Bylaws

BYLAWS OF THE WELLFLEET DEMOCRATIC TOWN COMMITTEE  

Article I - NAME

This organization shall be known as the Wellfleet Democratic Town Committee, hereinafter called the Committee.

Article II - PURPOSES

This Committee is organized and constituted under authority of and in accordance with the provisions of the General Laws of the Commonwealth, and shall have as its purposes the following: to foster and advance the ideals and aims of the Democratic Party; to work and organize for the success of the Democratic candidates of the District, County, State and Nation; to do all things necessary and incidental to the building and strengthening of the Democratic party in Massachusetts and within Wellfleet and Barnstable County.

Article III - MEMBERSHIP

A. The Wellfleet Town Committee shall consist of at least twenty (20) but no more than thirty-five (35), or number designated and reported to the Massachusetts Secretary of State prior to Presidential Primary elections, registered Democrats in Wellfleet who shall have been elected at the Presidential Primary for a period of four years together with those elected to membership by the members of the said Committee, in conformance with the provisions of law.

B. The Committee, following the election of its members, shall meet and organize, choose a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson or Co-Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Affirmative Action and Outreach Advisor, and such other officers as it may decide to elect. At such meeting the Committee may add to its elected members provided it does not exceed the total allowed by law as found on file with the Secretary of State’s Office.

C. Any registered Wellfleet Democrat who attends three (3) or more business meetings per year will, upon request, be designated an Associate Member.  Associate members, will have full voting rights and are encouraged to participate in Committee meetings and activities.

D. Any duly elected member of the Committee who changes legal residence from Wellfleet during the said four years shall cease to be a member of the Committee at that time.

E. Vacancies shall be filled by vote of the Committee. Associate members, if any, shall be the candidates first considered for filling the vacancies.

F. Once a member has served twenty years he or she must vacate their membership on the committee; however, he or she remains a voting member of the Town Committee.

G. Members and officers pledge themselves, as elected officials, to perform diligently and honorably their duties or resign. Members may be removed in conformity with Section II of the Charter of the Democratic Party of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as long as the removal is by procedures guaranteeing adequate notice and due process and by a majority vote of the entire membership of the committee for one or more of the following reasons:

1). Failure to attend at least half of the regularly scheduled committee meetings during any calendar year

2). Public support for or financial contribution to an opponent of a nominee of the Democratic Party, which nominee publicly supports the platform of the Democratic Party as adopted at the most recent state and national Democratic Convention.

3). Unauthorized use of the Party name or resources.

4). Conviction after appeals are exhausted of a criminal offense other than a misdemeanor.

A member must be given opportunity to resign, and written notice of the hearing on the question of removal is given to the membership of the Committee. The member who is the subject of the hearing must be given written notice that removal is pending, the date of the hearing, and the grounds for his/her proposed removal hearing.

A member removed under this section shall have thirty (30) days to appeal to the Judicial Council (State Committee), and the vacancy may not be filled in such case until the final decision of the Judicial Council is made.

             

H. All committee and associate members are encouraged to make an annual contribution of $20 or more between January and April of each year.

Article IV - OFFICERS

A. The officers of this organization shall consist of a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson or Co-Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Affirmative Action and Outreach Advisor. The Chair and Vice Chair or Co-Chair shall not be of the same sex. These officers shall be elected at the Committee organization meeting and shall serve for a term of two years, at the end of which new elections for officers shall be held

B. There shall be an Executive Committee consisting of the officers of the Committee and such others as they may elect.

C. In the event of death, resignation or the permanent removal from the Town of any of the above named officers, their places shall be declared vacant and be filled at the next regular meeting of the Committee. A statement of such changes in the officers 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 Town Clerk.

Article V - CHAIRPERSON

The Chairperson shall, in addition to the duties required by law, preside at all meetings of the Committee and shall have general charge and supervision of all Committee activities. He/she shall have the power to appoint all standing committees and such other special committees as are created from time to time. He/She shall have the power to call all special meetings of the Town Committee and all regular meetings at such time or times as may seem to her/him to be advisable, subject only to the vote of the Committee in fixing the number of regular meetings to be held during the course of the year. He/she shall have the power to appoint any member of the Wellfleet Democratic Town Committee to conduct any meeting of the Committee.

Article VI - VICE CHAIRPERSON

The Vice Chairperson or Co-Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the Town Committee in the absence of the Chairperson and in the absence of a substitute appointed under Article V above. The Vice Chairperson shall provide assistance to the Chairperson as requested by that official. She/he shall perform all duties and have the powers of the Chairperson in the case of her/his temporary absence, unless the Chairperson has appointed another member of the Wellfleet Democratic Town Committee to conduct meeting(s) held during the period of his/her absence.

Article VII - SECRETARY

The Secretary shall keep a record of all proceedings of the Town Committee and shall issue notice by mail or e-mail to each member of each meeting of the Committee at least seven days prior to the date of the meeting. The Secretary shall, within ten days after the organization of the Committee, file with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, the Secretary of the Democratic State Committee and the Town Clerk a list of officers and members of the Committee; and shall immediately file with the same officials a statement of the changes in the organization or membership of the Committee thereafter.

ARTICLE VIII - TREASURER

The Treasurer shall have the custody of all funds belonging to the Committee and shall pay all orders subject to the approval of the Chairperson and shall procure and file vouchers for all such payment. No expenditures of funds of the Committee shall be made by the Treasure outside the regular activities or expense hereof except upon the approval of a majority of the Committee at a special or regular meeting. She/he shall submit a report of the financial condition and transactions of the Committee at all regular meetings. A detailed report shall be provided at least annually. Additionally, the Treasurer will file reports with the appropriate state and local offices.

Article IX - AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND OUTREACH ADVISOR

The Affirmative Action and Outreach Advisor shall be responsible for developing strategies and activities to expand participation in the Committee of the Party’s Affirmative Action target groups.

Article X - CALLING A MEETING WITHOUT CONSENT OF CHAIRPERSON

A. In the event of a refusal of the Chairperson of the Committee to call a meeting of the Committee a majority of the Executive Committee may, in writing, order the Secretary of the Committee to call a meeting of the Committee.

B. Said executive committee shall have the power to act upon all matters pertaining to the Committee arising between the meetings of the Committee.

C. Seven members of the Wellfleet Town Committee can request a meeting by a petition in writing to the Secretary, and the Secretary shall call such meeting within two weeks.

Article XI - QUORUM

One- third of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

Article XII - COMMITTEES

There shall be Committees appointed as needed and desired by the Chairperson from the duly elected members. The Chairperson shall designate the Chairperson of each such committee.

Article XIII - CHANGES IN THE BYLAWS

A. These Bylaws may be amended or repealed at any regularly called meeting of the elected members of the Committee, provided such proposed change is in writing and is signed by the elected member proposing it and is in the hands of the Chairperson before the call of the next meeting, at which such proposal is to be acted upon. The proposed bylaw change shall be sent to all members with the announcement of the meeting and each member must be notified at least thirty (30) days in advance. Bylaws can be changed by majority vote of the Committee.

B. A majority of the elected members present and voting shall be necessary to overturn the report of any Bylaw Committee or to approve the change in the Bylaw. Bylaw change proposals which contradict the provisions of the Massachusetts Democratic State Party Charter cannot be considered.

C. Unless and until amended or repealed by the elected members, these Bylaws shall continue in effect from year to year and no formal motion shall be necessary at any meeting of the Committee in order that they continue in force.

Article XIV - ORDER OF BUSINESS

The order of business shall be as follows:

1. Calling the roll of officers and members and announcement of quorum; sign-in sheets may be used in lieu of roll call.

2. Approving the minutes of the previous meeting.

3. Treasurer’s Report

4. Reports of officers and committees.

5. Reading of communications addressed to the Committee.

6. Old or unfinished business.

7. New business

8. State Committee Reports

9. Speaker or program

10. Adjournment

The order of business may be waived by a two-thirds vote of the elected members present and voting.

Article XV - MEETINGS

Regular meetings of the Committee shall be held at least four times in non-election years and six times in election years, at least once each quarter.

(Revised June 2012)