Member Leader Requirements

Role Description

Member Leaders, or cadre, serve a critical role in Triangle DSA (TDSA). They serve as leaders who help plan and execute campaigns, as well as keep chapter work organized and focused on meeting our collective goals. They also help develop members both practically and politically.
To help socialize these skills and create a transparent and democratic path to leadership, TDSA has implemented this program to provide skill training and political education. By completing the program requirements listed below, any member can become a member leader!
IMPORTANT: A resolution was passed in January 2025 that details the purpose and the expectations of member leaders.

Who can be Member Leaders?

Any Member in Good Standing can become a Member Leader. If you are interested in becoming a Member Leader, please fill out our Member Leader intake form

What do I need to know to be a Member Leader?

Member Leaders must attend or demonstrate equivalent knowledge from the Member Leader Curriculum, which includes the following topics/courses:

Political Education: Socialism 101, Socialism 102, and Marxism 101
Skill Trainings: Identifying and Developing Leaders, List Work, Org Tools, Security Practices, Democracy in DSA (Robert’s Rules and Meeting Facilitation), Grievance Process and Policy, Constructive Criticism and Comradely Disagreement, and Media Skills

What other requirements must Member Leaders meet?

You must be a mobilized chapter member for at least six months, during which you must have engaged in demonstrable organizing activity in the chapter
OR Have equivalent organizing experience within DSA or other democratic, member-led organization
OR Have received a waiver of this requirement from Steering Committee

What if I’m politically affiliated with other organizations outside DSA?

You must disclose all political affiliations. If you are a Member Leader or working to become one, please fill out our Member Leader Check In Form (not to be confused with our Member Leader Program Intake Form) to help prevent potential conflicts of interest between your chapter work and your connections to external organizations.

How active must I be as a Member Leader?

You must maintain activity in at least one committee or chapter body in DSA, YDSA, or in a democratic member-led tenant or labor union.

What is a provisional Member Leader?

Once you have completed at least 50% of Marxism 101 and at least 50% of the skill trainings, the chapter Steering Committee will approve you for provisional member leader status, with the expectation that you commit to completing the program within a period of time communicated to the Steering Committee. Provisional status gives you all the privileges of a full Member Leader.

What privileges do Member Leaders have in the chapter?

Both provisional Member Leaders and Member Leaders can access the chapters’ online organizing platforms, social media accounts, and secure internal file systems.

Once I’ve completed the program, will my role as Member Leader remain in perpetuity?

Steering may revoke Member Leader status for inactivity, poor behavior as a DSA representative, or lacking the skills or knowledge required of Member Leaders.

My Member Leader status was revoked; how can I get it back?

Appeal for reinstatement to the Steering Committee or via motion at a General Meeting, ensuring that all above requirements have been met.

I want to hold a Committee, Section, or Association leadership or mobilizer role; do I have to be a Member Leader?

Yes, or you must commit to meeting the requirements within a proposed amount of time approved by the Steering Committee.

I was a Member Leader before this program was introduced, so how do these requirements affect me?

All Member Leaders must meet these requirements by the tentative date of June 30, 2026.