Clerk Quality Guide

From Pirate Party of Canada

This document is currently a work in progress. It is to become a general style guide to maintain consistency amongst minutes, transcripts, and vote logs across meeting styles, and throughout the growth of the party. Previous methods have varied greatly in all regards, and this will serve as an attempt to create a standard for use in the future.

All posts to this page require approval of the Federal Clerk. If you have suggestions, please use this page instead. They will be addressed as time permits.

Contents 1 Clerk Guidelines for Local Meetings 1.1 Standards for Minutes 1.2 Standards for Vote Logs 2 Clerk Guidelines for General Meetings 2.1 Standards for Minutes 2.2 Standards for Vote Logs 2.3 Standards for Transcripts 3 Clerk Guidelines for Federal Council Meetings 3.1 Standards for Minutes 3.2 Standards for Vote Logs 3.3 Standards for Transcripts

Clerk Guidelines for Local Meetings

Local meetings are the backbone of the Pirate Party. One of our key strengths is the inherent flexibility awarded to our candidates. Aside from specific Pirate Party platform items, candidates are allowed to choose where they stand on all issues. This means a candidate in one riding, may hold a view opposite of a fellow member of the party in another riding.

• There is no federally designated clerk at the local level. It is up to the facilitator of the local meeting to assign someone to take minutes, or to do so themselves.
  • If a local group meets regularly, it is recommended that a member, in good standing, be locally elected to stand as the local clerk (ie Winnipeg North Clerk)
  • The exact details of the term of a local clerk are left to the individual riding / city
• Transcripts are not required from local level meetings. If you wish to include one, feel free.
• Minutes and Voting Logs are NOT required from local level meetings, but it is HIGHLY recommended. These will keep local members who were unable to attend up to date.

Standards for Minutes

1. Include Attendance
   • Mark if & when someone arrives late
   • Mark if & when someone leaves early
2. Include date & start time
3. Include main topics of discussion
   • Topic Title
   • Brief description of topic
   • Business arising from discussion
   • Record name in Bold text, task assigned & due date when applicable
4. Include Votes
   • Include the exact wording of the motion
   • Include the name of the person putting forth the motion
   • Include the number of Yays, Nays, and Abstains
   • Do not include voter's names, unless specifically requested
5. Include end time

When minutes are added to the wiki, name the file as follows: City_Year-Mo-Da_Minutes (ie Ottawa_2010-11-06_Minutes). Place the link to your minutes on this page, under a header with your city name. If your city is not currently listed, please add it beneath the appropriate province. Most recent minutes should be at the top of your city's section. On the page with your minutes, please include a link to your vote log.

For an example, please see Sample Local Minutes

Standards for Vote Logs

1. Create a single page per year for your vote log
   • For page name, use City-Year-Votelog (ie Ottawa-2010-Votelog)
2. Use a table to format your vote log
   • First column should be date, linking back to that week's minutes
   • Second column should be motion
   • Third column should be moved by
   • Fourth column should be Yays
   • Fifth column should be Nays
   • Sixth column should be Abstains
   • Seventh column should be result (pass or fail)
3. List votes with most recent at the top

To see a sample, please view Sample Local Vote Log

Clerk Guidelines for General Meetings

General meetings provide the opportunity for the whole country to join together and discuss the Pirate Party Platform. It also provides an opportunity for members from local regions to discuss what local chapters of Pirates are doing, and to obtain advice and praise from other Pirates across the country. As a general forum for discussion, the clerk has a very busy task.

For General Meetings:

• There is a federally elected clerk (Federal Clerk)
• The Federal Clerk is responsible for transferring a copy of the agenda to the party Wiki
• The Federal Clerk is responsible for tallying all federal votes: IRC, Web, and Telephone
• Transcripts, minutes and vote logs are required of general meetings
• The Federal Clerk verifies User IDs and PINs at the beginning of a meeting to ensure proper voting.

Standards for Minutes

1. Include Attendance
   • Mark if & when someone arrives late
   • Mark if & when someone leaves early
2. Include date & start time
3. Include main topics of discussion
   • Topic Title
   • Brief description of topic
   • Business arising from discussion
   • Record name in Bold text, task assigned & due date when applicable
4. Include Votes
   • Include the exact wording of the motion
   • Include the name of the person putting forth the motion
   • Include the number of Yays, Nays, and Abstains
   • Do not include voter's names, unless specifically requested
5. Include end time

When minutes are added to the wiki, name the file as follows: GM_Year-Mo-Da_Minutes (ie GM_2010-11-19_Minutes). Place the link to your minutes on this page. Most recent minutes should be at the top. On the page with your minutes, please include a link to your vote log and transcript.

For an example, please see Sample GM Minutes

Standards for Vote Logs

1. Create a single page per year for your vote log
   • For page name, use GM-Year-Votelog (ie GM-2010-Votelog)
2. Use a table to format your vote log
   • First column should be date, linking back to that week's minutes
   • Second column should be motion
   • Third column should be moved by
   • Fourth column should be Yays
   • Fifth column should be Nays
   • Sixth column should be Abstains
   • Seventh column should be result (pass or fail)
3. List votes with most recent at the top

To see a sample, please view Sample Vote Log

Standards for Transcripts

1. Take IRC chatlog for session
2. Create a fresh wiki page for each transcript
   • Use GM_Year-Mo-Day_Transcript for filename (ie GM_2010-11-19_transcript )
3. Remove any "mode" notices. Mode notices include:
   • Someone entering the chat
   • Someone leaving the chat
   • Channel Messages
   • Error Messages
4. Remove the names of people during oral votes and replace with "Vote was take. Yays: X Nays: Y Abs: Z"
5. For votes requiring telephone and web voting:
   • Insert "Vote was taken. Requires Web/Telephone voting. See Vote Log for results."
6. Include links at the bottom to Vote Log and Minutes

For an example, see Sample Transcript.

Clerk Guidelines for Federal Council Meetings

Federal Council Meetings are generally attended by the Leader of the Party, and Directors-at-Large. Most decisions are not generally made at a Federal Council Meeting, but it does happen on occasion. As such, consistent reporting methods are required for transparency.

• It is not mandatory for the Federal Clerk to act as clerk during Federal Council Meetings. It is however recommended.
• Should the Federal Clerk not be present at a Federal Council Meeting, those in attendance must decide who will act as clerk for the duration of the meeting
• Transcripts, Minutes and Vote Logs are required from Federal Council Meetings

Standards for Minutes

1. Include Attendance
   • Mark if & when someone arrives late
   • Mark if & when someone leaves early
2. Include date & start time
3. Include main topics of discussion
   • Topic Title
   • Brief description of topic
   • Business arising from discussion
   • Record name in Bold text, task assigned & due date when applicable
4. Include Votes
   • Include the exact wording of the motion
   • Include the name of the person putting forth the motion
   • Include the number of Yays, Nays, and Abstains
   • Include voter's names, unless specifically requested
5. Include end time

When minutes are added to the wiki, name the file as follows: FC_Year-Mo-Da_Minutes (ie FC_2010-10-28_Minutes). Place the link to your minutes on this page. Most recent minutes should be at the top. On the page with your minutes, please include a link to your vote log and transcript.

For an example, please see Sample Federal Council Minutes

Standards for Vote Logs

1. Create a single page per year for your vote log
   • For page name, use FC-Year-Votelog (ie FC-2010-Votelog)
2. Use a table to format your vote log
   • First column should be date, linking back to that week's minutes
   • Second column should be motion
   • Third column should be moved by
   • Fourth column should be Yays, including names
   • Fifth column should be Nays, including names
   • Sixth column should be Abstains, including names
   • Seventh column should be result (pass or fail)
3. List votes with most recent at the top

To see a sample, please view Sample Federal Council Vote Log

Standards for Transcripts

1. Take IRC chatlog for session
2. Create a fresh wiki page for each transcript
   • Use FC_Year-Mo-Day_Transcript for filename (ie FC_2010-11-19_transcript )
3. Remove any "mode" notices. Mode notices include:
   • Someone entering the chat
   • Someone leaving the chat
   • Channel Messages
   • Error Messages
4. Include the names of people during oral votes and replace with "Vote was take. Yays: X Nays: Y Abs: Z"
5. Include links at the bottom to Vote Log and Minutes

For an example, see Sample Transcript.