PALM SPRINGS DEMOCRATIC CLUB BYLAWS
PREAMBLE
In order to fulfill our mission to increase the efficiency of political activities, to foster and perpetuate the ideals and principles of the Democratic Party, and to provide through its administration the highest degree of justice and social welfare for all the people, we do establish and associate ourselves as the Palm Springs Democratic Club.
ARTICLE I. PURPOSE
Section 1. Promote the activities and values of Democratic politics and develop leadership within the community.
ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Membership shall be restricted to qualified voters of the Democratic Party from the state of California.
Section 2. Only members whose current dues are paid shall be considered members in good standing and shall be allowed to vote at meetings.
Section 3. Members may be removed for cause in accordance with the procedures established by the Riverside County Democratic Central Committee, a modified version of which is appended to these Bylaws.
Section 4. An Associate Membership category may be established by the Club for those interested in joining the Club and not able to meet the membership criteria defined in Section 1 of this Article. Associate members would have no voting privileges.
ARTICLE III. OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers shall be as follows: Chair and Vice-Chair – Political Action Committee (PAC) (one male and one female), Vice-Chair – Fundraising Committee, Secretary and Controller.
Section 2. Officers must be members in good standing.
ARTICLE IV. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section 1. The Executive Board shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three or more members. This Committee shall present a slate of nominees for Officers at the November and/or December meeting. Additional nominations may be made from the floor. An election shall be held at the January meeting.
Section 2. The term of office shall be one calendar year.
Section 3. Any Club officer may be recalled from her/his office by two-thirds majority vote of the total official membership present and voting at a regular meeting of the Club, provided, however, that the number of official members present at such a meeting shall represent not fewer than twenty-five percent of the total official membership of the entire Club. The motion to recall any officer shall be communicated in writing to that officer at least seven days before the meeting. The results of such a vote shall be communicated in writing to the individual concerned.
ARTICLE V. FILLING VACANCIES IN ELECTED OFFICES
Section 1. Declaration of Vacancy. The fact of a vacancy in an elected office shall be declared by motion of the Club upon recommendation of the presiding officer.
Section 2. Presiding Officer to Call for Nominations. Upon recording the declaration of such vacancy, the presiding officer shall call immediately for nominations and election of a qualified member to fill that vacancy. Said nomination and election shall be held at the next meeting. A nominee shall be elected by secret ballot by a majority vote.
ARTICLE VI. DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
Section 1. The Chair and/or Vice-Chair - PAC shall preside at all meetings of the Club and the Executive Board, sign all official documents of the Club, appoint chairpersons of Standing Committees and chairpersons of special projects, and shall be ex-officio members of all committees, except the Nominating Committee. The Chair and Vice-Chair may sign checks for approved expenditure payments.
Section 2. The Vice-Chair - Fundraising shall preside at all meetings in the absence of both Chair and Vice-Chair - PAC and shall direct the Club’s Fundraising programs. One of these Vice-Chairs shall assume the Chair position upon a vacancy, maintaining the male and female balance among these positions.
Section 3. The Secretary shall keep all the minutes of the Executive Board and general membership meetings and shall be the custodian of all official documents. The Secretary shall be responsible for all correspondence to entities outside the Club as directed by the Chair, Vice-Chair, Executive Board or Standing Committee Chairpersons.
Section 4. The function of Treasurer shall be assigned to Kinde & Associates. The Treasurer shall receive and disperse the funds of the Club and prepare all required financial documents and reports and shall pay expenditures that are authorized by the membership or the Executive Board.
The Controller shall be responsible for communication with, and the transfer of funds (deposits and expenses) between the club and the Treasurer (Kinde & Associates). The Controller will work closely with the Treasurer to monitor transactions generated by the club and will provide periodic reports from Kinde & Associates for review and approval by the Board.
ARTICLE VII. EXECUTIVE BOARD AND STANDING COMMITTEES
Section 1. The Executive Board shall consist of the duly elected officers and Chair-appointed chairpersons of Standing Committees. Chair appointments will be ratified by a two-thirds majority of the elected officers.
Section 2. The Executive Board shall manage the business of the Club between regular meetings of the members.
Section 3. The Executive Board shall approve all programs for Club meetings.
Section 4. One-third (1/3) of the Executive Board membership shall constitute a quorum for transacting business.
Section 5. The Executive Board shall order an annual financial review.
Section 6. The Following shall be Standing Committees: Membership, Public Relations and Program.
Section 7. A member of the Executive Board may be removed by the remaining members of the Executive Board for the following reasons:
A. Absence from three membership or Executive Board meetings in a row without a valid reason.
B. Disloyalty to the Party, such as a change in registration from Democrat or publicly advocating the election of another party’s candidate opposing a Democrat.
C. Fraud or malfeasance, such as mismanagement of funds.
D. Failure to perform the duties of the office to which elected.
ARTICLE VIII. DUES
Section 1. The amount of annual dues shall be established by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present at the regular January meeting. Dues are for the fiscal year beginning September 1.
ARTICLE IX. MEETINGS
Section 1. Regular meetings of the Club shall be held on the first Saturday of each month, unless a meeting is omitted, or an alternate day is established by previous vote of members or by action of the Executive Board, with due and reasonable notice to the members.
Section 2. One-fifth (1/5) of the voting members of the Club shall constitute a quorum for transacting business, provided however, that at least two elected officers of the club must be present, one of whom must be either the Chair or a Vice-Chair.
Section 3. Additional or special meetings shall be scheduled by the Chair or Vice-Chair when necessary, or upon written request of one-third (1/3) of the total membership of the Club. Written notice or telephone notification of any additional or special meetings shall be provided to each member at least seven (7) days before such meeting, and the notice shall state the nature of the business for which the meeting is called.
Section 4. Voting privileges shall be extended only to members in good standing for at least thirty (30) days.
Section 5. Financial contributions to candidates and expenditures over $500.00 shall be presented to and voted on by the members at a regular or special meeting.
Section 6. Meetings shall be governed by Club Bylaws and by Robert’s Rules of Order.
ARTICLE X. ENDORSEMENT OF CANDIDATES
The Palm Springs Democratic Club shall support only candidates and nominees of the Democratic Party for election to partisan office and will not endorse, as an organization, any candidate but a registered Democrat for a partisan or non-partisan office. The Palm Springs Democratic Club will support any candidate running for national, state, or local office whose jurisdiction includes Palm Springs who has been endorsed by the Riverside County Democratic Central Committee or the State Democratic Party. If no such endorsement is made, the Palm Springs Democratic Club may endorse a candidate of it’s choosing for that office. For partisan offices, until an endorsement decision is reached by the RCDCC and/or State Democratic Party, PSDC may only recommend candidates for endorsement.
ARTICLE XI. RULES, REGULATIONS AND JURISDICTION
Section 1. Club members and officers shall be subject to the rules, regulations and jurisdiction of the Riverside County Democratic Central Committee as set forth in its Bylaws and in the standing orders of the Riverside County Democratic Central Committee.
Section 2. If a conflict occurs between the Club Bylaws and Riverside County Democratic Central Committee Bylaws, the language of the Riverside County Democratic Central Committee Bylaws shall prevail.
Section 3. Requisite provisions not covered by these Bylaws shall follow those of the Riverside County Democratic Central Committee Constitution and Bylaws where applicable.
Section 4. It is the intention of the Palm Springs Democratic Club, under the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, to follow the regulations required of nonprofit tax-exempt organizations under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code.
ARTICLE X AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Amendments to these Bylaws may be enacted by two-thirds (2/3) vote of a quorum present at any regular meeting one month after the amendments are first presented for consideration at any regular meeting. Due notice must be transmitted in writing, informing members of the proposed amendments.
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REVISED VERSION OF
RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE BYLAWS,
ARTICLE XX, GROUNDS FOR REMOVAL OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Incorporated in ARTICLE II, Section 3 of Palm Springs Democratic Club Bylaws
Section 1. Party Disloyalty. A member may be removed by a two-thirds majority vote of the members present and voting for the following causes:
a) affiliating with or registering as a member of another Party,
b) publicly advocating that the electorate should not vote for the nominee of the Democratic Party for any partisan office,
c) publicly giving support or publicly avowing a preference for a candidate of another party or a candidate who is opposed to a candidate nominated by this Party.
Section 2. Fraud and Malfeasance. Any member of the Club may be removed from membership for improper activity involving administrative practices, such as mismanagement or improper distribution of funds and any other such activity, as determined by the Membership.
Section 3. Procedure
a) Who May Move Removal etc. Any member of the Club, at any meeting of the Club, may make a motion that any other member of the Club may be removed from the membership for reason or reasons set forth in this article. The motion shall state in detail the act(s) or omission(s) which the person making the motion considers warrant the removal of the member who is the subject of the motion.
b) Automatic Postponement to Next Regular Meeting. The motion to remove a member shall automatically be deemed postponed until the next meeting of the membership and shall automatically be taken up for action as an item of old or unfinished business at that meeting.
c) Service by Certified Mail. Within seven days after the making of such a motion for removal, the Secretary of the Club shall send a certified letter to the member who is the subject of the motion for removal, (hereinafter the “Cited Member”), notifying the Cited Member that a the next meeting of the Club a motion will be taken up concerning the Cited Member’s removal. The mail piece shall be accompanied by an enclosed proof of service, executed pursuant to the Proof of Service provisions of Section 1013 of the California Code of Civil Procedure.
d) Contents of the Notice. The letter shall:
1) advise the Cited Member of the names of the members who made and seconded the motion,
2) advise the Cited Member that at the next meting the Cited Member will be given an opportunity to challenge the allegation, and
3) inform the Cited Member of the date, time and location of the next meeting.
e) Notice and Opportunity to Be Heard. At the next regular meeting, the Cited Member, if present, shall be given opportunity to admit, deny and/or explain the charges lodged against her/him. An equivalent amount of time shall be made available to the maker of the motion and/or his/her spokesperson(s) to substantiate the charge(s). Immediately thereafter, a vote shall be taken on the motion to remove the Cited Member from Club membership. A two-thirds majority vote of members present and voting, representing a majority of the total official membership of the Club, shall be required for the motion to pass.
f) Burden of Proof. In all motions for removal, the burden of introducing evidence justifying removal shall be upon the person or persons urging the removal. They shall be required to prove the case for removal by clear and convincing evidence.
Revised October 7, 2006
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