INSIDE:

Party Time!

The Middlesex-Somerset Greens invite all New Jersey Greens—and friends, families and potential members—to an afternoon of fun on Saturday, February 13, from 1-5 p.m. Many of us believe this party is sorely needed for celebration and joie de vivre.

Food will be pot luck, so bring something you would like to share--but not necessarily home-made... all sorts of stuff such as condiments, drinks, etc., needed/appreciated... just let us know. Concerning vegetarian vs. non-veg potluck: we leave it up to each person's conscience/preferences. Just mark your dish accordingly, thanks. Perhaps provide the recipe and we could do a NJ green cookbook? There will be facilities for re-heating food. Musicians and singers and wannabes are encouraged to tune up and bring instruments. This is a great opportunity to meet and greet your fellow Greens in a purely social setting!

Please remember to let Anne Barron (barron58@yahoo.com) know you are coming (or chance of your arrival!)

The party will be at the Unitarian Church on Tices Lane in East Brunswick.

Directions: From Route 1, take the Ryders Lane exit towards East Brunswick (away from New Brunswick). Follow Ryders Lane to an intersection with a Sunoco station on the right—turn left at that intersection onto Tices Lane. Go 1.5 blocks to the church. The church is on the right (across the street from the water utility).

International Greens Meeting

The largest international meeting to date of Green Parties worldwide will be held February 26-28 in Paris, under the auspices of the European Federation of Green Parties. Highlighted will be a plenary on "Initiatives for Worldwide Green Strategies" (including the preparation of a Global Green Manifesto) and addresses by Green candidates for the upcoming elections to the European Parliament:

Representatives from more than fifty Green Parties worldwide, including from the U.S. Association of State Green Parties and Greens/Green Party, USA will attend.

For more information contact: Ralph Monoe, Secretary General, European Federation of Green Parties at RMonoe@europarl.eu.int or visit the website at http://www.europeangreens.org.

Y2K Presidential Candidates

Both of the national Green organizations, the ASGP and the G/GPUSA, have established Year 2000 Presidential Candidate Exploratory Committees. Both of these committees are open to input from the broad Greens community in the U.S. There has been discussion of the idea of GPNJ formalizing its input process. Maybe at our April Convention we could take a poll and relay the results to the Exploratory Committees and/or perhaps each local wants to have a discussion and provide a "sense of the membership."

Until we decide how to proceed on this, members should feel free to provide input by contacting our representatives to the national Green organizations: for ASGP, Bill Colucci (cyrano@thethinker.com) and Nick Mellis (mercergrns@gpnj.org); for G/GPUSA, Steve Welzer (StWelzer@aol.com).

Ballot Access Lawsuit

The Green Party of New Jersey is participating in an important new ballot access lawsuit which is being sponsored by the Council of Alternative Political Parties (CAPP). A press conference announcing the suit was held on Tuesday, February 2, at the Statehouse in Trenton. Nick Mellis spoke on behalf of the GPNJ.

Albert Larotonda, Coordinator of CAPP, released a statement to the press concerning the lawsuit on February 1. Check it out on our website—www.gpnj.org.

Greens Welcome at Bi Conference

Green Party members were welcomed at the third Tri-State Bisexual Conference here in New Jersey as they handed out GPNJ literature and brochures. The conference nearly doubled the expected numbers (almost 200 attendees) and signaled increased unity and acceptance of bisexuality.

Grassroots

Bergen County Greens

The first Bergen County meeting of the Green Party will be at the Fairlawn Public Library on February 23^rd at 7:30 p.m. The address ( not previously reported ) is 1001 Fairlawn Ave., Fairlawn, NJ. For more information and directions, contact Alvin or Katy Meyer at (201) 493-8044.

Essex County Greens

The Essex/Bergen Greens met on Saturday, February 6th,1999. Present were Alvin Meyer. Katy Meyer, Debbie Giannakopoulus, Joe Fortunato and Ginger Galvani. Topics discussed included: 1) getting more closely involved with C.H.A.R.G, the Newark group fighting the proposed New Jersey Nets arena being built in their neighborhood; 2) a proposal to include a dramatic reading of portions of a play about the late German Green founder Petra Kelly at our April convention; 3) the upcoming meeting ( February 18th) of the New Jersey Coalition Against Police Brutality and last week's killing of an unarmed West African immigrant by New York City police; 4) and a political discussion of the slogan, "Neither Left Nor Right But Out In Front."

Middlesex-Somerset Greens

The Middlesex-Somerset Greens conducted a membership phone-a-thon on Sunday, February 7. Inactive members and contacts in Middlesex and Somerset counties were invited to upcoming events and mailing lists were updated with current information.

Committee Activities

Membership Committee

The membership committee has issued a call for a party-wide membership drive with a goal of doubling our membership from the time period ending with last November’s elections and our April convention. Now is the time for all current Green Party members to come to the aid of their Party... by recruiting at least one key contact into becoming a card-carrying member of the Green Party. (Yes, we're looking into membership cards).

According to a recent report from Steve Welzer, keeper of the membership list, our membership has increased approximately 35% since November. Therefore, it is apparent that we have some more work to do to meet our goal. Everyone must consciously take up this recruitment drive as their own business if we are to reach our target. Give some thought to calling that person you spoke to at the health food store, or met at that local meeting, or walked with on that picket line, or have known for many years from college. Given the general widespread dissatisfaction today with corporate politics as usual, you just may be surprised about their openness to consider a Green vision.

Policy Committee

The policy committee has accepted a proposal by Jane Hunter to develop a draft position paper on legal and governmental policies of concern to non-traditional family units. If anyone has input for this position paper, please contact Jane at janemhunter@worldnet.att.net or (732)560-0276.

Diversity Committee

The Diversity committee met on Monday, February 8th. Present were Helen Francis, Keith Hardison, Joanne Ashe, Cladette Meliere, Betty McRae and Joe Fortunato. We continued our development of a blueprint for action. The committee discussed the police shooting of Amadou Diallo by the New York City police. The shooting of an unarmed man was condemned and the importance of working to build opposition to police brutality was emphasized. We will attend the next meeting of the New Jersey Coalition Against Police Brutality, on Thursday, February 18th at 7:00 p.m. at the Montclair Public Library. Welfare "reform," workfare, joblessness and homelessness were also discussed. Betty McRae and Claudette Meliere will begin working on a draft of a position paper to present to the Party. The third topic considered was affirmative action. A position paper and action proposal will also be developed on this issue. These three issues will be the basis of the agenda for the next meeting of the Committee, which will be held on Monday, February 22nd at 7:00 p.m. at Joe Fortunato's office, 49 Park Street, Montclair.

In addition, a decision was made to attend the weekly meetings of C.H.A.R.G., the Newark group fighting the proposed New Jersey Nets arena in Newark.

Calendar

Activities of Interest to Greens

GPNJ Meetings

Proposal for GPNJ Convention Consideration:

Bylaws Revisions

Submitted by

Sarah Fraser, Mark Grieco, Anne Barron, Fred Disque, Jane Hunter

Format

This completely reproduces the current bylaws with proposed revisions. The new text is in bold. The old text is crossed out where it could be or labeled as such for comparison.

Summary of Proposed Revisions

This proposal primarily addresses refocusing the strategic functions of the GPNJ from the Executive Committee (EC) to the Green Council (GC), and creating a representative body out of the GC. The responsibilities of the secretary also are expanded and committee operational autonomy has been made explicit. Crossed out parts to do with the old verbiage for the Green Council too (executive council) have been removed.

Outline

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.

Section 2 -- Definitions

Section 3 -- Members

Section 4 -- Committees

Section 5 -- Executive Committee

Section 6 -- New Jersey Green Council

Section 7 -- Conventions

Section 8 -- Candidates for Public Office

The New Jersey Green Council may decide whether a prospective candidate will have the support of the Party.

Section 9 -- Responsiveness

Section 10 -- Local Affiliates

The Green Council of New Jersey 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.

The following Rule will define ‘Local Affiliate’, but may be modified, ammended or removed by the Green Council of New Jersey.

A ‘Local Affiliate’ is defined as a group of Members who Regularly meet, at least every 3 months, with an minimum of 4 members per meeting, that discuss and act on Party business, goals; formally ask the Secretary for recognition as a ‘Local Affiliate’ and provide documentation including Meeting Minutes in support of that application. In addition, each local Affilate’ must appoint one person who is available to report to the secretary information about Local Affiliate activities, and who is willing to transmit information about Party Business to the ‘Local Affiliate’

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.

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 not later than thirty (30) days in advance, indicating the language to be amended, and describing the nature and intent of the proposed change.

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.