2004 Green-Rainbow Party Convention

Minutes of the convention

Registration forms in letter size for printing at home

Green-Rainbow News 2004 Winter/Spring

The Green-Rainbow Party is holding its annual state convention May 1–2, 2004, at the Devens Conference Center in Ayer, MA. To register, complete and mail in the 2004 Green-Rainbow Party Convention Registration Form, postmarked on or before March 25, 2004. Benefits of registering by this date include catered meals, free childcare, and reduced registration fees.

The Devens Conference Center with its spacious grounds and sports fields was once part of Fort Devens, and our convention will help to afirm a new tradition of non-militarism at the site. The Devens Conference Center will enable us to have our plenary sessions, workshops, meals, and entertainment within the same building. The campus itself invites outdoor activities, from games to picnicking.

Caucus meetings and workshops will provide attendees with the opportunity to network and to learn. There will be two caucus meetings and ten workshops that will furnish information on diverse issues and training in various aspects of party building, such as setting up a local or running a campaign.

The registration fee sliding scale allows more members to attend while defraying the actual costs per person. These costs include use of the Devens Conference Center, catering, professional childcare, shuttle, and conference preparation expenses. The actual cost per person is estimated to be $30 per day, $60 for both days. As a party, we are committed to the participation of all, which is why we are using a sliding scale (see Registration and Late Registration Forms for fees). We would like to ensure that as many people as possible attend our convention and that the costs are actually covered. Meeting both objectives will help us build a progressive party with the broadest possible base. In the future, we hope the convention will be free of charge to everyone. So, if you can choose, please pick the most generous contribution you can honestly and realistically afford. Meal prices reflect actual cost to the catering service and so are not flexible.

Registration fee discounts are available, but you must register by March 25 to qualify for such discounts. Volunteer help is needed at the convention. Attendees can volunteer some time, and if they wish, receive a registration discount. The Green Hours Discount Form contains a list of activities through which attendees can receive a reduction of the registration fee if they choose.

There is free professional childcare if you register by March 25. Just look for this option on the Registration Form.

If you cannot register by March 25, use the 2004 Green-Rainbow Convention Late Registration Form. Important note: If you register late, you will not be able to make use of the bus transportation option, catered food, or free childcare.

Round-trip bus transportation from Cape Cod/South Shore and from Western MA will be provided if a minimum of 25 persons (for each point of origin) sign up for this option. Such bus service will be wheelchair friendly. Please look for this option on the Registration Form. The cost will be $25 per person, round trip. Do not include payment for bus transportation with the form. We will contact you by mid-April for payment or to alert you that bus transportation is not available.

As an alternative to catered meals on-site, there are many restaurants and sandwich shops within a short drive of the Devens Conference Center.

There is a non-denominational chapel on the Devens campus.

Use one form per adult. Make a copy of the Registration Form for a second adult (children’s meals are included on one adult’s form). Late Registration form is also one form per adult.

This is general information about how to nominate candidates for the GRP Administrative Committee or as representatives to other organizations. Download this document to read the process passed by the state committee. Download the nomination form that you need to complete to run for any position.

To uphold the Green-Rainbow Party’s diversity requirements, members of under-represented groups delineated by race, gender, geography, class, and sexual orientation are strongly encouraged to run for leadership roles in the Party.

Members of the Party’s Administrative Committee and representatives to other organizations are elected at the Party’s State Convention. Deadline for nominations is March 18. However, if needed to achieve a diverse pool of candidates, nominations may be held open past the deadline.

Candidates must be nominated in writing by at least 10 party members. Nomination forms may be downloaded from our website or may be requested from the GRP office. No other means of nominating is acceptable. Candidates may not be self-nominated, but they must sign at least one nomination form for them, stating they accept the nomination.

Nomination forms should be mailed to the GRP office, attention Secretary, postmarked no later than March 18, 2004. Candidates may also submit advance statements, which will be reproduced in the convention packet.

This is general information. Download the complete proposal process that you need to follow to submit a proposal for the state convention.

To be accepted for consideration by the Party’s State Convention, proposals must be sponsored by at least seven members. Name and contact information must be provided for each sponsor. At least two of the sponsors must be present at the convention.

Proposals must be emailed to office@green-rainbow.org AND posted to the proposals section of the Party’s website. Deadline is Monday, March 22, 2004. Proposals will be reviewed by the appropriate working committees and will be printed in the convention packet.

Sponsors who do not meet the March 22nd deadline may submit their proposal(s) as floor proposals at the convention. Floor proposals will be accepted for consideration by the state convention only if they are co-sponsored by 14 members or 25 percent of the official attendance of the State Convention, whichever is lower. The sponsors of a floor proposal must provide copies (handouts) of the proposal text to all present.