CT Green Party State Central Committee Meeting November 26, 2002
Final report on the 11/26/02 state central committee meeting held in Middletown on 11/26/02.
Attendees: (Town of residence or chapter affiliation is given. No information is included here about which of the following were official chapter representatives):
Ana Lachelier (West Hartford chapter),
Peter Magistri (North Central chapter),
Tim McKee (newly moved to East Hampton from Rhode Island),
Cliff Glasberg (Northeast chapter),
Susan Ye (Northeast chapter),
Amy Vas Nunes (Northeast chapter),
Christine Ucich (Hartford chapter),
Mike DeRosa (Hartford chapter),
Lynah (Hartford chapter),
Ralph Perucci, Charlie Pillsbury (New Haven chapter),
David Adams, Linda Matthews, Ken (Cornwall), Kim Herkimer (Northwest chapter),
Judy Herkimer (Northwest chapter),
Audrey Cole, Karin Lee Norton (Tolland chapter),
Chris Reilly (Hartford chapter),
Scott Tomford (Avon High school),
Ed DuBrule (lives West Hartford, works with Hartford chapter),
Michael Burns (Tolland chapter),
Vincent Maruffi, Penny Teal (Southeast chapter),
Justine McCabe (Western chapter),
David Agosta (New Haven chapter),
Dale (New Haven chapter),
Vic Lancia (Central Connecticut chapter),
John Battista (Western chapter),
David Eliscu, Peter Ellner, Jeff Schaeffer (North Central chapter)
(32 attendees)
The meeting had two parts: (1) continuation of the conflict resolution work started at the Saturday 11/16/02 meeting; (2) business meeting.
Conflict resolution work: we continued the work started at the Saturday 11/16/02 meeting to develop ground rules by which we conduct meetings. At tonight's meeting we assigned points to the proposed ground rules (by means of a "voting" process) so that those ground rules that were felt to be most important by most attendees could be identified. The results of this process are as follows (numbers in parentheses are the "points" assigned by our "voting" process; Tier One rules got a large number of points, Tier Two less, and Tier Three even less):
Connecticut Green Party Weighted Voting Results for Group Ground Rules
Tier One:
1. We agree to treat each other with civility and respect. (68)
2. We have an agreed-upon process for safely and constructively resolving conflicts between and among our members and regarding our group process. (68)
3. We commit to openness and transparency in all proceedings. (55)
Tier Two:
4. Speak for and about yourself. (32)
5. Decisions are clearly stated and communicated to our members. Such communication includes the duration and plan for implementation of any decisions. (29)
6. We encourage each other to provide as many options and alternatives as possible before making a final decision. (25)
7. We agree to share available airtime equitably. We will allow each person to speak, making time for all to be heard. (24)
8. We will say at least one positive thing about each other’s ideas before criticizing. (24)
9. We commit to a balance of process and task. (22)
10. We welcome all viewpoints. (21)
Tier Three:
11. We make a clear distinction between personal anger and political outrage and apply each appropriately. (14)
12. We commit to accepting decisions of the group, with the understanding that they will be reviewed after an agreed-upon time. (13)
13. We commit to efficient use of each other’s time. (13)
14. We recognize that we may need outside help at times when ground rules don’t seem to be working and support our members’ efforts to request such help. (12)
15. We commit to being prepared to all meetings, including reading minutes, doing research, and organizing our preliminary thinking. (9)
16. We will allow enough time and energy to resolve conflicts. (9)
17. We recognize that every person’s experience has validity, even if different from another’s experience. (8)
18. We commit to open discussion and disclosure of any potential conflicts of interest we may have in voting. (2)
19. We respect each other’s right to not participate. (0)
Business meeting:
Internal elections committee report: the internal election (election of Connecticut Green Party co-chairs, secretary, treasurer, and United States Green Party representatives), originally scheduled for 11/16/02, was postponed primarily due to concerns about the quality of the membership list (especially a concern that chapters had not added to the list many people who had registered as Greens at their local registrar of voters office). (Voting ballots are sent out using the state's membership list.) It had been determined that the Connecticut Green Party did have sufficient funds in its treasury to do the mailing of the ballots. [End of internal elections committee report.]
It was noted that there has been considerable discussion over the past several weeks within the Connecticut Green Party about various concerns pertaining to the internal election. For example, some have argued that the elections should be held very soon because (it has been argued) it is unclear whether the current co-chairs are still co-chairs (according to the bylaws) after 11/16/02. For another example, some have argued that the elections should be postponed until considerable improvements on the membership list have been made.
At tonight's meeting (11/26/02) it was decided by consensus that WITHIN 3 WEEKS (THAT IS, BY DECEMBER 17, 2002) CHAPTERS WILL TURN IN TO THE INTERNAL ELECTIONS COMMITTEE UPDATED MEMBERSHIP LISTS. DURING THESE THREE WEEKS, IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT THAT CHAPTERS CONTACT THE REGISTRARS OF VOTERS OFFICES IN THE TOWNS COVERED BY THEIR CHAPTERS TO OBTAIN THE NAMES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE REGISTERED AS GREENS WITH THEIR TOWNS. THE INTERNAL ELECTIONS COMMITTEE WILL THEN MAKE USE OF THESE LISTS TO SCHEDULE THE INTERNAL ELECTIONS PROMPTLY.
It was further decided by consensus that the members of the internal elections committee are:
(1) David Agosta
(2) Karin Norton
(3) Jean deSmet
(4) Tom Ethier
(5) Peter Magistri
(6) Susan Ye
(7) Cliff Glasberg
(
8) Ed DuBrule
(It should be noted, however, that neither Jean deSmet nor Tom Ethier were present at tonight's meeting. The other 6 people in the above list were present at tonight's meeting.)
By this point, the planned meeting end time (9:30 pm) had been reached and some Greens left the meeting. The people who remained made the following decisions:
-- TO AVOID AN UNWIELDY INTERNAL ELECTIONS COMMITTEE, NO MORE THAN 3 ADDITIONAL PERSONS WILL BE PERMITTED TO JOIN THE INTERNAL ELECTIONS COMMITTEE.
--THE NEXT MEETING OF THE STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE WILL BE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17TH. (NOTE THAT THIS IS THE DEADLINE DATE FOR SUBMISSION OF MEMBERSHIP LISTS--SEE ABOVE.) (Tuesday December 24 is the day before Christmas; Tuesday December 31 is New Year's Eve; hence the decision to meet on December 17.) The December 17 meeting will be held at the First Church of Christ, 190 Court St., Middletown at 7pm. [In the days after the 11/26/02 meeting, the availability of this location has been confirmed.]
--CHARLIE PILLSBURY WILL FACILITATE THE DECEMBER 17 MEETING.
It was announced that Liz Binger and Peter Love (the conflict resolution consultants who facilitated the 11/16/02 meeting, the first segment of the 11/26/02 meeting, and the "business" segment of the 11/26/02) are owed $1500 for their work. Further discussion of this matter was deferred to the next state meeting.
The issue of interim party leadership (status of co-chairs after 11/16/02) was on the agenda to be discussed. No decision was taken on this matter.
The issue of recognition of the Hamden chapter, originally on the agenda, was not discussed. It was withdrawn from the agenda before the meeting at the request of the Hamden chapter.
No decision was taken on the agenda item "proposed/pending bylaws changes".
[Written by Ed DuBrule, unopposed candidate for secretary. If you have serious problems with the accuracy of anything written in this report, please contact me. I will consider altering the report before it is finalized. Final reports-of-meetings I write can be commented on with e-mails entitled "I remember things happened differently" or "I remember that this also occurred". I will treat such e-mails (or summaries of them) as addenda to the reports I write. Such e-mails must be received within 6 weeks of the date of the meeting to be considered addenda.]