BAINBRIDGE – A group of several area groups who have organized an informative event focused on discussing the idea of an upstate New York succession will be meeting this Sunday at General Clinton Park in State Highway 7, just north of the Village of Bainbridge

The Secession Movement ­Rally will begin starting 1 p.m. and will take place rain or shine, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs to the event sponsored by several groups to discuss “where we are and where we need to be” as upstate New Yorkers.

“Secession is about reclaiming the economic opportunities that upstate has lost; and restoring the liberties that upstate residents once enjoyed,” read a release. “Downstate has dominated Upstate for decades and upstate has no future in a state controlled by New York City’s needs and desires.”

By all accounts, the primary focus of organizational meeting will be explanation of the two hypothetical options for upstate succession; in a nutshell: should upstate N.Y. Become part of Pennsylvania or form its own sovereign state.

According to secession advocate Aaron Price, “Article 4, Section 3, Clause 1 of the United States Constitution allows secession. To accomplish this option, the Legislature of New York, the Legislature of Pennsylvania, and the United States Congress would have to approve secession.”

“The second option being studied,” said Price, “is to have a small New York State government with two autonomous regions – upstate to be called New Amsterdam and downstate to be called New York.”

Price said that the latter option could be accomplished through legislative approval or through the New York State Constitutional Convention process.

Price indicated that in 2017, registered voters will vote on whether or not they want a constitutional convention in New York State.

But while localities in New York have periodically threatened secession throughout the state’s history – the only successful secession occurred in the 1800's when a territory now known as the state of Vermont seceded.