Article I
Name
The name of this organization shall be: Garland Area Democratic Club (“GADC”).
Article II
Purposes of the Organization
GADC is an individual supported, voluntary, nonprofit, unincorporated general purpose political action committee (“PAC”) and is organized for the following purposes:
- To further the aims of the National and State Democratic Party and platforms;
- To speak out in support of such aims;
- To support and work for the election of Democratic nominees in the general elections at national, state and local levels;
- To work for the election of precinct chairs committed to the above principles;
- To encourage “grassroots” participation by Democrats in precinct organizations to achieve such aims;
- To enhance the political and governmental knowledge of its members;
- To encourage the formation of Democratic organizations in other areas;
- To widen the number of people participating in the Democratic process by registering new voters;
- To be a responsible participant in the community by being involved in a community outreach
Article III
Membership
Qualifications
The general membership shall be open to anyone who supports the purposes of GADC as outlined in Article II.
Members must complete the application for membership form including contact information and their employer and occupation
Classes
There shall be three classes of membership: General, Honorary and Life.
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- Honorary members. Honorary members shall consist of persons placed in this category by a majority of the membership for distinguished service. Honorary members are not obligated to pay
- General members. Every member who qualifies for membership and pays dues shall be a general member. To remain in good standing, dues shall be paid by April 1 of each
- Life members. Life members shall consist of those who make a payment in the following amount:
- Bronze $150
Silver $250
Gold $500
Platinum $1,000
At any time a Life Member may choose to be recognized at a higher level by paying the difference between their current level and the chosen level. For example, to move from Bronze to Silver would require an additional payment of $100 ($250-$150).
All Life Members will be recognized for their commitment to GADC at the next regular meeting of the Club and at the annual year-end meeting.
Life members will not be obligated to pay annual dues thereafter.
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Dismissal
Any member who attends, actively participates in or is a delegate to the convention of another party; or who holds office in another party; or who in any way actively obstructs the aims and purposes of GADC and/or the national, state or local Democratic Party, shall be subject to dismissal. Membership shall decide all questions involving dismissal of a member and may set up rules of fair procedure for dismissal.
Article IV
Dues and Fiscal Year
Dues
Annual dues shall be $25 for an individual plus $5 for each additional person in a household.
Fiscal Year
The fiscal year shall run from January 1st to December 31st.
Article V
Officers and Duties
Elected Officers
The elected officers of GADC shall be the President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
Appointed Officers
The President may select a Parliamentarian to serve at his/her discretion.
Duties
- President
The President shall: preside at all meetings of GADC; serve as ex-officio member of the committees (except nominating committee); shall appoint committees in the manner hereinafter as needed to fulfill the purposes of GADC.
The President is also authorized to make disbursements up to $500 at the President’s discretion. Any expenditure more than $500 requires pre- approval of the Executive committee.
The President shall be the spokesperson of the organization and no other officer or member may engage in any type of correspondence or make public statements on behalf of GADC without the consent of the Executive Committee.
If this office becomes vacant, a successor should be elected at the next scheduled GADC meeting of the Club. If less than two months remain in the term of office, the powers and responsibilities will pass to the First Vice- President.
- First Vice-President
The First Vice-President shall: perform the functions of the President in the President’s absence, serve as the liaison officer with the precinct chairs, shall maintain a list of current members of the club, and perform other duties assigned by the President.
If this office becomes vacant, a successor should be elected at the next scheduled GADC meeting. If less than two months remain in the term of office, the powers and responsibilities will pass to the Second Vice- President.
- Second Vice-President
The Second Vice-President shall: preside at all meetings in the absence of the President and First Vice-President, shall serve as the Program Chair, who, with the approval of the Executive Committee, is responsible for the programs at the regular meetings of GADC.
If this office becomes vacant, a successor should be elected at the next scheduled GADC meeting. If less than two months remain in the term of office, the powers and responsibilities will pass to the First Vice-President.
- Secretary
The Secretary shall: keep all GADC general meeting minutes and Executive Committee meeting minutes. At the end of their elected term of office, the Secretary shall release all records to the elected successor.
If this office becomes vacant, a successor should be elected at the next scheduled GADC meeting.
- Treasurer
The Treasurer shall: be the custodian of all GADC funds and shall disburse them at the direction of the membership or the Executive Committee; is authorized to sign checks up to $500 at the Treasurer’s discretion (any expenditure in excess of $500 requires pre-approval of the Executive committee); keep an accurate, itemized account of all receipts and disbursements, report on those items at each regular meeting, collect dues and keep the officers informed of the current roster of active members.
At the end of their term of office, the Treasurer shall relinquish all money, receipts, and records to the elected successor. If this office becomes vacant, a successor should be elected at the next scheduled GADC meeting.
Pursuant to the requirements of Title 15 of the Texas Election Code (Chapters 251-258) and the rules adopted by the Texas Ethics Commission, the Treasurer (referred to as “Campaign Treasurer” by the Texas Ethics Commission) will maintain all records of GADC contributions and expenditures necessary to file required reports and maintain such records for 2 years. The Treasurer will file the required reports according to the Texas Ethics Commission filing schedule.
- Parliamentarian
The Parliamentarian shall assure that the members and officers adhere to the Bylaws. The Parliamentarian shall address the presiding officer or members on points of parliamentary law as set out in Roberts’ Rules of Order (revised).
- Immediate Past President
The immediate Past President serves on the Executive Committee. This position is a voting position.
Terms of Office
Officers shall be elected at the November meeting in even years and shall be installed at the January meeting. (See Addendum A for Oath of Office) Appointed officers and chairs of the standing committees may be appointed at the discretion of the President.
Article VI
Election and Recall of Officers
Nominating Committee
A Nominating Chair shall be selected by the President at the September meeting every even year. The Chair shall select additional individuals to serve on the Nominating Committee. The Committee shall make its recommendation to GADC at the next November meeting. Nominations may be made from the floor for each office in addition to those submitted by the Nominating Committee.
Voting
Nominees must receive a majority vote of the active members present and voting where a quorum is present to win the position.
Recall
Recall procedures for any officer who cannot comply with the purposes of this organization shall be the same as dismissal for members, as set forth in Article III, Section III.
Article VII
Executive Committee
Members
The Executive Committee shall consist of the elected and appointed Officers and immediate past President.
Duties
The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to act in an advisory capacity to the President and act when the demands of time and effectiveness preclude full Membership action. Such action may be ratified by the Membership at the next regular meeting.
Meetings
The Executive Committee shall meet at the beginning of the fiscal year and as needed thereafter. In an emergency, business may be conducted by telephone or by electronic or media devices. All meetings of the Executive Committee are open to any of the membership.
Article VIII
Committees
GADC recommended standing committees include: Membership; Legislative; Communications; Fundraising; and Community Involvement. There may be other committees as the President shall determine. The President shall select the Chair of such committees from among the members.
Membership– This committee is responsible for recruitment activities and membership directory (with assistance from First Vice President).
Legislative– This committee will inform GADC members on the activities of our elected officials in local, state and federal government.
Communications– This committee will promote the GADC through social, print and broadcast media. This committee may also be responsible for communication to members for birthday wishes, condolences, etc.
Fundraising- This committee will be responsible for fundraising.
Community Involvement may consist of the following subcommittees:
Subcommittee on Garland Area Organizations and Institutions– This subcommittee will seek to grow GADC’s relationship with the Garland area community through facilitation with community organizations, schools, and places of worship. Also, the subcommittee is responsible for leading voter registration efforts in the community.
Subcommittee on Elections and Candidates– This subcommittee will focus on finding outstanding candidates and helping them to succeed.
Article IX
Meetings
Regular Meetings
Regular meetings of this organization shall be held monthly. The time and place thereof shall be set forth in a notice to all members. A monthly meeting may be omitted at the President’s discretion but under no circumstances shall two consecutive regular meetings be omitted. Special meetings may be called: by a majority vote of the members; by one-fourth of the members concurring in a written petition to the President; or as deemed necessary by the Executive committee.
Annual Meeting
An annual meeting shall be held on the second Thursday of each November at a place and time to be specified by the acting President at least thirty (30) days prior to such a meeting. At each annual meeting, there shall be a presentation of annual reports. In even years, there shall also be the election of officers. The nominees for each position shall be voted on by a quorum of the membership present and voting at the November Meeting.
Article X
Quorums
The quorum for a meeting of the members shall be at least 10% of the general membership.
Article XI
Amendments
These bylaws may be amended at any regular or duly called special meeting of the members present and voting provided a quorum is present. Notice of any proposed amendment shall be given preceding a regular meeting and the members shall be notified at least one week in advance of voting regarding the nature of the amendment. No proposed amendment may have any alterations which change its intent at the meeting at which the vote is to be taken.
GADC Oath of Office
Gather officer(s)-elect at the front of the room. They should be in a line facing the membership. Ask them to raise their right hand. Ask the following:
“Do you accept the duties and responsibilities of the office for which you were elected and swear and affirm to uphold by the bylaws of the Garland Area Democratic Club?”
Positive response:
“Congratulations, your term of office begins immediately and carries through December of the next year.”
