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Bylaws of the Texas Democratic Women of Central Texas

 

ARTICLE I:  NAME

The organization shall be known as Texas Democratic Women of Central Texas (TDW of Central Texas).

ARTICLE II:  EMBLEM

The emblem shall be in the form of the state of Texas with the initials TDW inscribed inside the state figure.

ARTICLE III:  PURPOSE

TDW will promote the increased activity and influence of Democratic women in Texas politics and government.

ARTICLE IV:  POLICY

Sec 1:  TDW of Central Texas will not endorse one Democrat in opposition to another Democrat.

Sec 2:  TDW of Central Texas will provide training and other support to Democratic women working in party organizations, campaigns, and/or seeking party or public office.

Sec 3:  TDW of Central Texas will work to promote increased representation of women in party organizations and government institutions.

Sec 4:  TDW of Central Texas will promote legislative, executive, and judicial policies that enhance equitable representation of women in party organizations and government affairs.

ARTICLE V:  MEMBERSHIP

Sec 1:  Any Democrat who supports ARTICLE III-Purpose and ARTICLE IV-Policies of TDW of Central Texas by-laws is eligible to join TDW.

Sec 2: A TDW member shall be an individual whose dues are current. .

Dues paid after November 1 in a given year are good for the upcoming year.

ARTICLE VI:  DUES

Sec 1: Dues shall be set by a vote of the membership.

Sec 2:  Membership dues are payable at the beginning of the fiscal year (January 1st). Renewing members must pay dues each year to be considered a member in good standing for that year.

ARTICLE VII:  OFFICERS

Sec 1:  The officers shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Past-President and the executive board members.

Sec 2:  A term of office shall be for two (2) years or until a successor is elected.

Sec 3:  Officers may not serve more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office. Officers may serve again after one (1) year out of office.

ARTICLE VIII:  NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Sec 1:  Officers shall be elected in November.

Sec 2:  An Elections Committee shall be appointed by the President to submit a slate of offices to the membership for election at the November meeting. Nominations may be made from the floor provided the candidate gives her/his consent.

Sec 3: A person who fills an unexpired term greater than six (6) months shall be considered to have served a full-term of office determining eligibility for re-election.

Sec 4:  Vacancies in offices and executive board positions shall be filled for the remainder of the term by the Executive Board at the next meeting.

ARTICLE IX:  DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Sec 1:  The President shall:

  1. preside at all meetings
  2. represent TDW publicly or designate an alternate
  3. appoint standing committee chairs as provided in these by-laws
  4. prepare the agenda for each meeting
  5. serve as an ex-officio member of all committees except the Elections Committee
  6. complete such other duties applicable to the office as contained in these by-laws
  7. follow (or as prescribed by the) parliamentary authority according to Roberts Rules of Orders

Sec 2:  The Vice-President shall:

  1. preside in the absence of the President
  2. serve as Chair of the Standing Committee – Public Communications
  3. represent TDW at the request of the President

Sec 3:   The Secretary shall:

  1. be responsible for the minutes of the meeting
  2. be responsible for TDW correspondence as directed by the President
  3. notify members of monthly meetings
  4. serve as Chair of Standing Committee on Membership

Sec 4:   The Treasurer shall:

  1. be the custodian of all funds
  2. submit a written monthly financial report
  3. submit dues to the State TDW
  4. serve as Chair of Standing Committee on Finance and PAC
  5. submit all financial records and books for audit on request of the Executive Board or when new officers are elected

Sec 5:   The Board Members shall:

  1. serve on the Executive Board
  2. and such other duties applicable to the office contained in these by-laws or as prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted

ARTICLE X:  EXECUTIVE BOARD

The Executive Board shall consist of nine (9) members: the officers, the immediate past-President and four(4) board members.

ARTICLE XI:   COMMITTEES

Sec 1:     The Standing Committees for TDW of Central Texas shall be: By-Laws and Policy, Public Communications, Elections, Finance, Membership, Legislation and Education,  Political Action Committee (PAC), and Audit.

Sec 2:  The functions of the Standing Committees shall be to plan and recommend policies and programs to the membership within their areas of responsibility.

  1. The By-Laws and Policy Committee shall review TDW’s By-Laws and Policies annually and make recommendations when necessary
  2. The Public Communications Committee shall be responsible for the public image and visibility of TDW of Central Texas
  3. The Elections Committee shall present a slate of proposed officers to be elected by the membership
  4. The Finance Committee shall submit a budget for the fiscal year and be responsible for the fundraising activities of the organization
  5. The Membership Committee shall work to promote membership in TDW
  6. The Legislative and Education Committee will monitor legislation and recommend programs
  7. The PAC Committee will perform all reporting duties as required by the Texas Ethics Commission.
  8. The Audit Committee will perform an annual audit of the TDW of Central Texas books or when requested by the Executive Board. Minimally, the Audit Committee will perform an audit of the books on the election of new officers.

Sec 3:   The Committee Chairs shall be appointed by the President. Chairs may select the members to serve on their committees.

Sec 4:   Each committee shall consist of a Chair and two (2) or more members. Committee members are appointed for one (1) year terms and may be reappointed. No person shall serve more than three (3) consecutive years on the same committee.

Sec 5:   Other committees, standing or special, shall be created by the Executive Board or President as deemed necessary to carry on the work of TDW.

ARTICLE XII:   FINANCES

The fiscal year shall begin January 01 (1st) of each year.

ARTICLE XIII:   PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern TDW in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these by-laws and any special rules of order that TDW may adopt.

ARTICLE XIV:   DISSOLUTION

Should TDW be dissolved by appropriate action of its membership; the funds and other assets shall be given to the McLennan County Democratic Party.

ARTICLE XV:   AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS

Sec 1:   The by-laws of TDW may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of members present at a regular business meeting. Written notice of a proposed by-laws change shall be sent to the membership at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting.

Sec 2:   The By-Laws and Policy Committee may propose amendments to these by-laws to the Executive Board or by a written petition signed by five (5) eligible members.

 

By-laws revised and effective  _________, 2014.