Document:LPCA Affiliate Support Handbook

THIS DOCUMENT IN OTHER FORMATS PDF

This handbook is maintained by the LPCA Affiliate Support Committee.

The full text will be added below. It is currently a work-in-progress, so refer to the PDF for complete information and formatting. KatM (talk) 16:02, 3 May 2023 (CDT)

Purpose

The purpose of this Affiliate Support Handbook is to serve as an all encompassing guide designed to help County Affiliate Executive Committees, as well as their Central Committee Members, understand how affiliates operate at the county level in relation to the Party at the state level. It is purposely intended to be as comprehensive as possible, and updated as soon as information changes or new information becomes available. It’s broken up into into six main sections:

General Information
This section covers the most basic and important information about the Libertarian Party of California (LPCA) in detail.

New & In-Progress Affiliates
This section covers detailed steps new and in-progress affiliates looking to be recognized by the Party need to take, as well as best practices to increase its membership involvement and success rate. Some of what is in this section may be beneficial to already organized affiliates as well.

Organized Affiliates
This section covers detailed best practices already organized affiliates should be participating in, in order to increase their level of professionalism as well as outreach, presence, membership growth, involvement and engagement.

Web Presence
This section covers detailed steps and best practices affiliates of all sizes and stages can take to reach new members through their social media platforms, website, and email, as well as how to get started, and how to maintain a strong online presence.

Affiliate Index (Organized)
This section outlines every established affiliate’s most crucial information, such as their official: website, social media accounts, contact email, and Executive Committee.

Affiliate Index (Unorganized)
This section outlines every in-progress affiliate’s most crucial information, such as their official: website, social media accounts, contact email, and Executive Committee.

It is our hope that this comprehensive guide assists your affiliate building and maintenance efforts, in addition to serving as your first point of reference for any information you may need.

In Liberty,

Affiliate Support Committee (2022)

Chairs, Adrian F Malagon (Feb. 2022 - July 2022) / Theodore Gercken (July 2022 - Feb. 2023)

General Information

Libertarian Party of California (LPCA)

Website

The LPCA website is ca.lp.org. Make sure to check it periodically for Party updates and information.

Webmaster

The LPCA website is managed by a webmaster. Any recommendations, updates, corrections, and the like you have for the Party website should be be submitted to the webmaster for consideration.

Webmaster(s):	Ms. Carrie Eiler & Mr. Theodore Gercken
Email:	webmaster@ca.lp.org

Official Social Media Presence

The Party has official social media accounts and presence that it uses to inform members about what is happening internally (e.g., meetings, Party business, etc.). They also serve as a medium from which to provide messaging about important and current issues in real time to help educate and spread our libertarian principles to those who may be otherwise unfamiliar with them. Everyone is encouraged to subscribe and/or follow these accounts from their official affiliate accounts, as well as their personal ones.

Facebook	Official Page
	Party Business Group
	Jefferson Region
	Northern Area
	Central Area
	Southern Area
Twitter	@LPofCal
	@LPofCalEs (Spanish)
Instagram	@libertarianpartyofcalifornia
MeWe	Official Page

Membership

The site where you can join your county party, the state party and the national party, just the county and state parties, or renew your already existing membership can be found here.

If you’re already a member and you’re looking to update your information (e.g., address, phone number, email, membership tier, county affiliation, etc.) you can login via the LPCA customer relationship management system (CRM), otherwise known as Neon. Once logged in, click on the dropdown menu, select “Update My Profile,” make the desired changes, scroll down to the bottom and click the “Submit” button in order for the changes to take effect.

Neon is also used to gain access to the list of current or lapsed dues paying members in your county. Once logged in, click on the dropdown menu and select “County Directories.” Select your county, and then click on the “Click Here” link. You’ll be prompted to enter an access code to see the report for your county. Enter the access code for your county in the text box, and click the “Submit” button. (The site glitches from time to time so you may have to do this more than once.) Once you see the report, you’ll be able to download it as an Excel or CSV file should you wish to do so. (Please note: only County Officers, i.e., the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer have access to membership lists for their respective counties. If you’re an Officer and don’t know the access code for your county, please reach out to your Area Coordinator.)

Party Caucuses

While everyone in the LPCA organizes together to elect Libertarians and advance liberty around the State, many members choose to create groups within the Party known as caucuses. A caucus is any political group which organizes to further a special interest or cause. Libertarian Party caucuses attempt to influence the direction of the Party through particular focus, issues, or messaging. No dues-paying member is required to join a caucus, and being a member of, or donating to a caucus does not make you an automatic dues-paying member of the Party. Below is a list of all of the LPCA-recognized caucuses, and a brief description of their goals.

Libertarian Party Mises Caucus (LPMC)

The Mises Caucus focuses on promoting Austrian economic literacy, and advocates applying the science of taking human action within the Libertarian Party to counter all forms of statism. They promote a strong opposition to war, advocacy of decentralization, and privatization in all of its forms. Through their Political Action Committee (PAC) they support candidates running serious campaigns and continue in the tradition of Dr. Ron Paul by coalition-building with any person or group willing to engage in good faith on liberty issues, in order to achieve political objectives in the real world, while exposing non-libertarians to free market ideology. The Mises Caucus also promotes strong, unapologetic libertarian messaging when it matters most, and is passionate about making, and keeping the Libertarian Party libertarian.

CA-LPMC Chair	Mr. Adrian F Malagon
Contact Email	camisescaucus@gmail.com
Twitter	@camisescaucus
Instagram	@camisescaucus
Facebook	CaliforniaLPMC
National Website	TakeHumanAction.com
California Website	CAMisesCaucus.com

Libertarian Youth Caucus (LYC)

The Libertarian Youth Caucus is the youth wing of the Libertarian Party, and the only partisan libertarian organization for young Americans in the country. They charter and support affiliates at college and high school campuses across the country, and help to build the next generation of Party activists. In contrast with other liberty-minded youth organizations, they focus their students’ activism solely on Libertarian Party campaigns, committees, and various legislative efforts.

LYC National Chair	Mr. Theodore Gercken
Contact Email	chair@lycaucus.org
National Website	lycaucus.org
Operations Manual	operations.lycaucus.org

Libertarian Party Classical Liberal Caucus

The Classical Liberal Caucus promotes a human-rights-based view of libertarianism as well as professionalism within the Party. They believe that the government's ultimate goal is to protect their citizens' rights, so their focus on messaging revolves around compassionate politics. They seek to professionalize the Libertarian Party by moving away from seemingly “edgy takes,” and embrace positions that would appeal to the majority of the country.

Libertarian Party Radical Caucus

The Radical Caucus stands for the re-radicalization of the Libertarian Party. They disagree with sanatizing the views of the Party in order to appeal to the majority. They favor standing boldly on traditional libertarian values, and wish to push the Overton window from a place of principle.

Libertarian Party Veterans Caucus

The Veterans Caucus is organized to promote the issues of Veterans in the Libertarian Party. They push for proposals like Defend the Guard, and consider ending foreign wars to be at the front of the Libertarian Party’s platform and messaging.

Governing Documents

The Bylaws and Convention Rules] is the primary governing document of the LPCA which defines and controls how internal affairs are handled. Amendments to this document are voted on every year by the Central Committee Members who are delegates at the LPCA Annual Convention (i.e., persons who are eligible to vote on Party business consistent with the Bylaws and Convention Rules), after which the document is updated accordingly by the Party Secretary. Proposed amendments can be submitted by any member in good standing via: the Bylaws Committee, general advance notice to the membership, or a motion on the Convention floor. While all affiliates are required to operate within the scope of the LPCA Bylaws, it’s important for every county affiliate to have its own set of Bylaws which should be tailored to serve its respective needs. If your affiliate does not have Bylaws, you should look to adopt some formally (via an official recorded vote) as soon as possible. A Bylaws template can be provided by your Area Coordinator if needed. If you already have Bylaws for your affiliate, you should make it standard practice to review them at least once a year to ensure that they aren’t obsolete, and to update them as needed to prevent future issues that may arise. Anytime that an affiliate formally adopts a new set of Bylaws or makes any change to an existing set, the new document should be immediately sent to the Secretary so that the Party always has a copy of your most current Bylaws, which will be posted on the Bylaws page of the website for transparency and accessibility.

The Operating Procedures Manual (Ops Manual) is a special compilation of rules governing the Party that is not already reflected in the Bylaws or Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR). Amendments to this document are generally proposed by a member of the LPCA Executive Committee via a motion (in-person or email), and then voted on by the entire Executive Committee. It is not necessary or general practice for affiliates to have their own Ops Manual (although they can should they choose).

The Platform sets forth our basic libertarian principles, and enumerates various policy stands derived from those principles. The LPCA Platform is the national Libertarian Party (LP) Platform.

Executive Committee (ExCom)

The LPCA Executive Committee is composed of 4 Officers, 3 Area Coordinators, 8 At Large Members, and 2 At Large Alternates (in ranked order) elected by the Central Committee at the Annual Convention (generally for two-year terms, except for the alternates who are always elected for one-year terms) as prescribed by the aforementioned Bylaws and Convention Rules. The ExCom is responsible for the control and management of all affairs, properties, and funds of the Party. The Executive Director is a non-voting, paid position that is appointed and serves at the pleasure of the ExCom. The ExCom is required to attend in-person, quarterly meetings. The location of these meetings traditionally rotates between the Northern, Central and Southern areas of the state, after which, a fundraiser of some kind (whether it’s for a candidate in the area or the Party itself) traditionally takes place. Guests are always welcome and encouraged to attend both the meeting and the fundraiser. (See Bylaw 12 and the Ops Manual.) The most current ExCom, along with their contact information, is as follows:

Chair	Mr. Adrian F Malagon	chair@ca.lp.org
Vice Chair	Mr. Gary Alvstad	vicechair@ca.lp.org
Secretary	Mr. Chris Edgar	secretary@ca.lp.org
Treasurer	Mr. Jason Regehr	treasurer@ca.lp.org
Northern Area Coordinator	Ms. Elizabeth Stump	nac@ca.lp.org
Central Area Coordinator	Mr. Matthew Butts	cac@ca.lp.org
Southern Area Coordinator	Mr. Garrison Ham	sac@ca.lp.org
At Large	Mr. Alberto Alvarez	aalvarez@ca.lp.org
At Large	Mr. Graham Brown	gbrown@ca.lp.org
At Large	Ms. Trendalyn Hallesy	thallesy@ca.lp.org
At Large	Ms. Victoria Lapacek	vlapacek@ca.lp.org
At Large	Mr. Michael Lema	mlema@ca.lp.org
At Large	Mr. Chris Minoletti	cminoletti@ca.lp.org
At Large	Mr. Tom Nichols	tnichols@ca.lp.org
At Large	Mr. Craig Strachan	cstrachan@ca.lp.org
At Large (1st Alternate)	Mr. Max Jimenez	mjimenez@ca.lp.org
At Large (2nd Alternate)	Mr. David Gorshe	dgorshe@ca.lp.org

Libertarian National Committee (LNC) Region 4 Representatives

The Libertarian Party is run by the Libertarian National Committee, which is responsible for the control and management of all affairs, properties, and funds of the LP. The LNC has divided the country into nine separate regions. Each Region has its own elected Representative and Alternate who sit on the LNC to represent their Region’s respective interests on a national level. As a result of its number of LP dues paying members relative to the rest of the country, the State of California is the only state which maintains independent regional status (i.e., it doesn’t belong to a Region that includes other states) and that Region is known as Region 4. California’s regional independence allow the state’s Central Committee to elect its LNC Representative and Alternate at the LPCA Annual Convention before that year’s LP National Convention as prescribed by the aforementioned Bylaws and Convention Rules, as well as the Libertarian Party Bylaws and Convention Rules. (Every other Region is required to elect their Representative and Alternate at the LP National Convention which takes place every two years). Both the Region 4 Representative and the Alternate are elected for a two-year term. The most current Region 4 Representative and Alternate, along with their contact information, is as follows:

Region 4 Representative	Ms. Adrian F Malagon	adrian.malagon@lp.org
Region 4 Alternate	Mr. Joshua Clark	joshua.clark@lp.org

Judicial Committee (JC)

The LPCA Judicial Committee is composed of 5 members and 2 alternates (in ranked order) elected by the Central Committee at the Annual Convention as prescribed by the aforementioned Bylaws and Convention Rules. A Judicial Committee member may not be a member of the ExCom, the Operations Committee, or the Program Committee. The Judicial Committee is the final body of appeal in all Party matters and disputes, serving as a kind of internal court, subject to the provision that a decision of the Committee may be overturned by a three-quarters vote of a Convention. (See Bylaw 14, Sections 1-9.) The most current Judicial Committee is as follows:

Members:	Mr. David Bowers	Chair
	Ms. Susan Aquino
	Mr. Loren Dean
	Dr. Elisheva Levin
	Mr. Loren Springer
	Mr. Matthew Hartley	1st Alternate
	Ms. Meredith Hays	2nd Alternate
Email:	jc@ca.lp.org

Party Committees

Committees serve specific functions and can directly or indirectly affect how affiliates operate. Any Central Committee Member is eligible to be on any committee. Most committees are filled by the ExCom within 90 days of the LPCA Annual Convention. Most elected committees chose their own Chairs, and meeting schedule (usually virtual). In addition to serving their primary function, most committee chairs are required to submit a report on their committee to the ExCom a week before a particular meeting every quarter. If you or any member of your affiliate is interested in joining any of these committees, a résumé and any further statement of qualification should be sent to the ExCom before the announced meeting where elections take place for the committee of interest, for the purpose of seeking nomination.

               

Affiliate Support Committee (ASC)

The Affiliate Support Committee shall consist of the three Area Coordinators and up to four members elected by the Executive Committee within the first three months after the Annual Convention. The Affiliate Support Committee members shall elect the Committee Chair. The Affiliate Support Committee serves at the pleasure of the Executive Committee. (See Ops Manual: Affiliate Support Committee, pg. 9)

Responsibilities Include:

1. Providing affiliate growth strategy and support.
2. Providing assistance drafting and amending affiliate bylaws.
3. Teaching affiliate Executive Committees Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised (RONR).
4. Providing assistance with resources, including but not limited to promotional flyer/pamphlet templates, website templates and/or website design.
5. Providing assistance with basic marketing and public relations instruction.

Members:	Northern Area Coordinator	Ms. Elizabeth Stump
	Central Area Coordinator	Mr. Matthew Butts
	Southern Area Coordinator	Mr. Garrison Ham
		Mr. Adrian F Malagon	Chair
		Dr. Kathryn McElroy	Secretary
		Mr. John Due
	Vacant
Email:	asc@ca.lp.org

Awards Committee

The Awards Committee shall consist of up to five members elected by the Executive Committee within the first six months after the Annual Convention. The Awards Committee members shall elect the Committee Chair. The Awards Committee serves at the pleasure of the Executive Committee. (See Ops Manual: Awards Committee, pg. 9)

Responsibilities Include:

1. Establishing the award(s) and the names of the award(s) to be given at the Convention presentation.
2. Setting and managing the nomination process.
3. Selecting the award winner(s) by Committee vote.
4. Securing the award(s).
5. Presenting the award(s) at the Convention.

Members:	Mr. Loren Dean
	Ms. Meredith Hays
	Ms. Victoria Lapacek
	Mr. Michael Lema
	Dr. Marybeth Yuskavage
Email:	awards@ca.lp.org

Budget Committee

The Budget Committee shall consist of the Treasurer and up to four members elected by the Executive Committee within the first three months after the Annual Convention. The Budget Committee members shall elect the Committee Chair. The Budget Committee serves at the pleasure of the Executive Committee. The operations of the LPCA shall be governed by a budget adopted by the Budget Committee and approved by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee may amend the budget by deletion at any time with a majority vote. Any other changes by the Executive Committee will require a two-thirds vote. The Treasurer shall present the Budget Report and the adopted budget at the Annual Convention. (See Ops Manual: Budget Committee, pg. 10)

Responsibilities Include:

1. To consider and construct a budget of income and expenditures for a period of January 1 through December 31 and distribute the budget to the Executive Committee by its final meeting of the fiscal year for ratification.

Members:	Treasurer	Mr. Jason Regehr	Chair
		Ms. Trendalyn Hallesy
		Mr. Matthew Hartwig
		Mr. Adrian F Malagon
		Dr. Kathryn McElroy
Email:	budget@ca.lp.org

Bylaws Committee

This Committee is made up of 5 members, all of which are elected by the ExCom. This Committee is responsible for: recommending changes in the Bylaws and Convention Rules, and for drafting an initial and final report for the delegates prior to Convention. (See Bylaw: 15 Committees, Section 2: Bylaws Committee)

Members:	Mr. Gary Alvstad	Chair
	Mr. Chris Edgar	Secretary
	Mr. Graham Brown
	Ms. Trendalyn Hallesy
	Vacant
Email:	bylaws@ca.lp.org

Candidate Support Committee (CSC)

This Committee is made up of 7 members: the Chair, a Treasurer appointed by the Chair and up to 5 members elected by the ExCom. This Committee is responsible for: raising money to support qualified state and federal Libertarian candidates in California, campaign publicity, reviewing unrestricted account records for accuracy and assisting the Treasurer with timely filing of FPPC and FEC reports. (See Ops Manual: Candidate Support Committees, pg. 10)

Members:	Chair	Mr. Adrian F Malagon	Chair
		Mr. Graham Brown	Treasurer
		Mr. Matthew Hartwig	Assistant to CSC Treasurer
		Mr. Alberto Alvarez
		Mr. Matthew Butts
		Mr. Tom Nichols
		Mr. Craig Strachan
Email:	csc@ca.lp.org

Communications and Media Committee (CMC)

The Communications and Media Committee shall consist of up to seven members elected by the Executive Committee within the first three months after the Annual Convention. The Communications and Media Committee members shall elect the Committee Chair. The Communications and Media Committee serves at the pleasure of the Executive Committee. (See Ops Manual: The Communications and Media Committee, pg. 11)

Responsibilities Include:

1. Working as the LPCA’s public relations and internal communications department.
2. Writing and disseminating press releases, and highlighting the Party’s activities and public positions in a constructive and inclusive manner through social media engagement, thoughtful political analysis, and at least quarterly newsletters.

Members:	Ms. Elizabeth Stump	Chair
	Mr. Viktor Srivastava	Vice Chair
	Mr. Alberto Alvarez
	Mr. John Due
	Ms. Carrie Eiler
	Mr. Patrick Nicholson
	Vacant
Email:	cmc@ca.lp.org

Convention Committee

The Chair of the Convention Committee shall be elected by the Executive Committee within the first three months after the Annual Convention. The Committee Chair shall appoint as many members as deemed necessary. The Committee Chair shall have the authority to dismiss any members at their discretion. The Convention Committee Chair serves at the pleasure of the Executive Committee. (See Ops Manual: Convention Committee, pg. 11)

Responsibilities Include:

1. Planning all aspects of the LPCA Annual Convention.
2. Providing a written Convention report to the Executive Committee within

90 days of the close of Convention.

Members:	Mr. Michael Lema	Chair
	Vacant
	Vacant
	Vacant
	Vacant
Email:	convention@ca.lp.org

Credentials Committee

The Credentials Committee shall consist of the Secretary and up to six members elected by the Executive Committee within the first six months after the Annual Convention. The Credentials Committee members shall elect the Committee Chair, who shall not be the Secretary. The Credentials Committee serves at the pleasure of the Executive Committee. (See Ops Manual: Credentials Committee, pg. 12)

Responsibilities Include:

1. Assisting the Secretary at the Annual Convention by retaining a list of all delegates in attendance, and providing periodic credentials reports to the Secretary during the Convention to be reported to the Chair and the delegates.

Members:	Secretary	Mr. Chris Edgar
		Mr. Gary Alvstad
		Mr. Joshua Clark
		Mr. Loren Dean
		Mr. Chris Ganiere
		Dr. Kathryn McElroy
		Mr. Tom Nichols
Email	credentials@ca.lp.org

Financial Standards Committee (FSC)

The Financial Standards Committee shall consist of the Vice Chair and however many other members the Vice Chair deems necessary, elected by the Executive Committee within the first three months after the Annual Convention. The FSC members shall elect the Committee Chair. The FSC serves at the pleasure of the Executive Committee. The FSC shall obtain, no later than 30 days after the creation of the Committee, the financial records of the LPCA for the prior fiscal year ending December 31.

A written report shall be prepared as to the FSC’s findings, to be submitted to the LPCA Secretary no later than two days prior to the commencement of the Annual Convention and included in the year-end report. Additional audits shall be performed upon request by the Executive Committee or the Operations Committee.

The FSC shall have access to all financial records required to perform the required audits. (See Bylaw 11: Finance and Accounting, Section 7 & Ops Manual: Financial Standards Committee, pg. 12)

Responsibilities Include:

1. Review of all reports produced by an outside CPA, as permitted by the LPCA’s budget, and incorporation of that review into their annual report to the Convention.
2. Review of the receipts and expenditures for authorization and proper coding according to the LPCA budget.
3. Verification of the existence and valuation of the assets and liabilities of the LPCA.
4. Review and evaluation of the system of internal controls and making recommendations as needed.
5. Review of the reports generated and providing an opinion as to their accuracy and adequacy.
6. Review and confirm compliance with reporting to all government financial reporting agencies.

Members:	Vice Chair	Mr. Gary Alvstad	Chair
		Ms. Trendalyn Hallesy
		Mr. Kirk Sullivan
Email:	fsc@ca.lp.org

Historical Preservation Committee (HPC)

The Historical Preservation Committee shall consist of up to five members elected by the Executive Committee within the first three months after the Annual Convention. The Historical Preservation Committee members shall elect the Committee Chair. The Historical Preservation Committee serves at the pleasure of the Executive Committee. (See Ops Manual: Historical Preservation Committee, pg. 13)

Responsibilities Include:

1. Directing the preservation and publication of Party historical documents and reporting its activities and decisions to the Executive Committee at each Executive Committee meeting it is asked to attend.

Members:	Mr. Joe Dehn	Chair
	Mr. Graham Brown
	Ms. Gail Lightfoot
	Mr. Patrick Nicholson
	Vacant
Email:	hpc@ca.lp.org

Legislative Committee

The Legislative Committee shall consist of up to seven members elected by the Executive Committee within the first three months after the Annual Convention. The Legislative Committee members shall elect the Committee Chair. The Legislative Committee serves at the pleasure of the Executive Committee. (See Ops Manual: Legislative Committee, pg. 13)

Responsibilities Include:

1. Educating about, and advocating for, LPCA positions on California state legislation, in communications with Party affiliates, Party members, legislators, and the general public.

Members:	Mr. Alberto Alvarez	Chair
	Ms. Carrie Eiler
	Ms. Meredith Hays
	Mr. Zach Kincaid
	Mr. Tyler Collins
	Vacant
	Vacant
Email:	legislative@ca.lp.org]

Membership Committee

The Membership Committee shall consist of the Chair, the three Area Coordinators and up to four members elected by the Executive Committee within the first three months after the Annual Convention. The Membership Committee members shall elect the Committee Chair. The Membership Committee serves at the pleasure of the Executive Committee. (See Ops Manual: Membership Committee, pgs. 13)

Responsibilities Include:

1. Managing the LPCA’s programs to maintain membership.
2. Developing and implementing programs and materials for membership upgrade, including but not limited to encouraging upgraded membership levels, getting national-only members to join as state members, getting state-only members to join as national members, contacting lapsed members, contacting members not on auto-renew, membership promotion literature, direct mail letters, advertisements, and in-person contact.
3. Developing and implementing programs and materials for membership retention, including but not limited to new member packets, renewal letters, renewal forms, and membership premiums.
4. Tracking, sharing information and analyzing membership progress and the results of membership programs.
5. Reviewing policies concerning membership qualifications and dues and report recommendations for improvements to the Executive Committee and/or Bylaws Committee for consideration.
6. Working with other LPCA committees and the newsletter editor as necessary to coordinate activities which involve solicitation of new memberships or dues.
7. The authority to establish membership categories and pricing for the LPCA.

Members:	Chair	Mr. Adrian F Malagon	Chair
	Northern Area Coordinator	Ms. Elizabeth Stump
	Central Area Coordinator	Mr. Matthew Butts
	Southern Area Coordinator	Mr. Garrison Ham
		Mx. Alex Bielanski
		Mr. Mark Hinkle
		Mr. Kyle Thom
		Mr. Alex Trujillo
Email:	membership@ca.lp.org

Operations Committee (OpsCom)

This Committee is made up of 5 members: the Chair, and 4 members elected by the ExCom, usually at the Post-Convention Meeting. This Committee has the powers of the ExCom between meetings (with very specific exceptions) and may by unanimous vote, approve any other action that would otherwise require a two-thirds vote of the ExCom. The Operations Committee shall justify any vote or action taken in writing within 24 hours of the respective vote or action taken. (See Bylaw 13: Operations Committee, Sections 1-3 & Ops Manual: Operations Committee, pg. 14)

Members:	Chair	Mr. Adrian F Malagon	Chair
		Mr. Gary Alvstad
		Mr. Chris Edgar
		Mr. Jason Regehr
		Ms. Elizabeth Stump
Email	opscom@ca.lp.org

Program Committee

This Committee is made up of 5 members elected by the ExCom. This Committee is responsible for: developing the Party Program consisting of up to 5 planks which state interim measures and political policies designed to implement the Party position on issues of interest to California. (See Bylaw 21: Program)

Members:	Mr. Marc Joffe	Chair
	Mr. Zach Kincaid
	Mr. Shawn Osborne
	Dr. Marybeth Yuskavage
	Vacant
Email:	program@ca.lp.org

Recruitment Committee

The Recruitment Committee shall consist of the Chair and up to seven other members elected by the Executive Committee within the first three months after the Annual Convention. Recruitment Committee members shall elect the Committee Chair. The Recruitment Committee serves at the pleasure of the Executive Committee. (See Ops Manual: Recruitment Committee, pg. 14)

Responsibilities Include:

1. Managing the LPCA’s programs to recruit new members.
2. Prospecting new dues paying members.
3. Developing and implementing programs and materials for membership recruitment, including but not limited to contacting registered Libertarians and other prospective members, promotion literature, membership application forms, direct mailers, advertisements, and in- person contacts.
4. Developing and implementing programs and materials for membership recruitment.
5. Tracking, sharing information and analyzing recruitment progress and the results of recruitment programs.
6. Working with other LPCA committees as necessary to coordinate activities which involve solicitation of new memberships or dues.

Members:	Chair	Mr. Adrian F Malagon
		Mr. Christopher Kula	Chair
		Mr. Gary Alvstad
		Mr. Graham Brown
		Mr. John Due
		Mr. Kyle Thom
		Vacant
Email:		recruitment@ca.lp.org

Strategic Planning Committee (SPC)

The Strategic Planning Committee shall consist of up to five members elected by the Executive Committee within the first three months after the Annual Convention. The Strategic Planning Committee members shall elect the Committee Chair. The Strategic Planning Committee serves at the pleasure of the Executive Committee. (See Ops Manual: Strategic Planning Committee, pg. 15)

Responsibilities Include:

1. Developing, and distributing to the membership, a strategic plan containing long-term and short-term strategies for expanding the influence and membership of the LPCA.
2. Monitoring and assisting with the implementation of the strategic plan on an ongoing basis.

Members:	Mr. John Due	Chair
	Mr. Graham Brown
	Ms. Carrie Eiler
	Mr. Adrian F Malagon
	Vacant
Email:	spc@ca.lp.org

   

Website and Information Technology Committee (WITCom)

The Website and Information Technology Committee shall consist of up to five members elected by the Executive Committee within the first three months after the Annual Convention. Website and Information Technology Committee members shall elect the Committee Chair. The Website and Information Technology Committee serves at the pleasure of the Executive Committee. (See Ops Manual: Website and Information Technology Committee, pg. 15)

Responsibilities Include:

1. Maintaining and making modifications to the LPCA’s website and information technology (IT) infrastructure.
2. Maintaining and working with contractors, volunteers and other personnel with the goal of maintaining and modifying the website and IT infrastructure.

Members:	Mr. Theodore Gercken
	Mr. Sunil Chhabra
	Mr. Marcus Schuff
	Vacant
	Vacant
Email:	witcom@ca.lp.org

Email Group

The Party has created an email group which allows the public to see everything the ExCom votes on or discusses which doesn’t contain sensitive information (e.g., members’ personal information, matters members consider private, etc.). Anyone who wishes to subscribe to this group may, and will receive notifications anytime the group is emailed. This group can also be accessed without subscribing.

Public Executive Committee Group Email:	lpca-business@googlegroups.com
Public Executive Committee Group Inbox:	ExCom Reflector Email Group

Email Lists

The Party has also created several internal email lists which allows members to contact an intended group with ease. These internal lists send forwarded emails to individuals who belong to these respective groups, and only them. These lists are private, and should only be used to communicate with the members that belong to these groups.

Private Executive Committee List

Every member of the Party ExCom is on this list (including the Alternates and the Executive Director). This list should be used anytime a member wishes to contact the entire ExCom for any reason.            

Email:

excom@ca.lp.org

County Executive Committees List

Every County Affiliate Executive Committee member, and Chair Pro Tempore across the state is on this list. This list should be used anytime a member needs to pass along important, or time sensitive information statewide that they wish to bring to the attention of county leadership, or that they wish passed down to county leadership’s respective members (e.g., new state bills, activism opportunities, campaign information, calls to action, etc.). This list should not be abused or used for trivial matters.                      

Email:

countyexcoms@ca.lp.org

Judicial Committee List

Every Judicial Committee member is on this list. This list should be used anytime a member wishes to bring a case or an appeal for the Party’s judicial body to consider.

Email:

jc@ca.lp.org

Committees List

Every member of every Party committee is on this list. This list should only be used in the rare event that all committee members need to be contacted for something that simultaneously affects every committee.

Email:

committees@ca.lp.org

Northern Area Affiliated Executive Committees List

Every Northern Area County Affiliate Executive Committee member is on this list. This list should be used anytime a member needs to pass along important, or time sensitive information in the Northern Area that they wish to bring to the attention of county leadership, or that they wish passed down to their respective county members (e.g., new state bills, activism opportunities, campaign information, calls to action, etc.). It should not be abused or used for trivial matters.

Email:

northaffiliated@ca.lp.org

Northern Area Unaffiliated Executive Committees List

Every Northern Area County Affiliate Chair Pro Tempore and prospective Officer who is attempting to organize their county is on this list. This list should be used anytime a member needs to pass along important, or time sensitive information in the Northern Area that they wish to bring to the attention of unaffiliated county leadership, or that they wish passed down to their respective county members (e.g., new state bills, activism opportunities, campaign information, calls to action, etc.). It should not be abused or used for trivial matters.      

Email:

northunaffiliated@ca.lp.org

Central Area Affiliated Executive Committees List

Every Central Area County Affiliate Executive Committee member is on this list. This list should be used anytime a member needs to pass along important, or time sensitive information in the Central Area that they wish to bring to the attention of county leadership, or that they wish passed down to their respective county members (e.g., new state bills, activism opportunities, campaign information, calls to action, etc.). It should not be abused or used for trivial matters.

Email:

centralaffliated@ca.lp.org

Central Area Unaffiliated Executive Committees List

Every Central Area County Affiliate Chair Pro Tempore and prospective Officer who is attempting to organize their county is on this list. This list should be used anytime a member needs to pass along important, or time sensitive information in the Central Area that they wish to bring to the attention of unaffiliated county leadership, or that they wish passed down to their respective county members (e.g., new state bills, activism opportunities, campaign information, calls to action, etc.). It should not be abused or used for trivial matters.      

Email:

centralunaffiliated@ca.lp.org

If you aren’t sure which groups you’re subscribed to (LPCA or otherwise) click here to see a complete list and manage them accordingly.     

Areas & Coordinators

The LPCA has divided the 58 counties in California into 3 areas: Northern, Central and Southern. Each Area elects its own Coordinator at the LPCA Annual Convention for what is generally a two-year term (barring special circumstances). The counties associated with each Area, and their Coordinator along with contact information, is as follows:

Northern Area

Counties (32):	Alameda, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Marin, Mendocino, Modoc, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo, Yuba.
Coordinator:	Ms. Elizabeth Stump
Email:	nac@ca.lp.org

Central Area

Counties (20):	Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura.
Coordinator:	Mr. Matthew Butts
Email:	cac@ca.lp.org

Southern Area

Counties (6):	Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego.
Coordinator:	Mr. Garrison Ham
Email:	sac@ca.lp.org

Your respective Area Coordinator should always be your first point of contact for anything your county affiliate may need. Each Coordinator has a budget of $1,000 over their two-year term to spend on their Area as they see fit, or deem necessary. It is also strongly encouraged that County Central Committee Executive Committee members build relationships, and keep in constant communication with their counterparts for support, as well as practical reasons (e.g., resources, community, advice, etc.).

The Beacon

The Beacon is the official newsletter of The Libertarian Party of California. It was started in December of 2019, and is currently published on a bi-monthly schedule of January, March, May, July, September, and November. It is usually published by the 15th of the month, and often centered around events such as elections and conventions. In 2023, The Beacon will be published on a quarterly basis: January, April, July and October. In 2024, it may go back to a bi-monthly schedule.

The Beacon is a subcommittee of the Communications and Media Committee (CMC). The original Content Editor was Mr. Peter Moulds (he resigned in the Spring of 2021) and the current Content Editor for The Beacon is Ms. Elizabeth Stump, who is also the current Chair of the CMC. The Beacon’s design, layout and publishing is done by an independent contractor. Deadline for submission of content for each edition is the Friday before the planned publishing date. Our contractor sends The Beacon out in batches over 3-4 days via email, and provides a text version which is accessible and archived on the LPCA website here.

While The Beacon falls under the purview of the CMC, LPCA members are welcome to help write articles and submit content. Please review the sections below to see where you might like to contribute.

News Items

The Beacon includes articles about upcoming events for the Party, such as state and national conventions, LPCA Quarterly Executive Committee Meetings, fundraisers, and other news. For conventions, information is provided in advance (i.e., location, dates, packages, hotel group rates, guest speakers, etc.) as well as summaries of what happened at the convention (Executive Committee election results, major changes to Bylaws, resolutions, etc.).

The Beacon also reports on county affiliates (i.e., ExCom elections, significant events, candidates for political office, etc.). Summaries and pictures of how any respective event went, successes and lessons learned, are an important part of promoting localized efforts, and are welcome submissions. The Beacon does not post or include monthly county affiliate casual meetups, hangouts and socials; those are best promoted on your own county’s website, social media accounts and emailed newsletters. If your county has an Annual Meeting coming up however, The Beacon will post notice of that. If members of your county affiliate are appointed to a local city or county board, commission or committee, share the good news by sending notice to the Content Editor, in hopes that it may inspire others to apply or run for similar positions in their community.

During presidential and mid-term election years (as June primaries and November elections draw near) The Beacon will feature Libertarian candidates running for office across California for the May and September issues. A voter guide addressing the Legislative Committee’s recommendations on California State Propositions, and local county affiliate recommendations on county and city measures will be compiled into a September Election Special Edition. If your county affiliate is going to support or oppose any measures or candidates, it is recommended that you have your list ready before the end of August. Please contact the Content Editor for the deadline of that year’s September issue, as deadline issue dates vary from year to year.

Articles

The Beacon accepts content submissions from all dues paying LPCA members. Contributions are usually provided periodically, quarterly or topically. If you would like to submit a regular, or periodic column (or even just a one-off) you are always welcome to reach out to the Content Editor.

There is no limit to the number of articles The Beacon can contain, the aim however is always to keep the topics varied, and relevant. There is also no specific word limit to an article, (a hyperlink to “read more” is provided after the first paragraph or two). It is however recommended to keep articles under 3,000 words given the attention span of the average reader.

If you have never submitted content to The Beacon, and have an idea for an article, please review the past few issues to prevent writing about a recently covered topic.

Affiliate Tip of the Month

The Beacon posts an Affiliate Tip of the Month (similar to the “Affiliate Tip of the Week” featured on LPCA social media). The Affiliate Tip of the Month deals with tips that require a bit more context than a simple graphic can provide.

If you have a tip that county affiliates can use to improve outreach, communication, increase membership (or anything along those lines) please submit your idea to the Content Editor. Committee Updates

The Beacon includes some updates on recent committee work and projects, as provided by those committees. The information shared is not sensitive, and is meant to help members stay informed. If you are on an LPCA Committee and would like to provide information about your committee’s work for The Beacon, please contact the CMC at cmc@ca.lp.org.

Meme of the Month

The Beacon features a meme that is relevant to a recent topical news item, which meets branding and professionalism standards that align with LPCA values. It is up to the Content Editor to pick one, but submissions are always welcome.

Podcast of the Month

The Beacon features a podcast, or a similar audio/video media platform every issue. The podcaster’s subject must be libertarian focused, or cover an issue dealing with libertarian principles (e.g., free speech, gun rights, privacy, foreign policy, the drug war, etc.). If you know of a podcast you would like to recommend, please submit it to the Content Editor.

New & In-Progress Affiliates

Starting an affiliate is no easy feat. It requires a fair amount of time, energy, leadership, and commitment that not everyone has the ability to undertake. While it is the Area Coordinator’s job to assist new and in-progress affiliates with resources, support and information, it is incumbent upon the members of that respective county to do the “leg work” necessary to start and maintain their own organization.

Getting Started

Chair Pro Tempore (Chair Pro Tem)

The first step for establishing a new organization is finding someone who would be willing to take on the role of Chair Pro Tempore. This is generally an individual with the drive and determination to build, organize and lead an affiliate. A Chair Pro Tem is a Central Committee Member who is officially recognized by the Party as the representative for their county. Chair Pro Tems are given access to Neon once they have been officially appointed, and have signed the Party’s Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) due to the sensitive information they would be privy to. They’re tasked with: early recruitment, finding other Central Committee Members willing to take on Officer roles, and holding proper inaugural elections for their county. Only the Area Coordinator for the unaffiliated county looking to organize may appoint a Chair Pro Tem.

Early Recruitment

One of the most important things, whether your affiliate is in “start-up” mode, or has been established and organized for years, is initial and consistent membership engagement and participation. The best way to achieve this, is by hosting socials that you can invite prospective members to. There are different tiers of prospective members that you want to focus your initial recruitment on, and in a particular order to maximize growth potential and overall success. See the “Recruitment” section under “Organized and In-Progress Affiliates" below for more information.

Officers

Successful affiliates have strong leadership comprised of people willing and able to put in the work. It is incumbent upon the Chair Pro Tem, with assistance from their Area Coordinator, to find County Central Committee Members to run for Officer positions at the aspiring organization’s inaugural elections. Generally the Chair Pro Tem runs for the Chair position, and needs only to find qualified individuals to fill the rest of the county’s leadership team. A full leadership team is generally comprised of a: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. While an organization is only required to have a Chair and a Treasurer in order to be officially recognized by the Party, it’s a good idea to try to find candidates to fill all of the aforementioned roles before holding inaugural elections. This maximizes your organization’s potential for success as far as the consistent involvement and engagement in political activity you’re expected to assume within your county.

County Elections

A county organization is deemed as having selected its officers only if official notice has been given to its members (either via physical mail or email) at least 30 days, but no more than 60 days in advance of their elections. Election notice must also be given to the Party Secretary at least 30 days in advance of the election. The notice must specify the reason for the meeting as well as a time and place reasonably accessible to its membership. The onus falls on the Chair Pro Tem to fulfill the aforementioned requirements, and run the meeting where elections are held. Members running for Officer positions are usually nominated by another member, but they’re allowed to nominate themselves should they wish. Official meeting minutes should be recorded, and the results should be sent to the Party Secretary by the newly elected Chair or Secretary no later than 15 days after the elections take place.

Bylaws

After you have a newly formed Executive Committee for your affiliate, your first order of business should be to formally adopt Bylaws. The most efficient way to do this (if you’re a new affiliate) is to have a draft ready to adopt after your elections (this can happen at the same meeting). If you need assistance drafting them, contact your Area Coordinator and/or use the template provided below under “Sample Documents” and adjust according to your needs.

Post Box

The first action that needs to be taken after your affiliate is officially recognized is securing a post box. You’ll need it to be able to open a bank account, and receive membership dues from the Party Treasurer via check, among other things. Private post boxes generally have more options and are cheaper per annum that those offered by USPS. They’ll also often hold any large packages you receive for no additional fee. In the unfortunate event a private company isn’t an option in your area, you’ll need to look at getting a USPS P.O Box.

Checking Account

The second action that a new affiliate needs to take upon being officially recognized is opening a checking account. You are free to choose any bank that you believe serves your needs best. Most banks will require you to provide:

• An Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
• A copy of your election meeting minutes
• A physical mailing address
• An official letter proving that you are an official representative of your organization. (The Affiliate Support Committee has a letter it can issue to you upon request, so please contact your Area Coordinator.)

Again, while you are free to choose any bank to hold your affiliate’s funds, you should consider one which doesn’t charge maintenance or service fees. (Credit Unions usually offer free checking accounts.) It is also recommended that the newly elected Chair and Treasurer go and open the account together so that both of their names are associated with the account, making future withdrawals and change of ownership significantly easier. The State of California doesn’t require filings to be made until a political organization reaches the $2,000 threshold during any fiscal year. For any specific questions or concerns regarding financial requirements, please contact Ms. Emily Tilford, LPCA Assistant Treasurer.

Affiliate Starter Kit

If you’re in need of materials for a tabling event that you believe may help “jump-start” affiliate involvement, you may want to consider purchasing an Affiliate in a Box starter kit from the Libertarian Party National website. They start at $100 (before shipping and taxes). Before considering making the purchase, it may be more prudent to ask neighboring affiliates for extra materials first. If one can’t accommodate your request, you can either: purchase this kit out of pocket and consider it a donation for your newly established organization, or you can reach out to your Area Coordinator to see if they have the funds in their budget to purchase it for you.

Shared Documents & Folders

It’s important that you have a shared (but secure location) where you can keep all of your organization’s shared data (i.e., logins and passwords for your website and official social media accounts, templates, letterhead, etc.). The easiest way to do this is to have a GDrive or some other shared medium that only your organization’s ExCom has access to.

Sample Documents

If you are having a difficult time creating documents that you need to get started, please refer to the linked templates below. You can copy each of these Google Docs to use for your organization (after filling in the essential information highlighted in yellow). These documents are compliant with rules of parliamentary order (RONR), LPCA Bylaws/Rules, and general conventions so they can be used immediately. You can however edit them if you would rather tailor them to your respective organization (just make sure that they still fulfill all requirements if you make substantial changes).

• Bylaws Template
• Meeting Agenda Template
• Meeting Minutes Template

Branding

Branding is a critical part of outreach for affiliates part of a larger organization. By using standards utilized by Party across California and even nationally, you can tie your graphics into the larger Libertarian Party brand image, which not only helps you with recruitment and recognizability, but cross-promotes many organizations at once. A good starting place is lpaction, a website created by the Libertarian Party to serve as a repository for branding information that you can draw on. It contains fonts, colors, and images that you can use as a base for your designs. While you are free to utilize whatever logo you want for your affiliate (or make one using the standards found on lpaction yourself), a basic design utilizing the lpaction layout can be found for every affiliate in California here. Different higher quality designs can also be found and downloaded here. Business cards that are customized to your organization are essential to professional outreach efforts, and the LPCA has a store that makes it as easy as possible to get cards with a standard LPCA brand feel. Reach out to the Affiliate Support Committee to ensure you get cards specific to your affiliate. Once you do, you can set up an account for the store at brandly, and follow these steps:

• On the top left hand menu, select “Dashboard”
• Under the “Design” box, choose the black back or the grey back by clicking on the arrow
• Click on “Start Order”
• Click on the text on the front of the card to amend to show your name, title, cell phone (or alt number) and email
• Click “Add to Cart”
• Hover over the preview and click
• Change the quantity to your desired amount (The other details should be defaulted to Premium Matte Business Cards, Square Corners, Spot Gloss Finish)
• Click “Cart”
• Click “Checkout”
• Fill out your shipping, billing and payment info
• Select me as the admin to approve your order
• Click on "Place Order.”

Brochures

If your affiliate does (or is planning) in-person tabling events where physical literature would be beneficial or preferable, having access to brochures on a wide variety of libertarian answers and positions on political topics (which can be modified in Microsoft Word) is important, and are available here. These were initially made for the Libertarian Party of Alameda County by Mr. Jim Eyer, but can be modified to reflect your organization’s branding and logo as necessary.

Executive Committee Role Descriptions

It’s important that members understand the commitment they’re taking on when they agree to run for an Officer position. While a well established organization requires less maintenance, a newly established one requires a fair amount of work early on (depending on the role, it could be anywhere from 3-6 hours a week if not more). Officer roles are always: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. An Executive Committee is comprised of Officers, as well as other positions deemed necessary according to the needs of the affiliate. Additional positions range from the typical At Large role which is generally tasked with a variety of duties delegated at the discretion of the Officers, as well committee chairs tasked with very specific duties (e.g., Activities Chair, Membership Chair, etc.). The following is a general description of what each of the most common roles entail.

Chair

The Chair is the Chief Executive Officer of the Party. The Chair presides at all meetings of the Party, and the Executive Committee.

Vice Chair

The Vice Chair performs the duties of the Chair (1) to the extent delegated by the Chair; and (2) to the extent that the Chair is, for any reason, unable to perform the duties of the office.

Secretary

The Secretary keeps, or causes to be kept, a book of minutes of all meetings of the Party and the Executive Committee. The Secretary keeps, or causes to be kept, a membership record containing the name and address of each voting member of the Party, and the date upon which such voting member joined the Party. The Secretary gives, or causes to be given, notice of all meetings of the Party. The Secretary keeps, or causes to be kept, all other books, records and papers of the Party, and has such other powers and performs such other duties as may be prescribed by the Executive Committee or the Bylaws. The Secretary may appoint an assistant to perform their functions when they are unable to do so. Such an assistant must already be a member of the Executive Committee, or someone the Executive Committee has approved.

Treasurer

The Treasurer receives, expends, and accounts for the funds of the Party under the supervision and direction of the Chair and the Executive Committee. The Treasurer makes an annual financial report to the Executive Committee, and performs all duties required of the office by applicable federal and state laws. The Treasurer is responsible for oversight of all financial functions, including but not limited to: receipts, disbursements, and internal and external reporting. The Treasurer only issues disbursements that are approved by at least two-thirds of the Executive Committee, and can be substantiated by appropriate documentation. The Treasurer timely files such federal and California income tax returns as may be required under applicable law.

At Large Representatives

At Large Representatives inform the Executive Committee of any issues of relevance throughout the county including, but not limited to: activism opportunities, candidate support opportunities, local elections, events in which the Party’s participation could prove beneficial, and expanding membership. At Large Representatives participate in all Executive Committee discussions and debates, and vote on all matters. At Large Representatives may perform other duties per the direction and discretion of the Executive Committee.