By-Laws

Richmond County Young Republican Club

By-Laws

Article I – Name

The name of this organization shall be the Richmond County Young Republican Club, hereinafter referred to as “Club.”

Article II – Objectives

§1. The objectives of the Club shall be:

1. To develop and maintain a county-wide Young Republican organization in the County of Richmond, Borough of Staten Island.
2. To bring young people into the Republican Party, to provide an opportunity to them for political expression and recognition, to train them as political workers and to provide a practical means by which they may contribute in the development and betterment of the Republican Party as a service to the United States of America, the State of New York, Staten Island and its political subdivisions.
3. To assist the people of Staten Island by participating in and raising money for local charities.
4. To support the principles, objectives and platform of the Republican Party and to work for the election of all duly nominated Republican Party candidates.  The club shall not, as an organization, seek to influence the nomination of any Republican Primary candidates.

Article III – Membership

§1. There shall be four (4) classes of Membership in the club.

1. Active Membership: Any registered Republican who is not more than forty (40) years of age and is a resident of Richmond County is eligible for Active Membership in the Club.
2. Associate Membership: Any registered Republican who is not more than (40) years of age and is non-resident of Richmond County is eligible for Associate Membership in the Club.
3. Youth Membership: Anyone between the ages of 14 to 18 is eligible for Youth Membership in the Club.
4. Honorary Membership: Honorary Members shall be those people designated for honorary Membership by two-thirds of the Executive Board and three-fourths of those Members present at any regular meeting of the club.  There are no residence or age limitations for this category of Membership.
5. The term “Members” where used shall mean only Active and Youth Members of the Club.

§2. Dues. Annual dues for Active Members and Associate Members shall be ($20) for a single Membership and ($35) for married couples.  Annual Dues for Youth Members shall be ($15).  Dues may be raised or lowered by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board and three-fourths of those Members present at any regular meeting of the club upon the recommendation of the Finance Committee.

§3. New Members. Any person who applies for Active, Associate or Youth Membership shall be considered a Member of the Club upon the close of the second meeting at which said Member is present and after he or she has paid their annual dues. Any Youth Member automatically becomes an Active Member upon informing the Secretary that he or she has registered as a Republican and has attained the minimum age requirement to vote in the State of New York.

§4. Any Active, Associate, or Youth Member shall have the authority to introduce matters for the consideration of the Club after they have been recognized by the President and can vote on the business of the meeting.

§5. Good Standing. An Active Member, an Associate Member, or a Youth Member is in “good standing” when he or she attends two meetings in a calendar year and has no dues outstanding.

§6. Expulsion. The Membership may submit a petition containing the signatures of two-thirds of the Members stating that a Member has committed an act or conduct deemed unfriendly or hostile to the best interests of the Club.  The Executive Board must then review the matter.  That Member shall then be notified by certified mail of the recommendation of the Executive Board at least one (1) week prior to the next meeting and shall have the right to appear in person or by a representative.  Notice of the charges against the Member and the recommendation of the Executive Board must be included in the call of the meeting, and must be received by the Membership at least seventy-two (72) hours prior to the beginning of the next meeting.  At this meeting the Member may then be expelled upon three-fourths vote of those Members present.

§7. Rights and Privileges.

1. Only Active Members may serve on the Executive Board of the Club, except that a Youth Member can be chosen to chair the Youth Committee. Youth Members shall have priority unless three-fourths of the Executive Committee shall vote to waive the requirement. Youth Chairs that turn 24 after his or her appointment may serve the term to conclusion. The Youth Chair will serve under supervision of an Active Member unless they are an Active Member themselves.
2. All Members shall have the right to vote.

Article IV – Officers

§1. Number and Term. The officers of this Club shall be President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and the Chairman of the Board. All officers shall hold office from the January meeting in which they were elected until their duly elected successors take office.  A term of office is one (1) year.  The President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Club shall be elected by secret ballot. Each candidate must have submitted a biography and picture to the Secretary of the Club before the start of the election meeting or the Executive Board. Candidates may also present a biography and picture at the election meeting and become eligible by a majority vote of the Club. The candidate who receives the most votes shall be the winner. The election for the President shall be chaired by a Temporary Chair to be elected at the start of the meeting. The Temporary Chair may not be a candidate for President. After a new President shall be elected, then he or she shall preside over the remainder of the meeting. Officers shall serve without compensation and must be Active Members of the Club, except that a Youth Member or an Active Member under 24 must chair the Youth Committee. The Committee Chairs shall be appointed by the President. The Committee Chairs will elect from amongst their Members one Member to serve as the Chairman of the Board. The Chair shall be an official Member of the executive board and have all the rights and privileges thereof. A meeting to elect the Chairman of the Board must be held within thirty (30) days of first meeting of the calendar year. The President of the Club will call and chair that meeting and the Secretary will take the minutes. There must be four (4) Committee Chairs present to constitute quorum. In the event a Chairman is not elected at that meeting, then a new meeting must be held every thirty (30) days until a Chairman of the Board is elected. Committee Chairs will only be eligible for election as Chairman if he or she has submitted a biography and picture to the Secretary of the Club or to the Executive Board before the start of the election meeting. Once a committee chair has received and accepted appointment by the President they may only be removed from office by the Impeachment procedures governing Elected Officers.

§2. Vacancies.

1. A vacancy in the office of President shall be filled by the Vice-President.  A vacancy in the offices of Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be filled by special election within 60 days. A vacancy in a committee chair shall also be filled by Presidential appointment.
2. Any Elected Member of the Executive Board who wishes to fill a position created by a vacancy in another elected position must first resign their current position on the Executive Board.

§3. Powers and Duties.

1. President.
1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and the Executive Board.
2. The President shall work with the Vice-President to set the agenda for all meetings.
3. The President shall recognize Members who are entitled to the floor.
4. The President shall enforce and follow the rules relating to debate, order and decorum within the assembly.
5. The President shall expedite business in every way compatible with the rights of Members.
6. The President shall appoint the Chairs of the Club’s Standing Committees.
7. The President shall appoint, a Legal Counsel, and a Special Advisor within 30 days of taking office.
8. The President shall supervise the activities of the Club, and perform all other duties incidental to his or her office.
9. The President shall have the authority to introduce matters for the consideration of the Board.
10. The President shall represent the Club at functions and events.  
11. The President shall inform the Chair of the County Committee of Richmond County of the planned activities of the Club.
2. Vice-President. In the President’s absence the Vice-President shall fill the office until his term has expired.  He must appoint a Vice-President within 30 days of taking office to fill the vacant position.  The Vice-President shall Chair the Steering Committee shall be advisor to the Membership and Youth Committees.  The Vice-President shall work with the President to set the agenda for all meetings.  He shall represent the club at all events and meetings where the President is absent. The President is allowed to appoint the Vice President to chair any standing or temporary committee. If appointed as the head of a standing committee, the Vice President cannot vote for the Chairman of the Board.

3. Treasurer.
1. The Treasurer shall collect and pay out all Club funds as directed by the Executive Board.
2. The Treasurer shall collect and pay out all Club funds in a depository designated by the Executive Board and shall keep accounts thereof open at all times to inspection by the Members.
3. The Treasurer shall render accounts of his or her transactions and of the financial condition of the Club at each regular meeting and shall submit an annual written report at the beginning of the January meeting.
4. All financial records shall be maintained by the Treasurer.
5. The Treasurer shall perform such duties as assigned by the Executive Board.
6. The Treasurer shall chair the Finance Committee.
4. Secretary.
1. The Secretary shall be responsible for taking the minutes of all Club meetings and meetings of the Executive Board and shall submit a copy of the minutes to the Board at/or before the beginning of the next meeting.
2. The Secretary shall keep the roll of the Members, Associate Members and honorary Members of the Club.  A copy of the Membership list must be distributed to the Officers of the Club in January, June and October.
3. The Secretary shall be responsible for the mailing of all announcements and/or notices, and the handing of all other secretarial work as assigned by the President or Executive Board.

§4. Impeachment Procedures.

1. Any officer can be censured or impeached if found to be incompetent, failing to perform his or her duties or engaging in activities detrimental to the Club.
2. Proceedings must be initiated by the Executive Board or two-thirds of all Club Members in writing.
3. If an Officer fails to attend three consecutive General Meetings the Officer will be informed by the President or the Secretary by Certified Mail or E-Mail that he or she is in violation of their duties. The reply by the Officer must be remitted to the sender for consideration by the Executive Board. Should a majority of the Executive Board minus the Officer in question accept the reason then no action will need to be taken. Failure to attend a fourth consecutive General Meeting will begin automatic impeachment proceedings against the Officer, and the Office in question must be informed by Certified Mail.
4. The Legal Counsel will preside over the Impeachment Panel to investigate the matter. The panel will be made up of the Legal Counsel and two Associate Counsels appointed by the Executive Board and will only hold this position for this investigation. Within ten days of the panel’s formation, the panel must meet.  The Impeachment Panel will give its recommendation and submit it in writing to the Executive Board.  The report must contain a finding of fact and a conclusion as to whether the accused shall be censured, removed from office, or whether no action should be taken.
5. The Executive Board within five days must adopt the report by a majority vote.  The adopted report is then presented to the Membership.  The Membership can adopt the report upon a majority of those present.
6. If the Executive Board fails to adopt the report, then the report shall be presented to the Membership for a two-thirds vote of those present.

§5. Termination of the Entire Slate of Officers: Any Member of the Executive Board may call for a vote of “no confidence” in the officers.  Upon such a call a meeting of the Executive Board must take place within 30 days.  Two-thirds of all Board Members or three-fourths of the Club can then terminate all of the current officers and call for an immediate election by voting “no confidence.”  Upon the termination of the officers a new election shall take place within 30 days of the dissolution.  The election shall be supervised by the Legal Counsel and two other Members of the Club selected by the Board and who are not intending to seek office.  At the instant of the completion of this special election the entire old Board will be considered dissolved and all appointments are null and void.

Article V – Executive Board

§1. Duties. The Executive Board shall consist of the officers of the Club.  The Executive Board shall be responsible for the management of all Club activities subject to the approval of the Membership.

§2. Meetings. Executive Board meetings shall be held at such times and places as the President shall decide, and each Board Member shall receive at least five (5) days notice from the President.  A majority of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum.

§3. Attendance. Any Member of the Executive Board who misses three (3) meetings of the Board, and does not show due cause within a period of fifteen (15) days from the third meeting shall be considered to have resigned his or her office.  A majority of the Executive Board shall determine whether or not there is due cause.

§4. Spending Powers. Only the Membership can authorize the spending of any Club funds in excess of $50 within one month.  Officers may spend up to $50 for club expenses without the prior consent of the Membership.  However, reimbursement of said expenses shall be at the discretion of the Finance Committee after receipts are presented to the Treasurer.

§5. Any person with more than one position on the Executive Board shall still only have one (1) vote on the Executive Board.

Article VI – Advisory Positions

§1. Qualifications. The Advisory positions can be held by a Member or an Associate Member.  An Honorary Member may serve as Special Advisor to the President.

§2. Legal Counsel:

1. The Legal Counsel shall be the legal counsel of the Club and shall be responsible for giving the Executive Board and its Members legal advice pertaining to Club business.  The Legal Counsel shall be vested with the power of resolving disputes involving the Club.
2. The Legal Counsel must be a Member Admitted to the Bar in the State of New York.
3. All opinions are advisory only and the Executive Board is the final judge of the propriety of its actions.
4. The Legal Counsel shall preside over any proceeding for removal or censure, and shall have the power to issue a notice of warning to any Member of the Club.
5. The Legal Counsel shall be appointed by the President and will be confirmed with a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board.

§3. Special Advisor to the President. The Special Advisor shall be a confidential advisor to the President.  He or she shall only report to the President and serves at the President’s pleasure.

§4. Parliamentarian. The Parliamentarian shall rule on issues of procedure as may be referred to him or her by a Member of the Club or Board.  All rulings of the Parliamentarian shall be pursuant to Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised. The Chair of the By-Laws Committee shall be the Club’s Parliamentarian.

§4. Immediate Past President. The Immediate Past President is the most recent former President of the Richmond County Young Republicans to have served at least one full term in office. The Immediate Past President will cast a vote in the event of a tie in the Executive Board and shall count as an Executive Board Member for purposes of quorum only if it would allow quorum to be achieved. If the President and Vice President are not present at a meeting of the Executive Board, then the Immediate Past President may preside so long as quorum exists and the President and Vice President remain absent. If the President and Vice President are removed from office, the Immediate Past President becomes Acting President, and must call a special election within thirty (30) days to fill the office of President and Vice President. The Immediate Past President will serve in this position until a new President is elected. The position of Immediate Past President will become vacated if the Immediate Past President takes a position on the Executive Board or if at the start of a new term, the Immediate Past President has reached the age of forty-one (41).

§5. All advisory positions shall be ex officio Members of the Executive Board except that the Immediate Past President may only vote in accordance with the foregoing provision.

Article VII – Meetings

§1. Regular. Regular meetings shall be called by the President or two-thirds of the Executive Board of the Club.  They shall be held at least Ten (10) times per year.

§2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Club shall be called by the President upon receiving a petition of at least ten (10) Members of the Club.  Said petition shall state the purpose of this special meeting and the requested date of said meeting.  The President must call said meeting within a week of the date designated in the petition.

§3. Quorum. A quorum shall consist of 50% of the arithmetic average attendance of the previous Three (3) General Meetings.

Article VIII – Elections

§1. The election of officers of the Club shall be held at the January meeting one year after the prior election.  The newly-elected officers shall take office at the conclusion of said meeting.

§2. Voting. Any Active Member of the Club may run for any office. All nominations must be offered and seconded by two separate present Members. After nominations, the President shall call for a vote.  A majority vote is needed to win.

§3. The President shall appoint three Members who shall dispense, collect and tabulate the ballots.

Article IX – Committees

§1. Standing Committees. The Standing Committees and their function are as follows:

1. By-Laws: The By-Law Committee shall be charged with keeping the by-laws of the Club up-to-date and suggesting possible changes and amendments to the by-laws.  They shall also submit a report to the Executive Board upon the request of any Member for an interpretation of a section of the by-laws.  The decision of the By-laws committee can only be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board and a majority of the Club Members. The Chair of the By-Laws Committee will also serve as Club Parliamentarian.
2. Finance:  The Finance Committee is charged with examining the books of the Club and in making sure the Club is solvent.  The Finance Committee work with the Events Committee to run any fund raising venture of the Club and shall be responsible for monitoring any trust or scholarship funds held by the Club or any of its subsidiaries. The Treasurer shall chair the Finance Committee.
3. Membership Committee: The Membership Committee is charged with seeking new Members for the Club, acting as a liaison with established College Young Republican Groups, and assisting in the establishment of new College Young Republican Groups.
4. Political Activities Committee: The Political Activities Committee is charged with overseeing any and all campaign work done by Members of this organization and for developing new ideas on how to best utilize the Club for political activities.
5. Public Relations Committee: The Public Relations Committee is charged with developing and maintaining a website, handling public relation ventures concerning the Club, and making the Clubs activities known to the people of Staten Island.
6. Youth Committee: The Youth Committee shall work with the Membership Committee in seeking out new Members, shall act as a liaison with the High-School Young Republican Clubs in existence, assist in developing new High-School Young Republican Clubs, and sponsoring Youth related topics or ideas which would help the younger Members of the Club. The Vote belonging to the Chair of the Youth Committee shall belong to the Youth Member and not to the Supervising Active Member.
7. Events Committee: The Events Committee shall develop ideas for club-sponsored events.  They will organize and run these events.  They will work with the Finance Committee to organize fundraisers.  

§2. The President may establish temporary committees as he or she sees fit.  The term of said temporary committees will expire after three (3) months unless a majority of the Members or two-thirds of the Executive Committee extend their duration by a fixed time period.

§3. The chair of a committee must be an Active Member. Vice Chairs may be Associate Members or Youth Members.

Article X – Candidate Endorsement

§1. Neither Club not the Executive Board as a whole, nor any officers, in their official capacities, shall in any way endorse or oppose the candidacy of any Republican prior to a Primary election.

§2. Violation of Article X, §1 shall be the grounds for impeachment under Article IV, §4.

Article XI – State Affiliation

§1. This Club will become a Member of the Association of New York State Young Republican Clubs, Inc., and shall be subject to the Constitution and By-Laws of said association. In areas where the Constitution and/or By-Laws of the New York State Young Republicans differ, the By-Laws of the Richmond County Young Republican Club shall take precedence.

§2. The President shall nominate, with the consent of a majority of the Executive Board, the delegates and alternates to the Association of New York State Young Republican Clubs, Inc.  All delegates voting shall be by “unit rule.”

Article XII – Procedures and By-Laws

§1. The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern all proceedings, except when inconsistent with the By-Laws of this Club. The Club shall provide a copy of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised to the Chairman of the By-Laws Committee.

Article XIII – Fiscal Year

§1.  The fiscal year of the Richmond County Young Republican Club is hereby defined as the calendar year (January 1-December 31).

Article XIV - Amendments

§1. Submission. Any Proposed Amendment must be presented at two consecutive General Meetings. During the first meeting the Amendment(s) must be presented to the Secretary. The Secretary will then read the Amendment(s) aloud. At the Second Meeting the proposed Amendment(s) shall be brought to a vote.

§2. Voting. All amendments will be adopted upon a two-thirds vote of the Members present provided there is a quorum and a majority of the Executive Board Present.

Article XV – Adopted Amendments

§1.  Amendment 1: Active Membership: Any registered Republican who is not more than forty (40) years of age and resides, works, or attends an accredited school in Richmond County is eligible for Active Membership in the Club. Associate Membership: Any registered Republican who is not more than (40) years of age and does not reside, work, or attend an accredited school in Richmond County is eligible for Associate Membership in the Club.

§2.  Amendment 2: The club, by unanimous consent, may grant an Associate Member that has been in good standing for at least three (3) consecutive years all the rights and privileges of an Active Member with the exception of being able to serve on the Executive Board of the Club. This Associate Member shall hold this distinction indefinitely unless they lose Member in good standing status, at which point they will lose the rights and privileges of an Active Member. (Adopted May, 2013)

§3.  Amendment 3: The Treasurer shall no longer be the Chair of the Finance Committee. (Adopted May, 2013)

§4.  Amendment 4: The club, by unanimous consent, may grant an Associate Member that has been in good standing for at least two (2) consecutive years and had been an Active Member for the year immediately preceding those two (2) all the rights and privileges of an Active Member with the exception of being able to serve on the Executive Board of the Club. This Associate Member shall hold this distinction indefinitely unless they lose Member in good standing status, at which point they will lose the rights and privileges of an Active Member. (Adopted September, 2013)

Article XVI – Empowering Clause

§1. These By-Laws submitted for this Club shall become effective upon passage as prescribed under Article XII.

§2. Any former By-Laws, Constitutions, or Amendments of the Richmond County Young Republicans will be null and void.

Adopted this 15th day of January, 2013.

David M. Carr                             Carmine Raimondi                  Patrick Donegan

President                 Vice President                            Secretary

____________________             ____________________            __________________

Anthony Reinhart                         Cassie Stern                           Stephen Thompson

Treasurer                                      Chairman of the Board          By-Laws Committee

    Chair

___________________               ____________________          ____________________