RP Official Minutes for NOVEMBER 12, 2016
REFORMATION PARTY, USA NATIONAL COUNCIL OF OFFICERS
OFFICIAL MINUTES – NOVEMBER 12, 2016
1. The Council meeting opened with a reading of a Bible text from Daniel 4:17 by Brian Hanley (who moderated the meeting) and the opening prayer was led by Evan Kersten. J. Parnell McCarter kept the meeting minutes. Present at the meeting were Brian H., Evan K, and J. Parnell M.
2. Officers discussed the idea proposed by Brian of an essay contest with a $100 prize. Children would be asked to write an essay explaining and defending the establishment principle. Brian indicated he would be sending other officers his list of proposed rules relating to such an essay contest in order that at the next officer meeting in the first quarter of 2017 such rules could be discussed and acted upon.
3. There was a discussion of how the Party website has moved from Fatcow to iPage. Parnell indicated he would email to the other officers the ftp and other information relating to the new webhosting platform.
4. Officers discussed and agreed to have a public posting that the Party will have an election once there are more than 3 members seeking to be on the three member Council of Officers. Until then the current 3 officers will remain on it without election. It was also discussed how there appears we may soon have 4 candidates, because it is appearing like member Mark Wallace may put forth his name as a candidate. Brian and Evan requested information about Mark, and Parnell indicated he would email it to them.
5. There was next discussion of what the Party strategy should be at this point in time, with these possibilities proposed by Parnell for publicly published strategies:
a) Continue to hold up a public standard of where we believe the political order should move long term. - This item was supported by all 3 officers so approved.
b) Help political leaders and politicians in other parties which will move political policy in the general direction we seek (albeit such do not generally embrace all aspects of what the Reformation Party aims for). - This item was disapproved by Brian and Evan for public publication but supported by Parnell, so this item was not accepted for public publication.
c) Encourage Party members to get involved in local politics and even run for office when the time is opportune. - This item was supported by all 3 officers so approved.
Also as part of discussion of this topic Parnell noted that certain Reformation Party members have asked to attend a Party teleconference to discuss Party strategy. It was agreed that the first quarter of 2017 Officer meeting would have this as a component of it. It was approved to let members know of this. Brian also suggested that if there were an Officer election in the future that we ought to consider a teleconference where members could ask the candidates questions.
6. Parnell had proposed the following:
"With the rising prominence of politicians like Trump and Farage, along with the success of Brexit, etc., nationalism has become a more prominent issue in recent years. *If* we as a Board of Officers can reach unanimity on it, I would request that we put out a statement indicating our view that Protestant nationalism is consistent with and conducive to the ends of the Reformation Party. If we cannot reach unanimity, then I would request we publish what is the majority and minority opinion on this topic. We should make clear that no member is required to embrace Protestant nationalism in order to be a member of the Reformation Party, nor are we saying there is unanimity of view on this topic in the Party."
After some discussion, this item was disapproved by Brian and Evan for public publication but supported by Parnell, so this item was not accepted for public publication.
7. The Council closed with prayer by Parnell.
