ydm 2012 bylaws committee report

8/3/2019 YDM 2012 Bylaws Committee Report

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Dear Members of the Young Democrats of Maryland,

Please find the attached document from what I had hoped to be the last meeting of theBylaws Committee. I hope everyone gives it the close attention it deserves. If youhave any questions or concerns feel free to email me directly and if the need ariseswe'll schedule a final meeting to iron out any differences.

When I ran for Executive Vice President I made my goal of getting more peopleinvolved in the statewide organization a key priority of mine. Since being on the boardit has been center to all of the policies Ive proposed. That has been the case withthese bylaws as well. The key to longevity for YDM is making the responsibility for our

statewide network more than just the job of the seven members of the executiveboard. We need strong chapters, stronger chapter leaders, and even strongermembers to build on the future of the successes weve had.

The document below doesnt make wholesale change to the YDM bylaws but it doesat least begin the slow process of wider inclusion for our average members. We'vediscussed and debated this document for months now with me sending out my firstthoughts on changes last fall. We've reviewed it at YDM Board Meetings almost everymonth when Ive submitted my report. Here is to hoping that none of these proposalswhich represent a sincere effort to decentralize the YDM organization and includemore members in growing our state unit meet anyone with a shock.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the Super Bowl!

Joseph KitchenExecutive Vice President


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Key things to look for in the document changes proposed below.

1) We rise the age of membership statewide from thirty-six to forty years old. Thismeans that across the state anyone under the age of forty will be able to be a fullfledge member of YDM with all rights and responsibilities except serving asNational Committeeman or Woman, or being a voting delegate to the nationalconvention. This is a simple policy move putting back in place a rule we here inMaryland have had for years before three years ago. It makes the state age whatis the age in many of our largest chapters.

2) We empower the Vice President of Programs to serve as Acting President in theevent the President and Executive Vice President are absent.

3) We give members the right to inspect any and all records of the organization undera policy the Board of Directors must approve.

4) We require all caucuses to re-charter bi-annually at conventions in odd numberyears to ensure that any caucus group we do have actually exists and is working

for the benefit of our members.5) Prohibit members from holding more than one elected office in YDM.6) We rename the Bylaws Committee to Rules and Bylaws Committee and give them

the power to hear appeals from members who might feel the rules arent beingapplied fairly.

7) We strike out the requirement for chapters to submit financial documentation to thestate, a rule we have never followed, but create a process that allows us to re-charter our chapters annually and give statewide leaders an accurate view of thestate of the organization.

8) We create a standing committee on the convention to help continue toprofessionalize our convention and make it better overtime.

9) We seek to add diversity in opinion and ideas to the Board of Directors by puttingthe leaders of the caucuses back on our board.

There are a few areas where as chairman I had hopes for different outcomes.

10) Despite the fact we have no provision prohibiting YDM officers from makingendorsements in actual political campaigns in the primary, the committee, with mydissent, approved a rule preventing YDM officers in their capacity from endorsingcandidates for young dem races in local chapters or caucuses.

11) The committee took a wait and see approach to expanding the influence of localchapter leaders by tabling a provision that would have create a Council of ChapterLeaders, allowed them to elect a chair who would serve on the YDM board, andthen developing a process by which we get more local leaders involved ingoverning our statewide organization.

Below is the full copy of the current bylaws with in track changes the proposals foryour review. If you have thoughts or concerns please contact me anytime at

[email protected].


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BYLAWS

Of

Young Democrats of Maryland

I. ame, Affiliations and Purposes: The name of this organization shall be the YoungDemocrats of Maryland, hereafter referred to as YDM.

A. It shall maintain an affiliation with Young Democrats of America (YDA).B. It shall be the official youth representative of the Maryland Democratic Party.C. It shall:

1. Stimulate in young people an active interest in governmental affairs2. Develop members leadership skills3. Contribute to the growth and leadership of the Democratic Party

4. Promote youth involvement in the Democratic Party throughout the Stateof Maryland

5. Facilitate the growth of local chapters of the organization.II. Principal Office of the Organization: The principal office of the Organization shall be

designated by the Board of Directors.

III. Membership:A. Membership Requirements: Any registered Democrat who resides or works in

the State of Maryland and who has not reached his or her fortieth (40th) birthdayis eligible for full membership in YDM. A person must be member of a local clubor must be an at-large member (as defined in this document) to be eligible formembership in YDM. Local branches of YDM may offer associate or honorarymembership to those above forty (40) years of age, but such members may notrun for office or vote.

B. Local Chapters: Local chapters shall be defined as a county chapter or aeducational chapter. Local chapters may create their own message and platform

but should attempt to use the coordinated message from the YDM1. A county chapter shall consist of the area covered by a county, city,

region or larger organizational district, and club members must beresidents of that area or attend school in that area. These chapters shallhave the right to set dues for their members and will be considered the

parent chapter for chapters in local High Schools which fall in their area.2. An educational chapter shall consist of a Young Democrats group at a

Community College, College, University, or Professional school. Thereshall only be one YDM chartered group per campus. If two on-campusgroups both want to be chartered under YDM, the YDM Board ofDirectors shall evaluate and decide which group shall have the first rightto charter under YDM.

3. Local Chapter Endorsements: A county chapter may endorse acandidate for office solely in their county if the following steps are met:a. A local chapter must submit an endorsement process to the YDM

Board of Directors for approval before issuing any endorsement of

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candidates. The Board of Directors reserves the right to veto an

endorsement process.C. Local Chapter Recognition: In order for a local club to be a recognized body in

YDM, it must:1. Submit a copy of its Bylaws to the Secretary of YDM2. Submit a list of all members including name, address, date of birth, phone

number and e-mail address to the Secretary of YDM. This list must beupdated every year.

3. Hold at least six meetings annually in different months4. Present re-chartering documentation to the Board of Directors no later

than thirty (30) days before the annual convention.

In Addition:

1. Chapter Bylaws may not contradict the YDM Bylaws.

2. While Chapter President, a member may not be the President of YDM.

D. At-Large Members: If a person is unable to join a local club and are unable orunwilling to create a new club, they may be considered as an at-large member of YDM.Effort should be expended by the Board of Directors to ensure that anybody interested in

joining or starting a local club is able to do so. To be recognized as an At-Large member,a person must send an email to the YDM President requesting to be recognized as an At-Large member. The YDM President shall notify the Board of Directors of the new At-Large member. At Large members shall reserve all rights and responsibilities of regularmembers with the exception of holding the offices of President or Executive VicePresident.

E. Voting: Each member in good standing of a local club shall be considered in goodstanding of YDM. All members in good standing shall have one vote at YDM AnnualMeetings. There shall be no proxy voting.

F. Termination of membership: A Member of YDM may terminate their membership ifthe Member sends written notice to the President of their local club, or the President ofYDM.

G. Release of Membership List: The membership list of YDM may not be divulgedwithout a 3/4 vote of the Board of Directors.

H. Membership Entitlements: Membership shall entitle Members to participate in YDMsprograms and to participate and vote in the election of Voting Members of the Board ofDirectors of YDM. Members of YDM shall also retain the right to inspect any record ofYDM under policies established by the Board of Directors and published on the

organizational website.

I. Caucuses: Members may create caucuses that represent an area of diversity withinYDM. Members interested in a caucus shall create Bylaws for the proposed caucus,


Deleted: Local chapters must report thof their finances to the YDM Treasurer one year.




Deleted: For the purpose of this decision,Local Committeeperson shall have a vote.



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which must be approved by the Bylaws Committee. Caucuses must be approved by a

majority vote at the first annual meeting in which the caucus wishes to become active.Temporary recognition may be granted to a caucus by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of theBoard of Directors. This temporary recognition shall be considered valid until the nextannual meeting of YDM. Members shall only create caucuses which are in existence andactive in the Young Democrats of America. Any Caucuses in existence as of the effectivedate of these By-Laws do not need to undergo the aforementioned recognition process. Caucuses shall submit re-chartering documentation under a policy developed by theBoard of Directors no later than thirty (30) days before the convention in odd numberyears.

IV. Board of Directors and Officers:

A. Board of Directors: There shall be an Board of Directors, composed of theelected officers of the YDM and the chairman of all established caucuses. No

member of the board may cast more than one vote by virtue of holding more thanone seat on the Board of Directors., The duties of the elected officers of YDM areas follows:

1. The President shall preside at and conduct all meetings of the Members,the Board of Directors and any general body meeting of YDM. ThePresident may sign all contracts and agreements in the name of theOrganization after the Board of Directors has approved them, serve as therepresentative of the Organization in meetings, be the primary contact

between YDM and other Statewide organizations including but not limitedto the Maryland Democratic Party and discussions with otherorganizations and agencies, and otherwise perform all of the duties that areordinarily the function of the office.

2. The Executive Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President ifthe President is unable to do so or is absent, and perform such other tasksas may be assigned by the Board of Directors; shall be an ex-officiomember of all committees; and shall be the Chairperson of the BylawsCommittee and the Convention Committee.The Executive Vice-Presidentshall serve as Director of Membership working in conjunction with theVice President of Programs to plan membership activities and programs.In the event that the office of the President becomes vacant, the ExecutiveVice-President shall automatically become President. The Executive Vice-President represent YDM to other organizations including but not limitedto the Maryland Democratic Party, Young Democrats of America andmore in the event the President is absent.

3. The Secretary shall keep accurate records and minutes of all the meetingsof the Organization; make available copies of the minutes to the previousmeeting and distribute them in advance of each meeting; cause to bedelivered all notices of meetings to those persons entitled to vote at suchmeeting; shall maintain the YDM email list; be responsible for sending allemails to the members; be responsible for updating the YDM website; and





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Deleted: ; and shall be responsible for chabuilding duties around the State.


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shall maintain a current listing, with phone numbers, addresses and email

addresses, of all YDM officers, local club presidents and members.4. The Treasurer shall oversee: the deposit of YDM funds into the proper

accounts of the organization; the recording of all receipts anddisbursements from such accounts; the preparation of the books andrecords of the finances of the organization; the preparation of financialreports for the Board meeting; and the preparation and filing of all end-of-year financial reports and federal and state tax reports. The Treasurer shallserve as Chair of the Fundraising committee, and shall work with theVice-President of Programming to coordinate all YDM fundraising effortsand to create a fundraising plan, to be approved by the Board of Directors.

5. The Vice-President of Programming shall plan and coordinate programs ofan educational, civic or social nature for YDM members; shall serve aschair of the programming committee; shall sit as Vice-Chair of theFundraising and Convention Committees; shall work with the Treasurer to

coordinate all YDM fundraising efforts and create a fundraising plan to beapproved by the Board of Directors; and shall create a program calendar,to be approved by the Board of Directors. In the event of a vacancy in boththe offices of President and Executive Vice President, the Vice Presidentof Programming shall serve as acting president until a successor is elected

pursuant to these bylaws.6. The National Committeewoman shall: be female; represent YDM at all

YDA meetings; represent YDM at any other meeting which she isassigned to by the Board of Directors; shall report on her activities to theBoard of Directors; shall co-chair the Chapter Building Committee andshall work with the Executive Vice-President to develop new localchapters around the State. No person who has reached the age of thirty-four (34), or who shall turn thirty-six (36) before the completion of theirterm shall declare themselves a candidate for the national committee.

7. The National Committeeman shall: be male; represent YDM at all YDAmeetings; represent YDM at any other meeting which he is assigned to bythe Board of Directors; shall report on his activities to the Board ofDirectors; shall co-chair the Chapter Building Committee and shall workwith the Executive Vice-President to develop new local chapters aroundthe State. No person who has reached the age of thirty-four (34), or whoshall turn thirty-six (36) before the completion of their term shall declarethemselves a candidate for the national committee.

B. Appointed Officers: There shall be appointed officers who shall sit on the Boardof Directors but are not entitled to a vote and shall be henceforth referred to asnon-voting officers with the exception of the Local Committeeperson. Permanentappointed officer positions shall consist of the Local Committeeperson, whoseduties and conditions of placement are listed as follows:

C. Election/Vacancies: The Elected Officers shall consist of President, ExecutiveVice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, National Committeewoman, NationalCommitteeman, and Vice President of Programming. These officers shall be










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elected bi-annually by the members at the YDM convention. These elections shall

be held during odd numbered years. When any vacancy occurs on the Board ofDirectors the members of the Board of Directors shall be notified in writing ten(10) days in advance of the next meeting of the vacancy and that a proposedmember to fill the vacancy will be presented at that meeting by the President. Ifthe office of President is vacated the Executive Vice-President shall fill thevacancy. The President shall appoint persons to fill any other vacant office for theduration of the term by and with a majority vote of the Board of Directors. If thevacancy occurs with more than one year left on the term, the appointment by thePresident shall be on an interim basis until a special election can be held at thenext convention. Should both the President and Executive Vice-President

positions become vacant, the Board of Directors together with the Presidents ofthe Local chapters of YDM shall appoint a President by a two-thirds vote. In theduration between the vacancy of the offices of President and Executive VicePresident and the election to replace them, the Vice President of Programming

shall serve as Acting President. No person may hold more than one elected officeof YDM.

D. Other Restrictions: The YDM Executive Board, nor any of its members, mayendorse candidates in their official capacity in contested local chapter or caucuselections.

E. Deposit of Funds: All funds must be deposited in an account named YoungDemocrats of Maryland within 10 business days of receipt. Any disbursement ofTwo thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) or more may not occur without amajority vote approval of the Board of Directors.

F. Qualifications: Candidates for state-wide office shall not age out from the YoungDemocrats of Maryland by the time their term in office ends.

G. Term: Officers shall serve a term of two (2) years and until their successors areelected, or until they are removed for cause. No officer may serve more than twoconsecutive terms as President.

H. Removal: Any officer may be removed, with cause, by a two-thirds vote of theBoard of Directors present at any meeting. Cause shall be defined as malfeasance.For a vote of removal, the Local Committeeperson shall have the right to vote.

1. Resignation: An officer may resign only by submitting a writtenresignation to the President, unless the President is the resigning officer, inwhich case written resignation may be submitted to the Secretary. Anymember of the Board of Directors who has missed two consecutivemeeting of the Board without an excuse shall be presumed to have

resigned, and shall be notified in writing of this provision by the President,or by the Executive Vice-President if the President is the resigning officer.In the event the President, National Committeeman or NationalCommitteewoman relocate out of the state of Maryland for more than six









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consecutive months, in which case they no longer work nor live in

Maryland, they also shall be presumed to have resigned their position aswell.

V. Meetings:A. Annual Meetings: The Annual Meeting of the Organization shall be held in the

month of January or February of each year. Notice of the meeting shall be sent atleast one (1) month in advance of the Annual Meeting to each local club Presidentand to all members of YDM. Each local club must have submitted their Bylaws

before the Annual Meeting to enable its members the right to vote at the AnnualMeeting. Each local club shall be allowed one vote for each attending member atthe Annual Meeting, not to exceed forty votes.

B. Regular Board Meetings: Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall beheld at least every other month and may be scheduled more often by thePresident. Notice of regularBoard of Directors meetings, shall be given at least

ten (10) days before the day of the meetingC. Special Meetings: Special Meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at any

time and at any place in the State of Maryland, when called by the President andtwo othermembers of theBoard of Directors or by at least four Directors.Business transacted at special meetings shall be confined to the purposes of themeeting stated in the notice of the meeting. Notice of special meetings may begiven verbally, via electronic mail or in writing at least 72 hours prior to themeeting time. Should the need arise for a special meeting of the YDM generalmembership, the President shall reserve the right to call such a meeting or shallcall such a meeting upon the request of 2/3rds of the members of the Board ofDirectors with notice given via electronic mail or in writing of at least fourteen(14) days. Business transacted at the special meeting shall be confied to the

purpose of the meeting stated in the notice.D. Quorum: At any meeting, a quorum shall consist ofa majority (51%) of the

elected members ofBoard of Directors who are eligible to vote, present in person.A majority vote shall consist of 51 percent (51%) of those present and entitled tovote at the meeting, except as otherwise provided by law or in these Bylaws. Aquorum for board meetings shall not include chairmen of caucuses.

VI. Committees: The Board of Directors may create such committees with such powers as itdeems it wise to have. The President shall appoint persons to chair those committees, andthe chairs shall appoint people to the committees with the advice and consent of theBoard of Directors. The following committees shall be considered Standing Committees:

A. Rules and Bylaws Committee: The Rules and Bylaws Committee shall bechaired by the Executive Vice-President and shall consist of at least three (3)members appointed by the President. The Bylaws Committee shall be responsiblefor reviewing the Bylaws at least once per year and recommending any necessarychanges to the Board of Directors. All amendments to the Bylaws must bereviewed before the Bylaws committee before going before the Board ofDirectors. In the event an issue arises where the meaning of these bylaws or anyrule of the YDM is in question, this committee shall meet to settle the dispute.





Deleted: Members


Deleted: Members

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Deleted: embers

Deleted:






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B. Fundraising Committee: The Fundraising Committee shall be chaired by the

Treasurer, Vice-Chaired by the Vice President of Programming, and shall consistof at least three (3) members. The Fundraising Committee shall propose afundraising plan to the Board of Directors and coordinate at least one (1)fundraising event per year.

C. Programming Committee: The Programming Committee shall be chaired by theVice-President of Programming and shall include the Local Committeeperson aswell as at least three (3) other members. The Programming Committee shall

propose a programming calendar of events to the Board of Directors andcoordinate at least three (3) programming event a year. A programming eventshall be defined as an event that occurs for the membership of YDM whether it issocial, educational, or otherwise defined. The committee shall make every effortto ensure that every member of YDM has the opportunity to attend all events.

D. Chapter Building Committee: The Chapter Building committee shall be co-chaired by the National Committeeman and the National Committeewoman and

shall consist of at least three (3) other members. The Chapter Building Committeeshall work with the Executive Vice-President to strengthen active local chaptersand help to grow new chapters across the State.

E. Convention Committee: The Convention committee shall be chaired by theExecutive Vice President and Vice-Chaired by the Vice-President ofProgramming. The committee shall include the Secretary, Treasurer and any othersuch member as the President appoints. The Convention committee shall workwith the Board of Directors to identify convention hosts and plan and organize theannual convention. The committee may recommend potential convention hosts,

but the final decision on a host site or any contract entered into by committeeresides with the Board of Directors. The President shall reserve the right, inwriting, to name another member to chair this committee at their discretion.

F. Ad-hoc Committees: The Board of Directors may establish such specialcommittees as they shall determine are necessary for the functioning of theOrganization. Each such committee shall be given a specific charge and term. Nospecial committee shall have a term extending beyond one (1) year unlessreappointed. The Board of Directors shall name the members of specialcommittees.

VII. Appointed Officers and Staff:A. The Board of Directors may appoint an Executive Director, with a title

appropriate to the functions of the officer. The Executive Director may appointother staff.

B. The Board of Directors may delegate duties and customary authority to theExecutive Director and staff of the Organization. The duties and authoritydelegated shall be memorialized in written job descriptions.

C. The Executive Director shall be subject to hire and termination by the Board ofDirectors. Other appointed staff shall be subject to hire and termination by theExecutive Director.

D. The Executive Director shall attend and participate in meetings of the Membersand the Board of Directors and of committees as staff to the Board of Directorsand the committees, but shall not be entitled to vote.











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VIII. Conflicts of Interest: Any Board of Directors member, officer, employee or committee

member having an interest in a contract or other transaction or determination presented tothe Board of Directors or a committee of the organization for recommendation,authorization, approval or ratification shall give prompt, full and frank disclosure of suchinterest to the Board of Directors or committee prior to its acting on such contract ortransaction. As a Democratic Party organization, neither YDM nor its local memberchapters shall endorse candidates in Democratic Party primary elections unless thecandidate is unopposed, or unless the Democratic Party of Maryland has endorsed saidcandidate or unless the abovementioned criteria have been met. Should any of theaforementioned members be employed by a candidate in a Democratic primary, thatemployment must be disclosed.

The body to which such disclosure is made shall thereupon determine, by majority vote,whether the disclosure shows that a conflict of interest exists or can be reasonably beconstrued to exist. If a conflict is found to exist, such person may not vote on, exert

personal influence upon, or participate in discussion of (other than to present factualinformation or to respond to questions in the discussions or deliberations with respect tosuch contact, transaction, or determination) the issue. Such a person may not be countedin determining the existence of a quorum during the discussion of the disclosed issue atany meeting where the contract, transaction, or determination is under discussion or is

being voted upon.

The minutes of the meeting shall reflect the disclosure made the vote thereon and, whereapplicable, the abstention from voting and participation.

IX. Fiscal Year: The fiscal year of the Organization shall be from July 1st to June 30th.

X. Action without Meeting: Any action which may be properly taken by the Board ofDirectors assembled in a meeting may also be taken without a meeting, if consent inwriting setting forth the action is given by all of the Board members entitled to vote on

the action. Such consent shall have the same force and effect as a vote of the Boardmembers assembled and shall be filed with the minutes.

XI. Amendments: These Bylaws may be temporarily amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote ofthe Board of Directors provided the proposed amendment(s) has been submitted to theBoard of Directors in writing with written notice of the meeting to decide on the

proposed amendment(s) at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting date, if and only if ithas been reviewed by the Bylaws Committee. These bylaws shall be permanentlyamended by a majority vote of the General Body at the next Annual Meeting.

XII. Parliamentary Authority: The latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revisedshall be the parliamentary authority of YDM in its entirety, except when it conflicts withthese Bylaws.

XIII. ondiscrimination: The organizations, officers, employees and persons served by YDMshall be selected in a non-discriminatory manner with respect to age, sex, race, color,national origin, sexual orientation, sexual identity, gender identity, veteran status,disability, and religious opinion or affiliation.

Deleted: Executive board







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Adopted by the Board of Directors this _____ day of __________________________,20__

Signatures:

_____________________________________ ___________________________

President Dated

_____________________________________ ___________________________

Vice-President Dated

_____________________________________ ___________________________

Treasurer Dated

_____________________________________ ___________________________

Secretary Dated

_____________________________________ ___________________________

ational Committeeman Dated



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_____________________________________ ___________________________

ational Committeewoman Dated

_____________________________________ ___________________________

Vice-President of Programming Dated

I, the undersigned, being Secretary of the Organization, hereby certify that the above is a true,complete and accurate copy of the Bylaws adopted by the Board of Directors.

_____________________________________ ___________________________

Secretary Dated


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