ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Gloucester County Democratic Committee (hereafter referred to as the Committee).
The purpose and objectives of this organization shall be as follows:
A. To
actively promote the registration of voters and support, perfect, and foster
the Democratic Party in the
B. To promote, aid, and assist all Democratic nominees in all General Elections;
C. To determine the qualifications of and to certify all persons seeking the nomination of the Democratic Party for elective office and for the election of Committee members and delegates to the Conventions;
D. To
determine the qualifications of and endorse persons from the
E. To raise, allocate, and disburse funds necessary to finance the campaigns of candidates certified by the Gloucester County Democratic Committee;
F. To seek out, cultivate, and provide learning experiences for persons interested in becoming future candidates for party and governmental positions; and
G. To analyze and evaluate the policies, programs, and administrations of opposition parties for the purpose of informing the public.
A. The Committee shall consist of the following voting members:
a. Persons
filing for application for voting membership must be registered voters in the
b. There shall be no limit on the number of committee members. The goal of the committee shall be to have at least one (1) member from each precinct.
c. All
members of the Democratic Party who represent the
d. No more that three (3) of said officials shall serve at any time on the Executive Board. Said officials shall not be precinct representatives.
B. The committee may also include non-voting members ages 16 and 17, who support Democratic ideals.
A. The committee may establish requirements for anyone who files as a candidate for the election to the Committee.
B. Any
person who is a registered voter in
C. Applications for filing will be made available through the Committee Secretary and the Membership Committee and will be filed at the time place and manner provided by the Committee
D. When an application for membership is submitted to the Committee, the required annual dues, as determined by the Executive Board, must accompany the application. Applications will not be considered until dues are paid.
E. Upon acceptance of the application and dues, the new member will have full voting rights.
A. Each local committee is required to reorganize every two years in the odd numbered year. The required time for reorganization is between the first Saturday in December and the second Wednesday of the following January. New officers shall be elected during the committee’s reorganization. By-laws shall be reviewed and submitted to the Democratic Party of Virginia no later than January 31,
B. By November 1 of each odd numbered year the committee must set the time and type of reorganizational meeting.
C. Public notice must be given to all local residents and members no more than two (2) weeks, but not less than seven (7) days prior to the reorganizational meeting.
All officers and executive board duly elected shall serve a
term of two (2) years unless said member dies, moves from
Any ten (10) Democratic voters of a county or city who feel that the Democratic Committee has been elected in violation of the Virginia Democratic Party Plan, may within fifteen (15) days after such election, appeal in writing to the First Congressional District Committee.
A. Nonvoting membership will be extended to two (2) representatives each for any other organization deemed by the Committee to have for its major purpose the furthering of the Democratic Party and its goals. Such representatives shall not be entitled to vote, but may otherwise participate in the activities of the Committee.
B. Honorary membership may be extended to those persons who have shown particularly high standards and efforts in promoting and fostering the Democratic Party and its goals. The term of this honorary membership and its attendant voting rights will be determined by the voting members present at a regularly scheduled meeting.
A. It shall be the right of voting members to participate fully in all business of the Committee.
B. It shall be the duty of all voting members to abide by the Democratic Party Plan and these By-Laws, to attend all meetings of the Committee, to campaign actively in behalf of all Democratic nominees, and to fulfill such other responsibilities as the Chairperson may assign. Additionally, voting members shall aid in organizing their precincts, and in raising funds for the promotion of the Party and for the support of candidates.
C. It shall be a duty of all members to pay yearly dues to the Committee each January.
D. It
shall be the duty of all Democratic committee members to support Democratic
candidates for office. No member or
officer of the Gloucester County Democratic Committee shall publicly support,
endorse, or assist any candidate opposed to a Democratic nominee.
Reference: The
A. The Committee shall have the power to expel any member for cause. Such action however, shall not be taken without notice to the offending member and an opportunity for him/her to refute such charges before the Grievance Committee, and thereafter, the membership at large.
B. Should any person be removed under sub-paragraph A, above, he/she has the right to appeal the First District Committee within fifteen (15) days of the action.
C. Members elected to the Executive Board who fail to attend two (2) consecutive meetings or five meetings in a year must show just cause to retain their seat. The member may appeal to the Committee for a waiver. Upon an affirmative 2/3 vote of the Committee membership present, the member may retain his/her seat. If the person is not voted back in, the member will be removed from the Board and the Committee will elect a new Board member to fill the remainder of his/her term.
The officers of the Committee shall consist of the Chair, First Vice-Chair, Second Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, and Sergeant-At-Arms.
A. Chair. The Chair shall be the administrative
director of the Committee and with the aid of all members, set policy for the
Committee. He/She shall preside at all
meeting of the Committee and for the Democratic Party in
B. First Vice-Chair. The First Vice-Chair shall be responsible for planning programs of general interest for regularly scheduled meetings of the Committee. The First Vice-Chair shall be a member (may or may not be chair) of the standing Membership, Planning,, and Precinct Organization Committees
C. Second Vice-Chair. The Second Vice-Chair will have the primary responsibility for publicity about the Committee activities, and outreach. The Second Vice-Chair shall be a member of the standing Finance, Grievance, and Nominating Committees. He/She shall be responsible for whatever duties the Chair assigns.
D. Secretary. The Secretary shall record the proceedings of the Committee, be custodian of the By-Laws governing the Committee and incorporate therein all duly adopted amendments, keep a roll of the officers and voting members of the Committee and a record of their attendance at Committee meetings. Additionally the Secretary shall conduct the correspondence, and send by mail or e-mail proper and timely notices of all meetings. At the expiration of his/her term, he/she shall turn over to his/her successor all books, documents, records, correspondence files, and any other property of the Committee that he/she may have in his/her possession. The Secretary shall be a member (may or may not be the Chair) of the standing Membership Committee.
E. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall receive the funds of the Committee and disburse them as duly authorized by the Committee. He/She shall prepare a budget in January of each year. He/She shall make a written financial report at each regular meeting of the Committee. The Treasurer shall be a member (may or may not be the Chair) of the standing Finance Committee.
F. Parliamentarian. The Parliamentarian shall advise the Committee, the Executive Board, and all committees on questions of parliamentary law or procedure, or on interpretation of the By-Laws.
G. Sergeant-At-Arms. The Sergeant-At-Arms shall assist the Chair in maintaining order and decorum at meetings of the Committee and in counting a show of hands vote. He/She shall assist the Secretary in obtaining a record of all voting members present at committee meetings and shall also perform duties assigned by the chair.
All regular meetings of the Gloucester County Democratic Committee shall be open to the public. Such meetings may be called as follows:
A. upon call of the chair of the committee, or
B. by at least ten percent (10%) of the members of the committee if the signed call is filed with the chair at least fifteen (15) days before the proposed meeting date; or
C. by a vote of the committee at a regularly convened meeting of the committee.
Section 2. Quorum
A. Thirty percent (30%) of the voting membership constitutes a quorum.
B. After a quorum is established and declared, at the time of any given vote, members shall determine any issue by a simple majority, except where otherwise provided by Robert’s Rules of Order, and as listed below, a two-third (2/3) vote is required:
a. To amend the By-Laws, or
b. To expel a member for cause.
A. The Executive Board shall consist of the Chair, First and Second Vice-Chairs, Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, Sergeant-At-Arms, two (2) Directors (elected at-large from Committee membership), and the immediate past chair, in a non-voting advisory position.
B. The Executive Board shall be charged with the responsibility of making recommendations to the Committee and of acting of behalf of the Committee in emergency matters.
C. The Executive Board shall have the power to approve unusual expenditures not to exceed three hundred dollars ($300).
D. The Executive Board shall meet at the call of the Chair, or three (3) members of the Board.
E. A simple majority of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum.
A. Within sixty (60) days of his/her election, the Chair, with approval of the Executive Board shall appoint the chair and members of the following standing committees:
a. Affirmative Action
b. Audit
c. Fundraising
d. Finance
e. Grievance
f. Membership
g. Nominating
h. Planning
i. Precinct Organization
j. Outreach Committee
k. Technology Committee
B. Any unfilled vacancy occurring after such appointments have been made will be filled by the Chair with approval of the Executive Board.
A. Affirmative Action Committee. The Affirmative Action Committee shall encourage participation in the delegate selection process and all party functions. Particular concern shall be paid to young people and other minorities. The Affirmative Action Committee shall also conduct any investigation requested by the Equal Opportunities Commission of the Virginia Democratic Party.
B. Audit Committee. The Audit Committee shall be comprised of two (2) elected directors and a non-member accountant. It shall examine the accounts of the Treasurer and give a written report to the Committee within thirty (30) days of the close of each calendar year.
C. Fundraising Committee. It shall be the duty of the Fundraising Committee to create a calendar-year plan for fundraising for the approval of the Committee. Upon approval, the Fundraising Committee will execute the plan with the help of volunteers from the full committee.
D. Finance Committee. The Finance Committee shall systematically budget and solicit funds for the activities of the Committee. The Treasurer shall be a member of the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee shall make regular written reports of its expenditures to the Committee. .
E. Grievance
Committee. The Grievance Committee shall
investigate, evaluate, and make recommendations concerning any complaint of
improper conduct or charge of willful neglect or disloyalty by any member,
nominee, or elected official of the Democratic Party in
F. Membership
Committee. The Membership Committee will
be responsible for member recruitment, education, and retention. The Committee will provide the necessary
application to all prospective members and assist in completing the application. The committee will be responsible for the
certification of applicants as registered voters of
G. Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee will seek out and recommend to the Committee qualified Democrats for vacancies on the Executive Board, Standing Committees, politically appointed positions, Advisory Commissions and boards at all levels of government.
H. Planning Committee. The Planning Committee will formulate policies and procedures, establish short and long term goals, and will formulate a Gloucester County Democratic County Committee Platform.
I.
Precinct Organization Committee. The Precinct Organization Committee shall
recruit, train, and coordinate party workers who will canvass the voting
precincts in the
J. Outreach Committee. The Outreach Committee shall make contact with other contingency groups in the community and encourage them to participate in the Committee’s activities.
K. Technology Committee. The Technology Committee shall coordinate, update, and maintain the website, to include posting of information and providing links to other Democratic websites.
The Chair, at his/her discretion, shall appoint such other committees as he/she deems necessary and proper.
A. The Committee shall be governed by and shall operate under the following rules of procedure:
a. Code
of
b. The
Democratic Party Plan of
c. The By-Laws of the Gloucester County Democratic Committee insofar as they do not conflict with a. and/or b. above.
B. Where not inconsistent with these By-Laws or with the Democratic Party Plan or with the Code of Virginia as amended, Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the conduct of business of this Committee.
These By-Laws may be amended by the following procedure:
A. The proposed amendment(s) shall be presented in writing at any meeting of the Committee. Upon affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the voting members of the Committee present the amendments will be approved.
A. The use of proxies is prohibited.
B. The
rules governing the convening and operation of any mass meeting or convention
shall be in accordance with the provision of the
Approved _________________________by a two-thirds majority of voting members attending.
Chairperson: _________________________________________________________
SUMMARY OF CHANGES:
Section 1. Membership
Paragraph A. c. Added the words “of supervisors“ to ‘
Paragraph D. changed dues of “$20” to “as determined by the Executive Board” in order to eliminate dollar amounts from the by-laws so amendments to the by-laws would not be required if dues change. Also eliminated the superfluous words “fee is” from the last sentence.
Paragraph E. eliminated the 30 day waiting period imposed on new members before they could vote.
Paragraph F. eliminated the authority of the Chair to waive the dues requirement.
Paragraph A. Reworded the existing paragraph to make it less confusing.
Paragraph B. Changed the word “the” to “each” in the first sentence.
Paragraph C. added the word “seven” to comply with correct grammatical requirements for legal documents.
This paragraph required all members of the committee to comply with the terms of office established for officers and executive board members. It was reworded to apply those requirements only to officers and board members. Added the number “2) in the first sentence to comply with correct grammatical requirements for legal documents.
Italicized “Virginia Democratic Party” to comply with correct grammatical requirements for legal documents.
Italicized all references to publications to comply with correct grammatical requirements for legal documents.
Paragraph C. eliminated the dollar amount of dues and the stipulation that non-payment of dues would suspend voting rights because ARTICLE III, establishes that only dues paying members may vote.
Paragraph B. added the words “sub-paragraph” in the first line for clarity.
Paragraph D. added the words “or e-mail” to the requirement to send my mail proper and timely notices of all meetings.
Paragraph E. added a requirement for the Treasurer to prepare a budget in January of each year. Also added a requirement for the Treasurer to submit a written financial report at each regular meeting of the committee. Eliminated the requirement for the Treasurer to turn over all funds, books, records, etc. upon completion of his/her term. That requirement does not need to be in the by-laws.
Paragraph G. changed the words “and shall also perform the usual duties of such office to” and shall perform duties assigned by the Chair.
Section 1. Reorganization Meetings – eliminated as redundant to ARTICLE III, Section 3.
Section 2. Regular Meetings – renumbered to Section 1.
Section 3. Quorum – renumbered to Section 2.
Paragraph C. Changed the limitation of the Executive Board from $100.00 to $300.00 when approving unusual expenditures.
Paragraph D. Eliminated all reference to emergencies.
Paragraph A. Changed the second sentence from “Particular concern shall be paid to young people, women, Blacks and other minorities.” to “Particular concern shall be paid to young people and other minorities.” To eliminate references to particular minorities.
Paragraph D. eliminated the reference to (Ways and Means) as Ways and Means committees are usually fund raising groups and we have a fundraising committee. Also, eliminated the requirement for the Finance Committee to make regular written reports as the Treasurer makes these reports.
Paragraph D. Added a Technology Committee which will coordinate, update, and maintain the website, to include posting of information and providing links to other Democratic websites.
Added a sub-paragraph requiring the committee to comply with Robert’s Rules of Order.
Changed the procedure to permit approval of amendments during the meeting at which they are presented.
Eliminated sub-paragraph B.
ARTICLE X - MISCELLANEOUS
Eliminated Sub-paragraph A which abolished the unit rule.
Eliminated the restrictions on contributions to candidates for office. The committee can decide how much to donate using good common sense and fiscal management.