Constitution of the Upstate Young Republicans

Adopted July 13, 2004

Amended November 23, 2005

 

 

 

ARTICLE I -- NAME

 

The name of this organization shall be the Upstate Young Republicans.

 

 

ARTICLE II -- MISSION STATEMENT

 

Our mission is to provide a welcoming and effective avenue by which Upstate Young Republicans can become involved in the party at a grassroots level, become educated about current issues and the political process, and interact with other young Republicans and party leaders.

 

 

ARTICLE III -- OBJECTIVES

 

The objectives of the club shall be:

a.   To develop and maintain an Upstate-wide Young Republican organization;

b.   To bring young people into the Republican Party;

c.   To provide our members with opportunities for political expression and recognition;

d.   To provide our members with opportunities to learn about the political process and the pertinent political issues of the day;

e.   To provide our members with opportunities to become involved in and contribute to the development and betterment of the Republican Party within the Region and across South Carolina and the United States; and

f.    To support the principles, objectives and platform of the Republican Party and to work for the election of all duly nominated Republican candidates.  The club shall not, as an organization, seek to influence the nomination of any Republican primary candidate; further, the club shall not, as an organization, seek to influence the election of any candidate for Republican Party office at any level.

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE IV -- FEDERATION MEMBERSHIP

 

The club shall be a member of the South Carolina Federation of Young Republicans (SCFYR), which is a member of the Young Republican National Federation (YRNF).

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE V -- MEMBERSHIP

 

Section 1.         Active -- Any person who is at least eighteen (18) years of age but not

                        over forty (40) years of age inclusive and is a registered Republican

                        residing in South Carolina is eligible for active membership in the club.

 

Section 2.         Associate -- Any registered Republican not meeting the requirements for

                        active member status may be an Associate member and shall have all the

                        rights and privileges of active members, except that he/she may not vote

                        or hold club office.

 

Section 3.         Honorary -- Honorary members shall be those people so designated by a

                        3/4 vote of the active members present at any regular meeting of the club. 

 

Section 4.         Dues -- Annual dues for active members shall be $20.00 for a single

membership and $35.00 for a married couple.  Annual dues for associate                members shall be $15.00.

 

Section 5.         Members in Good Standing -- Members in good standing shall be active

                        members who have paid dues for the current calendar year.

 

Section 6.         Expulsion -- The club may, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those active

                        members present at a regular meeting, expel from the club any member

                        for any act or conduct deemed unfriendly or hostile to the best interests

                        of the club, provided that:

1.   The executive committee has reviewed such proposed action and has made a recommendation;

2.   That such member has been notified of the executive committeeÕs recommendation by certified mail at least one (1) week prior to the meeting;

3.   And that such member has had the right and opportunity to present his defense, either himself or through a representative.

                        Notice of the charges against the member and a recommendation of the

                        executive committee 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 meeting.

 

 

ARTICLE VI -- ELECTED OFFICERS

 

Section 1.         Designation -- The elected officers of this club shall be the Chairman,

                        Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.  All officers shall hold office

                        from the Annual Meeting until their successors take office.

 

Section 2.         Terms  -- The terms for all elective offices shall be one year.  No elected

                        officer shall serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office. 

                        Elected officers shall serve without compensation and must be active

                        members in good standing with the club.

 

Section 3.         Vacancies -- A vacancy in an elective office shall be filled by means of

                        an election of the membership if more than six months of the unexpired

                        term remain.  If fewer than six months remain, the vacancy shall be

                        filled by an election of the executive committee.

 

 

ARTICLE VII -- POWERS & DUTIES OF OFFICERS

 

Section 1.         Chairman -- The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the club and

                        the executive committee, appoint committees, supervise the activities of

                        the club, represent the club in official capacity and perform all other

                        duties incidental to the office.

 

Section 2.         Vice Chairman -- The Vice Chairman shall preside in the absence of the

                        chairman and shall perform other duties as designated by the chairman.

 

Section 3.         Treasurer -- The treasurer shall collect and pay out all club funds as

                        directed by the executive committee.  He shall deposit such funds in a

                        depository designated by the executive committee and shall keep

                        accounts open at all times for inspection.  He shall render accounts of

                        the transactions and the financial condition of the club at each regular

                        meeting and shall submit an annual written report to the club at the

                        January meeting.  He shall be the chairman of the finance committee

                        and shall perform other duties as assigned by the chairman.

 

Section 4.         Secretary -- The secretary shall be responsible for taking minutes at all

                        meetings of the club and the executive committee and shall submit a

                        copy of said minutes to the executive committee.  He shall also be

                        responsible for the mailing of all announcements and/or notices and

                        shall perform other duties as assigned by the chairman.

 

 

ARTICLE VIII -- EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

 

Section 1.         The executive committee shall consist of the elected officers of the club,

                        the immediate past chairman, and the chairmen of the standing

                        committees.

 

Section 2.         Duties -- The executive committee shall plan and oversee all club

                        activities.

 

 

Section 3.         Meetings -- Executive committee meetings shall be held at such times

                        and places as the board shall decide, and each executive committee

                        member shall receive at least five days notice from the chairman unless

                        said notice is waived by individual committee members.  A majority of

                        the executive committee shall constitute a quorum.  Meetings of the

                        executive committee are open to all club members.

 

 

ARTICLE IX -- CLUB MEETINGS

 

Section 1.         Regular -- Regular meetings of the club shall be held at the times

                        designated by the executive committee of the club.  All club members

                        must be notified at least ten (10) days prior to each regular meeting.

 

Section 2.         Special -- Special meetings of the club may be called at any time by the

                        chairman, by the executive committee, or by signed petition of ten (10)

                        percent of the active members.  Written notice must be given the

                        membership at least one (1) week in advance of such special meeting. 

                        Such written notice shall contain a summary of the matters to be

                        considered and only such matters shall be discussed.

 

Section 3.         Annual -- The annual meeting of the club shall be the regular meeting in

                        January of each year.  Only those persons who have been members for

                        thirty (30) days prior to the annual meeting may vote during the annual

                        meeting.

 

Section 4.         Quorum -- A quorum shall consist of twenty (20) percent or three (3) people of the active members, whichever is greater.

 

 

ARTICLE X -- ELECTIONS

 

Section 1.         Annual -- The election of officers shall be held at the annual meeting in

                        January and officers-elect shall take office at the end of that meeting.

 

Section 2.         Nominations -- All candidates for club office shall be nominated from

                        the floor during the annual meeting.  Only active members in good

                        standing may nominate a candidate for club office.  Nominators shall be

                        give an opportunity to make a nominating speech on the candidateÕs

                        behalf during the annual meeting.  Further, all candidates for club office

                        shall be given an opportunity to speak during the annual meeting.

 

Section 3.         Ballots -- Voting in all contested races shall be by secret ballot.  No

                        proxy or absentee ballots shall be allowed.  Fifty (50) percent plus one

                        of the votes cast shall constitute a majority for election.  If no candidate

                        garners a majority of the votes cast on the first ballot, the two candidates

                        receiving the most votes will be voted upon in a runoff election.

 

Section 4.         Meeting Chairman -- The Chairman will appoint a special Meeting

                        Chairman for the Annual Meeting.  This appointment shall be

                        announced at the meeting one month prior to the Annual Meeting, and

                        shall be subject to the approval of the membership.  The Meeting

                        Chairman shall not be a candidate for any elected club office.

 

Section 5.         Tellers -- The Meeting Chairman shall appoint at least two (2) tellers

                        who shall dispense, collect and tabulate the vote.  The tellers shall not be

                        a candidate for any elected club office.

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE XI -- COMMITTEES

 

Section 1.         Standing -- The standing committees shall be as follows:  Finance,

                        Membership, Public Relations, and Social.  The Chairman may appoint

                        and remove chairmen of the standing committees with the approval of

                        the elected officers.  If necessary, elected officers may be assigned to

                        chair committees.

 

Section 2.         Special -- The Chairman, with the approval of the elected officers, may

                        appoint special committees as deemed necessary.

 

Section 3.         Finance -- The finance committee shall be responsible for the

                        development and implementation of activities to raise funds for the club.

 

Section 4.         Membership -- The membership committee shall be responsible for

                        actively and aggressively recruiting new members for the club, as well as

                        working to ensure that current members renew their memberships each

                        year.

 

 

Section 5.         Public Relations -- The public relations committee shall be responsible

                        for promoting the club and its activities, both within the Republican

                        Party and to the general public.

 

 

Section 6.         Social -- The social committee shall be responsible for organizing social

                        activities for the clubÕs members.

 

 

 

ARTICLE XII -- CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENT

 

Section 1.         Endorsement -- Neither the club, nor the executive committee as a

                        whole, nor any officers in their official capacities, shall in any way

                        endorse or oppose the candidacy of any Republican in a primary

                        election or any individual running for Republican Party office at any

                        level.  Further, neither the club, nor the executive committee as a whole,

                        nor any officers in their official capacities, shall endorse any candidate

                        who is a member of any party other than the Republican Party.

 

Section 2.         Penalty -- Violation of Section 1 of this article by the executive

                        committee as a whole or by any officer shall constitute grounds for a

                        vote of censure and/or removal from office by the club membership

                        following the voting and notification procedures outlined in Article V,

                        Section 6.

 

 

ARTICLE XIII -- PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

 

Section 1.         Authority -- The rules contained in ÒRobertÕs Rules of Order, RevisedÓ

                        shall govern all proceedings except when inconsistent with the

                        constitution and by-laws of the club.

 

 

ARTICLE XIV -- AMENDMENTS

 

Section 1.         Submission -- A proposed amendment to this Constitution shall be

                        submitted in writing to the Secretary at a regular meeting of the club, at

                        which time it shall be read to the members.  The amendments shall be

                        discussed and voted upon at the next meeting.

 

Section 2.         Amendment -- This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3)

                        vote of those active members in good standing present at any regular

                        meeting, provided that Section 1 of this article has been complied with.

 

 

ARTICLE XV -- RESOLUTIONS

 

Section 1.         Any member in good standing may bring forth a written statement of

                        some conviction that they feel the club should share.

 

Section 2.         Resolutions will be adopted by a simple majority vote of the members

                        present and in good standing at a regular meeting of the club. 

                        Resolutions adopted by the club are to be kept in the permanent files

                        maintained by the secretary.

 

 

 

 

 

Signed:

 

 

Chairman_________________________________________________

 

Vice Chairman_____________________________________________

 

Secretary__________________________________________________

 

Treasurer__________________________________________________