Democracy at the North Pole

Gimlitin and his dwarves have been busy in the tunnels. I’ve barely seen them.

Meanwhile, we’ve nearly finished moving all the equipment and furniture into the fireworks factory.

At tomorrow nights general meeting, we will officially declare it open.

I also plan to propose that dwarves and gnomes be given votes as part of the assembly.

Let me explain.

I am the official authority at the North Pole. Depending on who is talking, I am the owner, chief executive officer, pastor, king of the North Pole.

So I could run things by myself.

But of course, I really couldn’t run things all by myself. Imagine me all by myself making all the Christmas gifts.

About 200 years ago, inspired by what was going on in the United States and other countries developing democracy, I created an Assembly that includes all the elves.

We are small enough that all the residents of the North Pole can meet to vote for plans, rules, whatever big decisions we need to make. The Assembly meets twice a year – in February (after we recover from Christmas) and August (as we start to get ready for the Christmas season).

The assembly votes for a Council. The ten members of the Council meets with me on a monthly basis to make lesser decisions.

The Assembly voted to build the new fireworks factory. The Council might vote on the hours for the factory.

When I first created the Assembly, I only included the elves in it. They had been with me the longest, and there were only a few dwarves and gnomes living at the North Pole. Then the Dwarves and gnomes all left, so it was never an issue.

But things are different now. I think it’s only fair that if the dwarves and elves choose to live here, they should have a say in what goes on here.

So tomorrow I am going to propose that we change the rules. I’m going to suggest that everyone living at the Pole be part of the Assembly, and that we have to have at least one representative from every one of the major groups at the North Pole on the Council.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow night.