Caroline County Democratic Committee Bylaws

 

ADOPTED:  July 13, 1992, and amended thereafter on June 10, 2006, and July 11, 2009

 

ARTICLE   I:   NAME

 

The name of this organization shall be the Caroline County Democratic Committee, hereafter referred to as “the Committee.”

 

ARTICLE   II:   ORGANIZATIONAL AUTHORITY AND PURPOSE

 

The Committee is organized under the authority of and in accordance with the Code of Virginia and the Party Plan of the Democratic Party of Virginia.  Nothing contained in these bylaws is intended to conflict with either the Code of Virginia or the Party Plan.  If such a conflict should occur, the Code shall have precedence.   All activities of the Committee, including mass meetings, primaries, conventions and fundraising shall be conducted in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Party Plan.

 

ARTICLE   III:   DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEE

 

It shall be the duty of the Committee, as well as each officer and member thereof:

 

            Section   A:      To organize and to keep up-to-date the bylaws of the Democratic Party within the County of Caroline;

 

            Section   B:      To promote the Party Plan and Democratic principles within the County of Caroline;

 

Section   C:      To encourage voter registration and voting in the County of Caroline;

 

            Section   D:      To support Democratic Party nominees in all elections;

 

            Section   E:      To raise funds for the Democratic Party and Democratic Party nominees for office; and

 

            Section   F:      To organize and appoint election officials to work in all general and special elections in the County of Caroline pursuant to the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended.

 

ARTICLE   IV:   MEMBERSHIP

 

Section   A:     Membership on the Committee shall consist of those residents of the County of Caroline who have paid membership dues in full as currently established by the Committee.

 

            Section   B:    A new member, who is a registered voter in the County of Caroline, becomes eligible to vote on Committee matters 30 days after becoming a member and paying dues in full.

 

            Section C:      The Committee may vote by a majority of eligible Committee members present and voting to bestow a lifetime membership upon an individual who is deemed to  have shown an exceptional continued support to the Committee.  Dues will be waived for individuals granted a lifetime membership.

 

ARTICLE   V:   ELECTION OF OFFICERS

 

            Section   A:   The Committee shall reorganize during the period between the first Saturday in December in odd-numbered years and the second Wednesday of the following January.  The Committee must determine the date of this reorganization meeting and communicate that information to the State Party by November 1 of each odd-numbered year.

 

Section   B:   At the reorganization meeting, there shall be elected the Chair, Executive Vice Chair, Membership/Outreach Vice Chair, Fundraising Vice Chair, Get Out the Vote Vice Chair (GOTV Vice Chair), Secretary, and Treasurer; the positions of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined.  The terms of office shall coincide with the terms of their election to the Committee for a period of two years.

 

Section   C:   A vacancy in any office shall be filled by a majority of those members present and voting at a regular meeting.

 

ARTICLE VI:    DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS:

 

            Section   A:    The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Committee.  The Chair will appoint the Sergeant at Arms, who will be charged with maintaining order at all meetings.  The Chair  will appoint a Parliamentarian who shall ensure that the Committee’s meetings proceed according to the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, and in all cases that those rules are applicable and do not conflict with the Bylaws, the Party Plan, or  the Code of Virginia.  The Chair  will appoint a Social Director to greet visitors and help coordinate any social events as indicated by the Chair. The Chair  may appoint committees that he or she deems necessary.  The Chair shall act as a signer on the Committee’s bank accounts.  The Chair shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.  The Chair shall perform such other duties as are required by the Bylaws, the Party Plan or the Code of Virginia.

 

            Section   B:    The Executive Vice Chair shall preside at any meeting if the Chair is absent, and shall have the authority of the Chair when the latter, for any cause, is unable to act. The Executive Vice Chair shall appoint an Assistant Treasurer to assist the Treasurer and to act as a signer on the Committee’s bank accounts.  The Executive Vice Chair shall also be responsible for the public communications of the Committee including the production of the newsletter and the maintenance of the website, and may form subcommittees or appoint persons to perform each task.  The Executive Vice Chair shall perform such other duties as are delegated by the Chair, or are required by the Bylaws, the Party Plan, or the Code of Virginia.

 

            Section   C:    The Membership/Outreach Vice Chair shall preside at all meetings if the Chair and the Executive Vice Chair are absent .  The Membership/Outreach Vice Chair shall be responsible for the maintenance of Committee membership lists, committee lists, and mailing lists and shall form subcommittees or appoint persons to perform these tasks.  The Membership/Outreach Vice Chair shall be responsible for the membership growth of the Committee and shall identify communities of interest; existing and emerging ethnic and/or minority communities; young voters; recently naturalized citizens; and minorities as well as leaders from within those groups; establish a dialogue with those groups; and encourage participation in the Democratic Party.  The Membership/Outreach Vice Chair shall perform such other duties as are delegated by the Chair, or are required by the Bylaws, the Party Plan, or the Code of Virginia.

 

            Section  D:    The Fundraising Vice Chair shall preside at all meetings if the Chair, the Executive Vice Chair, and the Membership/Outreach Vice Chair are absent.  The Fundraising Vice Chair shall be responsible for all the fundraising activities of the Committee and shall form a subcommittee to assist in this task.  The Fundraising Vice Chair shall perform such other duties as are delegated by the Chair, or are required by the Bylaws, the Party Plan, or the Code of Virginia.

 

            Section  E:      The GOTV Vice Chair shall preside at all meetings if the Chair, the Executive Vice Chair, the Membership/Outreach Vice Chair, and the Fundraising Vice Chair are absent.  The GOTV Vice Chair shall form a GOTV subcommittee to perform tasks to support registration of voters, education of voters, and polling place activities.  The GOTV Vice Chair shall cultivate volunteer precinct captains and workers in all the voting precincts in the county, and assist precinct captains in voter registration, education and polling place activities in their precincts.  The GOTV Vice Chair shall perform such other duties as are delegated by the Chair, or are required by the Bylaws, the Party Plan, or the Code of Virginia.

 

            Section   F:     The Secretary shall keep records of each meeting and shall provide timely written notice of all meetings. The minutes shall be printed and distributed to the members at the next regular meeting.  The Secretary shall work with the Membership/Outreach Vice Chair to notify members regarding the status of their membership and to ensure the proper maintenance of the membership lists of the Committee, and shall work with the Treasurer to ensure proper maintenance of financial records.   The Secretary shall perform such other duties as are delegated by the Chair, or are required by the Bylaws, the Party Plan, or the Code of Virginia.

 

            Section  G:     The Treasurer shall be responsible for all funds of the Committee and shall be responsible for the deposit of all income in a bank in the name of the Committee.  He or she shall pay all bills and make regular reports to the Committee at each meeting of the Committee.  The Treasurer shall work with the Membership/Outreach Vice Chair to ensure the proper maintenance of the membership lists of the Committee, and shall work with other officers to ensure proper maintenance of financial records.   The Treasurer will be one of three signers on the Committee bank account , the others being the Assistant Treasurer and the Chair (To be valid, a check must be signed by two of the three authorized signers).  The Treasurer shall perform such other duties as are delegated by the Chair, or are required by the Bylaws, the Party Plan, or the Code of Virginia.

                                   

ARTICLE VII:    EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

 

An Executive Committee shall be created consisting of the Chair, Executive Vice Chair, Membership/Outreach Vice Chair, Fundraising Vice Chair, GOTV Vice Chair, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and any statewide elected officials, or Central committee members, who are members of the Democratic Party and who are residents of Caroline County.  The Chair Emeritus (immediate past Chair of the Committee) shall be a member of the Executive Committee.

 

The Executive Committee shall have the power to act for the Committee on any matter, except as to those matters that the Committee reserves for itself in these Bylaws.

 

ARTICLE VIII:    MEETINGS

 

Section A:  There shall be at least ten (10) scheduled regular meetings each year.  Meetings shall be open to the public.

 

Section B:   Meetings shall be called in accordance with the provisions of the Party Plan of the Democratic Party of Virginia in the section regarding Democratic County and City Committees.

 

Section C:   A quorum shall consist of the minimum amount required by the provisions of the Party Plan of the Democratic Party of Virginia.

 

ARTICLE IX:     REMOVAL

 

Section A:  Any member of the Committee who is found by the Committee to have failed to perform a duty assigned to him or her or is found to have subverted the Bylaws of the Committee or the Party Plan of the Democratic Party of Virginia may be removed from Committee post and/or membership.

 

Section B:  The member must be given at least ten (10) days written notice, and an opportunity to refute such charges before the Committee. 

 

Section C:  Removal  shall be automatic if a two-thirds (2/3) majority of a quorum of Committee members present vote for removal.

 

ARTICLE X:     APPEALS

 

Any member of the Committee may appeal to the appropriate Congressional District Democratic Committee any decision, deadlock, or failure of the Committee to act.

 

ARTICLE XI:    AMENDING BYLAWS

 

            These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of a quorum of the current membership present and voting at any meeting if notice is given and the proposed amendment is made available to all members not less than ten (10) days before the vote on the amendment.

 

ARTICLE XII:    PRECEDENCE OF RULES AND LAWS

 

            The rules governing the Committee shall be the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, in all cases that those rules are applicable and do not conflict with the Bylaws, the Party Plan or the Code of Virginia.