BY-LAWS OF THE BROCKTON DEMOCRATIC CITY COMMITTEE
I.
NAME
The name
of the organization is the Democratic City Committee of Brockton,
Massachusetts.
II.
PURPOSE
The
purpose of the organization is the furtherance and expansion of the
Democratic Party in
Brockton.
III.
MEMBERSHIP
Elected
members of ward committee shall comprise entire body of membership.
IV.
MEETINGS
Committee
shall meet at least four times each year, at least once in each quarter,
at the call of the Chairperson.
Notice of each meeting shall be sent to each member at least five days in
advance of regularly scheduled meeting.
A.
All
meetings shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rule of Order
B.
Special
meetings may be called in either of this following ways:
(1)
By any
elected office of the Democratic City Committee
(2)
By
petition of at least 25 members
C.
A quorum
shall consist of at least 25 members
D.
All
matters properly brought before the committee shall be decided by a vote
of the majority of the members present and voting
E.
There
shall be a five (5) day written notice in advance of all meetings,
including special meetings. In the event of special meeting notice shall
appear on two (2) consecutive days in the local daily newspaper. In all
such cases, the Secretary shall mail said notice.
V.
OFFICERS
The City
Committee shall consist of the following officers to be elected by
majority vote:
A.
Chairman
B.
First
Vice-Chairman
C.
Second
Vice-Chairman
D.
Secretary
E.
Treasurer
All
officers shall be elected by secret ballot.
VI.
TERM OF OFFICE
The above
officers shall be elected at the organizational meeting for a term of two
years unless otherwise provided by law.
VII.
DUTIES OF ELECTED OFFICERS
Chairman:
Shall call and preside at all meetings: appoint standing committees;
appoint Parliamentarian, Affirmative
Action and Outreach Officer; any other duties covered by statute. The
Chairman shall serve ex-officio on all standing committees.
Secretary:
Shall record and verbally report minutes of all meetings;
notify all members, five (5) days in advance, of all meetings in
accordance with statutory requirements; any other duties so designated by
the Chairman; shall send to all committee members a complete list of City
Committee membership, City Committee by-laws, O’Hara Commission
Guidelines, and extract of Chapter 52, Mass General Laws. The Secretary
shall provide a copy of the minutes of any meeting to any member so
requesting.
Treasurer:
Shall
collect all monies; shall make a financial report at all meetings; shall
be responsible for all expenditures and receipts according to the
direction of the majority of the membership ( all checks and withdrawals
shall be signed by the treasurer and countersigned by the Chairman before
they shall be valid); shall keep a book of accounts; shall be responsible
for annual financial report to be available to full membership; shall file
such report with the Secretary of State or any other office required by
law.
First Vice Chairman:
Shall perform Chairman’s duties in the event of Chairman’s
absence at meetings or in such circumstance where the Chairman shall
relinquish the Chair.
Second Vice Chairman:
Shall perform such duties as Vice Chairman in the absence
of the First Vice Chairman.
VIII FISCAL YEAR
The
fiscal year shall last from May 15 to May 14 of the following year to
comply with statutory requirements
IX ASSOCIATE MEMERS:
All
associate members may attend meeting and shall be notice of all meeting by
mail. Associate member shall not have the right to vote, but shall have
other powers and duties as the ward committees may determine, consistent
with the by-laws of the City Committee. The City Committee may authorize
the appointment of associate member for ward committees but the actual
appoint of said associate members shall be made by each Ward Committee as
to their own members (according to the O’Hara Guidelines, adopted by the
Democratic Nation Convention of 1968, as near as is practicable).
X ELECTIONS
A.
All
officers shall be elected by a majority of the membership then present and
voting
B.
In the
event that any candidate fails to receive a majority of the vote of the
membership present on the first ballot, the two candidates with the
highest number of votes shall engage in a runoff for election.
C.
Vacancy
in Office. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Chairman, the First
Vie Chairman fill the un-expired term of office of Chairman. The Second
Vice Chairman shall fill the un-expired term of office of First Vice
Chairman. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Second Vie Chairman,
Secretary or treasurer, an election shall be called and held as provided
herein.
D.
Special
Election. In the event of a vacancy, the Secretary shall notify forthwith
the membership of the existence of a vacancy in the offices of Secretary,
treasurer and Second Vice Chairman and shall indicate the date and time of
a special election, such time to be not less than thirty (30) days nor
more than forty-five (45) days form the date of mailing of notice. Said
election shall be held by secret ballot and in accordance with Article 10
herein.
E.
A state
of such changes in the personnel of the officer of the Committee shall be
sent immediately by the Secretary of the Committee to the Secretary of the
Commonwealth; to the Secretary of the Democratic State Committee and to
the City Clerk of Brockton.
XI.
STANDING COMMITTEES
Shall
consist of the following and shall be appointed by the City Committee
Chairman:
A.
By-Laws Committee
The
By-laws Committee shall consist of a minimum of seven (7) persons, one
from each ward committee. The Committee shall formulate the by-laws and
kept current with the latest elections laws for amendments as required and
shall assist any member in drafting amendments to the by-laws.
B.
Elections Rule Committee
The
Elections Rules Committee shall consists of a minimum of seven (7) person,
with a minimum of one (1) person form each ward committee. This committee
shall draft rules for the conduct of elections and shall conduct all
elections.
C.
Ways and Means Committee
The Ways
and Means Committee shall consist of a minimum of seven (7) persons, with
a minimum of (1) one person from each ward committee. This committee
shall make recommendations concerning the raising and spending of funds
and other fiscal policy.
D.
Executive Committee
The
membership of this Committee shall consist of the Chairman of each ward
committee and the officers of the City Committee. The Chairman of the
City Committee shall preside at all meeting of the Executive Committee and
the Secretary of the City Committee shall act as Secretary of the
Executive Committee. This Committee shall exercise such activity and
perform such duties as may be assigned to it by the City Committee.
E.
Other Committees
The
Chairman shall be empowered to create such other temporary committee as
shall be required form time to time. Insofar as is feasible, the make-up
of such committee shall insure equal representation from each ward.
XII.
DELEGATES
Delegates
shall be elected by statutory rules or rules established by the Democratic
State Committee
XIII ADOPTION OF THE CHANGES IN THE BY-LAWS
A.
By-laws
may be adopted, amended or repealed at any regularly scheduled meeting
and/or special meeting of the elected members of the Democratic City
Committee provide such proposed change is in writing and is signed by the
elected member proposing it and is in the hands of the Secretary before
the call of the next meeting at which such proposal is to be acted upon.
The Secretary shall include such proposed change in the call of the said
meeting.
B.
Such
proposed change in the by-laws shall be referred forthwith by the
Secretary to the By-laws Committee which shall make a report with its
recommendations at same meeting. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members
present and voting shall be required for the proposed change to pass.
XVI BY-LAWS
Unless
and until amended or repealed by the elected members, these by-laws shall
continue in effect from year to year and no formal motions shall be
necessary at any meeting of the City Committee in order that they continue
in force |