GLOUCESTER COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE
BYLAWS
ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Gloucester County Democratic Committee (hereafter referred to as the Committee).
ARTICLE II - PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES
The purposes and objectives of this organization shall be as follows:
(To perfect and foster the Democratic Party in Gloucester County, Virginia;
To identify and register Democratic voters;
To determine the qualifications of and certify those qualified persons seeking the nomination of the Democratic Party for elective office and for the election of Committee members and delegates to the conventions;
To promote, aid and assist all Democratic nominees in all general and special elections;
To raise, allocate, and disburse funds to help finance the campaigns of candidates certified by the Committee;
To develop a grassroots precinct organization that will help elect Democratic candidates;
To determine the qualifications and recommend persons from Gloucester County, Virginia being considered for appointment to a government position by Democratic officials at all levels of government;
To seek out, cultivate and provide training for persons interested in becoming future candidates for party and governmental positions; and
To analyze and evaluate the policies, programs, and administrations of opposition parties for the purpose of informing the public.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP, ORGANIZATION, AND ELECTION OF COMMITTEE
Section 1. Membership
The requirements for membership of the Gloucester Democratic County Committee shall be as follows, and once all requirements are met, the applicant shall be a member of the Gloucester County Democratic Committee and have all rights and privileges as outlined in section 5.
Persons filing for applications for full membership must be registered voters living in Gloucester County, Virginia, at the time of filing.
The person must affirm they are a Democrat and subscribe to the principles of the Democratic Party.
The person shall submit an application to the Committee which will then be reviewed by the Gloucester Democratic Committee officers. Applications shall be available at any scheduled meeting.
Once received and reviewed, the application must be accepted by officers of the committee for a person to become a member. The application may only be rejected with justifiable cause. This review is to be completed, insofar as is practical, within one month's time.
Upon acceptance of a Membership Application, dues for that year are due (6.1)
Section 2. Reorganization and Election of Officers
In odd-numbered years, upon no more than two (2) weeks, but not less than seven (7) days prior notice to members, between the first Saturday in December and the second Wednesday in January, the Committee shall conduct a re-organizational caucus.
As mandated by the Democratic Party of Virginia, the re-organizational caucus will be held every second year (odd year). The date of the reorganization meeting must be set and communicated to the state party (DPVA) by November 1st.
After the reorganization meeting, but prior to the end of the Calendar Year, any candidate for office (see Article IV for list of officers) must state their intention to run for office, complete the notice of candidacy, and notify the current Chair, who will notify the membership at least one week prior to the January meeting.
Officers will be elected by majority vote of membership no later than the first meeting in January and their term in office shall be as described in Section 4.
“No candidate endorsed” shall be an option on the ballot for election of any office. This is provided specifically to ensure that all candidates for office will further the goals and purposes of the Committee.
Section 3. Term of Office
All members of the Committee, with its officers and executive board, duly elected, shall serve a term of two years unless said member dies, moves from Gloucester County, Virginia, resigns, or is removed from office. In such case, a vacancy is to be declared and filled by a majority vote of the Committee.
Section 4. Violations and Appeals
Any ten (10) Democratic voters of a county 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
Section 5. Youth, Special, and Honorary Membership
All members of the Democratic Party, who represent Gloucester County, Virginia, in the Congress of the United States, the General Assembly of Virginia, or are the Constitutional Officers of the County shall, upon their election and request, be members of the Committee. Said members shall not be precinct representatives.
Nonvoting memberships 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.
Honorary membership may be extended by Committee vote to those persons who have shown particularly high standards and efforts in promoting and fostering the Democratic Party and its goals. Said honorary members shall not be precinct representatives or have voting privileges.
Any person who wishes to contribute to the local Party may become a Partner of the Committee. A person may become a Partner with a minimum yearly contribution equal to the annual dues. Partners would receive news of the Committee as well as any publications or mailing from the Committee. In addition, partners may attend any meeting, but attendance is not obligated. The Secretary shall maintain and update the List of Partners.
A person may file for Youth Membership if they are a resident of Gloucester County, Virginia, who has not yet attained voting age and pledges to register to vote once able. Youth Membership shall be in all ways the same as regular membership except Youth Members may not run to be officers or chairs other than Chair of the Youth Outreach Committee.
Section 6. Rights, Dues, and Duties of Members
It shall be the right of the voting members to participate fully in all business of the Committee.
It shall be the duty of all voting members to abide by the Democratic Party Plan and these bylaws, to attend all meetings of the Committee as they are able, to campaign actively on behalf of all Democratic nominees, and to fulfill such other responsibilities as the Chair may assign. Additionally, voting members shall aid in organizing their precincts, recruiting members, and in raising funds for the promotion of the Party and for the support of candidates.
Annual dues are currently twenty dollars ($20.00) per year. At the discretion of the member, he/she may pay one year’s dues in advance at the January meeting. Nonpayment of dues shall suspend that member’s voting rights until such time as the dues are paid.
Member's dues run from the date of payment through the end of the calendar year.
Section 7. Vacancies and Removals
The Committee shall have the power to expel any member for cause. Such action, however, shall not be undertaken without notice to the offending member and an opportunity for him/her to refute such charges before the Affirmative Action/Grievance Committee, and thereafter, to the membership at large.
Should any person be removed, he/she has the right to appeal to the First District Committee of the Democratic Party of Virginia within fifteen (15) days of the action.
A member removed under Article III 7 (1) may reapply for membership, which membership shall not be unreasonably withheld. A reinstated member must pay the yearly dues upon reinstatement. The reinstated member will be listed as a non-voting member for a period of thirty (30) days. After the thirty (30) day period, a reinstated member will have full voting rights.
Members elected to the Executive Board who fail to attend two (2) consecutive meetings or five (5) meetings in a year without notifying the Chair either in person, by telephone, or in writing (physical or digital) of that member’s inability to attend a particular meeting prior to the time the meeting commences, must show just cause to retain their seat. The member may appeal to the Committee for a waiver. Upon an affirmative 2/3rds vote of the Committee membership present, the member may retain his/her office, and if the person is not voted back into office, 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.
ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS
Section 1. Officers
The Officers of the Committee shall consist of a Chair, a Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Data Manager. A Parliamentarian and a Sergeant-at-Arms may also be elected if deemed necessary by the essential officers or by a majority vote of Members. If a Parliamentarian or Sergeant-at-Arms is not elected, the elected officers or members shall assume those duties as they deem necessary
Section 2. Duties of Officers
Chair: The Chair shall be the administrative director of the Committee and shall preside at all meetings of the Committee and for the Democratic Party in Gloucester County, Virginia, and will, whenever possible, make public appearances to inform the public of the policies, aims, and activities of the Party and the Committee. The Chair is also charged with generating interest in Party and Committee affairs, serving as an ex-officio member of all committees, is entitled to announcements and minutes of all meetings, shall have direct responsibility for the organization of County conventions, and shall delegate as many administrative tasks as possible in order to fully perform the Chair’s public responsibilities. In the Chair’s absence, or in the event of the Chair’s inability to perform these duties, they will be carried out by the Vice-Chair who is present and able to do so. If the Vice-Chair is unable to perform these duties, the order of succession to carry out those duties shall be Secretary, Treasurer, and Data Manager. The Chair is authorized to expend up to $50.00 on a transaction without approval of the Executive Board or the Committee, and shall inform the Committee of such expenditures as soon as is practical. The Chair shall have the authority to appoint chairmen for all standing committees.
Vice-Chair: The Vice Chair will assume the duties of the Chair in the event of absence, resignation, or inability of the Chair to perform his or her duties. The Vice-chair shall be a member of the standing Membership, Outreach/Publicity/Programs, Audit, standing Finance, Precinct Organization and Nominating Committees. They shall be responsible for whatever other duties the Chair assigns.
Secretary: The Secretary shall record the proceedings of the Committee, be custodian of the bylaws 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 email, 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 of which he/she may have had control. The Secretary shall be a member of the standing Membership Committee.
Treasurer: The treasurer shall receive the funds of the Committee and disburse them as duly authorized by the Committee. He/she shall provide a financial report at each regular meeting of the Committee. At the expiration of his/her term of office, he/she shall turn over to his/her successor all funds, books, records, and property that he/she may have belonging to the Committee. The Treasurer shall be a member of the standing Finance Committee
Data Manager: The Data Manager shall coordinate data with the Democratic Party of Virginia and assist the Committee with its operations.
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 bylaws.
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 the usual duties of such office.
ARTICLE V - MEETINGS
Organizational Meeting: Within forty (40) days following the re-organizational caucus, the Committee shall hold an organizational meeting, at which time the officers as provided for in Article IV, shall be nominated and elected. Those duly elected officers shall serve on the Executive Board of the Committee for two (2) years.
Regular Meetings: Meeting shall be held at 7:00 p.m. on the third Monday of every month. Meetings may be rescheduled as needed with a majority vote of membership or as determined necessary by the officers. At the November meeting, there shall be a discussion on the scheduling of the December and January meetings to accommodate for winter holidays and to schedule around Martin Luther King Day.
Special Meetings: Special meetings can be called by the Chair or by written petition of ten (10) percent of the voting membership. Ten (10) days’ written notice of a regular scheduled meeting is advisable but a failure to provide such notice shall not invalidate the meeting.
Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern all committee, executive committee or special committee meetings.
Quorum
Twenty percent (20%) of the voting membership shall constitute a quorum. 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, Newly Revised, and, as listed below, a two-thirds (2/3) “super majority” vote is required for:
a. Amendments to these bylaws at any meeting other than the biannual Reorganization Meeting; and
b. Expulsion of a member.
ARTICLE VI - EXECUTIVE BOARD
The Executive Board shall consist of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Data Manager, Youth Outreach Chair, Parliamentarian, Sergeant-at-arms, and any other standing committee Chairs appointed by the Chair
The Executive Board shall formulate policies and procedures, establish short and long term goals, and shall formulate a Gloucester County, Virginia, Democratic Committee platform.
The Executive Board shall be charged with the responsibility and of acting on behalf of the Committee in emergency matters.
The Executive Board shall have the power to approve unusual expenditures not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00).
The Executive Board shall meet at the call of the Chair, or of four (4) members of the Board. An emergency may be declared by the affirmative vote of three (3) members of the Executive Board and any action taken concerning such emergency shall require the affirmative approval of 2/3rds of all board members present
A simple majority of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE VII – COMMITTTEES
Section 1. Standing Committees
As soon as practical, ideally within sixty (60) days of his/her election, the Chair, with approval of the Executive Board, shall appoint Chairs of the following standing committees:
Grievance
Audit
Finance
Membership
Nominating
Outreach/Publicity/Programs
Precinct Organization
Youth Outreach Committee
Section 2. Duties of Standing Committees
Affirmative Action/Grievance: Encourages participation in the delegate selection process and all party functions such as the state congressional district conference and the national convention.Particular concern shall be paid to young people, women, Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans, LGBT citizens and other under-represented groups.. This Committee shall conduct any investigation requested by the Equal Opportunities Commission of the Virginia Democratic Party and 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 Gloucester County, Virginia.
Audit Committee: Examines the accounts of the Treasurer and gives a written report to the Committee by April 15th of each year. The Audit Committee may choose to appoint an outside auditor to examine the accounts and report.
(Finance Committee: Systematically budgets and solicits 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 and shall present a yearly budget at the March meeting to be approved by the Committee.
Membership Committee: Responsible for member recruitment, education, and retention. The Data Manager shall be a member of the Membership Committee. The Committee will provide the necessary application to all prospective members and assist in completing the application. This Committee will issue a new member package, if available, to each new member immediately upon their certification. This Committee will also aid the Secretary in maintaining the membership roster, and will verify that new members shall have met all membership requirements. The Membership Committee, working with the Secretary, Treasurer and Data Manager, will provide a list of voting members at each meeting of the Committee.
Nominating Committee: Seeks out and recommends 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. The Nominating Committee will also recruit and screen all local Democratic candidates for elective office and recommend whether they should receive the endorsement and support of the Committee. The Data Manager shall chair this committee.
Outreach/Publicity/Programs Committee: Responsible for communicating and working with neighboring committees and for publicizing Committee events and activities and for presenting programs at each meeting. It is expected that they shall work closely with the Affirmative Action Committee to ensure a broad and varied participation in events.
Precinct Organization Committee: Recruits, trains, and coordinates party workers who will organize the voting precincts in the Gloucester County, Virginia. This Committee shall nominate precinct captains and will consult and work with the Data Manager and campaign managers of all candidates endorsed by the Committee.
Youth Outreach Committee: Responsible for recruiting a promoting the Democratic Party and the Gloucester County Democratic Committee among persons not yet of voting age, and promoting future voter engagement, registration, and awareness. When feasible this person should be a youth member of the committee.
Section 3. Other Committees
The Chair, at his/her discretion, shall appoint such other committees as he/she deems necessary and proper. Ex: Daffodil Festival, Seafood Dinner, or Candidate Fora.
ARTICLE VIII - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The Committee shall be governed by and shall operate under the following rules of procedure:
Code of Virginia, as amended;
The Party Plan of the Democratic Party of Virginia; and
The bylaws of the Gloucester County, Virginia, Democratic Committee insofar as they do not conflict with 1 and/or 2 above.
Where not inconsistent with these bylaws or with the Democratic Party Plan or with the Code of Virginia, as amended, Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the conduct of business of this Committee.
ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENTS
These bylaws may be amended by the following procedure:
The proposed amendment(s) shall be presented in writing at any meeting of the Committee.
Upon the affirmative vote of 2/3 of the voting members present, the Secretary shall electronically mail or surface mail a copy of the proposed amendment(s) to each voting member at his/her last known address at least ten (10) days prior to the next meeting
At the next meeting of the Committee, the proposed amendment(s) shall be considered and deemed adopted by the affirmative vote of 2/3 of the voting members present
ARTICLE X - MISCELLANEOUS
The unit rule is abolished.
The rules governing the convening and operation of any mass meeting or convention shall be in accordance with the provision of the “Virginia Democratic Party Plan.”
A motion for a monetary contribution to a candidate for office must pass by majority vote of the Committee members present.
Revised January 2018