Bylaws of The Democratic Club of St. Mary's County
adopted unanimously at Club Meeting on 24 May 2005
ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of this Club shall be The Democratic Club of St. Mary’s County.
ARTICLE II – PURPOSE
The purpose of this Club is to:
• unite members of the Democratic Party in St. Mary's County for the common cause and good of the party;
• disseminate knowledge about the principles of the party and information about its candidates for office;
• encourage citizens to participate in the governmental processes, local, state, and national, by voting for their leaders;
• work closely with Maryland’s St. Mary’s County Democratic Central Committee to further pursue our vision for the county, state, and nation;
• and work for those candidates who have been elected in the primary elections to represent the Democratic Party in the national, state, and local elections.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. All persons registered as Democrats are eligible for membership.
Section 2. Membership shall extend one calendar year from January 1 to December 31.
Section 3. Annual membership dues shall be set by the Executive Board and approved by the general membership for the ensuing year at the December meeting. Dues shall be payable as of January 1. Student dues shall also be set at this time. The Treasurer shall notify members two months in arrears, and those whose dues are not paid within thirty days thereafter shall be automatically dropped from membership in the Club.
Section 4. Voting privileges shall accrue to a new member as of the first of the month following the month in which the member pays his or her dues.
ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS AND FUNCTIONARIES
Section 1. Officers and Duties. The Club’s elected officers shall be as follows: President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
President: The President shall preside at all meetings of the membership and of the Executive Board; shall co-sign authorized expenditures and promote all things necessary and proper for the furtherance of the objectives of the Club.
First Vice-President: The First Vice-President shall be responsible for programs at regular meetings and special events. He or she shall be responsible for alerting the public, through various media available, about meetings and other activities being sponsored by the Club; for alerting the media about special events; and for reporting through letters and articles on special topics of interest to the party. During the absence or inability of the President to render and perform his or her duties or exercise the powers set forth in these bylaws, or by resolution of the membership, the same shall be performed and exercised by the First Vice-President. When so acting, he or she shall have all the powers and be subject to all the responsibilities hereby given to or imposed upon the President
Second Vice-President: The Second Vice-President shall be the membership chairperson. During the absence or inability of the President and First Vice-President to render and perform their duties or exercise their powers as set forth in these by-laws or by resolution of the membership, the same shall be performed and exercised by the Second Vice- President. When so acting, he or she shall have all the powers and be subject to all the responsibilities hereby given to or imposed upon the President and First Vice-President.
Secretary: The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the Executive Board and of the general membership meetings. He or she shall be custodian of the records, maintain correspondence when necessary, and notify the membership when meetings occur.
Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be responsible for all the funds of the Club. He or she shall be responsible for devising various means to raise funds other than membership dues, for the Club. Funds shall be deposited in such bank or trust company as designated by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall disburse funds only after approval of the membership at a regular meeting of the membership with the following exception: the President may authorize funds up to $500.00 to enable the Club to function. At each regular meeting the Treasurer shall report on the financial status of the Club. The Treasurer shall keep correct books of account of all business transactions. The Treasurer shall maintain a record of all paid members and shall report monthly any changes in the paid membership to the Newsletter Editor.
Section 2. Nomination Procedure and Time of Elections.
The President and Treasurer shall be elected in odd-numbered years, while the Vice Presidents and Secretary shall be elected in even-numbered years. At each September meeting the President shall appoint a chairperson and two members, to be approved by the membership attending, to serve as a Nominating Committee. It shall be the duty of this committee to nominate candidates for the offices to be filled at the December meeting. At the October meeting, the Nominating Committee shall present a slate of officers to be voted on at the November meeting. Before the election at the November meeting, additional nominations may be made from the floor. Installation shall occur at the December meeting, and new officers will assume duties as of January 1.
Section 3. Functionaries. The President may appoint the following functionaries whose duties are herein described.
Parliamentarian: The Parliamentarian shall assist with and rule on all matters of parliamentary procedure and shall be an ex officio, non-voting member of the Executive Board. The Parliamentarian shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the President.
Newsletter Editor: The Newsletter Editor shall publish and distribute a monthly newsletter and shall be an ex officio nonvoting member of the Executive Board. The editor may assist the Treasurer with the Club’s membership roster.
Website Administrator: The Website Administrator shall be responsible for maintaining an accurate and up-to-date Club presence and website on the Internet. The Website Administrator shall be an ex officio, non-voting member of the Executive Board.
ARTICLE V - MEETINGS
Section 1. Regular Meetings. Regular meetings to conduct normal Club business shall be held on a monthly basis, except in non-election years when meetings will not be held in the months of June, July and August.
Section 2. Special meetings. Special Meetings may be called at any time by the President or a majority of the Executive Board. In addition, the President shall call a special meeting upon receiving a written request to do so from a majority of the then-existing Club membership. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated. Unless there is an emergency, notification of such meeting must be sent to all members by mail not less than ten days before the date set for such meeting.
Section 3. Quorum. A quorum shall consist of the lesser of 10% of the total Club membership or 9 members in attendance at a regular or special meeting.
ARTICLE VI - EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1. Board Composition. The Executive Board shall be composed of the Club’s officers and ex officio members.
Section 2. Board’s Duties and Powers The Executive Board shall have general supervision of the Club’s affairs between its meetings. The Board shall consider the presentation of items of business to the full membership and shall plan long- and short-range activities for consideration of the membership and perform such other duties as are specified in these bylaws. The Board shall submit a proposed budget for consideration to the general membership at the January meeting. The Board shall be subject to the orders of the Club, and none of its acts shall conflict with action taken by the Club.
Section 3. Board Meetings. The Executive Board shall have a minimum of three meetings each year. Other meetings may be called by the President as needed. The Secretary shall notify all Board members of the meetings either by mail or by telephone at least two days before the meeting. A quorum shall consist of three Board members.
ARTICLE VII – COMMITTEES
Section 1. Auditing Committee. An Auditing Committee of two members shall be appointed by the President at the Club’s November meeting, whose duty it shall be to inspect the Treasurer's accounts annually in January, and report the results of the audit at the February meeting.
Section 2. Public Relations Committee. The Public Relations Committee shall consist of the Newsletter Editor, the Website Administrator, First Vice-President, and a Club member appointed by the President. The Public Relations Committee will assist, as needed by the decision of the Newsletter Editor and Website Manager, with the development and distribution of both the newsletter and website. The Public Relations Committee can request additional members and assistance as needed. A quorum shall consist of three members.
Section 3. Other Committees and President’s Ex-Officio Committee Membership. Other committees, standing or special, shall be appointed by the President as the Club or the Executive Board shall from time to time deem necessary to carry on the work of the Club. The President shall be an ex officio member of all committees, with the exception of the Nominating Committee.
ARTICLE VIII - PROCEDURES
Section 1. Vacancy of an Elected office. In the event of the vacancy of an elected office, except for the Presidency, the majority of the Executive Board shall appoint a Club member to serve as a temporary replacement until the next official election of officers.
Section 2. Amendments to the Bylaws. A motion to amend the bylaws may be submitted in writing at any regular meeting of the general membership. Within thirty days the Secretary shall notify in writing the general membership of the proposed change. At the next meeting where the membership has been notified in writing of the proposed amendment by the Secretary at least ten days in advance, the amendment will be presented for a vote. A 2/3 vote of the membership present is necessary for the amendment to take place.
Section 3. Rules of Order. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall be followed as interpreted by the Parliamentarian.