Sample By-Laws

To use these bylaws for your local club simply substitute any italicized text, such as Name of Your Democratic Club, with the appropriate words. In addition, make sure to change the dates of adoption and club chartering to the dates applicable to your club.

The CDC believes that focusing on a geography containing no more than 100,000 residents and identifying your club's target communities in your bylaws is crucial to the success of your club.

Name of Your Democratic Club

Constitution And By-Laws

Month Year

I.         Name

The name of this organization shall be the Your Democratic Club.

II.       Purpose

The Your Democratic Club (hereinafter called the Club) shall focus its efforts within the Your Service Areas; and shall seek to publicize activities, and to build its membership from registered Democrats within the city.  The Club may become involved with activities outside of the city by a 2/3 vote of those present and voting at any Club meeting.  The Club shall develop a work plan (including action items with evaluation criteria), which shall be evaluated by the membership at least once every six months.  This work plan shall include a report on the number of registered Democrats within the Your Service Areas, a report on Democratic voter turnout in Santa Clara, and a comparison of local Democratic statistics to other political affiliations.

III.      Affiliation

A.     The Club is affiliated with the Your County Central Committee  (hereinafter called the Central Committee) and was duly chartered by the Committee on Month Day, Year.

B.     As a chartered and affiliated club of the Central Committee, the Club shall comply with bylaws of the Central Committee and the California Democratic Party, as they apply to fully chartered local affiliates.

C.     The Club shall apply for membership in the California Democratic Council.  Membership above the minimum affiliation level shall be permitted if approved by a majority vote of the club, or 2/3 of its officers.

D.     The Club shall create an affiliated youth caucus club with members under the age of 36, which shall be called the Your Young Democrats.

1)      Provided the Club has at least ten members under the age of 36, the Your Young Democrats shall apply each year for affiliation with the California Young Democrats, and the Club shall pay all necessary annual charter fees, or annual dues, on behalf of the Your Young Democrats.

2)      The Your Young Democrats shall elect officers, provided that all members of the Your Young Democrats shall first be members of the Club.

3)      Any member of the Club who is under the age of 36 automatically shall be a voting member of the Your Young Democrats, and may participate in any Your Young Democrats meetings if desired.

IV.      Membership Requirements

A.     Qualifications: Any individual qualifies for Club membership if:

1)      The individual is a registered Democrat; or

2)      The individual is ineligible to vote (due to minority, non-residency, or other legal impediment), but pledges to register as a Democrat when eligibility is attained; and

3)      Supports the purpose of the Club as stated in Article II, above.

B.     Active Membership: A qualified individual shall be considered an active member only if

1)      The member has attended at least one meeting prior to being eligible to vote and

2)      The member has paid all club dues.

V.         Dues

A. Each member shall pay dues on an annual basis, as follows:

Individual                     $25

Household                    $40

Senior (over age 60)     $10

Student (Full time)        $10

B. Dues are due on January 1, and payable by January 31 of each calendar year.

C. Annual dues for new active Club members shall be prorated on a monthly basis.

VI.        Meetings

A.     Regular Meetings

1)      The Club shall hold regular monthly meetings on such day as the membership may determine from time to time.

2)       Regular meetings shall not be canceled more than 3 times within any calendar year and in no event shall more than 2 regular meetings be canceled in succession.

B.     Special Meetings

1)      Special meetings may be called by the chair at any time, on notice as specified below.

 

2)      In the absence of the chair, any two officers may call a special meeting, on notice as specified below.

C.  Notice of Meeting

1)     Notice of regular or special meetings shall be givenat                                      least 24 hours in advance to all active members, in any manner as follows:

a.       Notice in writing by US mail

b.       Notice in writing by e-mail

c.       Telephone message

2)      Notice of the meeting shall be deemed sufficient by any manner specified above if such notice includes the date, time and place of the meeting and is calculated to be received at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.

VII.     Rules for Meetings

A.     The Club shall use the newly revised Roberts Rules of Order to govern parliamentary procedure at all official meetings of the organization, except as specifically noted in these bylaws.

B.     A quorum for any official meeting of the Club shall be 15 percent of the total organizational membership, or ten members, whichever is smaller, as of 24 hours before the meeting, as reported by the secretary.

C.     Unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws, the Club may adopt events and conduct regular business with a vote of 50 percent plus one of the members present at any meeting.

D.     The Club may pass resolutions not related to endorsements with a vote of 2/3 of those present and voting at any meeting.

E.      A process to consider the endorsement of candidates must be approved prior to any suggestion of endorsements.  If the discussion of an endorsement process is noticed in the meeting agenda, such process must be approved by at least 2/3 of those present and voting at any meeting.  If the discussion of an endorsement process is brought up from the floor as New Business, such process must be approved by at least three-fourths of those present and voting at any meeting.  Under no circumstances may the Club consider the endorsement of a candidate for public office who is not registered with the Democratic Party.  The minimum threshold for endorsement in a race with multiple Democratic candidates is two-thirds of the members present and voting.

F.      The Club may suspend specific portions of these bylaws and/or Roberts Rules of Order for purpose of emergency business by a vote of two-thirds of the membership present at a meeting, unless the item to be suspended calls for a higher qualification.  In such case, the percent specified in that portion of the bylaws shall be required to suspend that text.  The motion to suspend shall call out the particular section of the bylaws proposed to be suspended.

G.     Changes to the constitution and bylaws not specifically referenced elsewhere must be noticed to the membership at least 72 hours before the vote in question, and must be approved by a majority vote of the Club, or 2/3 of its officers.

VIII.    Officers

A.     Club officers shall consist of chair, vice-chair and secretary/treasurer. They shall be elected to serve one-year terms of office.

B.     Election of officers shall be held in June.  If the chair vacates office, the vice-chair shall ascend to the position of chair, until an election is held to fill the chair’s remaining term of office.

C.     In the temporary absence of the chair, the vice-chair shall serve as chair. If the position of vice-chair is vacant, the secretary/treasurer shall serve as vice-chair.

D.     The secretary/treasurer shall be responsible to ensure that all members are notified of Club meetings.  Additionally, the secretary/treasurer shall maintain all written and financial records of the Club.

E.      The chair shall officiate at all meetings of the Club.

F.      The chair may appoint members temporarily to fill un-expired terms of office, subject to election by the membership at the next Club meeting 30 days after the office is vacated.

G.      The Club shall be represented at meetings of the Central Committee and any Assembly District Committee meetings at which it may be entitled to membership, and at meetings of the California Democratic Council.  A person may serve as representative to more than one outside body if the club membership approves.

H.     The Club is encouraged to appoint a publicity officer, who shall have the responsibility to develop and to implement a plan to increase the visibility of the Club among Democrats within the Your Service Areas. 

I.        The chair may appoint Club members to serve in other capacities as needed.

J.       The Club may elect such other officers as may be deemed necessary from time to time to conduct Club business.

ADOPTED THIS __^th DAY OF ___________, Year.

Certified by:

____________________________

Secretary

Notes:

• We strongly recommend you use the YD affiliation language herein. It will help with long-term organizing for your community, and will promote generational unity, rather than competition.
• While the text below is detailed, it is designed to minimize club dissent on split vote resolutions, and to promote club focus and unity. Local politics can be contentious. We believe setting high standards for resolutions and endorsements will enable your club to approve issues and candidates almost everyone can support.
• We recommend you elect acting officers until your club's first full election cycle each June. Electing officers in June allows your club to assess the club’s impact on voter turnout in the primary, and to have a fresh set of officers ready for the General Election cycle. (The club may wish to elect a Nominating Committee at its May meeting.)

Thank you to Santa Clara Mayor Patricia Mahan, esq., for her help in drafting these bylaws!