Proposal of the 1992-1993 Ad-Hoc Committee on State Structure
Proposal of the 1992-1993 Ad-Hoc Committee on State Structure
and Process
Introduction
History of the Ad Hoc Committee on State Structure and Process
At the July 1992 statewide meeting of the Green Party of California
(GPCA) , the plenary council established an Ad Hoc Committee to conduct an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the
state level structure and process, and present any recommended
changes in state structure and process, the state coordinating
committee, and the state plenary... and present an implementation
process. The resolution document stated that Background concerns
expressed the need for: restructuring of the state coordinating
committee; concerns for the lack of efficiency and breakdown in
process, in the work and communication of many of the state working
groups; question of the state meetings ...(effectiveness) for
the partys needs...; and more clarification/definition of duties
and responsibilities on the state level positions.
At the July 1992 statewide meeting, a signup list was circulated.
Locals were invited to submit names of interested people to the
committee The initial list had 17 names.
On August 6, the committee sent out an initial mailing asking
each member to write about A) the state mission, B) the problems,
and C) solutions, and sent that to all the other committee members.
The committee met in September in Monterey, in October in Davis,
in December and January in Fresno, and in February in Davis. Dennis
Bottum and Leni Ortenburger were picked to be the committee co-coordinators.
The committee was diverse and had lots of differing opinions.
Some of the original volunteers dropped out by not participating
in the meetings and/or not doing homework.
Internal Process of the Ad Hoc Restructuring Committee
We have attempted to apply to our own work the same philosophy
we think should be applied to all statewide working groups. We
met in between state plenary meetings and required attendance
at meetings. Members were given assignments and were required
to complete them. We mailed written work to each other between
meeting. We mailed minutes of meetings to each member to help
with the next stage of work. We made a point or respecting each
others work as well as each other as persons, sometimes in spite
of our disagreements.
We utilized a spiral approach in our discussion and decision-making
by brainstorming and listing problem areas, needs, etc.; then
consolidating those lists into more general categories, which
helped depersonalize the issues raised; making it easier for the
group to move forward and not get bogged down in personal defensiveness.
Our process enabled us to work toward a proposal that embodied
the best from our various points of view. We sought consensus
and rarely voted.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF IMPLEMENTING THIS PROPOSAL
Committees
Stabilized membership will lead to greater group and individual
productivity and sustainability.
Committee goals and process will be clearly defined.
Higher quality work will bring greater respect and decisions will
have a lasting impact.
Membership becomes special.
Member status reflects commitment, so visitors (observers) have
different status.
Committee work will be better documented.
State Coordinating Committee (CC)
CC empowered to limit the agenda of statewide plenary sessions
so that proposals will be thoroughly consideredCC empowered to do tasks
which the GPCA needs, such as hiring a SecretaryEnhanced statewide communications
and networking.A balanced and reliable proposal process.
Plenary Council (PC)
Providing text of proposals in advance will lead to informed plenary
decisions.Continuity of PC membership and participation will bring a
stronger sense of community in the delegates.Delegates will have a voting
process that insures that observers
will not vote.
Proposal on Committees
Creating more effective Working Groups- what isn't working with
the Working Groups?: To be successful, working groups need to
be able to plan, develop, implement and manage projects, especially
long-term projects. Most GPCA working groups, with a few exceptions,
have been unable to do this. Many don't have a clear vision of
their mission or what they want to do. Many begin projects but
don't complete them. Working groups may start out with much enthusiasm
but it often dissipates, and they either begin anew, change direction,
or simply dissolve.
In evaluating what is and isn't "working" with respect to working
groups, the main problems we identified were the unwieldy size
of some working groups, and the fact that the membership of committees
is constantly fluctuating, creating uncertainty as to who the
members of the committee actually are, and making continuity of
work and decision-making nearly impossible. In addition, the short
time committees have to meet at statewide meetings, if that is
the only time they are meeting, virtually ensures that little
if any work will be accomplished. Clearly, this situation cannot
continue if we hope to become an effective political organization.
Our primary goal for the working groups was to create a structure
suitable for the Party's needs at the present time, in which committee
size and membership would be stabilized; committee size would
not climb to an unwieldy number, and membership on each committee
would be known and posted. Within the constraints necessitated
by the needs of committees for a stabilization of size and membership,
we sought a model which would maximize participation without creating
too many limitations. Noting that the root words of "committee"
or "working group" are "commit" and "work", we
sought a model in which personal responsibility for fulfilling a commitment
of
time and energy is the main criterion for committee membership,
and in which members are held accountable for their commitments.
We felt it essential that each working group spell out in writing
what their specific mission is and what the expectations are of
individual members, and evaluate their progress in regular written
reports to the GPCA Plenary Council.
This area of our report took up more time than any other in our
discussions. We had many different viewpoints and sought the best
solutions, solutions which would not only address the problems
we had identified, but also be practical to implement for our
organization at the present time. With these considerations in
mind, the Ad Hoc Committee on State Structure and Process proposes
the following:
Committee Responsibilities between State Meetings
It is absolutely necessary for the committees to meet and do their
work between statewide meetings (a few committees already do this),
rather than trying to get work done there.Rather than trying to get work
done at statewide meetings, committees would use this time for orientation
of prospective members and
observers, and/or discussion and brainstorming sessions. Orientation
sessions would be led by committee coordinators and would inform
interested persons about the purpose (charter) and current activities
of the committee If the committee is bringing a proposal to the plenary
session, final preparations for its presentation might also occur during
statewide meetings, and some portion of the committee's meeting
time might be limited to the voting members of the committee for
this purpose if they felt it necessary.In recognition of meeting time
constraints, oral presentations
by committees to the plenary session would be made only if the
committee has some proposal or action item for consideration by
the plenary body.
Documentation Required of Working Groups
All working groups would be required to keep a notebook of written
minutes as a record of their meetings. committees would also be
required to make regular written reports of their work and progress,
to be included along with the minutes of the plenary session in
the packets mailed out to the locals by the C.C. (already required
by our by-laws, but unenforced). committee coordinators would
be responsible for maintaining committee records, including a
membership list, and ensuring that information was regularly forwarded
to the C.C., either directly or via the C.C.'s liaison to the
committee
Size of Working Groups Each committee would have a minimum number
of 5 voting members, and a maximum number of 15; the number of
associates (see below) would be unlimited. Membership would be
open until filled, i.e. until the maximum number is reached. A
committee would remain filled until a vacancy occurred. The maximum
number of voting members for a given committee could be increased
on a case-by-case basis (provided there was some justification
for doing so) by making such a proposal to the plenary for approval.
committee coordinators would have the responsibility of maintaining
the membership roster and a waiting list for vacancies, and of
keeping the C.C. and the plenary informed as to the membership
status (filled/open) of the committee
Committee Members Committee membership would be based on commitment
to doing the work and attending working group meetings. This commitment
would be formally expressed by having all members (including coordinators)
sign a "agreement", which would:
a) A statement that the basic responsibilities of committee members
are to attend committee meetings (accept for just cause), and
to carry out the work for which they are responsible.
b) A description of any additional responsibilities or expectations
the committee may have of its members.
c) A description of the work of the committee (a copy of the committees
charter may be attached to the agreement).
d) A statement that failure to meet the responsibilities of membership
is grounds for removal as a member of the committee. State that
the responsibility to attend meetings and to complete work are
the conditions of voting membership.
e) A term ending date
Performance of work would thus become a matter of personal responsibility
in fulfilling group agreements. Committees will take into account
the financial situation of members, and the fact that some members
may be physically unable to travel when meeting locations are
chosen. Committees should, if possible, provide financial assistance
to members who would not otherwise be able to attend meetings.
It is the intent that this process, in which people agree (in
writing) to take on certain responsibilities, will lend a sense
of empowerment to the committees. Then it is a more serious consideration
to sign up for a committee, and not just a matter of putting one's
name on a sign -in sheet that goes around the room.
The membership list would become information available to all
GP members, typed up, posted on GPCA internal electronic conferences,
given to the C.C., etc., so that GP members would know who is
responsible for the work being done by that committee, whom to
contact, etc. A voting member could decline to have their address/phone/email
distributed publicly, but voting members would still need at least
a mailing address for each other in order to mail reports and
assignments between meetings.
Removal Clause for Members
As mentioned above, there would be a removal clause in voting
members' agreements. committee coordinators would keep track of
members' attendance and work assignments. At the beginning of
each meeting, the status of the membership roster would be addressed
and clarified; if the status of any particular member is an issue,
then this would be resolved before other business.
If a voting member fails to fulfill their agreement, they may
be removed by a decision of the other members (2/3 vote, as already
specified in the by-laws. Members would, of course, be permitted
to miss a meeting now and then, provided they had just cause and
had notified one of the coordinators prior to the meeting.
Decision-Making in Committee Meetings
Decision-making in meetings, setting the agenda, etc. would
be done by the voting members of the committee only (as already
specified
in our by-laws). Participation in decision-making is thus tied
to commitment and responsibility; it is a right earned by full
engagement with the committee and its work.
Terms for Voting Members
Members of committees would serve 1 year terms from the time their
signed agreements are accepted by the committee coordinators.
Serving out one's term is subject to fulfilling ones responsibilities
as a member. A natural staggering should occur as members leave
and new members sign on. Members may serve up to four consecutive
1-year terms, after which they may continue to serve for six-month
extension intervals so long as the committee is not filled and
there are no prospective members waiting to join. If there are
others interested in serving, members whose terms have expired
must rotate off for a at least one year before they may rejoin.
If the member rotating off is still interested in the work of
the committee, s/he can become an "associate" of the committee,
or may wish to join another committee which has a vacancy. To
foster greater participation, a person may serve on no more than
two committees at time (including the CC).
Associates and Observers
People interested in the work of the committee, who have
some time and energy to give, but could not necessarily commit
to full
attendance and participation, could still assist in the committee's
work by becoming "associates" of the committee. They would not
be required to sign agreements, but their attendance and any work
performed would be recorded by the coordinators. Associates might
also be those who are interested in becoming members of the committee;
associates would be the first group from which new members are
sought when a vacancy occurs, since they will already be somewhat
familiar with the committee's work and progress.
Observers would be welcome at committee meetings. They would be
required to sign in, along with associates and members.
Amount and time for associate and observer input during meetings
would be at the discretion of the committee members, however some
amount of time must be allotted for such input. Formal discussion
(with facilitation and stacking) may be limited to voting members,
with associates participating during open discussion or brainstorming
periods. Observer comments may be limited to a specified block
of time, for example at the beginning or ending of the meeting.
The committee membership has the right to exclude from meeting
participation individuals whose behavior is disruptive or obstructing
the committee's work.
Filling Vacancies in an Established Working Group:
Once a committee is filled, vacancies might arise due to:
1) members losing interest/dropping out/moving away, etc.
2) members' terms expiring
3) members being removed
The coordinators would maintain a list of people interested in
being on the committee, essentially a waiting list for vacancies.
After attending a committee orientation at a statewide meeting,
persons interested in becoming associate or voting members would
sign a statement of interest form, which would be dated and kept
on file by the committee coordinators. Vacancies in all committees
would be filled by the membership.
Associates are the first group from which new members are sought.
Prior involvement in the work of the committee (including attendance
at meetings) be the main criteria by which new members are selected,
based on the records maintained by the committee coordinators.
This factor being equal among several associates, diversity in
the composition of the committee and relevant experience (if applicable
to a specific need of the committee) are the additional criteria.
Length of time on the waiting list will be the next factor considered,
all other criteria being equal.
Responsibilities of committee Co-Coordinators
Committee Co-coordinators would be responsible for the establishment
of agendas for all committee meetings, for facilitating the assignment
of committee tasks and responsibilities, and for coordinating
the activities of the committee between meetings. Committee Co-coordinators
would take a roll-call at the beginning of each meeting, and track attendance.
They would also keep track
of tasks assigned or volunteered for, and whether they were completed.
By means of these attendance and performance records, they would
maintain and update the membership roster for their committee
They would be responsible for keeping on file all signed agreements
of members, keeping members informed as to expiration of terms,
and accepting signed agreements from new members.Co-Coordinators will
provide to the C.C. a current contact list of all voting members of the
committee, and an updated list will
be provided after every meeting when there is a change in membership
or contact information. Coordinators will provide the C.C. with
a copy of the minutes of each committee meeting, by mailing them
to the C.C. liaison within 3 weeks after the meeting. They will
also be responsible for filing regular written committee reports
to the C.C., including a report as to the membership status of
the committee (filled/open). The Co-Coordinators will maintain a waiting
list for committee vacancies, based on signed and dated statement-of-interest
forms.
They will be responsible for providing an orientation during statewide
meetings about the charter and current work of the committee,
and providing statement-of-interest forms to prospective members.
In addition to their agreements as voting members, coordinators
will sign a committee coordinator's agreement outlining their
additional responsibilities.
Committee Co-Coordinators Terms
Coordinators would have the same overall terms as other committee
members, but would serve 1-year terms as coordinators. They could
continue for as many as four 1-year terms as coordinators, subject
to reconfirmation by a vote of the members at the end of each
one-year period. Working groups would select their own coordinators;
they must be voting members of the committee when chosen. It is
up to each committee if they wish to add additional qualifications
for coordinators. For the transition phase (see below), committees
would start out with the current coordinators, unless they do
not wish to continue, in which case an internal election of coordinators
could take place during the transition phase.
The Transition Phase
We feel it is necessary to have a clean, clear break between the
old and the new. To accomplish this, we envision a 4-step Transition
Phase to implement this plan for stabilizing each working group
and defining its membership.
In keeping with our current by-laws, all committees must have
a charter or mission statement ratified by the plenary council
in order to be an officially recognized committee of the GPCA,
empowered to present and advocate proposals. We are also proposing
that ad-hoc committees be required to have a written mission statement
ratified by the plenary council. Therefore, the first tasks of
each committee are defining its membership, writing a charter/mission
statement, and submitting the charter to the plenary council for
approval. The steps for implementing this transition phase and
accomplishing these tasks would be as follows:
Step 1. Set-Up/First Transition Meeting
At the first statewide meeting at which (or after which) these
proposals are adopted (we could both approve and begin to implement
the plan at the next statewide meeting), the current committee
coordinators would conduct a setup meeting. At this meeting they
would present a history of the committee and facilitate a discussion
of the committee's mission and objectives. They would also explain
what the new expectations for committee membership are, hand out
statement-of-interest forms and sample copies of agreements, and
work with the rest of the group to set a meeting date and place
for the second transition meeting. All persons interested in becoming
voting members of the committee would be required to attend both
transition meetings, which would occur before the next statewide
meeting. Homework may also be assigned. Attendance at both transition
meetings is required of all persons interested in becoming the
initial members of the committee.
Step 2. Second Transition Meeting
At the second transition meeting, those in attendance will
work on the written charter (statement of purpose/mission)
to be submitted
to the plenary council for ratification, select coordinators,
turn in written agreements, and prepare a roster of the committees
membership based on signed agreements, attendance at both transition
meetings, and completion of homework (if applicable). The membership
roster must be at least 5 members and no more than 15. Coordinators
will ensure that the C.C> receives a copy of both the membership
roster and the charter statement (if completed) immediately after
this meetings. Completion of the charter statement should be timed
so that a copy of each committees charter goes out in the delegate
packet prior to the next statewide meeting; the second transition
meeting will have to be timed accordingly, with this goal in mind.
Committees will also set a date and place for their next meeting.
What happens if there are more than 15 people interested in being
on a particular committee? With more clearly defined expectations
of committee members and the signing of a agreement to that effect,
the chances are that less people will be interested in becoming
committee members than the numbers we see signing sign-in sheets
at committee meetings now. Most of these people are functioning
as observers rather than members -- membership has never been
clarified, which is what we are attempting to address. There is
every likelihood that the committees will not be filled initially.
If there are more than 15 prospective members who have attended
both transition meetings and are prepared to sign agreements,
the committee (effectively all those who have fulfilled membership
requirements as of the 2nd Transition meeting) will have to solve
this dilemma as a group: attendance criteria being equal, some
people may be willing to stand aside and become associates for
the time being. If not, an internal election will be held. Persons
voting will be those who have fulfilled membership requirements
thus far. Again, it is doubtful that this situation will even arise,
but this way of handling it would only apply in the initial transition
phase to a stabilized membership. Once the committee membership
is established for the first time, future vacancies will be handled
in a different manner (see Filling Vacancies in an Established
Committee above).
The Next Statewide Meeting Before the next statewide meeting,
the committees will present their written charters to the Cc for
inclusion in the pre-meeting delegates agenda packets, prior to
presenting their charters to the Plenary Council. Committees are
not officially recognized by the GPCA until their charters have
been approved by the plenary body, to be incorporated into the
by-laws (current by-laws already call for this). Proposals will
only be heard from committees whose charters/mission statements
have been approved by the Plenary Council of the GPCA.This would mean
that by the end of the statewide meeting following the Transition Phase,
the committee membership will have been
formally established for the first time. Time permitting, the
committees will also have been officially recognized by the Plenary
Council by means of ratification of their charter statements.
The membership roster, along with coordinator's names and phone
numbers, will be passed on to the locals via their regional representatives
on the C.C.; they will also be posted on GPCA internal electronic
conferences.
Conclusion
It is important to note that many aspects of this proposal closely
follow our current GPCA By-Laws, but certain additions should
help to strengthen our structure by removing some of the nebulousness.
For example, current GPCA By-laws state that "committees may control
their own membership with respect to the number of members, the
skills of members, and the performance of members, as may be required
to meet the needs of the committee." (Article VII, Section 4.1).
In practice, this kind of vagueness has created problems. This
proposal to stabilize committee membership makes the number more
specific, applies itself equally to all committees, and by adding
a agreement (with terms) between the member and the committee,
clarifies both the committee's expectations and the members' agreement
to take on certain responsibilities. Rather than a category of
"inactive members" (Art.VII, Sec.4.2), this plan creates a category
of "associates" or friends of the committee. One is either a voting
member of the committee or not, and the status of the membership
roster is a topic addressed before every meeting. Additionally,
the committee coordinators are given the responsibility of tracking
attendance and work performance, essentially ensuring that the
agreement is fulfilled; they are empowered to do so by the committee
which has chosen them, with the support and full involvement of
the other members of the working group. By contrast, current by-laws,
although stating that attendance and performance are the requirements
of committee membership,
provide neither a means of expressing one's commitment, nor do
they specify who is responsible for keeping track of this information
and maintaining the membership roster. Under our current by-laws, empowerment
in decision-making within a committee is limited to active members of
that committee, and
limitations on participation in committee discussions are also
at the discretion of the active members, so these things are also
not new. (See Art.VII, Sect. 5.1 and 6.1) The requirement that
a charter or statement of purpose must be ratified for every committee
by the Plenary Council is also straight out of our by-laws, (Art.VII,
Sect. 3.1), as is the requirement that proposals be presented
by one of the duly recognized GPCA committees (Art.VI, Sect. 8.1
and 9.2). Perhaps most importantly, by altering our process so that committee
work is undertaken between statewide meetings, not during them,
this proposal squarely faces the fact that effective working groups,
which we are relying upon to do the state-level work of the GPCA,
must get serious about undertaking that work, and cannot continue
to hold the unreasonable expectation of accomplishing all that
they need to do in a 2-hour meeting held twice or three times
a year. Using statewide meeting time to hold orientation sessions
for committees serves an important function in attracting and
informing potential new members of committees and other interested
persons.
Therefore, the changes and additions suggested by the committee
are:
1) committees will meet and conduct their business between statewide
meetings. Statewide meeting time will be used for:
a) Orientation of prospective members and observers
b) Discussion or brainstorming sessions
c) Final preparations for presentation of proposals. (Some portion
of this part of the committee's meeting time may be limited to
voting members if they feel it necessary).
2) Oral presentations by committees at statewide meetings will
occur only if they have some proposal or action item for considera-tion
by the plenary body.
3) All committees are required to make regular written reports
of their work and progress, to be submitted to the C.C. for inclusion
with the minutes of the statewide meeting.
4) All committees are required to keep written minutes of their
committee meetings as a record of their work. committee coordinators
will ensure that a notebook of the minutes is kept on hand for
the committee and brought to each meeting, and that a copy goes
to the C.C. via the liaison following each meeting.
5) Each committee will have a minimum number of 5 voting members
and a maximum of 15. Membership is open until filled. There is
no limit on the number of associates. A committees size may be
increased beyond the maximum requires the approval of the plenary
council in each case, provided there is some justification for
doing so, such as increased work load. committee reports must
include a report on the membership status of the committee (i.e.
whether filled/open).
6) Voting membership is based on a commitment to doing the work
assigned or expected, plus regular attendance at all committee
meetings. With respect to meeting attendance, committees will
take into account the financial situation of members, and the
fact that some members may be physically unable to travel when
meeting locations are chosen. Committees should, if possible,
provide financial assistance to members who would not otherwise
be able to attend meetings.
7) A committee member expresses their commitment to full involvement
with a committee by signing a written agreement, to include
a) A statement that the basic responsibilities of committee members
are to attend committee meetings (accept for just cause), and
to carry out the work for which they are responsible.
b) A description of any additional responsibilities or expectations
the committee may have of its members.
c) A description of the work of the committee (a copy of the committees
charter may be attached to the agreement).
d) A statement that failure to meet the responsibilities of membership
is grounds for removal as a member of the committee.
State that the responsibility to attend meetings and to complete
work are the conditions of voting membership.
e) A term ending date
8) The names of the members of each committee shall be information
available to all GPCA members.
9) The committee membership may remove (by a 2/3 vote) any member
who fails to fulfill their written agreement. At the beginning
of each committee meeting, the status of the membership roster
will be addressed; if the status of any particular member is an
issue, this will be resolved before other business.
10) Decision-making in meetings, setting the agenda, etc. is done
by the voting members of the committee only.
11) Terms for committee members will be one year. Serving out
one's term is subject to fulfilling ones responsibilities as
a member. Members may serve up to four consecutive 1-year terms.
They may continue to serve for 6-month extension intervals thereafter,
as long as the committee is not filled and there are no prospective
members waiting to join the committee. If others are waiting,
members whose terms have expired must rotate off for a period
of at least one year.
12) To promote greater participation, individuals may serve on
no more than two committees at a time.
13) Committees will have associates. Associates are those either:
a) interested in helping with the committee's work but cannot
commit to full attendance and participation or
b) engaged to some degree with the work of the committee and are
on a waiting list to serve as voting members. Associates are not
required to sign agreements, but their attendance and work will
be recorded by committee coordinators, to be used as the main
criteria in filling vacancies.
14) Both associates and observers are welcome at committee meetings.
Associate and observer input at committee meet-ings may be limited
(at the discretion of the members of the committee), but some
amount of time must be allotted for such input.
15) The committee membership has the right to exclude from meeting
participation individuals whose behavior is disruptive or obstructing
the group's work.
16) Persons interested in becoming voting members or associates
of a committee must attend a committee orientation at a statewide
meeting, and complete a statement-of-interest form, to be given
to the committee coordinators. Coordinators will keep these forms
on file as part of a waiting list.
17) Associates have priority in filling committee vacancies. Associates'
prior attendance and work performed for the committee will be
the main criteria by which new members are selected. This criteria
being equal among several associates, diversity in the composition
of the committee and relevant experience (if applicable to a specific
need of the committee) are the additional criteria. Length of
time on the waiting list will be the next factor considered, all
other criteria being equal.
18) In addition to signing a agreement as a voting member, committee
coordinators will sign an additional agreement defining their
responsibilities as coordinators. Their responsibili-ties will
be to:
a) Establish agendas for all committee meetings.
b) Facilitate the assignment of committee tasks and responsibilities.
c) Coordinate the activities of the committee between meetings.
d) Take a roll-call at the beginning of each meeting.
e) Record attendance and work performance of members and associates.
f) Maintain committee records, including membership list, minutes,
waiting list, reports, etc.
g) Update membership roster at the beginning of each meeting;
provide updated lists to the C.C.
h) Accept signed agreements and keep them on file.
i) Provide the C.C. liaison with copies of meeting minutes.
j) File regular, written reports with the C.C. to be included
in statewide meeting minutes, including a report on the membership
status of the committee (i.e. filled/open).
k) Maintain a waiting list for vacancies.
l) Conduct orientations at statewide meetings; provide statement-of-interest
forms to prospective members.
m) Present committee proposals to the plenary council.
n) Maintain communication with C.C. via liaison; coordinate and
communicate with other committees as necessary.
o) Attend state committee coordinator's meetings
p) Take an active role in the development of the committee, including
encouraging and supporting other committee members and associates.
19) committees will select their own coordinators; they must be
members of the committee when chosen. committees may add additional
qualifications for coordinators. Committee coordinators may not
also be members of the C.C.
20) committee coordinators will have the same overall terms as
other voting members, but will serve 1-year terms as coordinators.
They may serve up to four 1-year terms as coordinators, subject
to reconfirmation by a vote of the members at the end of each
1-year period.
21) To present proposals to the Plenary Council, a committee must
be an officially recognized committee of the GPCA, i.e. they must
have a written charter, which has been ratified by the Plenary
Council of the general assembly.
22). Ad Hoc Committees must have a written mission statement,
approved by the plenary council, in order to present proposals
at a statewide meeting.
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