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** 2007 GPNJ Convention bylaws
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The Green Party of New Jersey
Bylaws
Outline
Section 1 --
Name and Purpose
Section 2 --
Definitions
Section 3 -- Members
3.1 -- Criteria
3.2 -- Rights
3.3 -- Responsibilities
Section 4 -- Committees
4.1 -- Standing Committees
4.2 -- Authority
4.3 -- Governance
4.4 -- Subcommittees and Special
Committees
Section 5 -- Executive Committee
5.1 -- Composition
5.2 -- Chair
5.3 -- Vice Chair
5.4 -- Second Vice Chair
5.5 -- Secretary
5.6 -- Treasurer
5.7 -- Executive Committee Staff
5.8 -- Authority
5.9 -- Governance
Section 6 -- Executive Council
New Jersey Green Council
6.1 -- Composition
6.2 -- County Coordinators
6.3 -- Authority
6.4 -- Governance
Section 7 -- Conventions
7.1 -- Annual Conventions
7.2 -- Special Conventions
7.3 -- Voting procedures at
Conventions
7.4 -- Planning and Implementation
Section 8 --
Candidates for Public Office
Section 9 -- Responsiveness
9.1 -- Open Meetings
9.2 -- Open Records
9.3 -- Petitions
Section 10 --
Local Affiliates
Section 11 --
Parliamentary Authority
Section 12 --
Amendments
Section 1 --
Organization Name and Purpose This organization shall be known as the "Green
Party of New Jersey."
The Green
Party of New Jersey is a progressive political party dedicated to electoral
goals and compatible educational, social, and cultural activism.
We stand for
greater participation by individuals in the decision making that affects our
lives and our communities.
We uphold a
vision based on the four pillars of the global Green movement: ecological
wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy, and nonviolence.
The Green
Party of New Jersey will seek and maintain statewide ballot access as
allowed by state law. This will include, but is not limited to, running
candidates for local, regional, state, and federal offices in order to gain
and retain ballot access. GPNJ will also reserve the right to exercise legal
action (i.e. lawsuits, amica curiae, etc.) as necessary where ballot access
and status or electoral laws are determined to be unduly restrictive or not
in accordance with democratic principles.
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Section 2 --
Definitions
"Amendment"
means a permanent change to these Bylaws, as described in Section 12.
"Annual
Convention" means a statewide meeting of Members, as described in Section
7.1.
"Complaint"
means a formal written objection, concern, or protest filed by a Member,
described in Section 3.2.
"Committee"
means any Standing Committee, Special Committee, or subcommittee thereof.
"Convention"
means an Annual Convention or a Special Convention, as described in Section
7.
"County
Coordinator" means a Member elected to represent, on the Executive
Council New Jersey Green Council, the interests of Members
residing in a particular county or group of counties, as described in
Section 6.2.
"Executive
Committee" means the decision-making body described in Section 5.
"Executive
Council" means the decision-making and advisory body described in Section
6. is a name by which the New Jersey Green Council was formerly known.
"Local
Affiliate" means a group of Members who meet regularly for participatory
action and education, which is officially affiliated with the Party under
the provisions of one or more duly adopted Rules, as described in Section
10.
"Member" means
an individual who has joined the Party, as described in Section 3.
"Membership
List" means the official list of Members and contact information, maintained
by the Secretary.
"New Jersey
Green Council" means the decision-making and advisory body described in
Section 6.
"Officer"
means one of the following elected officials of the Party: the Chair, the
Vice Chair, the Second Vice Chair, the Secretary, or the Treasurer.
"Party" means
the Green Party of New Jersey.
"Petition"
means the democratic tool enabling a Member to request consideration of a
matter, as described in Section 9.3.
"Ratio" means
the Representatives-to-Members ratio established for voting at Conventions,
as described in Section 7.3.
"Records"
means all financial and non-financial documents required to be kept by the
Treasurer or the Secretary.
"Representative" means a person delegated by a Local Affiliate to represent
its Members and vote on their behalf at a Convention, as described in
Section 7.
"Rule" means a
formal issuance on substantive or procedural matters that is consistent with
and subordinate to these Bylaws.
"Special
Committee" means a committee of limited duration established by the
Executive Committee as described in Section 4.4.
"Special
Convention" means a statewide meeting of Members, as described in Section
7.2.
"Standing
Committee" means any of the permanent committees described in Section 4.1.
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Section 3 --
Members
Section 3.1 --
Criteria
Membership in
the Party is open to all persons who support the principles and purposes of
the Party as set forth in Section 1 and who pay dues.
Section 3.2 -- Rights
Members in good standing may
(a) vote, in their Local Affiliate,
for Representatives to the Annual Convention or a Special Convention;
(b) join one or more Standing
Committees and vote therein, subject to duly-adopted Rules;
(c) object formally to any decision,
action or policy of the Party or of a Member by filing a Complaint with the
Executive Committee; and
(d) initiate and circulate a Petition
as provided in Section 9.3.
Section 3.3 --
Responsibilities
Members shall
(a) participate respectfully in all
proceedings;
(b) fulfill obligations undertaken,
unless excused; and
(c) abide by the letter and spirit of
these Bylaws and any duly adopted Rules.
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Section 4 --
Committees
Section 4.1 --
Standing Committees
Each Standing Committee is open to
participation by any Member in good standing. The following Standing
Committees are established:
(a) Membership Committee, which shall
have the following general responsibilities: recruitment of Members; liaison
to Local Affiliates; planning and implementation of Annual Conventions and
Special Conventions; surveys and informal polls of Members' concerns and
views; and issuance of Rules on ethics and disciplinary proceedings.
(b) Policy Committee, which shall have
the following general responsibilities: strategic direction; issue research;
platform development; policy statements; review of candidates for public
office; and coordination of support for candidates running for public
office.
(c) Finance Committee, which shall
have the following general responsibilities: fundraising; dues collection;
budgeting; and internal audit.
(d) Communications Committee, which
shall have the following general responsibilities: keeping Members informed
about Party decisions, policies, and activities; production of Party
publications; outreach to the media, other Green organizations and the
general public.
Section 4.2 --
Authority
Each Committee may
(a) act on matters within its areas of
responsibility, with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee;
(b) act on matters involving its own
procedures and housekeeping;
(c) issue Rules on substantive or
procedural matters, with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee;
(d) recommend actions or alternatives
to the Executive Committee; and
(e) implement decisions of the
Executive Committee.
Section 4.3 --
Governance
(a) Voting on any main motion shall be
determined by a simple majority of Committee members present. One-third
(1/3) of the voting members of a Committee shall constitute a quorum.
(b) A Chair and a Vice Chair shall be
elected by the members of each Standing Committee. A vacancy in either
position shall be filled by vote of the committee members or, if the
committee fails to act, by the appointment of the Executive Committee.
Neither a Chair nor a Vice Chair may serve longer than four (4) consecutive
years in either position on a particular Standing Committee.
(c) The Chair shall preside over
meetings of a Standing Committee and shall represent that Standing Committee
on the Executive Committee.
(d) In the absence of or at the
request of the Chair of a Standing Committee, the Vice Chair shall
substitute for the Chair, with the full authority and voting rights
ordinarily exercised by the Chair. In the event of a vacancy in the position
of Chair, the Vice Chair shall be the acting Chair until the vacancy is
filled.
Section 4.4 --
Subcommittees and Special Committees
(a) Permanent or temporary
subcommittees may be established by each Standing Committee, as deemed
necessary.
(b) Special Committees of limited
duration may be established by the Executive Committee to address specific
issues or to undertake specific projects that fall outside the purview of
the Standing Committees or that require special coordination of activities
among Standing Committees.
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Section 5 --
Executive Committee
Section 5.1 --
Composition
(a) The following persons shall
constitute the Executive Committee: the Chair, Vice Chair, Second Vice
Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer (the "Officers" of the Party), and the
Chair of each Standing Committee, or the Vice Chair, in accordance with
Section 4.3(d).
(b) Officers are elected at the Annual
Convention, and serve for terms of one (1) year, until the election of their
successors.
(c) An Officer may serve on the
Executive Committee for two (2) full terms in the same office, after which a
period of two years must intervene before the person may again hold that
office. An exception is made for the office of
Treasurer.
(d) After four consecutive full terms
of service on the Executive Committee in any capacity, a person may not be
re-elected or appointed to the Executive Committee until an interval of two
years has elapsed. An exception is made for the
office of Treasurer.
(e) The Executive Committee may
fill a vacancy in the position of any Officer, by appointing a replacement
to serve for the unexpired remainder of that Officer's term.
Succession shall proceed in the
following manner for Officers in the case of vacancy with the next lower
position filling the vacancy above, or in the case of an officer or standing
committee chair choosing not to move up in the rank determined by this
clause, moving to the next position and so on. Officers succeeding
positions shall perform all the duties of and act in the full capacity of
the position for the duration of that vacancy. After the ranking list is
exhausted, remaining vacancies shall be filled by the Executive Committee by
appointing a replacement to serve for the unexpired remainder of that
Officer’s term. Order of ranking list: (1) Chair, (2) Vice Chair, (3)
Second Vice Chair, (4) Secretary, (5) Treasurer, (6) Membership Committee
Chair, (7) Policy Committee Chair, (8) Finance Committee Chair, (9)
Communications Committee Chair
5.2 -- Chair
The Chair of
the Party shall preside at meetings of the Party and of the Executive
Committee; issue a call for a Special Convention or a special meeting of the
Executive Committee or the Executive Council New Jersey Green
Council when deemed necessary; and perform such other duties as may be
assigned by the Party or the Executive Committee.
The Chair of
the Party shall be an ex-officio member of all Committees.
Section 5.3 --
Vice Chair
The Vice Chair
of the Party shall preside at meetings in the absence of or at the request
of the Chair; perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Party or
the Executive Committee; and, in the event of a vacancy in the office of
Chair, perform all the duties of and act in the full capacity of the Chair
for the duration of that vacancy.
Section 5.4 --
Second Vice Chair
The Second
Vice Chair of the Party shall be responsible for promoting those issues
primarily concerning women and people of color
traditionally disenfranchised groups, and for
recruiting for positions of leadership in the Party from among those
sectors; shall preside at meetings in the absence of the Chair and Vice
chair; shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Party or
the Executive Committee; and shall, in the event of a vacancy in the
office of Vice Chair, perform all the duties of and act in the full capacity
of the Vice Chair for the duration of that vacancy.
Section 5.5 --
Secretary
The Secretary shall maintain all
non-financial Records of the Party, including but not limited to
(a) these Bylaws and any Amendments
hereto;
(b) legally binding documents;
(c) all meeting records, including the
minutes of the Executive Committee, and the reports of other Committees;
(d) a copy of the Membership List as
provided on a regular basis by the Membership Committee;
(e) lists of County Coordinators and
Local Affiliate contacts;
(f) Petitions; and
(g) Complaints.
The Secretary shall also certify any
Petition and give notice of Annual Conventions and Special Conventions.
Section 5.6 --
Treasurer
The Treasurer
shall maintain the financial Records of the Party.
Section 5.7 --
Executive Committee Staff
The Executive
Committee may appoint other Members to assist the Executive Committee. Such
Members shall serve at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
Section 5.8 --
Authority
Within the limitations established by
these Bylaws, the Executive Committee shall have the authority to decide all
substantive and procedural matters that significantly involve the Party as a
whole. This shall include but not be limited to the authority to
(a) delegate decision-making authority
or specific tasks to a Standing Committee or to a Special Committee;
(b) make recommendations to or issue
guidance to a Standing Committee or to a Special Committee;
(c) request specific actions by a
Standing Committee or a Special Committee;
(d) delineate the responsibilities of
each Standing Committee and decide any jurisdictional issue that is not
resolved by the affected Standing Committees;
(e) appoint Executive Committee Staff;
and
(f) expel or discipline any Member for
good cause, pursuant to Rules and subject to the review of the Membership
Committee.
Section 5.9 --
Governance
(a) Voting on any main motion shall be
determined by a simple majority of Executive Committee members present,
unless otherwise provided for in these Bylaws.
(b) Four voting members of the
Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.
(c) Rules may be issued on substantive
or procedural matters.
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Section 6 --
Executive Council New Jersey Green Council
Section 6.1 --
Composition
The Executive
Committee members along with the County Coordinators shall constitute the
Executive Council New Jersey Green Council.
Section 6.2 --
County Coordinators
A County
Coordinator shall be elected by the Members who reside in a particular
county or group of contiguous counties, as authorized by the Members
residing in those counties. Each County Coordinator shall serve for a term
of one year on the Executive Council New Jersey Green Council
and act as a liaison to the Membership Committee.
Section 6.3 --
Authority
The
Executive Council New Jersey Green Council shall advise the
Executive Committee and shall have the responsibility of deciding matters
related to the procedural conduct or ethical behavior of Executive Committee
members.
Section 6.4 --
Governance
(a) Voting on any main motion shall be
determined by a simple majority of Executive Council New Jersey
Green Council members present, unless otherwise provided in these
Bylaws.
(b) The Executive Council
New Jersey Green Council is required to meet at least three (3) times
per calendar year. One-third of the Executive Council New Jersey
Green Council members shall constitute a quorum.
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Section 7 --
Conventions
Section 7.1 --
Annual Conventions
A statewide
Annual Convention of Members shall be held for the election of Officers, and
for deciding other significant matters, as determined by the Executive
Committee or by a Petition. Local Affiliates may submit to the Executive
Committee proposals for consideration; such proposals must be received for
review by the Executive Committee at least thirty (30) days prior to the
starting date of the Annual Convention.
Section 7.2 --
Special Conventions
A statewide
Special Convention may be held at any time, upon at least thirty (30) days
notice to Members, if the Chair, the Executive Committee, or a Petition
determines that the matter to be acted upon should not be postponed until
the next Annual Convention.
Section 7.3 --
Voting procedures at Conventions
(a) Votes at Annual Conventions or
Special Conventions will be cast by Representatives from Local Affiliates.
For each Convention, the Executive Committee shall determine the
Representatives-to-Members Ratio and inform all Local Affiliates of said
ratio at least 30 days prior to the starting date of the Convention. On the
basis of this information, the Local Affiliates shall choose their
apportioned number of Representatives and notify the Membership Committee of
the names of the Representatives (unless the Ratio is 1:1, in which case
each Member in good standing is a Representative). If the Ratio is not 1:1, the method for selecting
delegates from counties without a Local Affiliate shall be determined by the
Executive Committee.
(b) Voting for Officers and other
elected officials shall be by ballot, and no motion to the contrary shall be
in order, except that in the event the number of candidates nominated for a
given office does not exceed the number to be elected to that office, a
ballot for that office may be dispensed with by unanimous consent.
(c) At an Annual Convention or Special
Convention, one-fifth of the number of apportioned Representatives eligible
to vote at that convention shall constitute a quorum.
Section 7.4 --
Planning and Implementation
The Membership
Committee, working in cooperation with the Secretary and with the advice and
consent of the Executive Committee, shall be responsible for the planning
and implementation of Annual Conventions and Special Conventions, including
the development of Rules to establish an open process for the nomination of
Officers which informs and involves the membership.
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Section 8 --
Candidates for Public Office
The
Executive Council New Jersey Green Council may decide whether a
prospective candidate will have the support of the Party.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Section 9 --
Responsiveness
Section 9.1 --
Open Meetings
Meetings of
all bodies of the Party are open to the attendance of any Member, with the
following exception: If a body determines that valid reasons exist that
require it to conduct some of its business in closed session, it must adopt
a resolution to that effect by a majority vote in open session, clearly
stating those reasons. While in closed session, the only items which may be
discussed or acted upon are those to which that resolution applies, and no
motion to suspend this provision shall be in order. The minutes and other
records of such closed sessions will be made available to the Executive
Committee without delay, and will become available for inspection under the
provisions of Section 9.2 as soon as the reasons for its secrecy no longer
exist.
Section 9.2 --
Open Records
Records of the
Party shall be made available to any Member for inspection or photocopying.
The requesting Member shall pay the costs of reproduction and mailing.
Section 9.3 --
Petitions
(a) Any Member in good standing may
initiate a Petition and circulate it among the general membership at the
Member's own expense. A Petition may concern any matter and request any
action not inconsistent with these Bylaws.
(b) If one-fourth of the Members sign
a Petition, the Executive Committee shall deal with the matter at hand in a
timely fashion and to the satisfaction of the petitioners or shall submit
the matter to a vote at an Annual Convention or a Special Convention.
(c) The Secretary shall certify a
Petition to the Executive Committee.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Section 10 --
Local Affiliates
The Executive
Committee, with the advice and consent of the Executive Council
New Jersey Green Council, may establish Rules providing for the
affiliation of the Party with other organizations ("Local Affiliates"),
smaller in scope than the whole Party, and providing for the equitable and
proportional involvement of these Local Affiliates in the decision-making
processes of the Party. Any Rule so established shall contain provisions to
ensure that Local Affiliates continue to operate in a manner consistent with
these Bylaws and with other duly adopted Rules.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Section 11 --
Parliamentary Authority
The rules
contained in Robert's Rules of Order Revised shall govern the
Party in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not
inconsistent with these Bylaws or with any special Rules of order duly
adopted by the Party.
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Section 12 --
Amendments
An Amendment
to these Bylaws may be adopted upon a two-thirds vote at an Annual
Convention or a Special Convention, provided that written notice has
been made to all Members the bylaw proposals
were posted on the official GPNJ website and not later than thirty
(30) days in advance, indicating the language to be amended, and describing
the nature and intent of the proposed change. Email
sent to the GPNJ
listservs and Local Coordinators for distribution
shall
constitute written notice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adopted on the
22nd day of March, 1997, by the Membership of the Green Party of New Jersey
in Convention, at New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Amended on the
18th day of April, 1998, by the Membership of the Green Party of New Jersey
in Convention, at New Brunswick, New Jersey, as indicated: Language
struck is indicated in this fashion, and language inserted is indicated
in this fashion. Due to the insertion of a new section following Section
5.3, the former Sections 5.4 through 5.8, inclusive, have been renumbered
5.5 through 5.9, respectively.
