Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts

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Nominations for Fundraising Director
Monday February 11, @04:42PM, by Jeff O'Neill
Subject : Nominations for Fundraising Director
Summary :
Make nominations, accept or decline nominations, or comment on nominations for fundraising director here.
Text :

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Re: Nominations for Fundraising Director
Tuesday March 12, @03:01PM, by Jeff O'Neill
I nominate Jonathan Leavitt.

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Re: Nominations for Fundraising Director
Wednesday March 20, @09:37PM, by Jonathan Leavitt
> I nominate Jonathan Leavitt.
>
At this time I would have to decline for the following reasons:

1) It doesn’t appear that anyone is actually scrutinizing the work of the Administrative Committee. The by-laws would indicate that this is clearly the responsibility of the State Committee.

But judging by the lack of comments on-line about the failure of the Administrative Committee to actually carry out almost any concrete work over the last three months (and the extremely limited work that has been carried out since last June) it is apparent that no one is actually holding the current Administrative Committee to it’s job descriptions or even their expected attendance at monthly meetings.

Clearly a majority of Administrative Committee members have committed themselves to roles and duties that they are not in a position to carry out. I think that the reason that most of them have failed to do so, is that they are probably already committing a good portion of their time to doing important progressive organizing.

So to be clear I am not stating that members of the Administrative Committee are not committed activists. But this does not diminish the reality that there is very little pro-active work being done in this body. I think this becomes clear during the verbal and written reports that they are supposed to submit at State Committee meetings when the majority of people have (and will have) nothing to report.

I am not suggesting that we should expect perfection from this body, but the State Committee should have some minimal expectations of work from these positions beyond attending a monthly meeting. If people cannot do this work for whatever reasons, the State Committee should step in and remove people from their positions.

If the positions are filled, then no one bothers going out and working to identify new folks who might be willing to step up and play these roles. It also presents a quandary for our staff that might otherwise step in to fill in the gaps, but can’t for fear of stepping on people’s toes.

2) It appears that the current Administrative Committee is being nominated to continue in their roles by other members of the Administrative Committee, which is probably something that should be fixed. Otherwise we could develop an extremely insular and un-critical approach to the question of who fills these roles.

We need to become an organization that basis its decisions on “leadership” on something other someone looking the part or being able to talk a good game. We need our leadership to be based on a willingness to be accountable to the expectations set down by our governing body, the State Committee and our by-laws. The other stuff is frivolous and puts our collective judgment in doubt.

3) There has been no clear direction given to Administrative Committee members that they accountable directly to the State Committee as opposed to other members of the Administrative Committee.

When I was serving as Co-Chair, I met most of my resistance from other members of the Administrative Committee who seemed to think that we needed both guidelines from the State Committee and approval from the Administrative Committee before we could be pro-active in our work. I met this resistance when doing fundraising (getting high donors to committee money to our organization) and program work (around the question of communities of color and the green party working together)

I think it should be reinforced that as long as Administrative Committee members are doing their expected work within parameters set up by the State Committee, then they can be pro-active without having to get clearance from the entire Administrative Committee first.

So, with these reasons in mind, it just does not seem worth the time and effort to rejoin this body. I’ll continue to do my work as part of the fundraising/finance-working group, since it save me the wear and tear of having to do a monthly meeting that generally serves to frustrate rather then inspire.

I would encourage the State Committee to make common sense adjustments to the Administrative Committee including removing anyone who cannot meet minimum levels of work. To not do so, and to simply pretend that this group is functioning effectively would do a disservice to the membership of the Massachusetts Green Party, who does expect the State Committee will be its oversight body.

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Re: Nominations for Fundraising Director
Tuesday April 02, @11:28PM, by Daniel Melnechuk, East Middlesex Delegate
I nominate Gil Obler for Fundraising Director.

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Re: Nominations for Fundraising Director
Thursday April 11, @02:02PM, by Gil Obler

I really have to decline this. I tried to make room for this job in my schedule and failed. It is too important that we have someone that can do this properly.

I believe that Jonathan Leavitt would make an excellent Fundraising Director and hope that he will reconsider it. If not, I will continue to help look for someone else that will be able to do this job well.

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Re: Nominations for Fundraising Director
Tuesday April 09, @09:36AM, by Peter White
I nominate Gil Obler as Fundraising Director - he's clean, green, committed and compassionate.

Now, is this the space to vent?? My one comment is that CHAPTER ORGANIZING using community organizing programs is the missing piece of the MA Green Party efforts, and has been for years. The State ADCOM and State Committee need to support the growth of local chapters, and this will provide long-term solutions to the accountability and funding problems.

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Re: Nominations for Fundraising Director
Thursday April 11, @02:03PM, by Gil Obler

I nominate "None of the Above".

This is not intended as a slight on any of the nominees (one or several of whom I intend to support).

It is merely because our current bylaws are vague on whether this is an automatic option in the voting, so by nominating this option, I intend to assure that it will be available to the voters.

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Re: Nominations for Fundraising Director
Thursday April 11, @02:34PM, by Daniel Melnechuk, East Middlesex Delegate
I nominate "None of the Above" for Fundraising Director for the same reasons as Gil explained.

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Re: Nominations for Fundraising Director
Thursday April 11, @03:41PM, by Karen Kraut
I nominate none of the above
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Re: Nominations for Fundraising Director
Friday April 12, @05:01PM, by Deborah Becker
I nominate Pat Keaney.

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Re: Nominations for Fundraising Director
Friday April 12, @08:22PM, by Andrew Griswold, Medford Greens. State Committee Member East Middlesex
> I nominate Peter White for Fundraising Director.
>

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Re: Nominations for Fundraising Director
Saturday April 13, @01:15AM, by Ed Dodge
I nominate none of the above. I would nominate Gil or Jonathan since they are both experienced, but since they both decline I nominate NOTA.
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Re: Nominations for Fundraising Director
Saturday April 13, @12:57PM, by Eric Hetland
> Make nominations, accept or decline nominations, or comment on nominations for fundraising director here.
>

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Re: Nominations for Fundraising Director
Saturday April 13, @12:59PM, by Eric Hetland

Sorry, I nominate Pat Keaney and "none-of-the-above" for Fundraising Director.

BTW: a simpler system for the nominating proceedure must be possible. I feel like a large amount of "web-savyness" is required to figure out what to do - although, I confess, I am a luddite...
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Re: Nominations for Fundraising Director
Saturday April 13, @04:52PM, by Paul Lachelier
Christ, I'd take on the job if I weren't running for state rep!

I nominate Jonathan Leavitt first and foremost, in part precisely for his right-on comments above, and because he's one of the few among MGP leaders who actually gets concrete things done (and has the right mindset to do so) toward growing the MGP.

I also nominate Gil Obler.
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Re: Nominations for Fundraising Director
Saturday April 13, @07:59PM, by Aimee Smith
I nominate Pat Keaney, Gil Obler, and none of the above for Fundraising Director.

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Re: Nominations for Fundraising Director
Saturday April 13, @10:19PM, by Daniel Melnechuk, East Middlesex Delegate
I nominate Jonathan Leavitt. He declined on March 20th. But this is now April 13th and maybe he will change his mind. I agree with Paul's comments, that Jonathan would make an excellent fundraising director.

So Jonathan, i hope that you will reconsider. I know you are running for office too, but please think about it.
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Re: Nominations for Fundraising Director
Tuesday April 16, @12:14PM, by gary hicks
> Make nominations, accept or decline nominations, or comment on nominations for fundraising director here.
>
i nominate jon leavitt for the post of fundraising director.

jon, the more you deny it, the more people get the impression you oughta be doing it!
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