[Lake4SFP] When the Going Gets Tough
J.A. Lake
I admit, I haven't been around for some time. That is probably my greatest weakness as a candidate for Party President, and I'll declare it up front.
Most of you I know, but I'll introduce myself in brief. I'm J.A. Lake, I've been around for some time. I was in the SFP when it was an achievement to barter for a few Congress seats from the Federalists or the BSP, and at most we'd have two or three Congresspeople. I was around for the December Revolution, where Bear Cavalry overthrew the dictatorship in defiance of Congress. I was in Congress, fighting to get our members removed from the Congressional blacklist. I was around when Cerb and company seized the SFP and tried to break us.
We're a party with a storied history and with a lot of notable members. We've been the gadfly, the Socrates to this game's mainstream population. I've been here for a lot of it, but I don't want to focus on me. This is about the Party.
That said, I think we're starting to lose our way. This is not totally the fault of any Party, but merely I think a symptom of the decline of the game. My belief is that to combat that, we must focus on making what we have work. In order to do that we must restructure the Party.
I recognize the prospect of change is ominous, but only if you let the opportunity to effect it pass by.
For the month of October I have written up a 3 Point Plan, consisting of the following points (in no particular order).
Our Constitution (much like the eUSA's) is written for a larger game than we're playing, and it isn't abided by half the time. On the first day of my tenure as Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee, I will open a discussion on the forums to compose a new Constitution. This will be less wordy, more contemporary, and much easier to abide by.
The Revolutionary Committee could use reform. I appreciate the desire for an all-volunteer organization, but the system doesn't reflect game mechanics or make use of what we have. It also muddles business and open discussion, which I think would be better served by two different threads.
Instead, I propose the following.
We create the Central Committee of the SFP as a body above the Revolutionary Committee, a space in which the work of administrating the party can be done free from distraction. It will consist of five members, including the Chairman. The other four will be the Vice President, Secretary General, Councilor, and Spokesman listed under the party screen in-game. Each player will play a different, but essential, role in the Central Committee.
Chairman/President: Presides, determines policy positions to be put to a vote, and closes votes.
Deputy Chairman/Vice President: Assumes the duties of the Chairman when s/he is incapable of fulfilling those duties. Votes on proposals.
Secretary General: Oversees the various organs of the Party, including Bear Cavalry and various outreach and support programs. Votes on proposals.
Councilor: Exists as a seat the Party Council elects a member to. Votes on proposals based on recommendations of the Party Council.
Spokesman: Editor of the SFP Official Media. Votes on proposals.
As you can see, this form of government allows for the orderly administration of the SFP in a thread that will be used solely for business- the Central Committee thread. The President appoints all members but the Councilor, who is voted on in the body I am about to describe.
Separate from the Central Committee is the SFP General Committee. This is basically what the SFP Revolutionary Committee is now- all volunteer, no conditions for entry, and able to discuss whatever. They will get together and elect a Councilor within a few days of the election of the Party President, who will be their voice on the Central Committee.
SFP has been a phenomenal source of media material over the years, and I will seek to continue that trend. I will establish a fund which will pay for quality articles. What do I mean by "quality"? I'd want it to be informative, longer than a paragraph or two, and composed with good grammar, spelling, etc.. Additionally a set publishing schedule would be created (or reaffirmed) for the SFPOM, ideally one issue would be released per week.
I was on the Party discord server today when I saw a long-time party member say:
"That aside, the whole term has been sloppy in terms of important [expletive]. Like primaries. And having the RC actually [expletive] vote. Amateurish at best."
I do not mean to indict our current or former Party Presidents, but only to point that out as exactly what I will be putting a stop to. The SFP will become a more efficient Party. We will do it, regardless of any obstacle. Any and all members, past, present, or future, are welcome and encouraged to join into the effort to craft a new Party. We can only do this with full participation.
In closing, on 15 September I hope you'll remember that a vote for J.A. Lake is a vote for moving toward a contemporary SFP. This is an ambitious plan, and I understand misgivings about any fundamental changes to the SFP. I do not see this as that- I see this as attaching an administrative body to the existing party. Nothing is being changed fundamentally, but we are going to create an area where serious business will be done. If you've got any questions regarding my program, please do not hesitate to ask here, in the SFP party feed, or even in a PM. The door to my office is open any time.
Comments
[Lake4SFP] When the Going Gets Tough
https://www.erepublik.com/en/article/2650203/1/20
Vote - Subscribe - Vote on 9/15
I only see bureaucratic changes!!!!.
You want to eliminate our Constitution written by one of our most brilliant leaders?
You were gone for a long time, you're beck now for 2 weeks and you think you know the situation and are ready to lead?
BTW: Our media is one of the most active in the whole e-world.
What are you talking about???
I totally support this
Pig supports pig.
So piggish!
Good luck mate!
My statements are way less edgy when you put them into G-rated and Plato approved language.
Apologies xD
So before any changes to the parties constitution I want to see what changes your thinking about ...............I would like to know what your policies would be ...and why ..... in some detail besides we lost our way as a party...
Now I have never been in the parties leadership at a top level.....but I have been a voting member of the R.C. more than a few times And count most of you folks friends .so.....J.A. what will be the real change your talking about
Basically, the big change comes in the form of the Central Committee. I envision it as a brain, so to speak, where the majority of work gets done. Here we would compile data, work on policy moves, and develop the SFPOM. What is now the Revolutionary Committee would elect a member to the Central Committee, and the doings of the Central Committee would be reported back to the Revolutionary Committee.
Basically the Central Committee does the work, but the Revolutionary Committee provides oversight and input.
As for the Constitution, it will naturally be rewritten to reflect that. Otherwise I would seek to trim out those parts that are no longer relevant and those parts that we routinely ignore (mostly minutiae and stickler rules like exactly when to launch this thread, or the likes) to create a streamlined, contemporary document.
"Basically the Central Committee does the work, but the Revolutionary Committee provides oversight and input."
You do understand how stupid this is?
Do I need to explain?
What are the non relevant parts your talking about ... I believe most of us old timers like the constitution the way it is unless you can show me how it can be improved I say leave it alone ...Im not saying things cant be improved but it sounds like you want to scrap it and rewrite the whole thing ... I would need to see what you want to redo and what would stay the same before I would feel comfortable moving your agenda forward ...BUT its just my thoughts
He wants to put RC out of power, transfer it to CC. Therefor he wants to abolish our glorious Constitution.
He is a pig-satellite!
He wants to fix thing that are not broken.
BEWARE!!!!!!!
Pig satellite, that's a new one.
So now here we go and start with the mudslinging great Phil just how we always handle our selfs in a PP election down in the gutter.
Personally JA has good intentions for SFP.
You on the other hand might as well.
However at this moment I do feel you are only using SFP to further your own agenda. I do hope I am wrong about that, I really do.
Oh well whatever,
Nevermind.
I don#t have an agenda!
SFP comes first in my e-world!
I share share my wealth (yes, I sell packs!) with my fellow comrades.
Regarding language/wording: aren't you a lil bit too sensitive here, mate?
I just went through it in response to a message from another Party member, and I'll just write down the list of things I think can go here:
Section 3 and Section 4: I've never seen a use for segregating "voting" from "non-voting" RC members. Everyone in the RC should get to vote.
Section 5 and Section 6: Basically useless, as "titles" have never been an issue and "roles" hardly even exist anymore.
Section 11 states the obvious regarding meetings.
The whole of Part III is extraneous, as it presumes 100% activity when in actuality the majority of active members tend to be in the RC, so we don't really need procedure on party-wide motions or proposals that are started outside the RC.
Part IV is less a constitution and more of a party program. We can update our Ten Points of Solidarity to include ideals on economic and political freedom.
When were you participating the last time on a scheduled official SFP meeting?
P.S.
I will defend our glorious Constitution from punks like you, who are not worthy shining the shoes of Osmany Ramon or Phoenix Quinn!
What if the constitution had a tl;dr? A less wordy, more contemporary short version,, wouldn't that solve some of the problems you mention, making it easier to abide by.?
Like a plain English version of a phone contract? Or the Paypal TOS?
I don't know if there are such things like phone contracts in plain English, but yes, that's what I meant: a short version of the constitution, with links to the real thing. Plain English, short, easy to read and with an emphasis on how to 'run' the SFP.
That's certainly a good idea! We can definitely discuss that.
"Secretary General: Oversees the various organs of the Party, including Bear Cavalry"
Bear Cavalry a organ of the party, that is something we can argue.
Good to make the titles something more than just a title and to look in what the party has to be adjusted to the current times.
Good luck!
Yes.
Full Support.
I will defend our glorious Constitution from punks like you, who are not worthy shining the shoes of Osmany Ramon or Phoenix Quinn!
Yes.
Full Support
Is that you, Gnilraps?
Good luck bro, I'm sure you'll do good.
Good luck Mr. Lake. I do think an update to the SFP Constitution might be needed. I don't think it needs a complete and total rewrite, but some small tweaks to bring it more in line with the current game status.
Nobody gives a rat's bottom what you think about the SFP Constitution!
Glory to Osmany Ramon - our foundation
Glory to Phoienix Quinn - our inspiration
Glory to PilotPhil - our liberation
o/
LONG LIVE THE SFP!
POWER TO THE PEOPLE
Well Mr. Lake. I can not wait to see what the people say! Our party people, of course.
Good Luck.
JA Lake, always a pleasure!
Good to see you back and active Lake!
❤
Good to see you too, Phil!