Three Parks Democrats Constitution

Rev: 4/12/00

THREE PARKS INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATS

CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE ONE: NAME

The name of this association shall be Three Parks Independent Democrats.

ARTICLE TWO: PURPOSE

The purpose of this association is to support the Democratic Party in Part A of the 69th Assembly District, State of New York; to build enrollment in the Democratic Party; to support Democratic candidates who demonstrate ability, integrity and progressive convictions; and to maintain and improve the quality of life in our neighborhood, city, state, and country.

ARTICLE THREE: MEMBERSHIP

1.All authority of this association shall reside in the membership. The Board of Directors and the Officers shall act in accordance with the resolutions of the membership.

2.Any person residing in the 69th Assembly District, State of New York, or any adjoining Assembly District, or anyone employed in or doing business in the 69th Assembly District, who is a registered voter enrolled in the Democratic Party shall become a member in good standing thirty days after application for membership and the payment of dues. Any member in good standing who subsequently moves outside of the boundaries of the association and remains within the borough of Manhattan may maintain his or her membership.

3.Each member shall pay dues yearly in accordance with a by-law to be adopted by the Board of Directors. Dues are due and payable at the annual meeting. Any person who fails to pay dues within the period prescribed by the Board of Directors shall cease to be a member in good standing in accordance with the procedure provided by the Board of Directors, except that any member who has been a member in good standing for the

previous year but has failed to pay his or her dues in accordance with such by-law shall become a member in good standing immediately upon the payment of dues.

4.The Board of Directors, or a committee designated by it for that purpose, may admit any person who resides in the 69th Assembly District or any adjoining Assembly District and is not otherwise eligible to be a member of this association.

ARTICLE FOUR: MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

1.The membership shall meet upon the call of the President, forty or one third of the members, whichever is less, or one third of the Board of Directors. There shall be at least six membership meetings in each calendar year.

2.Written notice of each membership meeting shall be mailed to each member at least seven days in advance of the meeting unless the Board of Directors shall certify that it is necessary to provide shorter notice, in which case the Board of Directors shall use due diligence to give at least two days notice by telephone. Notice of the meeting shall include the time, place and agenda of the meeting.

3.The Board of Directors shall propose the agenda of each meeting. The members may change the order of the agenda or insert an additional item of business on the agenda by a two-thirds vote. The members may require the inclusion of an item on the agenda of the following meeting by a majority vote.

4.The membership may adopt rules regulating the conduct of meetings. In the event no rule applies, the revised edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern.

5.One fifth of the members shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE FIVE: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

1.The Board of Directors shall supervise the operations of the association in a manner consistent with this Constitution and the resolutions of the membership.

2.The Board of Directors may adopt by-laws not inconsistent with this Constitution to govern any matter not otherwise governed by the Constitution. Such by-laws must be written to be effective.

3.The Board of Directors shall consist of the officers of the association and one member at large for each twenty-five members or part thereof of the association. The members may adopt a resolution changing the number of members at large that may serve on the Board of Directors. Assembly district leaders of Part A of the 69th Assembly District, who are voting members of the association, are ex officio members of the Board of Directors.

4.Any member of the Board of Directors or officer who ceases to be a member of the association in good standing shall also cease to be a member of the Board of Directors or officer.

5.The Board of Directors shall meet upon the call of the President or one third of the Board of Directors.

6.One third of the directors shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE SIX: OFFICERS

1.The officers of the association shall be a President, a First Vice-President, a Second Vice-President, a Recording Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary, a Membership Director, and a Treasurer and any other officers that may from time to time be authorized by the members. All officers shall be elected at the annual meeting and shall serve for one year or until their successors have been elected.

2.The President shall chair all meetings of the membership and the Board of Directors and shall be the chief executive officer of the association, subject to the control and direction of the Board of Directors and of the membership.

3.The First Vice-President shall act in the absence or the inability of the President. The Second Vice-President shall act in the absence or the inability of the First Vice-Pres- ident.

4.The Recording Secretary shall record the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors and of the membership, and shall maintain the minutes, resolutions, and by-

laws of the association, subject to the control and direction of the Board of Directors and the membership.

5.The Corresponding Secretary shall be responsible for the giving of notice for all meetings of the membership and production of the association's newsletter and other communications, subject to the control and direction of the Board of Directors and of the membership.

6.The Membership Director shall maintain the membership list of the association, subject to the control and direction of the Board of Directors and of the membership.

7.The Treasurer shall be responsible for the control and maintenance of the assets of the association, and shall make all financial filings or reports to members as required by law, subject to the control and direction of the Board of Directors and the membership.

8.The President may name any committee chairpersons as he or she may deem appropriate to perform services for the association, subject to the control and direction of the Board of Directors and the membership.

ARTICLE SEVEN: ELECTIONS

1.The association shall have an annual membership meeting each February at which all officers and members of the Board of Directors shall be elected. Eligibility to vote at the annual membership meeting shall be the same as the requirements to vote on endorsements.

2.Candidates for election shall be nominated at least twenty-one days in advance of the annual membership meeting. Candidates may be nominated either by a report of a nominating committee duly constituted by the membership or by the Board of Directors or by a nomination, duly seconded, at the meeting next preceding the annual membership meeting.

3.The notice of the annual meeting shall include the names of all candidates for office.

4.If there are no candidates for a particular office, nominations may be received at the annual meeting.

5.Voting shall be by secret ballot. Where no candidate for a position as an officer receives a majority of the votes cast on the first ballot, there shall be a runoff between the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes.

6.The Board of Directors may fill vacancies in any office or in the Board of Directors until the next meeting of the membership. The membership may fill vacancies until the next annual meeting by nomination from the floor without the notice required above.

ARTICLE EIGHT: ENDORSEMENTS

1.All endorsements of candidates for public office or party position shall be made by the members who have not previously voted for a candidate for the same public office or party position.

2.To be eligible to vote at an endorsement meeting a member new to the association during the calendar year of such endorsement must have attended at least one other meeting of the association as a member within the previous six months. Members of the association in the prior calendar year must have attended at least one meeting of the association within the previous six months and have their dues current by the endorsement vote.

3.All endorsements will be by secret ballot. The ballot shall contain the name of each candidate for such office and the option of "no endorsement". For a candidate to receive the endorsement of the members, such candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast. Should no candidate receive a majority of the votes on the ballots cast, the candidate receiving the fewest votes and candidates receiving less than 15% of the ballots cast shall be dropped from the ballot and a second vote shall be taken. This procedure shall be followed until a candidate shall receive the endorsement of the association, unless no candidate shall receive a majority of the votes cast by the fifth ballot or the option of "no endorsement" shall receive a majority of the votes cast.

4.Endorsements may only be made for party positions or public offices with election districts within the following areas:

(1)Part A of the 69th Assembly District, or (2) the area bounded on the east by Central Park; on the west by Riverside Park; to the north by 110th Street, and to the south by 96th Street.

5.Following a primary or special election or judicial convention, the Democratic nominee for any public office will automatically receive the Club endorsement unless withdrawn by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting.

ARTICLE NINE: AMENDMENTS

This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the membership present and voting at two consecutive meetings where the full text of the amendments is presented at such meeting.

Rev: 1/24/96

THREE PARKS INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATS

BYLAWS – TREASURY

1.Payments made for reasonable items required in the ordinary course of the club’s activities shall be promptly made by the treasurer from the club’s treasury. (6/23/93)

2.The treasurer shall make payments either by 1st class mail or (if reasonably notified in advance) at regular membership or board meetings, at the request if the member payee. Otherwise, members seeking checks for reimbursement or expenditures shall make special arrangements to go to the treasurer for payment at the treasurer’s convenience. (6/23/93)

3.No payment for reimbursement shall be made to any member for expenses without prior proof of receipt, nor will any reimbursement payment be made to any member who is financially indebted to the club. (6/23/93)

4.A claim for reimbursement shall be made within two months (60 days) from the date of purchase or expenditure. Approval of requests for reimbursement payments after that date may be subject to a board vote called at the discretion of the treasurer. (6/23/93)

5.The treasurer shall issue no signed blank checks for club business purchases. (6/23/93)

6.Payments of $100 or greater for expenditures for club activity expenses are subject to a majority vote of the board, or for smaller dollar amounts at the discretion of the treasurer, who may ask the board to approve each such expenditure. A board vote is not necessary for any reasonable expenditure made for any designated activity already approved by the board. (6/23/93)

7.No loan of treasury funds shall be made to any member of the club under any circumstances. (6/23/93)

8.Club members are encouraged to make personal payments for small expenses and request subsequent reimbursement for the treasurer. (6/23/93)

9.All club members are encouraged to make membership dues payments by check instead of cash for their own protection and for the club’s record keeping convenience. (6/23/93)

10.Requests for cash shall be made by direct verbal contact with the treasurer. (1/24/96)

Rev: 4/23/97

THREE PARKS INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATS

BYLAWS - ELECTIONS

1.In the event there is a position for which there are no nominees, a floor nomination for any vacant club position must be made prior to the opening of the ballot box. (4/23/97)

2.Any floor nominations for positions, for example, judicial delegate, shall be made prior to the opening of the ballot box. (4/23/97)

Rev: 6/25/97

THREE PARKS INDEPENDENT DEMOCRATS

BYLAWS - MEMBERSHIP LIST

1.Unendorsed candidates may obtain Club mailing labels for a charge of 25 dollars per list, subject to approval by the board. (6/25/97)

2.Endorsed candidates may obtain one copy of the Club mailing list for free, and subsequent copies of mailing labels at cost. (6/25/97)

3.A list of the members permitted to vote in an upcoming Club meeting shall be made available by the Membership Secretary to the Club President and to any member who requests it at least two weeks prior to the convening of the meeting. (3/8/00)