View source for GPUS Bylaws Article IV The Steering Committee Membership

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'''SUBJECT/TITLE:''' Amendment to Article IV The Steering Committee - Membership, GPUS Bylaws

'''TYPE OF PROPOSAL/EXPECTED APPROVAL THRESHOLD:''' 2/3 approval threshold

'''BACKGROUND:''' One of the objectives identified during the 2012-2013 GPUS Strategic Planning process was increasing Steering Committee productivity and efficiency. 

Current GPUS Bylaws establish the Treasurer and Secretary as full voting Steering Committee members, who must address virtually the same amount of work that the SC co-chairs do, along with their additional work in their roles as Treasurer and Secretary. 

To ensure there are enough Steering Committee members to actually do the work, and to allow the Treasurer and Secretary to focus upon their respective roles and not have them compete with the other responsibilities of being a Steering Committee member, this proposal would turn the Treasurer and Secretary positions into non-voting ex-officio Steering Committee members, effective in the summer of 2016, and eventually elect two additional co-chairs in their place to keep the overall number of voting Steering Committee members at nine, effective in the summer 2016, after more people have been recruited to run for the existing seven co-chair seats for a couple of years. 

In addition to freeing up the Treasurer and Secretary to focus on their respective roles, without the other demands of being a Steering Committee member competing for their time, this reduction of workload can also encourage future candidates for the Treasurer and Secretary who want to simply focus upon those roles, and not have to make the time commitment to be a full Steering Committee member.   

Eventually changing from seven to nine Steering Committee co-chairs in 2016 will also spread out the workload of serving as a Steering Committee Liaison to GPUS Committees, which is a key Steering Committee role and responsibility that can often go lacking. By lowering the number of committees to which each Steering Committee must serve as a Liaison, this can also mean that each Steering Committee member can focus on being a Liaison to only those committees he/she is truly interested in.  

By having nine co-chairs, it also means that even with some Steering Committee members inevitably missing some conference calls, the average number of voting members on each call will be higher than before, meaning the base for democracy will be broader and the pool of people available to do the work deeper. Finally having nine members elected by proportional representation gives greater opportunities to address various diversity goals on the Steering Committee, in contrast to seven members elected that way at present.

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'''PROPOSAL:''' That GPUS Bylaws 4-3.2 be amended from its current language:

4-3.2 To be eligible to be elected Co-chair, one must be a current member of the National Committee at the time of nomination and election. Once elected, National Committee membership is no longer a condition of serving until the end of the term. However, all Co-chairs must be subscribed to the National Committee Votes List while serving on the Steering Committee.

to read as follows:

4-3.2 To be eligible to be elected Co-chair, one must be a current or past member or current or past alternate of the National Committee at the time of nomination and election. All Co-chairs must be subscribed to the National Committee Votes List while serving on the Steering Committee.

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REFERENCES: Current language for GPUS Bylaws Section 6-3 Vacancy

6-3.1 A vacancy shall exist when a seat was not filled in an election; when a member has submitted a written statement of resignation to the National Committees Votes List; is recalled, is no longer a Green Party member or dies or becomes incapacitated to act.

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