ARTICLE I. Organization
& Purpose
Section 1. The name of the
organization shall be Metrocrest Democrats
(the “Club”). The target geographic area is
northwest Dallas and southern Denton
counties in Texas.
Section 2. The purpose of the
Club is to advance the success of the
Democratic Party throughout northwest Dallas
and southern Denton counties in Texas by
promoting active civic participation,
educating on values and issues, and
supporting candidates for elective office in
local, state and national elections and
non-partisan races who embody Democratic
values, and by providing political
leadership to energize progressive leaning
residents through local organizing and local
infrastructure support.
Section 3. The Political
Action Committee name shall be Metrocrest
Democrats.
ARTICLE II. Basic
Policies
Section
1. The name of the Club shall not
be used to endorse or promote any commercial
concern(s) unless authorized by the
Executive Committee or be used for personal
gain.
Section
2. The membership contact
information shall be used only for Club
purposes as authorized by the Executive
Committee. The Executive Committee shall
have the right to take such reasonable
action as it deems necessary to protect the
membership contact information.
Section
3. Funds and resources of the
Club shall be used only for Club purposes.
Section
4. Literature offered at Club
functions must include source information.
Section
5. Diversity, including, but not
limited to, geographic diversity, is a goal
of the Club in all activities.
ARTICLE III.
Membership
Section
1. Membership in the Club shall
be open to all persons eighteen years or
older who support the Purpose and By-Laws of
this Club. Membership is for the calendar
year.
Section
2. Members of the Club have the
right to vote on any motion, resolution,
nomination or election of the Club.
Membership terminates if fees are not
current.
Section
3. The Executive Committee will
set membership dues with a minimum of two
classes, as in regular and sustaining. The
EC may establish a reduced initial fee for
any member joining after the first day of
the year of the Club. The Executive
Committee shall have the power to waive or
reduce the membership fee in special
circumstances.
ARTICLE IV.
Officers
Section
1. Officers of the Club shall be
President, Vice-President, Secretary, and
Treasurer. The officers shall have the
following responsibilities:
• President
– Preside at membership meetings and act
as a spokesperson for the Club.
• Vice-President – Preside at membership
meetings and act as spokesperson for the
Club in the President’s absence.
• Secretary – Record minutes of all
membership meetings with written minutes
provided as needed, maintain the
membership directory, and correspond on
behalf of the Club. The Secretary serves
as the Chairperson of the Administration
Committee.
• Treasurer – Collect membership fees,
make bank deposits, disburse funds as
authorized by order of the Executive
Committee, render accounting reports at
regular membership meetings as needed, and
complete all required filings timely and
accurately to the Texas Ethics Commission
relative to PAC statutes. The Treasurer
serves as Chairperson of the Finance
Committee.
Section
2. All members of the Club shall
be eligible for election as an officer.
Section
3. All officers shall be
elected at the Election Meeting. The
Election Meeting is the first regular
membership meeting in odd-numbered years.
The Election Meeting shall be held within
the first sixty (60) days of the year.
Officers serve until a successor is elected.
Section
4. Officer vacancies will be
replaced by special election as called for
by the Executive Committee. The term of
officers elected to fill such vacancy shall
run until the term ends pursuant to Section
3 of this Article IV.
Section
5. Any Officer may be recalled
for cause. Recall must be initiated by a
petition bearing the signatures of the
greater of (i) ten (10) percent of the
membership or (ii) five (5) members. The
petition should be presented to the
Executive Committee and a special meeting
shall be scheduled by the Executive
Committee within thirty (30) days of the
presentation of the petition. Any officer
will be recalled by a majority vote of the
members present at a regular or special
meeting as called by the Executive
Committee.
Section
6. At any meeting, the President
may appoint a Parliamentarian.
Section
7. The Presidency, as elected in
Article IV, Section 3, may be occupied by
two club members (Co-presidents), if elected
by the members. The Co-Presidents will have
one vote on the Executive Committee. This
provision ends with the Election of Officers
at the Meeting in 2011 as stated in Article
IV, Section 3.
ARTICLE V.
Executive Committee
Section
1. The Executive Committee of
the Club will consist of the four Officers
and the Chairs of the permanent committees.
A quorum of the Executive Committee is
three. A majority of those EC members
present at an EC meeting are required for
any decision to pass.
Section
2. All Executive Committee
members must be registered to vote in Texas
at the time of their election.
Section
3. The duties of the Executive
Committee shall be to:
A. Transact
necessary business in the intervals
between regular meetings.
B. Create and dissolve temporary
committees.
C. Present reports at regular meetings of
the Club.
Section
4. Meetings of the Executive
Committee:
A. The
Executive Committee will have meetings as
needed.
B. Minutes shall be kept of all Executive
Committee meetings.
C. Members may attend any Executive
Committee meeting.
D. With the advance approval of the
President, any member or non-member may
meet with the Executive Committee for the
purposes of presenting a report or
proposal.
Section
5. Any member of the Executive
Committee who is absent without excuse from
three (3) consecutive Executive Committee
meetings may be considered by the Executive
Committee as having resigned from the
Executive Committee.
ARTICLE VI.
Committees
Only members
may serve on Committees. The Chairpersons of
the Program, Outreach and Technology
Committees and all members of the Nominating
Committee shall be appointed, removed, and
replaced by the President subject to
confirmation by the Officers. Committees
will periodically report on their
activities. Committees and their purpose
include, but are not limited to:
• Program
– Plan, propose and carry out regular
membership meeting activities and other
activities that reflect the interests of
members and prospective members.
• Outreach – Increase the visibility
of the Club, seek out new members and devise
and support efforts to reach out to voters
in our geographic area..
• Technology – Plan, propose and
implement technology solutions, including
the website, that support the Club’s
activities.
• Administration – Plan, propose and
implement systems to maintain member and
prospective member contact information.
• Finance – Plan, propose and
implement systems that facilitate the sound
financial and business management of the
Club. The Finance Committee should ideally
have two members, approved by the Officers,
in addition to the Treasurer.
• Nominating – to be composed of
three members, at least one of which is not
a member of the Executive Committee; will
nominate a consenting, eligible member for
each office to be filled and report its
nominees at the regular membership meeting
prior to the Election Meeting.
ARTICLE VII.
Meetings of the Club
Section
1. The Club will have the goal to
meet once a month, with a Holiday Party in
December serving as the meeting.
Occasionally a meeting may be skipped at the
discretion of the President. The Executive
Committee shall provide at least seven (7)
days’ advance written or electronic notice
of regular and special meetings to all
members of the Club.
Section
2. The fiscal year for the Club
shall run from January 1 to December 31.
Section
3. For a regular or special
meeting of the membership, a quorum will be
the number of members who are in attendance.
Unless otherwise specified in these By-Laws,
a simple majority of such members is
required for any decisions of the members at
any regular or special meeting of the
membership.
Section
4. The Executive Committee may
use electronic mail or other means to inform
the membership of meetings and agenda items.
Section
5. Only members who are
personally present at a membership meeting
may vote.
ARTICLE VIII.
Parliamentary Authority
The Club
follows “Roberts Rules of Order” in all
procedures except as otherwise specified by
these By-Laws.
ARTICLE IX.
Amendments
Section
1. Amendments and changes to the
bylaws can be made based on majority
approval at a membership meeting. Amendments
and changes introduced at one meeting cannot
be voted upon until at least the next
regular meeting.
Section
2. The greater of 10% of the
membership or five (5) members may petition
to have an amendment to these By-Laws
considered by the members.
Section
3. At the initial organizing
meeting at which these By-Laws are presented
for a vote:
a) fees will
be collected and a membership roster
established;
b) these By-Laws will be adopted by a
two-thirds (2/3) favorable vote of those
members present;
c) interim officers will be elected to
serve until the election of permanent
officers; and
d) the timing of the election of permanent
officers will be determined.
ARTICLE X.
Endorsements
Section
1. Endorements would only be
made in elections within a Democratic
Primary or Primary Runoff or non-partisan
election.
Section
2. Endorsements should meet the
following requirements:
- Club members be given a 21 day notice of
an endorsement meeting;
- All candidates running for the same
position be invited to a specific club
meeting, campaign forum or other event
organized or supported by the club;
- A quorum for endorsement purposes shall
consist of at least five members plus one
elected officer, and a majority of members
attending a meeting must vote to approve
endorsement;
- A majority of members attending an
endorsement meeting must vote to approve
endorsement;
- Only members may vote, and they must
have paid their dues at least 28 days
prior to the endorsement vote meeting (no
one may join the club and vote on the same
day);
- Voting will be done on paper forms.
ARTICLE XI.
Dissolution
Upon
dissolution of Metrocrest Democrats, any
assets remaining after meeting all financial
responsibilities will be given to a
Democratic entity as directed by the EC in
accordance with the rules related to PACs,
per the Texas Ethics Commission.
ARTICLE XII. Items
Not Covered By Bylaws
The EC is
authorized to act in the best interests of
the club for matters not specifically
addressed by these bylaws.