The College Democrats of New York Constitution: How to Make it Better
As the 2009 College Democrats of New York Convention approaches, everyone at CDNY is gearing up for a great weekend filled with networking, speeches by elected officials, and breakout sessions to train and educate about political techniques.
On the last day of the Convention, in particular, two very important events are scheduled. One is the elections of Executive Board officers, who will work with College Democrats all over the state to help elect Democrats from the grassroots level up, train and engage new generations of democratic student activists, shape the Democratic Party with voices from America's youth, and to become a potent political voice on the issues that impact the student population.
We will also be discussing and voting on revisions and Amendments to the College Democrats of New York Constitution. This document forms the base of our organization, defines the structure of CDNY, and explains the roles and responsibilities of our members and officers.
Because of changes in the political environment and incremental changes to CDNY over the years, the current CDNY Constitution became in desperate need of updates. So, this past weekend, a Constitutional Committee met at Fordham University in New York City to make these changes.
A lot of the Committee's edits were made for clarity: some of the language in the current Constitution is either unclear or redundant. But, there are also many important (and necessary) structural changes in the Committee's recommendations. At the bottom of this post, you'll find the full text of the proposed Constitution, but here are some of the more important changes:
- ~ First and foremost, the proposed Constitution calls for three new Executive Board positions: a Vice President, a Membership Director, and a Development Director. The responsibilities for these positions are listed in the Article II, Section IV, VIII, and IX, respectively.
- ~ The title of "Legislative Director" to "Political Director" is changed, in order to more accurately reflect the role and responsibilities of the position.
- ~ The Constitution has changed the breakdown of regions. Instead of 9 regions, there are now 7. This is to create a better balance of chapters per region, and make sure individual chapters are represented without losing any regional identity.
- ~ The Position of the New Media Director is now clearly defined.
- ~ A line of succession is clearly defined./li>
- ~ The new Constitution has restructured the State Council, so they can effectively provide support and advice, and make it easier for individual chapters to keep in touch with CDNY
We will vote on these revisions at the Convention, and if passed, we'll have several new E-board positions to run for, as well as a more clearly defined and more effective organization to be a part of!
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“The CBO found the Recovery Act is responsible for 600,000 to 1.6 million jobs and has raised GDP by 1.2 to 3.2 percent. Without the Recovery Act these jobs would have either disappeared or never existed in the first place and this positive economic growth would not have been possible.
“Our economy still has a long way to go and we will not rest until everyone who wants a job can find one, but the economy is no longer in a free-fall. Democrats in Congress showed real leadership by supporting the Recovery Act. Unfortunately, Republicans - the Party of NO -refused to offer an alternative. They stood on the sidelines as President Obama and Congressional Democrats took the steps necessary to reverse the economic decline they inherited after eight years of failed Republican economic policies. Now, by cheering for the Act’s failure, the GOP remains on the wrong side of history. As President Obama and Democrats continue to take steps to strengthen our economy, it’s time for Republicans to stop saying 'No', quit playing politics and start working with us on behalf of American families and workers.” Read More...
This is a caption
“The CBO found the Recovery Act is responsible for 600,000 to 1.6 million jobs and has raised GDP by 1.2 to 3.2 percent. Without the Recovery Act these jobs would have either disappeared or never existed in the first place and this positive economic growth would not have been possible.
“Our economy still has a long way to go and we will not rest until everyone who wants a job can find one, but the economy is no longer in a free-fall. Democrats in Congress showed real leadership by supporting the Recovery Act. Unfortunately, Republicans - the Party of NO -refused to offer an alternative. They stood on the sidelines as President Obama and Congressional Democrats took the steps necessary to reverse the economic decline they inherited after eight years of failed Republican economic policies. Now, by cheering for the Act’s failure, the GOP remains on the wrong side of history. As President Obama and Democrats continue to take steps to strengthen our economy, it’s time for Republicans to stop saying 'No', quit playing politics and start working with us on behalf of American families and workers.”