County Committee Quarterly Reports - 3rd Quarter (2011)

[Dr. Tom Stevens]

I suggest all active LPPA County Committees submitting a Quarterly Report for the 3rd Quarter of 2011 (due October 1st) post that Quarterly Report here. That way, everyone can see what you have been doing and that your County Committee is still active. Don't forget to forward the Quarterly Report to the Secretary at Secretary@lppa.org

I make this request in no official capacity but I think it is a good idea.

[Mik]

Ideally they could be posted here and the secretary could simply be compiling them for the board meetings. That was why the individual county boards were set up. Of course then there are complaints that the forum is too difficult to use, and their county was not asked if they wanted a board set up, etc. Some county affiliates had officers without internet access.

So for those who want to and can post here, it would be very helpful. I think it is important to have one central, official location for stuff like this rather than only have dozens of separate websites across the commonwealth from each different organization.

[Dr. Tom Stevens]

Libertarian Party of Northampton County
Quarterly Report
October 1, 2011

1. On September 21, 2011, an Organizational Meeting was held to form the Libertarian Party of Northampton County (LPNC). Dylan Duraes, Patrick R. Killy & Dr. Tom Stevens were in attendance. The Libertarian Party of Northampton County was established and Dylan Duraes, Patrick R. Killy and Dr. Tom Stevens became members of the Libertarian Party of Northampton County and were designated as its Founding Members.

2. At the Organizational Meeting of the Libertarian Party of Northampton County held on September 21, 2011, the following bylaws were adopted:

BYLAWS

Article 1
Name & Purposes

Section 1. Name: The name of this organization shall be “Libertarian Party of Northampton County” and may also be referred to as “LPNC”. The LPNC is a chartered affiliate of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania.

Section 2. Purposes: The LPNC shall be responsible for the nomination and campaign of Libertarian Party candidates for county or local office, shall educate the citizens of Northampton County regarding libertarian philosophy, and shall liaison and co-sponsor freedom-oriented events with other pro-liberty organizations active within Northampton County.

Article 2
Membership & General Membership Meetings

Section 1. Membership: The Executive Committee shall determine who shall be members of the Libertarian Party of Northampton County. No dues may be collected from current or prospective members of the LPNC but all LPNC members must maintain a membership in the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania. If an LPNC member’s dues in the LPPA lapse for a period of more than sixty (60) days, that member shall no longer be considered a member of the LPNC. The Executive Committee shall have the power to terminate the membership of any LPNC member.

Section 2. Founding Members: The Founding Members of the Libertarian Party of Northampton County identified at the Organizational Meeting held on September 21, 2011 are the following individuals: Dylan Duraes, Patrick R. Killy & Dr. Tom Stevens.  

Section 3. General Membership Meetings: Regular Meetings of the membership of the Libertarian Party of Northampton County must be held at least once every four (4) months in person, on-line or by teleconference. Said meetings shall be called by the County Chair.

Article 3
Executive Committee & Candidate Nominations

Section 1. Officers: The LPNC Executive Committee shall consist of the following officers: County Chair, First Vice-Chair, Second Vice-Chair, Secretary & Treasurer. Each person serving on the LPNC Executive Committee shall be entitled to one vote.

Section 2. Board of Directors Representative: The County Chair shall also serve as the Board of Directors Representative (also known as State Representative). If the County Chair is unable to make a State Board of Directors Meeting, the County Chair may designate another Executive Committee officer or LPNC member to attend and vote at the meeting.

Section 3. Authority: The LPNC Executive Committee shall govern the LPNC and shall make all decisions regarding its operation.

Section 4. Quorum: Quorum for meetings of the LPNC Executive Committee (held in person, on-line or by teleconference) shall be a majority of the number of individuals actually serving on the LPNC Executive Committee.

Section 5. Meetings: Meetings of the LPNC Executive Committee shall be called by the County Chair. All officers who miss two (2) consecutive meetings of the LPNC Executive Committee without having been in touch with the County Chair shall be deemed to have resigned their position as an officer.

Section 6. Vacancies: If a vacancy in an officership occurs between annual meetings of the membership, the remaining members of the Executive Committee shall, by majority vote, fill that vacancy with an LPNC member who shall serve until the election of a new officer takes place at the Annual Meeting.

Section 7. Candidate Nominations: The nomination of candidates for public office shall be made by a majority vote of the individuals actually serving on the LPNC Executive Committee.

Article 4
Standing Committees & Leadership Positions

Section 1. Standing Committees: The three standing committees of the LPNC shall be the Campaign Committee, Youth Outreach Committee and Liberty Liaison Committee. The County Chair shall appoint the Chairs to each of these committees, who in turn may then appoint members of the LPNC to serve on their committees and may dismiss said individuals without cause.

Section 2. Leadership Positions: The County Chair may create Leadership Positions as deemed necessary and appoint LPNC members to serve in those capacities.

Article 5
Parliamentary Authority & Reports

Section 1. Parliamentary Procedure: The rules contained in the latest edition of Robert Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall be the parliamentary authority referred to by the County Chair with respect to issues not covered by these bylaws.

Section 2. Reports: The Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Northampton County must file quarterly reports with the LPPA Secretary in each calendar year documenting any meetings or activity of the LPNC, which must include annually the identity and contact information of LPNC officers.

Article 6
Elections

Section 1. Annual Meeting: An Annual Meeting of the Membership of the Libertarian Party of Northampton County shall be called by the County Chair sometime between January 1st and March 31st of each calendar year. Said meetings may take place in person, on-line or by teleconference. Three (3) LPNC members must be in attendance at the Annual Meeting for quorum to be achieved.

Section 2. Election of Officers: The election of the County Chair, First Vice-Chair, Second Vice-Chair, Secretary & Treasurer shall take place at the Annual Meeting.

Article 7
Bylaw Amendments

Section 1. Adoption: Amendments to these bylaws may be made by a ¾ vote of those actually serving on Executive Committee.

3. At the Organizational Meeting of the Libertarian Party of Northampton County held on September 21, 2011, the following officers were elected to serve until the next LPNC Annual Meeting:

County Chair: Dr. Tom Stevens
First Vice-Chair: Patrick R. Killy
Treasurer: Dylan Duraes

4. At an Executive Committee Meeting of the Libertarian Party of Northampton County held on September 21, 2011, Aaron Rosengarten & Shane Wolfe were added as LPNC members. Shane Wolfe was appointed as Second Vice-Chair and Aaron Rosengarten was appointed as Secretary. Both will serve until the election of new officers takes place at the next Annual Meeting.

5. At the Executive Committee Meeting of the Libertarian Party of Northampton County held on September 21, 2011, Shane Wolfe was appointed to serve as Campaign Committee Chair, Patrick R. Killy was appointed to serve as Youth Outreach Committee Chair and Dylan Duraes was appointed to serve as Liberty Liaison Chair.

6. After of the confirmation of the LPPA memberships of Patrick R. Killy and Dylan Duraes, the Board of Directors of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania voted unanimously to recognize the Libertarian Party of Northampton County as a County Committee pursuant to the provisions of Article III, Section 1 of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania Bylaws.
 
7. The Libertarian Party of Northampton County formally participated in Revolution Day (September 22nd) by encouraging students at Northampton Community College to register to vote and to support pro-liberty candidates.

8. The Libertarian Party of Northampton County has established a Facebook Group so members can communicate with one another. It is located at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/117384695024331/

9. The Libertarian Party of Northampton County formally went on record against the proposed LPUS bylaw amendment that would require all delegates to LPUS National Conventions after 2012 to be enrolled members of the “Libertarian Party” (in states which permit such enrollment). Specifically, the Libertarian Party of Northampton County encourages all LPPA delegates attending the Libertarian Party’s National Convention in 2012 to oppose the proposed bylaw amendment that reads as follows: No individual enrolled as a registered voter affiliated with another political party, if he or she has the option of affiliating with the Libertarian Party, shall be eligible to serve as a Party employee, National Committee member, committee member, or delegate, or hold any other position of trust or responsibility within the Party.

Respectfully Submitted,

Dr. Tom Stevens
County Chair
Libertarian Party of Northampton County

[Dr. Tom Stevens]

Here is the Snyder County Report:

Libertarian Party of Snyder County

P.O. Box 389     
Selinsgrove, PA 17879
Telephone 570-274-2040     
snyderlibertarians@gmail.com

TO:  LPPA State Board

FROM: Erik Viker, Chair
Libertarian Party of Snyder County

RE:  Quarterly Report

DATE:  10/11/11
_________________________________________________________

Activities of the LPSC committee this past quarter include: 

Voter registration drive activity throughout the quarter

Qualified three candidates for the November ballot:  Selinsgrove Borough Council, Selinsgrove Area School Board and County Auditor.  This last candidate guarantees that every ballot in the county will include at least one Libertarian candidate and ensures that “Libertarian” appears as a party line voting option across the top of each ballot.

Operated an information booth at the Market Street Festival on September 24, a regional event attended by twenty thousand people. 

Hosted a “Meet the Candidates” reception for citizens in Snyder County on October 11, welcoming candidates of all political parties or none to have an opportunity to interact with voters.  No other organization hosted such an event in Snyder County this election cycle. 

Had three press releases published in regional newspapers about LPSC events and commentary on issues of the day. 

[Dr. Tom Stevens]

Vern said he got a report from York County.

Are Northampton, Snyder and York the only active County Committees in the LPPA?

If not, where are the 3rd Quarter Reports from the other County Committees that were due October 1, 2011 for July, August and September activities?

Please post them here.

[djahn]

Tom

Quarterly reports are to be filed with the secretary, so there is no requirement to post them here. 

The board doesn't appear to show much interest in the reports.  The last one I filed with the secretary wasn't presented at the board meeting nor was it documented in the minutes of the board meeting. 

The requirement to file reports is a relatively new addition to the bylaws.  The intent was good, but in the end, it appears it may become just another tool to banish county committees that fall out of favor with the board.

David Jahn

Vern said he got a report from York County.

Are Northampton, Snyder and York the only active County Committees in the LPPA?

If not, where are the 3rd Quarter Reports from the other County Committees that were due October 1, 2011 for July, August and September activities?

Please post them here.

[Dr. Tom Stevens]

Quarterly reports are to be filed with the secretary, so there is no requirement to post them here.  

The board doesn't appear to show much interest in the reports.  The last one I filed with the secretary wasn't presented at the board meeting nor was it documented in the minutes of the board meeting.  

The requirement to file reports is a relatively new addition to the bylaws.  The intent was good, but in the end, it appears it may become just another tool to banish county committees that fall out of favor with the board.

David Jahn

I fully understand there is no requirement to post County Committee Quarterly Reports here and my request for County Committees to share their Quarterly Reports was made in no official capacity. Still, it would be nice to see what other counties are doing.

Whether the requirement to submit Quarterly Reports to the Secretary is new or not, it is still a formal requirement set forth in the LPPA Bylaws and I think it is an excellent requirement. In addition, it is only right that if consecutive reports are not submitted, that said county lose County Committee status for being inactive. It actually takes the politics OUT of the situation since the failure to submit 4 consecutive reports results in the automatic dissolution of the County Committee.

[Mik]

There are some counties who the officers do not have internet access or or no access to high-speed connections.  Some just don't like to use this forum. There are organizations which have filed reports by US mail. I think one of the strong points of the bylaws provision is that there is no board decision involved if there is no submittal of reports for a year. It does require that the secretary keep good records, though.

[Dr. Tom Stevens]

There are some counties who the officers do not have internet access or or no access to high-speed connections.  Some just don't like to use this forum. There are organizations which have filed reports by US mail. I think one of the strong points of the bylaws provision is that there is no board decision involved if there is no submittal of reports for a year. It does require that the secretary keep good records, though.

O.K. so then I am inspired to ask the LPPA Secretary the following question to start:

As of the 2nd Quarter of 2011, which County Committees failed to submit two consecutive Quarterly Reports (in which their rep would lose their voting rights on the Board of Directors) and which County Committees (that have been previously recognized), as of the 2nd Quarter of 2011, failed to submit a Quarterly Report for 4 consecutive quarters causing their automatic dissolution.

[djahn]

I'm wondering if we even have a list of "A", "B", & "C" counties at this point.  Do we have a list showing the status of each county?

David Jahn

There are some counties who the officers do not have internet access or or no access to high-speed connections.  Some just don't like to use this forum. There are organizations which have filed reports by US mail. I think one of the strong points of the bylaws provision is that there is no board decision involved if there is no submittal of reports for a year. It does require that the secretary keep good records, though.

O.K. so then I am inspired to ask the LPPA Secretary the following question to start:

As of the 2nd Quarter of 2011, which County Committees failed to submit two consecutive Quarterly Reports (in which their rep would lose their voting rights on the Board of Directors) and which County Committees (that have been previously recognized), as of the 2nd Quarter of 2011, failed to submit a Quarterly Report for 4 consecutive quarters causing their automatic dissolution.

[Eviker]

in the end, it appears it may become just another tool to banish county committees that fall out of favor with the board.

And the antagonistic paranoia continues. . .

[GlennRobinson]

I love the idea of posting county reports online to be available to all.  Very good practice.  

However, the discussion here troubles me deeply.  I cannot think of anything more important to the LPPA and its board than the status and activities of the counties.  I am shocked and disturbed that information on which counties are active and exactly what they are doing to promote the LP agenda (whatever that is) is not readily available.

I mean really guys!  Am I the only one who thinks that info might be a little bit important when trying to run a state organization?

[Dr. Tom Stevens]

I love the idea of posting county reports online to be available to all.  Very good practice.  

However, the discussion here troubles me deeply.  I cannot think of anything more important to the LPPA and its board than the status and activities of the counties.  I am shocked and disturbed that information on which counties are active and exactly what they are doing to promote the LP agenda (whatever that is) is not readily available.

I mean really guys!  Am I the only one who thinks that info might be a little bit important when trying to run a state organization?

You are not the only one who thinks that information might be important. In case you missed my posts, I think that information is essential to running a state organization.

[GlennRobinson]

You are not the only one who thinks that information might be important. In case you missed my posts, I think that information is essential to running a state organization.

Nope, didn't miss your posts.  I should have written "Are Tom and I the only ones..."

[djahn]

in the end, it appears it may become just another tool to banish county committees that fall out of favor with the board.

And the antagonistic paranoia continues. . .

I have to wonder if you have anything to contribute to this forum and party beyond insults.

My observation was based upon reality.  If the board of directors demonstrats no interest in reviewing the reports and fails to document the filing of them, then what purpose do these reports serve?

David Jahn