Article I: Name
The name of the
organization shall be Socialist Action (hereinafter referred to as “the
Party”).
Article II:
Purpose
The purpose of the Party
shall be to educate and organize the working class for the abolition of
capitalism and the establishment of a workers’ government to achieve
socialism.
Article III:
Membership
Section 1. Every person who accepts
the program of the Party and agrees to submit to its discipline and
engage actively in its work shall be eligible for membership.
Section 2. Every member of the Party
must belong to a duly constituted branch in the territory where that
member resides, or at that member’s place of work, if such branch
exists. In territories where no
branch exists, applicants shall apply to the Political Committee for
member-at-large status.
Section 3. Action by the Party branch
on applications for membership takes place in the absence of the
applicant.
Section 4. Five or more
members-at-large residing in the same locality may be constituted as a
branch by the Political Committee.
Section 5. A member desiring to leave
one locality for another must apply to that members’ branch for
permission. A letter of transfer
must be sent to the branch of the locality to which the members
moves. If no branch exists in
the new locality, the member shall become a member-at-large.
Section 6. The National Committee is
empowered to accept groups or organizations eligible under Section 1 of
this Article, as members en bloc, and assign them to the proper
branches.
Article IV:
Units of Organization
Section 1. The basic unit of the
party shall be the branch formed on a territorial or occupational
basis. A branch shall consist of
not less than five nor more than 50 members. When a branch achieves a membership
of 50, it shall be subdivided into two branches. Exceptions can be made only by permission
of the National Committee.
Section 2. Wherever two branches
exist in the same locality, a Local Executive Committee shall be formed
by elections of a joint membership meeting. Where three or more branches exist in
the same locality, a Local Executive Committee shall be elected at a delegated
City Convention.
Section 3. In such cases as may be
decided by the National Committee, State or District Executive
Committees, elected by State or District membership meetings or by
State or District Conventions, shall be formed.
Article V:
Administration
Section 1. The highest governing body
of the Party is the National Convention. Its decisions shall be binding upon
the entire membership.
Section 2. Between National
Conventions, the authority of the Convention, subject to the decisions
of the Convention itself, is vested in the National Committee elected
by the Convention.
Section 3. The National Committee
shall be comprised as follows:
Paragraph 1. There shall be 17 regular
members elected by the National Convention.
Paragraph 2. The National Convention
shall also elect five alternates, to fill vacancies in the National
Committee in the order determined by the Convention.
Paragraph 3. Election of members and
alternates to the National Committee and to the Control Commission
shall take place by secret ballot.
Paragraph 4. Members of the National
Committee may be dropped from the Committee and/or the Party only by
the vote of the National Convention.
Members of the National Committee may, however, for cause be
suspended from membership and barred from all rights as members by vote
of two-thirds of the membership of the National Committee. This suspension shall be referred to
the National Convention for a final decision.
Section 4. The National Committee
directs all the world of the party, decides all questions of policy in
accord with the decisions of the Convention, appoints subordinate
officers and subcommittees, including the Political Committee, and, in
general, constitutes the functioning authority of the Party between
Conventions.
Section 5. The local governing body
of the Party shall be the Local Executive Committee or, where only one
branch exists, the Branch Executive Committee.
Section 6. The Local Executive
Committee shall be subordinate to the delegated City Convention, or
where there are two branches, to the joint membership meeting. The Local organizer and all other
Local officers shall be designated by the Local Executive Committee and
shall be subordinate to the Local Executive Committee. It shall be the duty of the Local
Executive Committee to direct the activities of the Local, and to act
with full power for the Local between City Conventions, or joint
membership meetings, subject to its decisions. A City Convention or joint membership
meeting shall be held at least once a year. Special conventions may be called by
the Local Executive Committee or on demand of the branches representing
one-third of the Local membership.
Section 7. The Branch Executive
Committee shall be elected by the membership of the branch, and shall
be subordinate to the branch membership. The branch organizer and all other
branch officers shall be designated by the Branch Executive Committee,
subject to approval of the branch, and shall be subordinate to the
Branch Executive Committee. It
shall be the duty of the Branch Executive Committee to direct the
activities of the branch and to act with full powers for the branch in
between branch meetings.
Section 8. State
or District Executive Committees may be constituted in a manner to be
determined by the National Committee.
The relations of such State or District Executive Committees to
the Locals and branches within the state or district shall be
determined by special by-laws to be approved by the membership of the
state or district, subject to final approval by the National Committee.
Article VI:
Control Commission
Section 1. A Control Commission of
three members shall be elected as follows: the Convention shall elect
two members by secret ballot and the third member, who shall be a
member of the National Committee, shall be designated by the National
Committee. The Control
Commission shall have the full authority to investigate any individual
or circumstance which it may deem necessary, and shall have power to
delegate any of its authority to representatives.
Section 2. The Control Commission, on
completion of its investigation in each case, shall present its
findings and recommendations to the Political Committee for
action. Action shall be taken by
the Political Committee, or by the National Committee in those cases
referred to it by the Political Committee.
Section 3. In those cases where the
Control Commission finds it necessary to intervene, its authority shall
supersede any local investigation or trial.
Section 4. It shall be obligatory on
every member of the party to furnish the Control Commission or its
authorized representatives with any information they may require.
Article VII:
Initiation Fees and Dues
Section 1. Upon acceptance into
membership, each new member shall pay an initiation fee of Two Dollars
($2.00). The entire initiation
fee shall be paid to the National Office.
Section 2. Each member shall pay
monthly dues of Five Dollars ($5.00).
In addition, all members are expected to make regular voluntary
contribution according to their means.
Section 3. Where branches are joined
in Local, State or District Committees, seventy-five percent (75%) of
the dues shall go to the National Office. The remaining twenty-five percent
(25%) shall go to the Local, State or District Committee. Where Local, State or District
Committees do not exist, dues shall go in full to the National
Office. Members-at-large shall
pay their dues directly to the National Office.
Section 4. Members who are three
months in arrears in payment of dues shall cease to be members in good
standing and shall be notified by the Branch Executive Committee. Members six months in arrears shall
be stricken from the rolls of the Party.
Article VIII:
Discipline
Section 1. All decisions of the
governing bodies of the Party are binding upon the members and
subordinate bodies of the Party.
Section 2. Any member or organ
violating the decisions of a higher organ of the Party shall be subject
to disciplinary actions, up to expulsion by the body having
jurisdiction.
Section 3. Charges against any member
shall be made in writing and the accused member shall be furnished with
a copy in advance of the trial.
Charges shall be filed and heard in the branch to which the
member belongs, or in a higher body which may decide to act directly in
the case. Charges filed before
the branch shall be considered by the Branch Executive Committee (or a
subcommittee elected by it) at a meeting to which the accused member is
summoned. The Branch Executive
Committee shall submit a recommendation to be acted upon by the
membership of the branch.
Charges considered by higher bodies, however, shall be acted
upon by said bodies.
Section 4. Actions by any unit or
organ in disciplinary cases deemed improper by a higher unit may be
charged by direct intervention of a higher body.
Section 5. Any member subjected to
disciplinary action has the right to appeal to the next higher body, up
to and including the National Convention. Pending action on appeal, the
decision of the Party body having jurisdiction remains in full force
and effect.
Section 6. Persons who have been
expelled or who have resigned from the Party may not be readmitted to
the party without the approval of the National Committee.
Section 7. Questions decided by the
Party Convention may be subjects of new discussion only when such
discussion is formally authorized by the National Committee or in the
established pre-convention discussion period.
Section 8. Political collaboration
with nonmembers of the Party must be formally authorized by the Party
committee having jurisdiction.
Article IX:
Qualification for Election
Section 1. Except in case of newly
organized branches, members of the Local and Branch Executive Committee
must have been members of the Party for at least three months, and
members of the District Committees must have been members for at least
six months.
Section 2. Members of the National
Committee must be members of the Party for at least one year.
Article X:
National Conventions
Section 1. National conventions of
the Party shall be held at least once every two years. Special conventions may be called by
the National Committee or on the demand of branches representing
one-third of the membership.
Section 2. The Call for the Convention,
together with an agenda an the proposals of the National Committee,
shall be issued at least ninety days (90) days before the date of the
Convention for discussion in the local organizations and in the
official publications. An
internal bulletin shall be issued during the Convention discussion
period. The Political Committee
may set a deadline for the acceptance of pre-convention discussion
articles for the bulletin.
Section 3. Representation at the
convention shall be proportionately based upon the branch membership in
good standing as specified in the Convention Call. The National Committee shall levy a
compulsory assessment to finance the National Convention, from which
totally unemployed members may be exempted. Branches organized after the Convention
Call shall have fraternal representation.
Section 4. Members and alternates of
the National Committee, if not regular delegates, shall be fraternal
delegates to the Convention.
Section 5. The National Committee
shall appoint an auditing committee to make periodical audits of the
financial accounts of the National Office and national party
departments and institutions, and report on same to the National
Committee. Branch, Local and
District Committees shall appoint auditing committees to make periodic
audits of the financial accounts of the corresponding Party units and
of Party departments and institutions responsible to said unit.
Article XI:
Amendments
Amendments to this
Constitution shall be made by majority vote of the National Convention.
Article XII:
Press
All organs of the
Party are subject to and under the direction of the Party and National
Committee.
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