section below) with the following

ARTICLE I. NAME, MISSION, FUNCTION AND APPLICABILITY

Section 1-1 Name and Structure

1-1.1 The name of this organization is the Green
Party of the United States (GPUS).

1-1.2 The GPUS is a legally structured national Green
Party federation of state Green parties.

Section 1-2 Mission

1-2.1 The purpose of the Green Party of the United
States is transform government and public policy at all levels by
running, electing and supporting Green Party candidates and
officeholders and engaging in other electoral and advocacy efforts,
consistent with the Party's Four Pillars of ecological wisdom, social
justice, grassroots democracy and non-violence.

Section 1.3 Primary Functions

1-3.1 Maintain a legally structured national Green
Party federation of state Green Parties, with National Committee
status recognition by the Federal Elections Commission.

1-3.2 Support the development of accredited state
parties and their electoral work; support the development of
accredited caucuses; facilitate the sharing of skills and information
among state Green Parties; and provide a national source of
information about Green parties, candidates, officeholders, policies.

1-3.3 Conduct a national Presidential nomination
process.
1-3.4 Conduct relations with Green Parties
internationally.
1-3.5 Approve a national Party platform.

Section 1.4 Applicability

1-4.1 The Bylaws shall be the highest governing
document of the GPUS. They shall describe the Party's basic structure,
jurisdiction of power and the duties and responsibilities of its
constituent parts. The Party's other governing documents shall
implement the structure described in the Bylaws. Where there is an
ambiguity between the jurisdiction of the Bylaws and the Party's other
governing documents, the Bylaws shall take precedence.

1-4.2 The other governing documents of the Party
shall be the Rules and Procedures, the Fiscal Policy and the Rules of
the Presidential Nominating Convention. Each shall describe the
Party's processes for that area of scope. Where there is an ambiguity
between the jurisdiction of the Rules and Procedures and the Fiscal
Policy, the Rules and Procedures shall take precedence.

1-4.3 The governing documents may only be amended by
a 2/3 vote of the National Committee. State parties and caucuses may
propose amendments the governing documents, as may committees which
have such specific authorization in their Mission Statements.

1-4.4 The name 'Green Party of the United States'
shall be spelled out the first time it is used in each of the party's
governing documents and thereafter be referred to as GPUS or the Party.

Part II: Should this proposal pass, direct the GPUS Steering
Committee to place the following proposal, entitled "Amendment to GPUS
Bylaws Article I, Caucuses", before the National Committee for a
three week discussion followed by a one week vote, with discussion
starting on Monday, January 3rd:

Proposal: That sub-section 1-1.2 of Article I of the GPUS bylaws be
amended to read "The GPUS is a legally structured national Green Party
federation of state Green parties and caucuses".

Resources

None

References

GPUS Bylaws, ARTICLE I. PURPOSE

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