It's time for a WIGP Constitutional amendment session!

Quick perusal of our constitution @ http://wisconsingreenparty.org/?q=constitution

will reveal many instances that have not been observed, and many that keep us stuck in the last century.

As I have learned from the GPUS Platform, it is best to break up wholesale revisions into smaller pieces upon which a consensus may more easily be reached.

I would like to bring up three issues that I think are critical:

A). The Constitution provides for a CC of 25 delegates and officers, and a quorum of 9.

We currently have 12 delegates and officers, two of whom said they would be out of state by now.

A similar fraction of 10 (9/25) is 3.6, which would probably be a ridiculous choice.

What fraction of the CC should we consider a quorum?

B). The following adjacent sections appear to require 4 mailings a year, or that all CC meetings be set, and noticed, that will occur before the next newsletter is received. When was the last time this happened?

It also requires mailing of meeting notice (reminders) before every CC meeting. Has this ever occurred?

"Section 3. Meetings.

The Coordinating Council shall meet at least quarterly. Meetings of the Council may be held in conjunction with Membership meetings. Minutes of all Council meetings shall be kept by the Recording Secretary and all policy and financial decisions and resolutions shall be published in the organization’s newsletter.

Section 4. Notice of Meetings.

Notice of all Coordinating Council meetings shall be published in the organization’s newsletter at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting, except in emergency situations where such notice is impossible. Notice of Council Meetings shall be made to all current members of the Council by regular mail at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting, except in emergency situations where such notice is impossible. For emergency meetings, telephone notice to all current Council Members at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting shall be given."

According to this every CC meeting that I have attended has been an emergency session. Even then, I have yet to receive such a phone call.

C). I recommend we switch most instances of "newsletter" with "website", and add provisions for an annual, or twice yearly, mailing at first opportunity. Which would be the next gathering, a date for which should be set post haste.

"This Constitution may be amended at any Membership meeting by consensus of the Members present.

Notice of any proposed amendment to this Constitution must be provided in writing to the Membership in the notice of the meeting required in Article 2, Section 4, above and in the two (2) newsletters published prior to the Membership meeting where the proposal is to be made."

The main issue for many of us has to do with our preferences for communication with each other and the party.

Unfortunately it is hard to poll the preferences of those who do not like computing devices, but we can work the low hanging fruit by sharing our opinions here.

Hearing some feedback now would vastly improve the odds we will deal with this at the next gathering.

Monte Letourneau - Necedah WI
WIGP Corresponding Secretary, GPUS NC Delegate,

wigp.org, montesite.net, wifishingclub.org, necedahharvest.org, Allness.be