Revised 3 November 2010

 ARTICLE I 

Name 

SECTION 1. The name of this organization shall be the Edgertonite National Party. 

 SECTION 2. The acronym ENP, or the word “Party” with a capital “P”, may be used as abbreviations for Edgertonite National Party in contexts where such use is not confusing. 

 ARTICLE II 

Object 

SECTION 1. The Edgertonite National Party is a neo-Communist political party, combining traditional Marxist-Leninist politics and economics with the spiritual ideology of Lauraism, which believes that: Laura Ingalls Wilder is God; Communism is the best form of government; age of consent laws should be repealed; public transit should be restored to the routes, fares, and schedules in effect 18 September 1970; the area around Minneapolis, Minnesota should secede from the United States to create a homeland for the Lauraist religion, to be called the Nation of Edgerton; and that all people, including children, deserve as much liberty as possible consistent with public safety and the rights of others. Capitalism is a per se violation of people’s rights by exploitation. 

 SECTION 2. For purposes of this Constitution, the Service Area of the Edgertonite National Party and the proposed Nation of Edgerton extends 278.47 kilometers (173.03 miles) in radius from 350 S. 5th St., Minneapolis, MN, as determined by the “Radius Around a Point” tool at http://www.freemaptools.com.

SECTION 3. We seek to effect secession and establishment of a Lauraist/Communist government by peaceful, legal, and constitutional means: electing candidates to office and negotiating with the United States government for independence.

SECTION 4. The political beliefs and objectives of the Edgertonite National Party shall be laid out in the Party Program.

ARTICLE III 

Membership 

 SECTION 1. There shall be two classes of members. New members begin as candidate members, with all rights and duties of membership except voting. After one continuous year of membership, they become full members with all rights and duties of membership. The word “member” in this Constitution includes both full and candidate members unless specified otherwise.

SECTION 2. Any person living within the Service Area of the Party, who supports the political beliefs thereof, is eligible for membership. There is no religious requirement for membership; only political support is required. The residence requirement may be waived for applicants who demonstrate a personal connection to the Service Area. 

SECTION 3. The procedure for joining the Edgertonite National Party shall be determined by the National Leadership.

SECTION 4. All members shall pay monthly dues at the rate of two (2) times the adult local off-peak cash fare of the fixed-route transit system nearest to where they live. A member may be dropped from the rolls for failure to pay dues for three months or more, if the member appears to have lost interest in membership or be willfully refusing to pay dues. No member shall be dropped for failure to pay due to personal financial difficulties. 

SECTION 5. All members have the right to attend all meetings of the Club and any Board or Committee they belong to, to make motions and speak in debate, and to nominate candidates for both internal and public office. Full members have the right to vote and to hold internal office if appointed or elected thereto. 

ARTICLE IV 

Officers 

SECTION 1. The officers of the Party shall be a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and other officers as may be determined by the President. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed in this Constitution and by Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised. 

 SECTION 2. John Charles Wilson shall be the first President and shall serve for life, unless he voluntarily relinquishes this status or is factually (as opposed to “legally”) permanently indisposed. 

SECTION 3. Multiple offices may be held by the same person. 

SECTION 4. The President shall have full executive power over all the affairs of the Party, including power to appoint all other officers, to determine organizational structures within the Party and the rules or procedures by which such are governed, to determine all routine executive, administrative, policy, and tactical decisions. These powers may be delegated to subordinates or left to a vote at the President’s discretion, but the President retains the final say over any such decision. 

ARTICLE V 

Executive Board 

SECTION 1. The officers of the Party shall constitute the Executive Board. Each member of the Board shall have one vote regardless of the number of offices held. 

SECTION 2. The Executive Board shall have power to advise the President on all aspects of his job as defined in Article VI, Section 4. The President, acting with the advice of the Executive Board, shall constitute the National Leadership. 

SECTION 3. The Executive Board shall meet monthly, at a date, time, and place fixed by the members thereof. Special meetings may be called by the President as needed. 

ARTICLE VI 

Committees 

SECTION 1. The President shall have the power to appoint standing or special committees as deemed necessary to carry out the work of the Party. The President shall consider the advice of the Executive Board and membership as applicable. 

ARTICLE VII 

Parliamentary Authority 

SECTION 1. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Party in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this Constitution or any special rules of order the Party may adopt. 

ARTICLE VIII 

Amendments 

SECTION 1. This Constitution may be amended by the President, who shall consider the advice of the Executive Board and membership as applicable. 

ARTICLE IX 

Nominations and Elections 

 SECTION 1. The National Leadership shall provide for procedures to nominate candidates for public and internal elections, and the conduct of internal elections. 

ARTICLE X 

Districts and Clubs 

SECTION 1. The National Leadership shall have the power to charter local units, to be called Districts and Clubs. 

SECTION 2. Each District within the Party’s Service Area shall consist of a major city plus the surrounding countryside halfway to the next major city, and include all Clubs within the District. A single Foreign District shall include all members living outside the Service Area. 

SECTION 3. Clubs shall be chartered wherever three or more members able to meet on a monthly or more frequent basis due to proximity of residence, employment, or school. 

SECTION 4. Districts and Clubs shall be governed according to charters granted by the National Leadership, which shall be subordinate to this Constitution. 

ARTICLE XI 

Dissolution 

SECTION 1. Should the Party dissolve, its assets shall be donated to one or more charitable organizations defined by Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.