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Introduction: The highest decision making body in
Socialist Action is the membership in the form of our bi-annual
conventions. In between National Conventions
our highest decision making body is the National Committee, which is
elected at the Conventions.
Our Constitution was first adopted
at our Founding Convention in 1983.
It guides and directs our day-to-day functioning, along with the
various norms and policies we have adopted over the years. An example of some of these policies
our organization has adopted is a ban on threatening violence against
other members, and, for security reasons, a ban on the use of illegal
drugs.
Socialist Action’s Constitution:
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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