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GET INVOLVED I ORGANIZE I EDUCATE
YSA’s
Constitution
Article I. Name
The
name of this organization shall be Youth for Socialist Action – hereafter
referred to as YSA.
Article
II. Statement of Purpose
YSA a
nation-wide multi-racial network of young workers, students, feminists and
other activists committed to the fight for socialism! We seek to
build a revolutionary youth movement that can effectively fight on behalf
of youth and working people across the country, and link the politics of
socialism to the struggles of all progressive social movements. We stand in
solidarity with Socialist Action. We are determined to build a world
where people come before profits, and that is free of exploitation, racism,
sexism and homophobia. We strive to build an organization that
fosters personal political and organizing skills development. We
strive to be a school for professional revolutionaries. We are an
organization that is confident we can and will change the world!
Article
III. Membership
Membership in YSA
is open to anyone up through age 29 who agree with our 10 Point Program,
pays any dues set by the organization, abides by majority decisions, seeks
to study and learn revolutionary politics, and commits to being active in
the organization.
Applicants for
membership will be voted on by their local chapter. If there is no YSA
chapter in the area an applicant lives, the membership application will be
decided on by the YSA National Coordinator.
Every member
shall belong to their local chapter is such a chapter exists in their
area. Where no chapter exists members will be designated “at-large”
and encouraged to help organize one. A chapter is when two or more
YSA members in a given area come together and function on a regular basis.
Membership dues
shall be $15 a year, though this can be waived in the event of unemployment
or economic hardship. For these dues members will receive a
subscription to Socialist Action newspaper, a membership card and a
Membership Handbook. Failure to pay dues without a waiver places one
outside of the organization. Waivers can be granted by a member’s
chapter, or for at-large members, by the National Coordinator.
Upon joining new
members will pay their dues, and for every subsequent year members must pay
their annual dues by the end of September.
All members have
equal rights, including the right to hold any YSA office, and speak and
vote at their chapter meetings and National Conventions.
Article
IV. National Conventions
The National
Convention is the highest decision making body of YSA. It shall meet
at least once every two years. Conventions can be called in between
the regularly scheduled two -year cycle by the YSA National Committee, or
by petition signed by at least 25% of the membership. Decisions made
at National Conventions are binding on all members.
Prior to each
National Convention there will be an open three-month discussion period
where all members are free to submit proposals or other things for the
consideration of the membership as a whole. The National Committee
shall be responsible for organizing the pre-convention discussion period
and seeing to it that all comrades are provided with pertinent information
regarding conventions as a whole.
Attendance at
National Conventions is open to all YSA members. Each YSAer in
attendance is considered a delegate, and entitled to one vote.
Decisions at
National Conventions shall be decided upon by majority vote of delegates
present.
Article
V. National Committee
In between
National Conventions the highest decision making body of YSA is the
National Committee. The National Committee is made up on
representatives of YSA chapters. Each chapter with 2-10 members gets
one representative on the National Committee. Chapters with more than
10 members get one additional representative for every ten additional members.
Representatives will be elected by their respective chapters, and can be
recalled at any time.
The National
Committee will function through physical meetings, conference calls and
email lists. How and when it meets will be determined by the body
itself. All proposals brought before the National Committee will be
voted on, with a majority needed for a proposal to pass.
Any YSA member
can submit a proposal to the National Committee.
Article
VI. National Officers
Each National
Convention will elect a YSA National Coordinator, and any other officers it
deems necessary, to carry out its decisions.
If a National
Coordinator resigns in between conventions, a new one will be elected by
the National Committee to fill out their term. In between conventions,
all national officers are subordinate to the National Committee.
Article
VII. Discipline
If for any reason
a member YSA is found to be acting in blatant violation of group decisions,
there case will be handled by their respective chapters. Cases
involving at-large members will be dealt with by the National Committee.
Any YSAer who is
expelled from the organization has the right to appeal their expulsion to
the National Convention. In the interim though they will be
considered outside the organization.
Article
VIII. Misc.
Amendments to
this Constitution may be made at any National Convention by simple majority
vote.
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