Clinton County Republican Party

THE CURRENT BY LAWS WERE PASSED ON MAY 21, 1998 AND ARE UNDER REVIEW FOR POSSIBLE UPDATING AND REVISION IN 2010
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CLINTON COUNTY REPUBLICAN BYLAWS

Section 1 – Name:

This organization shall be known as the Clinton County Republican Party and shall consist of the Executive Committee, the County Committee and the General Membership.

Section 2 – Purpose:

The purpose of this organization shall be to perform all duties provided by law and state party rules and such duties not prohibited by law as will benefit the general welfare of the Republicans of Clinton County and to conduct the political affairs and business of the Clinton County Republican Party through the Executive Committee and/or the County Committee.

ARTICLE II – THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1 – Establishment:

There shall be an Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Clinton County, which shall be established as provided by law and State Party Rules, The Executive Committee shall select the original members of the County Committee, the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Executive and County Committees, and shall fill any vacancies occurring in these offices. A Deputy Treasurer, selected by the Treasurer must be approved by the Executive Committee.

Section 2 – Duties:

The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to establish general policy for and conduct the affairs of the Clinton County Republican Party and to perform such additional duties as may be required by law and state party rules of by the County Committee.

In addition, the Executive Committee shall encourage, recognize, and aid in the establishment of those organizations within Clinton County that will enhance the activities of the Republican Party.

Section 3 – Membership:

The membership of the Executive Committee shall consist of Delegate-Elected Members, Nominee Members, and Ex-officio Members.

In even numbered years the Fall County Convention shall convene at the call of the County Chairperson within twenty (20) days following the November election. The Precinct Delegates shall select a number of persons equal to the number of county offices and state legislative offices for which candidates were nominated at the last two (2) preceding fall primary elections, who together with the persons most recently nominated by the Party for each of those offices, to constitute the Executive Committee.

(A) DELEGATE – ELECTED MEMBERS. The Precinct delegates to the fall County convention may caucus and shall select the Delegate-Elected Members to the Executive Committee. All Delegate-Elected Members must be registered voters who reside in Clinton County and members in good standing of the Clinton County Republican Party. If a vacancy occurs in the position of delegate-elected member of the executive committee, the remaining delegate-elected members shall fill the vacancy.

(B) NOMINEE MEMBERS. The Nominee members shall be those persons nominated by The Republican Party for county offices and state legislative offices in Clinton County at the last preceding primary election. When a new nomination is made for such an office, the new member shall replace the former Nominee member as a member of the Executive Committee. If a vacancy occurs in the position of a Nominee Member of the Executive Committee, the vacancy may only be filled by the person who is the new nominee for the office in question.

(C) EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS. Ex-officio Members of the Executive Committee shall be Members of the Republican State Committee, State Party officers, Republican Congressman (Federal), Congressional District Chairpersons, and any at-large appointees. Ex-officio Members shall have a voice, but not a vote.

At large Ex-officio Members shall be residents of Clinton County.

Section 4 – Selection of Officers, Term and Vacancies:

Within thirty (30) days following the convening of the fall county convention the executive committee shall meet and select a temporary chairperson and temporary secretary. The temporary officers shall serve only during the selection of officers of the executive committee. The officers shall be chairperson, vice-chairperson who shall be of the opposite sex of the chairperson, a secretary, and a treasurer, deputy treasurer, and other such officers as may be established.

The officers of the Executive Committee and the County Committee shall be the same persons whose term in office shall be for two (2) years commencing January 1 of the odd-numbered years.

If an officer shall resign or become ineligible to hold office, there shall be a vacancy in that office. If a vacancy occurs in the office of Chairperson, the powers and duties of the Chairperson shall be assumed immediately and automatically by the Vice Chairperson until a new Chairperson is elected. In the event a vacancy occurs in the office of Treasurer, the powers and duties of the Treasurer shall be assumed immediately and automatically by the Deputy Treasurer until a new Treasurer is elected. All vacancies in offices shall be filled by elections by the Executive Committee for the remainder of the term. Such elections shall be held not less than fifteen (15) nor more than forty-five (45) days after the vacancy occurs.

ARTICLE III – THE COUNTY COMMITTEE

Section 1 – Establishment:

There may be established a County Committee of the Clinton County Republican Party, the members of which shall be selected by the Executive Committee as provided herein.

After the officers of the Executive Committee have taken office, the Executive Committee shall select the members of the County Committee within forty-five (45) days after January 1 of each odd-numbered year.

Section 2 – Membership and Term:

(a) The Executive Committee shall select a County Committee for the Party, which committee shall consist of not less than two (2) members from each township and two (2) members from each ward of each city in the county, or shall consist of at least two (2) members from each election precinct in the county, as the executive committee may determine.
(b) In addition, the following persons shall serve as members of the County Committee by virtue of the office they hold during their tenure of office and as long as they are residents of Clinton: elected County and Executive Committee officers, and other persons whom the Executive committee may appoint.
(c) The term of service of a county committee shall continue for two (2) years and until the selection of its successor.

Section 3 – Vacancies:

Vacancies in the membership of the County Committee shall be filled by the Executive Committee.

Section 4 – Selection of Officers, Terms and Vacancies:
(a) See Article II, Section 4

(b) The Executive Committee shall have the right to appoint other officers of the County Committee who in its judgment are proper to carry out the purpose of the County Committee, including the filling of vacancies in County Committee officer positions.

ARTICLE IV – GENERAL MEMBERSHIP

Section 1 – Establishment:

The Clinton County Republican Party recognizes its General Membership to be those individuals who reside within the county, pay their annual dues to the Clinton County Republican Party and support the general welfare of the Party assisting in its political and business affairs.

The success of the Party depends upon the generosity of its membership through financial support and in-kind involvement.

Section 2 – Dues:

Dues for General Membership shall be established from time to time as may be determined by the Executive Committee.

Annual dues shall coincide with each calendar year.

Section 3 – Selection of Officers, Term and Vacancies:

Officers of the General Membership are one and the same as the Executive and County Committee.

Re: Terms and Vacancies refer to Article II, Section 4.

ARTICLE V – MEETINGS

Section 1 – Meetings of the Executive Committee:

(a) Re: Regular Meetings – The Executive Committee shall hold regular meetings at least six (6) times per year to carry out its duties. The County Chairperson shall determine the time and place (within Clinton County) for such meetings.

(b) Re: Special Meetings – Special meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by the County Chairperson when he/she shall deem it advisable, and shall be called when requested in writing, by five (5) members of the Executive Committee, or ten (10) members of the County Committee, or when provided for by action of the County Committee.

(c) Re: Quorum – A quorum for all meetings of the Executive Committee shall be members of the Executive Committee, or one-fourth of the membership.

(d) Re: Proxy – Any member of the Executive Committee may designate, in writing, a person to represent him/her at any meeting of the Executive Committee, except that no proxy designate shall hold more than one vote, nor shall any person hold a proxy unless that person is a registered voter and resides in Clinton County.

(e) Re: Attendance – Any Delegate-Elected Member who shall fail to be present without prior notice to the County Chairperson, either in person or in “proxy”, at three (3) consecutive regular meetings of the Executive Committee shall be considered to have resigned from the Executive Committee. His/her position of the Executive Committee shall be filled as provided in Article II, Section 3 (a).

Section 2 – Meetings of the County Committee:

(a) Meetings of the County Committee may be held at least twice each calendar year, at a time and place (within Clinton County) to be determined by the County Chairperson. The first meeting of the County Committee shall be held no later than March 15 in the year of its election.

(b) Re: Quorum – A Quorum for all meetings of the County Committee shall be five (5) members of the County Committee, or one-fourth of the membership, which ever is smaller.

(c) Re: Proxy – No County Committee vote may be cast by proxy.

Section 3 – Meetings of the General Membership:

The General Membership shall meet at the call of the Chair. The County Chairperson shall determine the time and place (within Clinton County) for such meetings.

Section 4 – Notice of Executive, County and General Membership Meetings.

Notice of each respective meetings of the Executive Committee, County Committee and General Membership shall be forwarded by the secretary to each member of the Committee with notice of the time and place of the meeting not less than ten (10) calendar days prior to each meeting. Five (5) days notice shall be given of special meetings unless such notice is prevented by emergency.

ARTICLE VI –OFFICERS

Section 1 – Executive Committee:

See Article II, Section 4.

Section 2 – County Committee:

See Article III, Section 4.

Section 3 – General Membership:

See Article IV, Section 3.

ARTICLE VII – DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1 – Chairperson:

The duties of the Chairperson shall be those provided by law, and also such other duties not prohibited by law as may be required by action of the Executive Committee, County Committee and General Membership, including but not limited to the following:

The Chairperson, shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee, County Committee and General Membership, and shall be ex-officio member of all standing committees. The Chairperson shall appoint the chairpersons and members of all committees and, with the exception of the Budget Review Committee, may remove them, all subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.

The Chairperson shall be responsible for directing the administration of the headquarters and staff, shall be responsible for managing the day-to-day affairs of the Party, shall coordinate the activities of the Republican Party organizations within the county, shall submit a proposed annual budget by October 1st for review and approval by the Budget Review Committee.

The Chairperson serves as spokesperson for the county party and shall submit reports to the Executive Committee, County Committee and General Membership as may be required by action of the Committees, shall keep the Committees informed of Republican Party programs and activities, and may assign to other officers and committees such duties as may be necessary.

Section 2 – Vice Chairperson:

The Vice-Chairperson shall preside at meetings of the Executive Committee, County Committee and General Membership in the absence of, or at the request or, the Chairperson and shall perform such other duties as directed by the Chairperson and/or the Executive Committee, County Committee and/or General Membership. In the event the Chairperson is unable to act, the powers and duties of the Chairperson shall be assumed by the Vice-Chairperson until such inability is removed or until the Chairperson shall again take up the duties of the office.

If the Vice-Chairperson is unavailable or unable to act the officers as designated shall perform the duties of the Vice-Chairperson.

Section 3 – Secretary:

The Secretary shall perform all duties normally incident to the office of Secretary, and in particular shall keep a permanent record of the minutes and attendance at all meetings of the Executive Committee, County Committee and General Membership, shall make these records available for inspection and copying by a member of the Committees who request the minutes of the most recent meetings to any member of the Committees who requests the same, and shall see that all notices are duly given as required by law by these Bylaws.

Section 4 – Treasurer:

The Treasurer shall have the care and custody of all monies paid to the Party and shall deposit the same in the names of the Clinton County Republican Party in a bank designated by the Executive Committee and shall pay all duly authorized bills. The Treasurer shall serve as Chairperson of the Budget Review Committee and shall be responsible for the property and timely filing of all financial reports required by law.

The Treasurer shall keep an account, in permanent records, of all financial transactions of the Clinton County Republican Party. A Statement of Financial Conditions (revenues, expenditures, outstanding obligations, and cash balance) will be made at each regular meeting of the Executive Committee, County Committee and General Membership. Upon reasonable request, all records shall be open to inspection.

At the close of each calendar year, the Treasurer, with the assistance of internal Auditing committee shall prepare an annual, accurate statement as of December 31 of each year setting forth the financial condition of the Clinton County Party. The Treasurer shall forward this report to the officers by the first day of March of the year following and shall present a copy of the report to the Executive Committee at its next regular meeting.

Upon leaving office, the Treasurer all furnish to his/her successor all funds, accounts, and other property pertaining to the affairs of the Treasurer.

Section 5 – Deputy Treasurer:

The Deputy Treasurer shall assume the powers and duties of the Treasurer, as defined in section 4 of this Article, during the absence of inability of the Treasurer.

ARTICLE VIII – COMMITTEES

Committees shall be formed as deemed necessary.

ARTICLE IX – RESOLUTIONS

Section 1 – Notice:

All proposed resolutions, with the exception of resolutions honoring an individual for special service to the Party or community, shall be submitted to the County Chairperson at least five (5) days prior to the mailing of the notice of the meeting at which they are proposed to be introduced.

Section 2 – Mailing of Proposed Resolutions:

The County Chairperson shall cause a copy of each proposed resolution  to be mailed with the notice of the meeting to each member of the Executive or County Committee, or the General Membership.

Section 3 – Policy:

It shall be the policy of the Executive, County, and General Membership Committees not to endorse, support, or disavow individual candidates in contested Republican primary elections, except as provided  in Section 4.

It shall be the policy to allow announced candidates for public office or a member of their immediate family to speak at meetings or party sponsored events. Such speaking time may be limited by the Chairperson to a reasonable time.

Section 4 – Endorsement/Disavowment-Contested Republican Primary:

In the exceptional circumstance when it is in the best interest of the Republican Party in Clinton County, the Executive Committee may endorse, support, or disavow a particular candidate in a contested Republican primary election, provided that such resolution be adopted by  two-thirds of the Executive Committee present and voting. When an endorsement is proposed, the consent of the candidate is necessary.

The officers of the committees in their official capacity shall not endorse candidates in a contested primary election, except when the candidate has received Executive Committee endorsement.

ARTICLE X – PROCEDURE

Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the Executive, County, and General Membership Committees in all cases when said rules are not in conflict with these Bylaws.

ARTICLE XI – ADOPTION

These Bylaws shall be adopted by a majority of the total membership of the Executive Committee present and voting at the meeting when they are presented for adoption and shall take immediate effect.

ARTICLE XII – AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS

These Bylaws may be amended by a majority of the total membership of the Executive Committee present and voting and shall take immediate effect. A minimum of thirty (30) days must lapse from the time the proposed amended language is disbursed and until a vote is taken.

Notice of any proposed amendment vote shall be included with the next meeting notice to each member of the Executive Committee.

HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF BYLAWS DEVELOPMENT

The text of the Bylaws for the Clinton County Republican Party were developed by a special appointed committee. Committee members included:

    Jon Newman
    Charles Sherman
    Dan Skorich

The Committee submitted the Proposed Bylaws to the Party Chairman in January 1998. The proposal was discussed at subsequent meeting.

These Bylaws were approved at the regular meeting on May 21, 1998, by a vote of 12 yeas and 3 nays. They had immediate effect.

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Robert G. Craig, Chairman

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Karla Garcia, Secretary