Green Party Elders Caucus Bylaws

V.1. Adopted January 29, 2019

V.2. (current) Adopted  October 28, 2021

ARTICLE I. NAME

The name of this Caucus is the Elders Caucus (hereinafter EC) of the Green Party of the United States (hereinafter GPUS).

ARTICLE II. MISSION AND PURPOSE

II.A. MISSION

The EC advocates for the celebration and use of the foundational roots of the GPUS in our work – 

The Four Pillars:

• Peace 
• Ecology
• Social Justice
• Democracy

and

The Ten Key Values: 

• Grassroots Democracy
• Social Justice and Equal Opportunity
• Ecological Wisdom
• Non-Violence
• Decentralization
• Community-Based Economics
• Feminism and Gender Equity
• Respect for Diversity
• Personal and Global Responsibility
• Future Focus and Sustainability

We believe these values are universal, and that diversity of values, as long as they are consistent with these values, are to be valued and promoted. Values that are not consistent with these values are not acceptable.

The EC strives to bring the many years of Green caucus activism and life experiences of its members to bear on the critical struggles facing us today in our caucus, our nation, and our world.  

We have lived the history of our party.  We believe that our institutional knowledge and experiences, combined with our continuing efforts and actions, can empower Greens of all ages to engage in collaborative forward thinking to influence policies and incorporate actions that liberate, honor, and empower us all.

II.B. PURPOSE

We, Elders of the GPUS, aim to draw on our collective years of experience as activists and Greens to contribute a much-needed longer-range context to the urgent and escalating social and ecological issues confronting all of us. We will also raise awareness on issues facing older persons.

The EC will provide educational materials on issues of special interest to elders, to Green caucus members, and Green caucus candidates. We will draft Green caucus position statements, press releases, and platform amendments on issues affecting elders, as well as perhaps other age groups. In addition we will provide linkages to organizations that share Green caucus values and advocate for elders. We will also promote actions on issues affecting elders.

Anti-Oppression Principles

The EC understands oppression as a system that gives some people, groups, or communities power over other people, groups, or communities because of their identities and experiences. Oppression creates an imbalance of power that is often based on but not limited to: race, ethnicity, sex, gender expression and identity, economic status, ability, sexual orientation, citizenship status, language capacity, HIV status, age, engagement with sex work, drug use, and educational background. 

The EC defines oppression as a system wherein people, groups, or communities with unearned power and resources restrict other people, groups, or communities with less or no power and resources for the benefit of those with power. Oppression often reduces a person’s access to resources, rights, personal freedoms, and safety. Oppression is maintained, supported, and promoted in various ways by institutions, violence, culture, and other tactics. Oppression can be carried out intentionally or unintentionally. 

EC members aspire to:

• Recognize that individuals can simultaneously experience multiple forms of oppression and privilege.
• Identify, confront, and take action against all forms of oppression.
• Incorporate an anti-oppression lens into our policies, procedures, and day-to-day operations.
• Work in solidarity with one another and other Green colleagues to strive to end multiple forms of oppression.
• Commit to develop anti-oppression education initiatives for our membership and the Green Party as a whole.
• Use accessible language with every EC member to ensure effective communication and so that individuals can safely ask for clarification without being made to feel uneducated or excluded.
• Adhere to communication protocols with these principles in mind (See Article XII.A.2.c.Listserv Protocol, Tone).
• Hold ourselves accountable to these principles.

II.B.1. Additionally, the EC will engage in these activities to further its purpose:

• Promote the 4 Pillars of the international Green community and the Ten-Key Values of the GPUS, 
• Increase the number of registered Green Party elder voters.
• Develop a strong identity, voice and presence of elders in the GPUS that also reflects the diversity of the EC and this country.
• Promote and advance issues of interest and concern to elders within the GPUS. 
• Facilitate communication and coordination among elders and caucuses (or equivalent) and with state Green Party organizations.
• Elect two delegates  and one Alternate Delegate to the GPUS National Committee, 
• Appoint up to three voting Delegates, regardless of location of residence, race, ethnicity, or gender to the GPUS Diversity Committee.
• Organize, outreach and educate the public.
• Demonstrate commitment and availability to the youth of the GPUS, recognizing our responsibility to generations to come. 
• Develop and promote office-holders from among members for internal elected positions, 
• Develop and promote office-holders within the community and for appointed and all levels of local, state and national elected positions.
• Develop, write and submit content to amend the GPUS Platform to more fully represent concerns of elders. Develop, write, coordinate, submit and advocate for a separate plank for elders in the GPUS Platform.
• Initiate and participate in external coalition building with other elders and related groups, including for purposes of identifying potential candidates for president, vice president and other national, state and local offices. Also, to build support for the Green Party from such groups, including voter support.
• Promote realistic and constructive perceptions of Elders in our society, and counter distorted and negative messages about Elders which serve to promote oppression in society to the benefit of oppressors.
• Increase membership in the Green Party.
• Advocate that the EC be the source point, to be consulted or collaborated with for all external and internal statements, resolutions, news releases, policy, research and other needs of the GPUS regarding elders and advocate for inclusivity and balance of elders reflective of diversity in such documents.
• The above  purposes or guiding priorities may be amended, collected, posted and ranked in order of importance by the membership annually via an on-line survey.

The EC may amend or add to Article XII. Operating Rules items that further define its purpose. Amendments will follow the procedures for amending bylaws.(See Article X. Adoption and Amendment of Bylaws)

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

The EC is open for membership to all elders aged 60+ who are members of state Green Parties and not members of any other ballot-qualified party in their state, as follows:  

• In states in which it is possible to register Green, one must be registered Green. This Green registration status shall be confirmed by the state Green Party or otherwise via an official government website that shows political party affiliation status.  

• In registration-by-political-party states in which it is not possible to be registered Green, one must be a member of the state Green Party in that state and be confirmed as such by the state Green Party, and one can not also be a member of another ballot-qualified political party. 
• In states that do not have registration-by-political-party, one must be a member of the state Green Party in that state and be confirmed as such by the state Green Party , and one can not also be a member of another ballot-qualified political party.  

Any EC member who is 55-59 at the time of adopting these bylaws shall be grandparented in.

A welcome letter is sent to each new member by the EC Co-Chairs which also includes a summary about the caucus, its operations and current topics of discussion.

III.2. Activity and Expectations: 

Members are considered active if within the previous two months they fulfill the expectations outlined in this section. Members are considered in good standing who are active and who adhere to the expectations outlined in these bylaws.   

Members are expected to strive for and live by the Green Party and EC values of ecological wisdom, non-violence, respect for diversity, respect for the EC, respect for EC members, and personal responsibility in all EC involvement, non-violent communication, interactions and activities. 

Members will participate in the EC work, discussions, meetings, and voting.

Members will promote the mission statement of the EC in their local state party, other caucuses, and GPUS committees to which they belong.

Members will inform the EC Secretary of any changes regarding contact information or membership status.

Members shall maintain a consistent voting record and are urged to participate in EC business, leadership and activities.

Members must have joined the caucus 60 days in advance of the call for nominations in order to run for election.  Inactive members (see Article III.3.) at the time of the call for nominations or a proposal  may not run for election or engage in discussion of the proposal.

Members will abide by confidentiality expectations:

• Names and contact information may not be distributed within or without the EC without the explicit approval of such members except where such information is required for party accreditation purposes.
• Members shall keep EC business confidential, including posts made on the official EC listserv and comments made at virtual or in-person meetings of the EC, unless such meetings are open to non-EC members and described as public.

III.3. Removal of EC Members/Email List Protocol/Appeal Process for Reinstatement: 

Any member who has been determined to be inactive or not in good standing, as described in III.2. (i.e., who breaks confidentiality, explicit EC rules, consistently cannot follow agreed upon processes, engages in egregiously unethical behavior, acts in obvious bad faith), may be removed from all EC communication methods and platforms (e.g., listserv, email, Slack, teleconference, in-person, social media), as agreed by a majority vote of EC members eligible to vote (see See Article VII. Voting).  Members who have been removed can reapply after six months with a written request that includes a statement of desire to cooperate with EC rules and processes. The application should include all verification requirements.If that is accepted and applied the member will be reinstated to the communication platform. If it is refused, the member may be removed from the EC and the communication platform. Review of list protocol will be offered (see XII.3 Listserv Protocol).

III.4. Members with grievances will follow the process set forth under Article XII. Operating Rules.

III.5. The EC Secretary (and/or Membership Manager) shall maintain a list of all members with name, address, email, phone number, their state caucus membership, verification and date joined, as well as a diversity category. The membership list will be reviewed annually, with the date reviewed, to update the records.

ARTICLE IV. COMMITTEES, COORDINATING COUNCIL, OFFICERS

IV.1. The EC may establish such committees, working groups and other entities as are necessary to do its work. Upon establishment of these committees, working groups, and entities, the EC shall define their membership, purpose and length of service. This information is further defined in Article XII Operating Rules. 

IV.2. The Voting and Elections Committee (VEC), a standing committee of the EC staffed by active volunteer members appointed by the EC Coordinating Council (CC, which consists of current and former members elected to official Caucus positions), will conduct elections. The VEC will consist of at least 2-3 members and possibly one or more advisors who are EC members and are not running for election. Advisors are approved by the VEC and CC.

IV.3. CC and other position elections shall be held annually. Nominations will open at least two weeks ahead of the election, and will include a discussion period followed by the vote.(See Article VII. Voting)

New officers will assume office one month after the date of the announcement of election results and will coordinate/onboard with outgoing officers on the roles and responsibilities of the positions.

IV.4. The EC shall elect, from among its active membership, two Co-Chairs, one Secretary, and a Treasurer to serve as officers of the EC, comprising the Executive Board (EB). Consideration may be given to the election of Co-Secretaries. 

From section IV.12. below: All possible efforts will be made to elect officers reflective of the diverse members of the EC with regard to black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC); ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender identity, age diversity, geographic, disability, and economic levels to ensure that the EC is not dominated by officers reflecting any particular element of that diversity.

• The Co-Chairs shall be responsible for coordinating the day-to-day affairs of the EC, in coordination with the other officers. 
• The Secretary/Co-Secretaries shall be responsible for managing necessary communication with the membership, all documentation and records of the EC, including meeting minutes and votes. 
• The Treasurer shall be responsible for the fiscal management of the EC, in coordination with the GPUS Treasurer, including regular financial statements to officers and members and budget work. 

The duties and responsibilities of these positions may be further defined in Article XII. Operating Rules adopted by the EC. 

IV.5. The Coordinating Council (CC) will consist of the EB, which is the voting body of the CC,  and other elected or appointed positions, and will meet monthly. The Secretary and the Treasurer shall serve two-year terms (If there are Co-Secretaries, those terms will be staggered, one- and two-year terms) . Term-limited officers shall become eligible to run for office again after sitting out one 1-year term. Past officers and other CC members are invited to remain on the CC as non-voting members.

IV.6. EC co-chairs shall each serve staggered two-year terms with the exception of the first election, of one co-chair elected for a one-year term.

IV.7. The EC may elect two spokespersons who are responsible for representing the EC to the media, and may be further defined in Article XII. Operating Rules. Spokespersons would serve two-year staggered terms with the exception of the first election with one serving a one-year term. Spokespersons are non-officer positions who are members of the CC.

IV.8.Listserv Monitors: Two listserv monitors (LM), representing diversity within the Caucus, will be elected by simple majority of one-third membership The elected LMs will be responsible for monitoring the listserv and issuing reminders to members of the protocol for discussions, placing members on moderation (see process below) for repeated violations of protocol, and will coordinate pending actions with the Co-Chairs. The elected LMs are non-officer members of the Coordinating Council. LMs will serve one-year terms.

IV.9. The EC may also elect other officers as needed, following the election protocol outlined in these bylaws, and must define the duties and term of office for their positions upon their establishment. Other positions may be added as needed, e.g., membership manager, outreach manager, website/social media manager, et al. 

IV.10. Election of the Co-Chairs, Secretary, Treasurer, Co-Spokespersons, Listserv Monitors (see Article XII. Operating Rules) and other positions shall be conducted by a method agreed upon by the CC and dependent on the number of candidates for the positions. Elections will be conducted in one year after the previous election. Modifications to the election timeline may be proposed by the CC in adverse conditions (e.g., pandemic) or for any other reason proposed and agreed upon by the EC membership.

IV.11. The option of voting “None of the Above” shall be available for all elections. Elections will be conducted online or by email.  Voting will be managed by the VEC. A ballot shall be emailed to each member of the EC at least one week prior to  the election. Votes will be sent to the VEC privately or on the listserv. Votes received after midnight of the election deadline shall not be counted except when an extension has been granted. Elections may be further defined in Article XII. Operating Rules.

IV.12. Active Members who have been members of the EC for 6 months are eligible to run for CC positions (officers and non-officers).  All possible efforts will be made to elect officers reflective of the diverse members of the EC with regard to black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC); ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender identity, age diversity, geographic, disability, and economic levels to ensure that the EC is not dominated by officers reflecting any particular element of that diversity.

IV.13. Officers may be removed for cause by a majority vote of the membership. See Article XIII.2,removal/recall of officers and other positions.

IV.13. If an officer is unable to complete their term of office, EC co-chairs shall, upon notification of a vacancy, inform the membership and VEC within two weeks. The VEC will post a call for nominations, and the elections process will proceed as described in these bylaws.

IV.14. Representatives of the EC to GPUS Committees.  

• Members may be appointed (by consensus, see Article VII on Voting) or elected to represent the EC on GPUS Committees (See Article XII.C. Voting Process). 
• Nominations for election to GPUS committees will take place annually at the same time as the other position elections, as outlined in Article IV.3.   
• Members appointed/elected shall serve a two year term. 
• Members appointed/elected shall give quarterly reports on the Committees to which they are assigned, or as requested by the CC.
• Committee representatives will be involuntarily removed if, after reminders, there is no report either verbal, written, or by proxy, to the caucus for 3 consecutive months.

ARTICLE V. DELEGATES TO THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE GPUS

The EC shall elect two Delegates and one Alternate Delegate to the National Committee (NC) of the GPUS. 

• The Delegates)( shall be responsible for representing the interests, ideas, proposals, needs, actions, achievements, grievances and other elements, reports and updates of the EC. 
• The Delegate(s) shall also be responsible for casting votes in the National Committee and participating in National Committee business and will submit regular reports to the EC. 
• The Alternate Delegate shall be responsible for assisting the Delegates in their duties and to serve in the Delegate’s place, including as a voting Delegate, when a Delegate is unable to perform their duties. 
• Delegate(s) shall each serve staggered two-year terms with the exception of the first election, of one delegate elected for a one-year term. Alternate Delegates will serve a two year term.

Delegates will strive to attend the annual Annual National Meeting (ANM) and Presidential Nominating Convention (PNC) (in presidential election years). The EC may subsidize the costs associated with the ANM, depending on the status of its treasury.

Proxy voting is sometimes permitted at the ANM if a delegate/delegates are unable to attend.. 

In cases of incapacity, death, resignation or other long-term inability for the Delegate to perform their duties, the Alternate Delegate shall assume the position of Delegate and serve that remainder of the elected term.The Alternate Delegate position will become vacant.

Upon vacancy of the Alternate Delegate position, the EC shall elect a new Alternate Delegate, from the membership at large, to serve the remainder of the term.

The election of the Delegate and Alternate Delegate shall be conducted in the same manner of other elected positions.

ARTICLE VI. MEETINGS

General Membership Meetings of the EC shall be held at least once a year (in-person, virtual or other format agreed upon.) (See Article IX). Business meetings of the EC CC shall be held monthly. Meetings may be held in person, and/or by digital conference platform, or by whatever other means that allows for the full participation of EC members to make decisions, including email voting.

Meetings of the EC may be called by any member of the CC or by a petition of 10% of the membership of the EC.

ARTICLE VII. VOTING

Members shall have full voting rights. Those who are members at the time a proposal or call for nominations is posted are eligible to vote, according to the requirements set forth in article III.2. Activity and Expectations. New members accepted into the EC in the middle of a vote and discussion of a pending vote may not vote.  They will be eligible to vote on future items (See Article III.2. Activity and Expectations for requirements of new members to participate in voting and elections).  

Consensus may be a first option for agreeing on general decisions and operating rules. If consensus is sought and not achieved, voting will then be conducted (See Article XII.8. Operating Rules for Voting Process, including emergency decision-making).

Voting will take place on the Business/Announcements Listserv (see Article XII.1. Operating Rules).

Proxy voting is permitted at in-person Annual National Meetings only.

ARTICLE VIII. PLATFORM

The EC recognizes the Platform of the GPUS as the Platform of the EC.

ARTICLE IX. ANNUAL EC MEETING

The EC will hold its annual business meeting annually at an agreed upon month, date and time by the EC. The platform for the meeting will be determined by the CC each year (e.g., virtual and/or in-person). The agenda will be developed prior to the meeting by the CC that may include Bylaws, Platform,preparations for any up-coming elections for office-holders and other EC business. A speaker may be scheduled. Additionally, time for getting to know members may be scheduled and encouraged, as well as possibly time for informal socialization and camaraderie.

ARTICLE X. FINANCES

The EC will plan a budget, based on allocated funds from the GPUS. The EC may allow for its own fundraising. The budget may be revised from time to time in response to changing financial circumstances. The EC may not incur debt of any kind.

The Treasurer is responsible for overseeing the allocations of funds to the EC, budget work, and making regular reports to the EC CC and membership. 

• All funds shall be handled according to GPUS fiscal policy. 
• All money raised shall be sent directly to the GPUS Treasurer in a timely manner by way of the GPUS office. 
• All EC fundraising efforts shall include instructions to ensure donor compliance with earmarking donations to the EC. This includes direct mail, phone solicitations, events, tabling, printed material such as brochures and newsletter, solicitation by workshop or speeches, email list, website and any other method.

ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

These bylaws may be amended at any time, through one of the processes in

Article XII. Operating Rules.