ARTICLE I. NAME AND PRINCIPAL OFFICE
Sec. 1. The organization shall be known as Texas Democratic Women of Galveston County and shall be an affiliate of Texas Democratic Women.
Sec. 2. The abbreviated name, TDW-GC, shall be used for convenience and for purposes such as email or other similar communication purposes.
Sec. 3. The principal office of TDW-GC shall be in Galveston, County, Texas, or at such other place as determined by the Executive Board.
ARTICLE II. EMBLEM
The emblem shall be the words, “Texas Democratic Women of Galveston County,” with stylized double waves for the letters, “G” and “C.”
ARTICLE III. PURPOSE
TDW-GC’s primary purpose and mission is to help elect greater numbers of Democratic women to public office. Also, TDW-GC will promote the increased political activity and influence of Democratic women in Texas and national politics and government. Additionally, TDW-GC will address and promote progressive values of inclusion and diversity within the Democratic Party of Galveston County, The Democratic Party of Texas, and the Democratic National Party.
ARTICLE IV. POLICY
Sec. 1. TDW-GC will not endorse Democratic candidates in primary elections. In non-partisan elections, TDW-GC will be sensitive to party affiliations and will not knowingly endorse one Democratic candidate over another.
Sec. 2. TDW-GC may affiliate with state and national Democratic women’s organization(s) with Executive Board approval.
Sec. 3. TDW-GC will provide training and other support for women working in Democratic organizations, campaigns, and/or seeking party or public office.
Sec. 4. TDW-GC will work to promote increased representation of women in Democratic organizations and government institutions.
Sec. 5. TDW-GC will promote legislative, executive, and judicial policies that enhance equitable representation of women in Democratic organizations and government affairs.
Sec. 6. TDW-GC will endeavor to educate members and to publish information to the members of TDW GC on issues that affect women.
ARTICLE V. MEMBERSHIP
Sec. 1. Any Democrat who supports Article III of TDW-GC is eligible to join TDW-GC.
Sec. 2. A TDW-GC member is an individual whose dues are current and who has completed application forms provided by TDW-GC.
Sec. 3. TDW members shall support the members and mission of the local chapter and of the TDW State Organization. Any disagreement shall be handled internally with the TDW-GC Executive Board through a grievance process as determined by the Board.
ARTICLE VI. DUES
Sec. 1. Membership dues are payable at the beginning of the calendar year, on January 1st. Renewing members must pay dues each year to be considered a member in good standing for that year.
Sec. 2. All membership dues paid after November 1st of any given year entitles a membership current through the end of the following year. There are three membership levels in accordance with Texas Democratic State Level Organization’s dues levels.
Basic level membership level is $30
Patron level membership is $50
Finance Council level is $120
Sec. 3. Sec 3. The TDW-GC Chapter will retain $10 from each members’ dues and the remaining dues will be sent to the State Organization in accordance with TDW membership dues schedules.
All TDW-GC Chapter members are therefore members of the state organization as well.
The TDW-GC treasurer will send chapter members’ dues to TDW in a reasonable time after receipts of membership applications and dues, or by the deadline as established by TDW. All membership data shall be entered into the state TDW database and the local TDW-GC database.
ARTICLE VII. OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD
Sec. 1. The elected officers of TDW-GC shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, and Chairs of standing committees.
Sec. 2. Officers shall serve for a one-year term. A term of office may be reduced by resignation or removal from office. A person who fills an unexpired term greater than six (6) months shall be considered to have served a full term of office (Article VIII. Sec. 7).
Sec. 3. Terms of office begin the day after the election or the day of appointment (Article VIII. Sec. 9).
Sec. 4. Any officer may be removed from office by a unanimous vote of a quorum of other members of the Executive Board for dereliction of duties, refusal to attend meetings regularly, or for refusing to adhere to the Purpose (Article III) and/or Policies (Article IV) of TDW-GC.
Sec. 5. Any officer who misses 4 board meetings will be immediately removed from the Executive Board.
ARTICLE VIII. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Sec. 1. TDW-GC officers all be elected at the Annual Meeting in January.
Sec. 2. Only members who are in good standing shall be permitted to vote and be eligible for office.
Sec. 3. A member must have served for at least one year on a committee or one term on the TDW Executive Board to be eligible to run for President.
Sec. 4. The Nominations/Elections Committee shall conduct the election of TDW-GC officers. The election of officers will be held at the January annual meeting. All current members will be eligible to vote.
Sec. 5. At least sixty (60) days prior to the Annual Meeting, members who desire to run for an office in TDW shall submit their name to the elections committee in writing. All names submitted shall be placed before the body in an election to be held at the Annual Meeting at a time called for said purpose. In the event that no person submits her name for an office, the Nominations/Elections Committee shall nominate a person for that position and submit her name to the membership at the election provided the candidate gives her consent. At the time of the elections, nominations may be made from the floor provided the candidate gives her consent. If there are no nominations prior to the election, at the election or from the floor for any officer position other than President, Secretary or Treasurer, that office will remain vacant until the Executive Board can fill that position.
Sec. 6. There shall be no proxy voting.
Sec. 7. A person who fills an unexpired term greater than six (6) months shall be considered to have served a full term of office in determining eligibility for re-election.
Sec. 8. In an election with two (2) candidates on the ballot, the candidate with the simple majority shall be elected. In an election with three (3) or more candidates, the candidate with fifty percent (50%) plus one of the votes shall be elected. If none of the candidates receives fifty percent (50%) plus one of the votes, an immediate runoff election shall be held between the two candidates, who receive the most votes.
Sec. 9. Vacancies which occur after the installation of new officers at the Annual Meeting in offices and Executive Board positions shall be filled for the remainder of the term by the Executive Board at the next Executive Board meeting. Nominees must have given their consent to be considered.
ARTICLE IX. DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Sec. 1. The TDW-GC President shall:
a) preside at all meetings of the Executive Board and the Annual Meeting;
b) represent TDW-GC publicly or designate an alternate;
c) appoint committee chair if a committee fails to select a chair;
d) appoint special committees and non-voting officers as needed with approval of the Executive Board;
e) serve as ex officio member on all committees, except the Nominations/Elections Committee; f) set meeting dates and prepare the agenda for each;
g) be an authorized signatory on all TDW-GC bank accounts;
h) hire and supervise employees and/or contractors with approval of Executive Board;
i) and such other duties applicable to the office as contained in these bylaws, or as prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted in Article XIII.
Sec. 2. The TDW-GC Vice President shall:
a) perform the duties of the President when the President is absent;
b) perform duties assigned by the President;
c) serve as a TDW-GC representative to the State TDW Convention;
d)serve on the Finance/Fundraising Committee;
e) be an authorized signatory on all TDW-GC bank accounts;
f) serve on the Nomination/Elections Committee;
g) and such other duties applicable to the office as contained in these bylaws or as prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted in Article XIII.
Sec. 3. The TDW-GC Secretary shall:
a) prepare all minutes of all Executive Board Meetings, general meetings, and annual meetings;
b) report attendance of all Executive Board meetings, general meetings and annual meetings; c) send out notices to the Executive Board as directed by the President;
d) maintain custody of all records, agendas, minutes, reports and resolutions for official records in both hardcopy and digital format until the expiration of her term of office;
e) forward all meeting minutes to the Corresponding Secretary to be distributed to members before the subsequent monthly meeting;
f) and such other duties applicable to the office as contained in these bylaws, or as prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted in Article XIII.
g) electronically distribute minutes of all Executive Board, general, and annual meetings to the members in a timely manner;
h) draft TDW-GC’s correspondence as directed by the President;
i)serve as a member of the Communication/Public Relations Committee;
j) and perform such other duties applicable to the office contained in these bylaws or as prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted in Article XIII.
Sec. 5-The TDW-GC Treasurer shall:
a)serve as custodian of all funds in all TDW-GC bank accounts;
b) be an authorized signatory on all TDW-GC bank accounts;
c) secure a second signature of either the President of Vice President on all checks over $200.00; d)serve as a member of the Membership Committee;
e) send state dues owed to the Treasurer of TDW as required by the charter;
f) pay all bills and make other disbursements upon authorization by the President, Vice President serving as acting president, or the Executive Board;
g) submit a written financial report of TDW-GC accounts of all funds received and disbursed at each Executive Board meeting, and to the Audit Committee at the appropriate time; h)serve on the Finance/Fundraising Committee;
i) a) receive from the Treasurer and then maintain a current roster (hardcopy and digital) of active members and Executive Board members by name, address, telephone number and email address and store in shared drive for access by Executive Board.
j) keep an itemized record, in a permanent file (hardcopy and digital), of all receipts and expenditures; k) and such other duties applicable to the office as contained in these bylaws, or as prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted in Article XIII, including filing pertinent forms with the Texas Ethics Commission or other legal entities.
Sec. 6. The TDW-GC Parliamentarian shall:
a)serve on the Executive Board;
b) attend all Executive Board meetings and offer guidance and suggestions on pending issues; c) act as resource and authority on procedural matter including the implementation of Robert’s Rules of Order for meetings;
d) have a copy of Robert’s Rules of Order at meetings to consult when questions arise; e) serve as Sergeant-at-Arms at Executive Board, general, and annual meetings;
f) and such other duties applicable to the office as contained in these bylaws, or as prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted in Article XIII.
Sec. 7. The TDW-GC Executive Board
a) The Executive Board shall be composed of the Officers, the Chairs of each standing committee, and the immediate past president of TDW-GC.
b) The Executive Board shall set policy for TDW-GC, determine its programs, and take all actions authorized or required by these bylaws.
c) The President shall preside at Executive Board meetings. The President shall provide the Executive Board members with a proposed agenda before the day of the meeting. d) The Executive Board shall meet immediately before each monthly general meeting. e) No TDW-GC Executive Board member shall have more than one (1) vote, and no voting by proxy shall be allowed.
f) A quorum shall consist of a simple majority plus one of Executive Board members, including Officers and Chairs of standing committees. An Executive Board member may participate during the
board meeting through electronic video or audio applications (e.g., Skype, FaceBook Messenger, FaceTime, Google Hangout, etc.). Such member participating by electronic application shall be included in determining the existence of a quorum.
g) The Secretary shall upload a digital copy of all applicable documents to a secure cloud storage platform accessible to all current Executive Board members.
h) The Executive Board, when necessary, may move into a closed session (no minutes recorded) for the purpose of discussion only. No motions or votes may be taken while in closed session.
i) All members of the Executive Board shall conduct such other duties applicable to the office as contained in these bylaws, or as prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted in Article XIII.
Sec. 8. At the end of a term of office, all officers shall deliver all TDW-GC hardcopy and digital records, as well as all digital login and password information, to their successor within thirty (30) days. Incoming officers shall create new digital passwords immediately upon receipt.
ARTICLE X. MEETINGS
Sec. 1. TDW-GC general meetings shall be held on the first Thursday of each month unless otherwise altered by the executive board and all members are notified at least one week in advance.
Sec. 2. The location of the general meetings shall be determined by the Executive Board.
Sec. 3. The Annual Meeting shall be held in January of each year. At the Annual Meeting, all members vote on business affecting the TDW-GC organization.
a) written notice of the date, time and place of the Annual Meeting shall be mailed to the membership at least thirty (30) days in advance.
b) a quorum shall consist of a majority of current members present;
c) the purpose of the Annual Meeting shall be to:
1) elect officers;
2) receive reports from the Officers and Committee Chairs;
3) review the financial statements and reports and approve the budget;
4) transact other business that may properly come before it.
ARTICLE XI-COMMITTEES
Sec. 1. The Standing Committees for TDW-GC shall be Membership, Finance/Fundraising, Communications/Public Relations, Legislative/Get-Out-The-Vote, Education/Outreach, and Programs/Events.
Sec. 2. The Standing Committees shall carry out their assigned functions and shall plan and recommend any policies and programs within their areas of responsibilities to the TDW-GC Executive Board.
Sec. 3. The specific duties and functions of each committee shall be kept in writing by the President and by the Recording Secretary among the official papers of TDW-GC.
Sec. 4. The specific duties and functions of each committee may be amended by the Executive Board from time to time, as necessary.
Sec. 5. The Standing Committee Chairs shall be elected by the majority vote of the committee members, or shall be appointed by the TDW-GC President if no chair is elected. Any TDW-GC member in good standing may serve on one or more committees. Chairs of Standing Committees will serve on the TDW-GC Executive Board.
Sec. 6. Each Standing Committee shall consist of a Chair and two (2) or more members. The term of each committee shall begin in February of each year. Committee members shall serve a one-year term and may re-join any committee on which he/she previously served.
Sec.7. Ad Hoc Committees shall be established as needed by the Executive Board and will report findings to the Executive Board as required.
a) A Nomination/Elections Committee shall
1) be established at least two months prior to the Annual Meeting;
2) seek nominations for open Executive Board positions;
3) notify the general membership of any nominations;
4) and conduct the election at the annual meeting as required by Article VIII, Sec. 5. b)A Bylaws/Policy Committee shall
1) be established at least three months prior to the Annual Meeting;
2) shall review TDW-GC’s bylaws and policies;
3) gather any proposed changes to the bylaws at least sixty days prior to the TDW-GC Annual Meeting;
4) distribute in writing (hardcopy or digital) any proposed changes to the TDW-GC bylaws to the membership at least thirty days prior to the Annual Meeting.
5) The Chair of the Bylaws/Policy Committee will present any proposed changes for a vote at the TDW-GC Annual Meeting in accordance with the provisions in Article XV.
c) Each ad hoc committee shall consist of a Chair and two (2) or more members. Committee members are appointed for limited terms, and members may be reappointed. Sec. 8. Other committees, standing or ad hoc, shall be created by the Executive Board as deemed necessary to carry on the work of TDW-GC.
ARTICLE XII-FINANCES
Sec. 1. The fiscal year shall begin January 1st.
Sec. 2. A summary of the financial status of TDW-GC shall be presented by the Treasurer to the membership at each monthly general meeting.
Sec. 3. The state portion of TDW-GC dues and applications shall be forwarded to the TDW (state). All local basic membership dues and all other funds raised by the TDW-GC Finance/Fundraising Committee shall be
retained by TDW-GC for use in accordance with recommendations of the Executive Board and/or approved by the membership, as appropriate.
ARTICLE XIII. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern TDW-GC in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are consistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order that TDW-GC may adopt.
ARTICLE XIV. DISSOLUTION
Should TDW-GC be dissolved by appropriate action of its membership, the funds and other assets shall be given to the state Texas Democratic Women organization.
ARTICLE XV. AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS
Sec. 1. Proposed bylaw amendments must be received by the Bylaws/Policy Committee at least sixty (60) days in advance of the Annual Meeting.
Sec. 2. Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by the Bylaws/Policy Committee, the TDW-GC Executive Board, or by a written petition signed by five (5) eligible members.
Sec. 3. Written (hardcopy or electronic) notice of a proposed by-law change shall be sent to the membership at least thirty days prior to the Annual Meeting.
Sec. 4. The Bylaws/Policy Committee shall be responsible for reporting the effect of any proposed bylaw change to the membership.
Sec. 5. The bylaws of TDW-GC may be amended at the Annual Meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of members present at the Annual Meeting.