DEMOCRATIC WOMEN OF BOULDER COUNTY

REVISED 1997

ARTICLE I-Name

The name of this organization shall be DEMOCRATIC WOMEN OF BOULDER COUNTY. (DWBC)

ARTICLE II-Purpose

The purpose of the Democratic Women of Boulder County shall be to promote community responsibility and to encourage informed active participation in Democratic party politics.

ARTICLE III-Membership

Section 1 Membership in this organization shall be open to any individual who is interested in furthering the purpose as stated in Article II and who pays the annual dues.

Section 2 The membership year shall coincide with the calendar year.

Section 3 The dues shall be determined upon the recommendation of the Executive Board and a majority vote by the members present and voting at a general meeting. The dues thus determined, shall take effect in the next calendar year. Notice of the upcoming dues vote must be given to the membership 14 days in advance of the meeting.

ARTICLE IV-Executive Board

Section 1 The voting members of the Executive Board shall consist of the four elected officers, the three elected members of the nominating committee, the chairs and co-chairs of the standing committees, and a maximum of three members-at-large.

SECTION 2 All members of the executive board shall be registered Democrats who have paid dues to the DWBC for the current calendar year.

SECTION 3 The Executive Board shall have the power and authority to conduct the business and manage the property of the organization, subject to the instructions of the membership.

ARTICLE V-Officers

SECTION 1 The officers shall be the duly elected President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Section 2 All officers shall be elected for a term of one year.

Section 3 Duties of the officers shall be:

A. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Board and of the general membership. She shall appoint the chairs of the standing committees and the members-at-large.

B. The Vice-President shall assist the President and shall preside over meetings in the absence of the President. She may serve as Parliamentarian at the President’s request and shall perform such other duties as designated by the President and the Board.

C. The Secretary shall keep all the permanent records of the organization. She shall be responsible for turning over archives to the incoming secretary. She shall take the minutes of all Board meetings and of any business performed at general meetings. The Secretary shall perform such other duties as may be designated by the President and the Board.

D. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all of the financial records of the organization. She shall receive all monies, shall be custodian of these monies and, shall deposit them upon the order of the Board. She shall present an annual financial statement to the membership at the annual business meeting. She shall perform such other duties as the President and the Board may designate.

ARTICLE VI-Standing Committees

Section 1 The President, with the approval of the Board, shall designate such standing committees as are deemed necessary to carry out the work of the Democratic Women of Boulder County.

Section 2 The chairs of the standing committees shall be appointed by the President, shall be voting members of the Executive Board and shall be responsible for the performance of their own committees.

Section 3 The President, with concurrence of the Board, may ask a chair of any of the standing committees to resign if the President should determine that she is not fulfilling the obligations of her position.

ARTICLE VII-Nominations and Elections

Section 1 The Nominating Committee shall consist of the chair and two members elected at the annual business meeting. Two additional members may be appointed by the President and the Executive Board.

Section 2 A slate of nominees for the officers of the Democratic Women of Boulder County and for the three elected members of the Nominating Committee shall be submitted by the past year’s Nominating Committee to the general membership at least 14 days prior to the annual business meeting.

A. Nominations from the floor shall also be accepted provided the consent of the nominee has been secured prior to the annual business meeting and provided the nominee is a registered Democrat.

B. The slate presented for the new Nominating Committee may include no more than one name from the previous Nominating Committee.

Section 3 All elections may be by hand or voice vote unless a secret ballot is requested, in which case secret ballots will be used. In the case of a secret ballot election only DWBC members in good standing shall be allowed to vote. A simple majority of those present and voting shall constitute a legal election. In all elections no provisions are made for absentee or proxy voting.

Section 4 Following the elections, the previous Nominating Committee will give the new President a list of names from which appointees may be selected. There should be at least one recommendation for each position to be appointed.

Section 5 Should a vacancy occur during the year in one of the elected positions on the Board, the Nominating Committee shall submit the name of a replacement to the Board for approval. The term of any person so appointed shall last until the next Annual Business Meeting.

ARTICLE VIII-Conduct of Business

Section 1 At any membership meeting, thirty (30) paid members or one-fourth of the members who have paid dues for the current calendar year, whichever is less, shall constitute a quorum.

Section 2 A general meeting, designated The Annual Business Meeting, must be held in the second quarter of each year. The election of officers shall take place and annual reports shall be given at this meeting.

Section 3 Amendments to these By-laws may be made at any general membership meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the members present and voting, provided the amendments to these by-laws

have been submitted to the membership at least 14 days before the meeting.

Section 4 The Executive Board and or the membership in any given year and for that given year may make a public statement on an issue provided that:

A. the issue shall be presented to a gathering of the membership by a 2/3 absolute majority vote of the Executive Board. There shall be an opportunity for both sides of the issue to be presented to the membership. A simple majority of members present and voting shall be required to make a decision, provided a quorum is present.

B. when time constraints exist, the Executive Board shall approve the action to be taken by a 2/3 absolute majority of Board members. However, if three members of the Executive Board object to the action to be taken, the action must be referred to the membership as in Section A above.

SECTION 5 The business of this organization shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order Revised, unless such rules conflict with the provisions of these by-laws.