<html>
<head>
<meta content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"
http-equiv="Content-Type">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
The term "Sustaining Membership" is not in the section of the Policy
Manual describing Association Levels. The expiration date of
Association Levels is different from the expiration date of
Sustaining Membership. Again, I didn't design this system. I argued
for more simplicity. <br>
<br>
<img src="cid:part1.05070400.07000306@lp.org" alt=""><br>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">Wes Benedict, Executive Director<br>
<small><small>Libertarian National Committee, Inc.<br>
<b>New address: 1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314</b><br>
(202) 333-0008 ext. 232, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:wes.benedict@lp.org">wes.benedict@lp.org</a><br>
facebook.com/libertarians @LPNational<br>
Join the Libertarian Party at: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lp.org/membership">http://lp.org/membership</a></small></small><br>
<br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 4/28/2015 10:07 AM, Scott L. wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote cite="mid:3835C3F09B454B68AFEEB065DBF2C562@WORK"
type="cite">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;
charset=windows-1252">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered
medium)">
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style>
<![endif]--><o:smarttagtype
namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="place">
<o:smarttagtype
namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="City">
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:black;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
pre
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
color:black;}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:Verdana;
color:black;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;
text-decoration:none none;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
<div class="Section1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana"
size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana"
size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana">Mr.
Executive Director:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana"
size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana"
size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana">Does your
e-mail below mean that
you and the Operations Director are disregarding the
directive that I copied
from the LP web site about an hour ago?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana"
size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana"
size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana"> <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.lp.org/membership-levels"
title="https://www.lp.org/membership-levels">https://www.lp.org/membership-levels</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana"
size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana"
size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana">
“</span></font><font color="black"><span
style="color:windowtext">Convention
registration fees do not count towards association
levels.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana"
size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana"
size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana"
size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana">I have a
capture of that web page
in case the Chair, or anyone else, wishes to examine
the evidence.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana"
size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana"
size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana"> Scott
Lieberman<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana"
size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center"
align="center"><font color="black" face="Times New
Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext">
<hr tabindex="-1" align="center" size="2"
width="100%">
</span></font></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" face="Tahoma"
size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:windowtext;font-weight:bold">From:</span></font></b><font
color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:windowtext"> Lnc-business
[<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:lnc-business-bounces@hq.lp.org">mailto:lnc-business-bounces@hq.lp.org</a>] <b><span
style="font-weight:bold">On Behalf Of </span></b>Wes
Benedict<br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">Sent:</span></b>
Tuesday, April 28, 2015 7:03
AM<br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">To:</span></b>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:lnc-business@hq.lp.org">lnc-business@hq.lp.org</a><br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">Subject:</span></b>
Re: [Lnc-business]
requesting co-sponsors for expedited email ballot</span></font><font
color="black"><span style="color:windowtext"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New
Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">Robert Kraus and I
interpreted the bylaws to mean that the convention
registration counts as
Sustaining membership. Obviously Alicia Mattson sees
things differently. <br>
<br>
Sustaining membership is different from the benefits
lapse date. It is
confusing.<br>
<br>
I didn't design our complicated membership plan, but I
did put forth a genuine
effort to explain it on page 15 of this LP News:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.lp.org/files/lp_news/2014-4_LP_News.pdf">http://www.lp.org/files/lp_news/2014-4_LP_News.pdf</a><br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">Wes Benedict, Executive
Director<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Verdana" size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Verdana" size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana">GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGg<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New
Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt"
cite="mid:CA+Jr9xEDFuBJKWrKjpXVhWhK-y+7-_99BMHVNJeZWkbOxJNROA@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New
Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Since
I know that some humans have a tendency to stop
reading an email if it's more than two paragraphs
long, let me point out that
at the end of this message I am requesting
sponsors for an expedited email
ballot.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><br>
Previously this term it has been necessary to
deal with the reality that LNC
members are to be sustaining members of the
Party. In the previous case,
I raised a point of order because an at-large
LNC member who had been a
sustaining member at the convention when he was
elected had since allowed his
sustaining status to lapse. At its December,
2014 meeting, the LNC
re-appointed that member to the seat after the
sustaining status was
reinstated.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">As the Secretary has
specific duties related to credentialing
questions and determinations of
sustaining membership counts, now it is my job
to once again raise a point of
order regarding a member's status.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black"
face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">For convenience, I
have copied the relevant bylaw
provisions below:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black"
face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">Bylaws Article 5.3:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div style="margin-left:33.5pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black"
face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">"Sustaining member”
is any Party member who
has given at least $25 to the Party in the
prior twelve months, or who is a
life member.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times
New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><br>
Bylaws Article 5.6:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<div style="margin-left:33.5pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black"
face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><br>
Only sustaining members shall be counted
for delegate apportionment and
National Committee representation. Only
sustaining members shall be eligible to
hold National Party office or be a
candidate for President or Vice-President.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black"
face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">Bylaws Article 8.4:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div style="margin-left:33.5pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black"
face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">A National
Committee member shall be a sustaining
member of the Party, and shall not be the
candidate of any party except the
Party or an affiliate.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">During our 3/29/15 <st1:city
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Phoenix</st1:place></st1:city>
meeting, Doug
Craig was declared elected to the at-large
vacancy. On 4/16/15, Robert
Kraus informed me, Wes Benedict and Nick
Sarwark that Doug Craig had lapsed but
that he had renewed on 4/16/15.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">I asked for clarity
on
what date Mr. Craig had lapsed because it
matters procedurally whether the
lapse occurred before or after the 3/29/15
meeting in which the LNC elected him
to the at-large vacancy.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">Raiser's Edge records
indicate that his last sustaining-level
donation had been on 7/26/13.
Since then the only transactions had been his
purchase of a convention package
on 5/6/14, and then his sustaining-level
renewal on 4/16/15.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">I look at Bylaw Article
5.3 and see that a person must have "given" at
least $25 in the prior
12 months, or be a life member. Since Mr. Craig
is not a life member, the
question is whether he had given at least $25 in
the 12 months prior to 3/29/15
when the LNC acted to fill the vacancy. To me,
"giving" money
is a very different thing from a purchase of
goods/services such as a
convention package or a t-shirt, so I do not
think that the convention package
qualifies towards sustaining membership.<br>
<br>
My conclusion is that Mr. Craig's sustaining
membership lapsed on 7/26/14 (one
year after his 7/26/13 donation), and that it
wasn't renewed until
4/16/15. That would mean he was not a
sustaining member on 3/29/15 when
the LNC took action regarding the vacancy.<br>
<br>
Given my conclusion that he was not a sustaining
member at the time, I believe
the motion adopted to name him to the at-large
vacancy is null and void because
it violated the bylaws which require sustaining
membership for LNC members.<br>
<br>
For convenient reference, relevant citations
from Robert's Rules are below:<br>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">RONR p. 430-431, 439
make
it clear that in an election, members may only
vote for eligible nominees, thus
votes cast for an ineligible person are
actually illegal votes.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">RONR p. 445, regarding
challenging an election, states:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div style="margin-left:33.5pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">"Otherwise, an
election may be contested only by raising a
point of order. The general rule is
that such a point of order must be timely, as
described on page 250, line 30 to
page 251, line 2. If an election is disputed
on the ground that a quorum was
not present, the provisions on page 349, lines
21–28, apply. Other
exceptions to the general timeliness
requirement are those that come within the
five categories listed on page 251, lines
9–23, in which cases a point of
order can be made at any time during the
continuance in office of the
individual declared elected. For example: <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div style="margin-left:33.5pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times
New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"> • If an
individual does not meet the qualifications
for the post established in the
bylaws, his or her election is tantamount to
adoption of a main motion that
conflicts with the bylaws...."<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times
New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Here
is the relevant
portion of the cross-referenced passage on
RONR p. 251:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div style="margin-left:33.5pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">"The
only exceptions
to the rule that a point of order must
be made at the time of the breach arise
in connection with breaches that are of
a continuing nature, in which case a
point of order can be made at any time
during the continuance of the breach.
Instances of this kind occur when: <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div style="margin-left:33.5pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">
a)
a main motion has been adopted that
conflicts with the
bylaws (or constitution) of the
organization or assembly,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div style="margin-left:33.5pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><font color="black"
face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-style:italic">[items
(b) through (e) snipped for
brevity]</span></font></i><br>
<br>
In all such cases, it is never too late to
raise a point of order since any
action so taken is null and void. <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><br>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">My
conclusion is that
according to our rules, Mr. Craig's
election was in violation of the bylaws,
thus that motion is null and void and we
still have an at-large vacancy.
Now that Mr. Craig has renewed his
sustaining membership, he is eligible to
be
properly elected to that vacancy.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman"
size="3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">We
just need to proceed
to act again to fill the vacancy. I
suspect that the outcome of a second
vote now will be the same as it was then,
but we should go through the process
of doing it properly so as to remove any
cloud of doubt. Making the
effort to do it properly will show respect
to the rules, and it settles the
question now so that it won't come up
later if a contentious vote is decided by
a margin of Mr. Craig's vote.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black"
face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">At this time I'm
raising a point of order that Mr.
Craig's election on 3/29/15 is null and
void because it violated the bylaw
requirement that LNC members must be
sustaining members of the party.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="#888888"
face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#888888"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times
New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">Unfortunately, I am
not bringing this up at the most
ideal time. My to-do list following the <st1:city
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Phoenix</st1:place></st1:city>
meeting was much larger than
usual. When this was first brought to my
attention, I didn't have the
bandwidth to fully process it immediately, and
it just got added to my to-do
list. If the chair or I had brought this
matter to you earlier, we would
have had more breathing room to address this
before our May 3 electronic
meeting.<br>
<br>
I was just thinking we could address it on May
3, but as I started writing this
message it occurred to me that the electronic
meetings are special meetings, so
we can't add agenda items at the last minute.
We could address a
credentialing question of who is eligible to
vote during the meeting, but we
couldn't add an agenda item for filling a
vacancy.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times
New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times
New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">There is still an
option for the full LNC to address
the issue before then, though. Mail ballots
can end early <u>if all LNC
members will promptly vote or specifically
abstain rather than waiting the full
10 days</u>. With cooperation from all of
you, we can still finish an
email ballot before May 3. <br>
<br>
I spoke in favor of another candidate for this
position, but I'm willing to
co-sponsor an email ballot so the LNC can have
a chance to resolve the matter
before our May 3 meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times
New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font
color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt">I'm asking that
either
the chair sponsor, or 3 other LNC members
promptly co-sponsor with me an email
ballot to elect Doug Craig to the at-large
vacancy created by Evan McMahon's
resignation.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<pre><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""> Alicia <o:p></o:p></span></font></pre>
</blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New
Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<br>
<fieldset class="mimeAttachmentHeader"></fieldset>
<br>
<pre wrap="">_______________________________________________
Lnc-business mailing list
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Lnc-business@hq.lp.org">Lnc-business@hq.lp.org</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org">http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org</a>
</pre>
</o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></blockquote>
<br>
</body>
</html>