2. PURPOSE
2.1 Adopt platform of the Green Party
of the United States.
2.2 Serve as both a honest, loose-knit
political party and activist organization so Greens
can make connections, communicate openly, and share
peace & love.
2.3 Run and endorse candidates to
influence legislation to reflect green values.
3. MEMBERS
3.1 Any adult resident of Burlington
shall be eligible for active membership, upon completion
of membership form. Other Vermont residents may be
eligible for associate membership.
3.2 Membership card will expire at
reorganizing meeting and new membership will be accepted
at that time. Members will be allowed to vote at the
2nd meeting they attend.
3.3 In 2 weeks if there is no written
confirmation of a vocal resignation the membership
is terminated.
4. OFFICERS
4.1 Officers of BGP shall be Chair,
Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer,
and shall be elected at the September reorganizing
meeting for a 2 year term and perform the duties of
these bylaws.
4.2 Eligibility of officers shall
be limited to members of the BGP Town Committee. The
5 officers shall constitute an Executive Board and
Executive Committee, and shall form and dissolve sub-committees
with approval of the general membership.
5. MEETINGS
5.1 Informal regular meetings shall
be held on the first Sunday of every month (except
for reorganizing meeting) at the Fletcher Free Library
with a 14 day notice of the agenda.
5.2 Quorum to conduct business at
meetings is the same as in the assembly but the adoption
of any recommendation is not binding until a simple
majority vote of 2 consecutive regular meetings, and
only a 3/4 vote at 2 consecutive regular meetings
shall authorize to place the BGP in debt.
5.3 The reorganizing meeting shall
be between September 10th and 20th of every odd-numbered
year.
5.4 The Chair, or 3 Officers, or
10 members shall call and hold a Special Meeting with
a 3 day notice.
6. CANDIDATES
6.1 All BGP candidates shall be members
of the BGP and be nominated in strict compliance with
17 V.S.A. 2385 and the only person signing their endorsement
must be specifically authorized by the city committee.
6.2 Independent, non-corporate candidates
seeking BGP endorsement shall be nominated in strict
compliance with 17 V.S.A. 2385, elected by simple
majority, affirm in writing green principles,
and the only person signing their endorsement must
be specifically authorized by the city committee.
6.3 IRV shall elect candidates by
secret ballot from physically present members. Proxy,
snail-mail, fax, email or otherwise is not authorized
for absentee voters.
7. AVOCADO GREENS
7.1 The BGP shall grow a new grassroots
culture that empowers individuals to challenge the
corporate system, and does not endorse, fund, run
in their primaries, expect solutions to problems,
or support candidates from the Democrats, Republicans
or other similar parties.
7.2 The BGP shall be Avocado Greens
and adopts the policies, determination, ethics and
self-discipline to remain separate from the corporate
parties:
http://www.greens.org/s-r/34/34-14.html
8. INTEGRITY OF TRUTH
8.1 The BGP has the courage to speak
truth to power in no uncertain language. The WHOLE
ugly truth, not a limited-hangout. Critical thinking
shall be used to honestly discern the truth and not
deny it. There shall be no "gate-keeping" against
the truth. The truth shall not be compromised so a
presentable form is tolerable to a certain segment
of the population. The truth shall not be sanitized
because an acceptable version won't offend people.
The mission of the BGP leadership is to encourage
people to confront their own failure to face the truth.
9. VERMONT GREEN PARTY (VGP)
9.1 The BGP shall be an autonomous
town committee and shall not be subordinate to any
other political organization, but shall comply with
state laws in regard to political entities. The relationship
to the VGP, or it's committees is that of one peer
to another and the BGP has the right to protect itself
against annoyance from the VGP by declaring all authority
of VGP, except for state law, as null and void, including
but not limited to, the engagement of an Executive
Director or any other power to intervene, control
or supervise over the BGP.
9.2 The BGP is ultimately responsible
to Greens of this City and may perform only these
two specific duties with the VGP: 1) Allowing state
chair to specify reorganizing date of town caucus,
17 V.S.A. 2302; and 2) Treasurer provides campaign
finance information to state chair, 17 V.S.A. 2831.
9.3 The BGP is not subordinate to
the VGP and is not required to obey the VGP because
it conflicts with the 10 Key Values of Grassroots
Democracy, Decentralization and Diversity. The VGP
ordering the internal politics of the BGP shall be
seen as top-down coercion and the BGP may invalidate
this infringement as an interference in conflict with
this bottom-up party. The BGP has the authority to
reject the adoption of any and all VGP recommendations.
The VGP is strictly forbidden and has absolutely no
authority whatsoever to nominate or endorse candidates
for the BGP. The VGP is not a superior body and their
bylaws are not binding on the BGP.
10.EXPULSION
10.1 Craig Hill, Owen Mulligan, Rene
& Jeanne Kaczka-Valliere, Jay Vos, Loyal Ploof,
Sean Starfighter, Annettte Urbschat, Hillary Weeks,
Patrick Stanton, Frank Haddleton, Ken Schatz and Kathy
DeWolfe are expelled from the BGP and not eligible
for membership or endorsement.
11. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
11.1 The rules contained in the current
edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall
govern the BGP in which they are not inconsistent
with these bylaws and any adopted special rules of
order.
12. AMENDMENT OF BYLAW
12.1 The quorum to amend bylaws is
the simple majority of membership with 2 week warning.
Bylaws shall not be amended in Special Meetings.
