CAUCUS and COMMITTEE REPORTS

CAUCUSES

Rural Caucus (forming)

The Rural Caucus Organizing Committee has adopted a set of working bylaws and will hold its first formal meeting during the annual convention of the Green Party of the United States. Everyone with a strong interest in rural issues is encouraged to attend and to become either a full or supporting member of the Rural Greens.

Some people are being "bumped off" the Rural Greens' listserve. Those who have experienced this problem should send a blank e-mail to ruralgreen-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or a message (subject: RURAL GREENS) to moderator Aimee at starrivers@hotmail.com. 

Those interested in becoming a member of the Rural Caucus should send their name, address, phone number, and e-mail address to Linda Cree at P.O. Box 1153, Marquette, MI 49855, or to creelinda@hotmail.com.

COMMITTEES

Annual National Meeting

National meetings provide opportunities for Greens from all over the country to re-energize each other by networking and reuniting with friends. The Annual National Meeting Committee (ANMC) of the Green Party of the United States (GP-US) has been hard at work creating an amazing convention for this year's Green Party National Meeting.

After a lengthy search for a location, the ANMC proudly announces that the GP-US will gather in balmy Tulsa, Ok., July 21-24, for this year's national meeting. The Green Party of Oklahoma, the latest and newest state affiliate of the GP-US, has been extremely cooperative and imaginative in its creation of the national meeting, most of which will take place at Tulsa University.

The ANMC is finalizing a number of details for the meeting of the national delegates, as well as accommodating events planned by other groups--events such as a campaign school, a reunion of Pat LaMarche's "Left Out Tour" and a meeting regarding the goings-on of the Green Institute. Events still being planned include gatherings at a local independent cinema venue, as well as a fundraising concert on Saturday night. More information concerning lodging and travel or the meeting site may be accessed at www.jmbzine.com/okgreens-nationalproposal.

In the spirit of grassroots democracy and personal responsibility, the ANMC has created a Green Party member survey, located at http://gp.org/forms/tulsa. The ANMC invites Greens to share their thoughts and ideas. Also, people who wish to plan an event or want to provide feedback may contact Emily Citkowski at GPHQ--at--gp.org. 

Local elections will take place all over the country in 2005, and Greens continue in their struggle to create a more socially conscious society. The ANMC and the Oklahoma Greens look forward to welcoming Greens who share this struggle to Tulsa for this year's national soirée!

Coordinated Campaign

The Coordinated Campaign Committee (CCC) has held successful campaign schools over the past few months in Washington D.C., Washington state and New London, CT. Attendees heard presentations on subjects ranging from "How to Get Out the Vote" to media relations. More campaign schools are planned throughout the country. Those states interested in hosting a statewide or regional campaign school should contact Brent McMillan, GP-US political director, at brent@gp.org to find out how the national party can help with financial and logistical needs.

Also, the CCC is now accepting eligibility questionnaires to determine which campaigns will receive assistance from the matching funds program. The questionnaire assesses the viability and strategic context of state and local campaigns across the country. By using this process, the CCC helps direct the national party's limited resources toward those campaigns that will have the greatest impact. Campaigns that would like to be considered for matching funds can find more information at www.gp.org/committees/campaign/ This website also offers other resources for candidates, including a new "Get Out the Vote" manual.

Diversity

The Green Party-US Diversity Committee (DC) recently finished voting on its annual priorities. DC designed a hybrid form of ranked choice voting for this project, with 38 items on the priority ballot. Currently DC is strategizing for implementation of many of the top choices. DC is pleased to highlight four priority issues:

• Assist the Native American Caucus in redefining the accreditation requirement in the GP-US rules concerning states' member requirements versus those of tribes.
• Make over the "white" party image perceived by the outside world.
• Assess annual state of diversity in the GP-US/state of diversity and tools for development (programs) in GP-US committees and other bodies.
• Develop training programs concerning diversity, particularly for national conventions. The suggestion for this training program item states, "This includes programs concerning overt and internalized racism, development issues for caucuses and caucus members and others. (Priority requires funding.)"

The DC gathered input from committee members, individual Greens whom the committee members selected and Greens who attended DC meetings at the Milwaukee Convention. With this input, DC Treasurer and Webmaster George DeCarlo and the Voting Working Committee gathered the original list of 38 possible projects and priorities and consolidated them as needed. DC delegates discussed and voted on these projects and priorities, with 17 committee members voting.

The DC would like to send a special thank you to everyone who participated--especially to Earl Gerhard and Katey Culver for their great work on the Voting Working Committee.

State parties are encouraged to send delegates to the DC.

Media

The Media Committee (MC) has been sending approximately two press releases a week to our national lists. Each Green state media coordinator is responsible for sending the releases to their state media. The MC gets suggestions from Greens around the country about press releases and makes every effort to publicize local and state Green activities as well as those from Green Party-US (GP-US) committees and caucuses.

Additionally, the MC has taken on the responsibility of sending out Greensweek each month, which lists activities of state and local Greens and can be used to inspire other Green organizations to take action on issues. Eventually Greensweek may become a fundraising tool for the GP-US, and a request for financial assistance is inserted in the report. The MC also sends a compilation of Green news from around the world, the "GP-US News Circulator", to all local and state Greens.

Merchandising

The Merchandising Committee has recently added more items to its expanding Green store. The committee's online store can be reached by direct link from www.gp.org.

Green Party temporary tattoos


Enchanting for the kids and a terrific timely tool for keeping our party in the public eye. Campus Greens may want to use these tattoos as a nice fundraising item for those on a budget, or as give-aways to bring people into the party in a gentle way. Go Greenies! A fun idea for the kid in everyone.

Cell phone/bike stickers

These little stickers have the Green Party (GP-US) logo as well as the gp.org URL to remind people about who Greens are and to generate logo/party recognition for those outside the party to see. These stickers keep Green awareness always in mind, and the stickers encourage people to check out www.gp.org to learn more about the GP-US and what it stands for. For those without cars, bike stickers or cell phone stickers are a smaller, updated version of the sticker concept.

Bring them home NOW magnet ribbons


In an effort to identify the troops with real people, the Merchandise Committee has specifically designed these car magnets to capture the attention of people who are used to seeing magnet ribbons as a tool to support the troops. The magnet ribbons turn the usual idea upside-down: "Support our people ALIVE" and "Bring them home NOW!" This truly inspiring tool captures the attention of everyone with whom Greens come into contact.

Strategic Planning Working Group

Strategic planning helps organizations and campaigns succeed. In the spirit of future focus as a Key Value, the Coordinating Committee has created a Strategic Planning Working Group (SPWG), which has nine members and three advisors. The SPWG began the planning process by asking all Greens for their opinions on key issues.

The National Shared Vision Survey was open until June 26 and asked questions such as what's working for Greens on the local level, what should Greens' electoral goals be, what issues should we focus on, and what obstacles to recruitment do we see? Currently the SPWG is processing the information to help the party articulate a shared vision and long-range plan for its growth. The SPWG expects that the survey will help Greens build unity and consensus around key goals.

Results of the survey will be unveiled at the upcoming meeting in Tulsa.

Members of the Strategic Planning Working Group:

• Karen Young, Il.
• Starlene Rankin, Lavender Caucus
• Brent McMillan, political/fundraising director, D.C.
• Christopher Fink, Va.
• Jeff Turner
• Brian Lutenegger, Wisc.
• Tom Sevigny, Conn.
• Jason Jones, La.

Advisors:

• Jeff Sutter, Ind.
• Gray Newman, N.C.

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