General Membership Meeting: April 11, 2021
April 2021 EBDSA General Meeting Agenda
East Bay DSA
General Membership Meeting
April, 11 2021
1pm - 3pm
I. Settle In/Welcome
Meeting began at 1:00PM
Membership welcome at 1:05PM
II. Bylaws Amendment Reading
Amendment Reading at 1:05 PM
Resolution for EBDSA Chapter Restructure Resolution (Includes Bylaws Amendments)
Submitted by Allie L., Renée P, Ben F., Eric V., Bjorn C
WHEREAS East Bay DSA is the largest chapter in DSA without any kind of local branch structure;
WHEREAS regular meeting attendance and overall participation in EBDSA has been in decline;
WHEREAS in other large chapters branches have proven singularly effective at
(1) engaging new members in local organizing;
(2) facilitating broader leadership structures that ensures most members are connected to chapter leaders; and
(3) increasing meeting attendance by providing a easy-to-access monthly meeting for members who live further from the geographic center;
Therefore BE IT RESOLVED:
(1)That six months from the enactment of this resolution, the following bylaws amendments shall go into effect:
(A )Article III: Officers
Section 1. Officers and Duties
. . .
7. There shall be seven at-large representatives elected by the chapter as a whole; one representative from each branch who shall also serve on that branch’s Organizing Committee (“Branch Representative”); and twenty additional representatives allocated to branches based on their enrolled membership who will comprise the remaining membership of the Steering Committee.
8. The Officers of the Chapter shall constitute the Executive Committee, and shall have the responsibility for administering the business of the chapter between meetings of the Steering Committee.
9. Officers may form subcommittees of the Steering Committee to assist in their duties.
Section 2. Nomination Procedure
1. All officers of the Chapter shall be elected at the Chapter's annual Convention. Nominations for all officers must be submitted to the outgoing Steering Committee in advance of the Convention. Any member in good standing may nominate another member in good standing, but not themselves, for elected position in the Chapter.
2. All other Steering Committee members, including Branch Representatives, shall be elected via online vote in the 30 days after the annual convention.
Section 3. Ballot election, Term of Office, Removal from Office
. . . Officers and at-large steering committee members may be removed from office at the pleasure of the membership by a two-thirds chapter vote. Other Steering Committee and Branch Organizing members may be removed from office by a ⅔ vote of the branch they represent.
(B) Article IV: Steering Committee
Section 1. Composition and Meetings
The officers of the Chapter shall constitute the Executive Committee, which shall meet on at least a biweekly basis. The Steering Committee, which shall meet no less than six times each year. The Co-Chairs of the Chapter Executive Committee shall set the time and place of each Steering Committee meeting.
Section 2. Steering Committee's Duties and Powers
The Steering Executive Committee shall operate as the governing board of the Chapter and have general supervision of the affairs of the Chapter between Steering Committee meetings. The Steering Committee and shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Chapter between regular meetings shall make political decisions that affect the whole Chapter in between general meetings, set the time and place of the regular general meetings, make recommendations to the Chapter, and perform such other duties that are specified in these bylaws. The Steering Committee is tasked with implementing priorities adopted at the last annual convention.
(C) Article V: Committees
. . .
Section 2. Committee Operation
. . . Committees shall make reports to regular general meetings of the chapter and of the Steering Committee. . . .
(D) Article VI: Meetings
Section 1. Chapter Annual Convention
One of the regular general meetings in the first six months of each calendar year shall be the Chapter's annual convention, at which the Chapter shall elect all officers of the Chapter and adopt a Priorities Resolution. . . . The Steering Committee may provide for the annual convention to be a delegated convention with representatives elected proportionally by branch.
Section 2. Regular General Meetings
The regular general meetings of the Chapter shall be held no fewer more than four times each year, all to be scheduled by the Steering Committee within forty-five days of taking office. . . .
Section 4. Electoral Endorsements
The Chapter may only make electoral endorsements at general regular meetings or by 60% vote of the Steering Committee. For any endorsement in an election whose district covers only part of EBDSA, at least ½ of the relevant branches must also vote for that endorsement by a 60% vote. . . . .
Section 5. Branch Meetings
Each Branch shall meet at least monthly. The Executive Committee, in consultation with the Steering Committee, shall be responsible for setting ⅔ of the agenda for each monthly Branch Meeting, with ⅓ to be set by the Branch Organizing Committee.
(E) Article X: Branches
It is the intent of the Chapter to create categories of Branches that may enhance the democratic functioning of the Chapter. Such Branches, when established, shall have representation on the Steering Committee. Implementing such a system will require that these Bylaws be amended.
Section 1. Branch Membership
Each EBDSA member shall be by default a member of a branch based on their zip code. A member who wishes to affiliate with a different branch based on convenience shall be allowed to do so via a process set by the Steering Committee.
Section 2. Branch Boundaries
The Steering Committee shall be responsible for initially setting branch boundaries. Any group of at least ten members who wishes to form a separate branch from the boundaries of a current branch may apply to the Steering Committee for recognition by a vote of 60%. A Branch may have its status revoked by a majority plus one vote of the Steering Committee following a hearing open to all members.
Section 3. Branch Organizing Committees
Each branch will have an organizing committee of up to five members, of which one member will be the Branch Representative to the Steering Committee, elected by the branch for a one-year term; two will be appointed by the Steering Committee, for six-month terms; and up to three will be elected by the branch for a one-year term. The Branches shall be governed by these bylaws.
(2) That no more than thirty days after the enactment of this resolution, the Steering Committee shall appoint a working group to prepare for the change to the bylaws. The responsibilities of that working group shall include but are not limited to:
(A) Setting initial branch boundaries
(B) Scheduling and administering elections for new Steering Committee members and branch representatives
(C) Working with new branch organizing committees to locate space for branch meetings and schedule first meetings
(D) Developing branch member lists and ensuring branch organizing committees have access to email branch members
(E) Considering amending the current Committee structure to account for potential local committees and subcommittees and developing recommendations for integrating Committee and Branch work
(F) Developing a structure for Branches to regularly be provided funds from the chapter treasury for Branch expenses
All actions of the working group shall be subject to supervision and approval by the Steering Committee.
III. Local and National Convention Info and Q&A
Information and Q&A at 1:40 PM
Break at 2:00 PM
IV. National Platform Draft Discussion
Discussion at 2:05PM
Platform
DSA National Platform Development
Important Platform Links
- DSA National Platform (Second draft)
- Platform Amendment Compendium
Platform Amendment Process
This second draft is the baseline of what delegates will discuss at the 2021 National Convention. It involves many hours of work to incorporate input from individual members and national committees. The Platform and Resolutions Committee thanks everyone who gave feedback through the form and in discussions at our Pre-Convention Conferences. Amendments submitted by the Thursday 7/15 deadline are under review.
- The deadline to submit amendments was midnight on Thursday, 7/15
- Amendments required 250 signatures from members in good standing
- Each amendment could only pertain to one section of the platform
- An author could submit a maximum of 4 amendments
- Amendments must be politically substantive. Style edits, copy edits, or other language edits that are not substantive will not be considered
- Amendments adding new platform planks, removing existing planks, or reordering planks will not be accepted.
- Platform planks are listed in alphabetical order, with the exception of Deepening and Strengthening Democracy, which the Platform and Resolutions Subcommittee voted to place first in order to foreground our commitment to political and economic democracy as necessary conditions to achieve a democratic socialist society
V. Political Education Committee Update
Update at 2:40 PM
VI. Abolition 101 Announcement
Announcement at 2:50PM
Meeting Adjourned At 3:00 PM
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gjqGbS3zlAvtdQIV9u125b7qaPjf7RKPSNd8AjMChtY/edit#