BYLAWS OF
THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
GRIMES COUNTY REPUBLICAN
PARTY
ARTICLE I
ORGANIZATION NAME AND
CONDUCT OF BUSINESS
1.01 NAME. The name of
this organization shall be the Grimes County Republican Party, hereinafter
sometimes referred to as the Party.
1.02 CONDUCT OF
BUSINESS. The Executive Committee as specified in the Texas Election Code
and these Bylaws conducts the official business of the Party.
ARTICLE II
OBJECTIVE
2.01 PURPOSE. The purpose of the Executive Committee shall be:
A.
to establish general
policy of the Republican Party in the county, subject to direction of the
biennial County District Convention;
B.
to represent the
Republican Party of this county, state, and nation, articulating the Party’s
beliefs and supporting its candidates;
C.
to cooperate in
carrying out programs initiated by the Republican Party of Texas, including but
not limited to:
1.
conducting a Republican
Primary election,
2.
organizing a
coordinated get-out-the-vote effort preceding each general election, and to publicize
the Party’s candidates,
3.
to promote the welfare and
growth of the County Republican Party, and
4.
to foster and encourage
loyalty to the Republican Party and its ideals.
2.02 DUTIES.
The Executive Committee shall
exercise those powers conferred upon it by the Election Code of the State of
Texas, and by these Bylaws, and perform all duties necessary to promote the
best interest of the Republican Party of Texas in Grimes County.
2.03 RESPONSIBILTY. The Executive Committee is charged with the responsibility for
observing all laws of the State of Texas and the United States in fulfilling
the purposes and duties stated in this Article and these Bylaws.
ARTICLE III
EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
3.01 VOTING MEMBERS. The voting
members of the Executive Committee when conducting official business shall be
the County Chairman and the Precinct Chairmen as specified by the Texas
Election Code.
A. Officers and Committee Chairmen who are not
Precinct Chairmen serve as ex-officio, non-voting members of the Executive
Committee.
B. Motions, seconds, and votes (1) made in the
conduct of official business required by the Texas Election Code, (2) regarding
appointment or election of officers, precinct chairmen, or committee chairmen,
(3) amendment of bylaws, (4) expenditure of funds, or (5) Executive Committee
policy shall be by voting members of the Executive Committee. Otherwise, this rule is specifically waived.
C. Proxy voting is specifically prohibited by Texas
Election Code Section 171.026.
3.02
COUNTY CHAIRMAN. To qualify to hold the office of County
Chairman, a person must be a qualified voter residing within the bounds of
Grimes County elected at the general primary election by majority vote of the
qualified voters of the county who vote in the primary on that office or
appointed by the county executive committee.
A County Chairman cannot be a holder of elected public office at the
county, state, or federal level or candidate for such office.
3.03
PRECINCT CHAIRMEN. To qualify to hold the office of Precinct
Chairman, a person must be a qualified voter residing within the bounds of the
precinct, elected at the general primary by majority vote of the qualified
voters of the precinct who vote in the primary on that office or appointed by
the county executive committee. A
Precinct Chairman cannot be a holder of elected public office at the county,
state, or federal level or candidate for such office.
3.04 PRECINCT CHAIRMEN DUTIES. In general, the Precinct Chairman carries out all precinct
programs prescribed by the County Chairman and the County Executive
Committee. He/She will help elect
Republican candidates by conducting political preference surveys in his/her
precinct and ensuring all Republicans and Republican leaning independents are
registered to vote. He/She will recruit
volunteers to assist in the Party’s work, attend meetings of the County
Executive Committee, and conduct Republican Primary Elections and Republican
Precinct Conventions in his/her precinct.
3.05 PRECINCT CHAIRMAN VACANCY. A vacancy in
the office of Precinct Chairman shall be filled by appointment by the Chairman
with confirmation by the Executive Committee.
A majority of the total membership of the Executive Committee must
participate in filling a vacancy and the person selected must receive a
majority of the votes cast of those members participating in the election, as
provided by Section 171.024(a) of the Texas Election Code [see Section
171.024(c) for exception].
3.06 TERM OF OFFICE. The term of
office shall be for two (2) years, commencing on the twentieth (20th)
day after the Run-Off Primary Election Day, as provided for in Section
171.022(c) of the Texas Election Code.
3.07 ELIGIBILITY. Eligibility to serve on the
Executive Committee is specified by the Texas Election Code, Chapters 161 and
162. Essentially, to be eligible, a
person must be a resident of the county, a registered voter, and affiliated
with the Party by primary vote or oath.
ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS
4.01 OFFICERS. Officers of the Executive
Committee shall be the County Chairman, County Vice Chairman, Secretary, and
Treasurer. The Chairman shall appoint
both the Secretary and the Treasurer immediately upon assuming office. The County Vice Chairman shall be appointed
by the County Chairman, and in no case shall the office of Vice Chairman be
vacant more than ninety (90) days. All
officer appointments shall be confirmed by simple majority of the Executive
Committee members in attendance at the meeting in which their appointments
occur.
4.02 OFFICER TERMS. The term of office shall be
concurrent with that of the Executive Committee, except in the event of a
vacancy in the office of County Chairman in which event the appointed officers
shall serve only until election of a new County Chairman.
4.03 VACANCIES. A vacancy in
the office of County Chairman shall be filled in accordance with the provisions
of Section 171.025 of the Texas Election Code.
A vacancy in the office of County Chairman shall be filled by majority vote
of the Executive Committee using formal nomination and seconding motions and a
secret ballot.
A vacancy in the offices of Vice Chairman, Secretary,
or Treasurer shall be filled by appointment by the Chairman with confirmation
by the Executive Committee following notice of the vacancy, or at a special
meeting called for that purpose.
4.04 OFFICER DUTIES. Duties of
officers shall be those prescribed by the Executive Committee and by these
Bylaws, as described below:
A.
County Chairman. The County Chairman shall be
the Executive Committee’s presiding officer and official spokesman. He/She shall perform those duties required
by statute and by these Bylaws and by the Rules of the Republican Party of
Texas. He/She shall be an ex-officio
voting member of all Standing and Special Committees. He/She shall provide strong
leadership for the local organization and recruit people to fill key positions
in the organization. He/She shall
conduct primaries, precinct conventions, and county conventions in even numbered
years, keep election records and take all steps to ensure secret balloting and
honest elections. He/She shall assist
Republican candidates in planning campaigns and stimulate auxiliary Republican
clubs. The County Chairman may be a member of the Texas Republican County
Chairman’s Association (TRCCA). Any
assessments or dues required by TRCCA are to be paid by the County Executive
Committee.
B.
County Vice Chairman. The County
Vice Chairman shall assist the Chairman as requested in the performance of the
duties of his/her office. In the event
of the death of the Chairman, or his/her inability or unwillingness to serve,
the Vice Chairman shall serve as Acting Chairman until the Chairman resumes
his/her duties or until the election of a new County Chairman. When serving as Acting Chairman, the Vice
Chairman shall have all the authority and powers of the Chairman.
C.
Secretary. The Secretary shall carry out the usual
duties of that office, keeping an up-to-date role of the Executive Committee’s
members and ensuring that each member receives timely notices of meetings. A permanent file containing minutes of the
Executive Committee meetings shall be maintained. The Secretary's books and
records will be open to all members of the Executive Committee upon request at
such time and place as may be convenient to the Secretary. In
the event of a vacancy in the office of County Chairman, the Secretary shall
call a meeting of the Executive Committee for the purpose of electing a new
County Chairman, as provided for in Section 171.025 of the Texas Election
Code. In the event of a simultaneous
vacancy in the offices of County Chairman and Vice Chairman, the Secretary
shall preside over the election of a new Chairman, relinquishing presiding
officer duties immediately upon election of the new Chairman. The Secretary is authorized to receive
applications for a place on the Primary Ballot, as provided for in Section
172.022(a)(2) of the Texas Election Code.
D.
Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be responsible for
keeping systematic financial records and for complying with any applicable
state and federal statutes with regard to reporting contributions and
expenditures. The Treasurer shall
prepare a current report of financial condition for presentation to the
Executive Committee at each regularly scheduled meeting. The
Treasurer shall collect funds and deposit them in a bank approved by the
Executive Committee. The Treasurer
shall pay all bills and dispense funds by check on the order of the County
Chairman. All checks will be signed by
the Treasurer and countersigned by the County Chairman or his/her
designee. The Treasurer will keep
accurate and complete financial contributor records, listing name, address,
amount given and the date of contribution.
The Treasurer's books and records will be open to all members of the
Executive Committee upon request at such time and place as may be convenient to
the Treasurer. At the request of either
the Chairman or the Executive Committee, an annual audit may be conducted by a
committee of three (3) appointed by the County Chairman, and be completed and
presented to the Executive Committee within one month of the request.
4.05 RECORDS. All Executive Committee and/or
Party records in the possession of any officer, Executive Committee member,
committee chairman, or committee member are the sole property of the Executive
Committee and/or Party and shall be relinquished to the Chairman or his/her
designee immediately upon the Chairman’s demand.
ARTICLE V
MEETINGS
5.01 MEETING FREQUENCY. The
Executive Committee shall meet at least once a quarter at a location within
Grimes County, Texas.
5.02 ORGANIZATIONAL
MEETING. In each even-numbered year, one of the regular meetings shall be
an organizational meeting to be held within sixty days of the date the
Executive Committee takes office.
5.03 REGULAR MEETINGS. Regular
meetings shall be called by the County Chairman with a minimum of ten days
notice to each Executive Committee member.
5.04 EMERGENCY MEETINGS. Emergency
meetings may be called by the County Chairman with a minimum of five days
notice to each Executive Committee member.
5.05 SPECIAL MEETINGS. A special
meeting must be held on petition of a minimum of twenty-five (25) percent of
Precinct Chairmen. The petition must
state the purpose of the meeting, be provided to every member of the Executive
Committee, and held no earlier than five days but no later than fourteen (14)
days after presentation of the petition to the Secretary and/or County
Chairman. The date, time, and location
of the special meeting shall be of the Chairman’s choosing, provided the
location is in Grimes County at some reasonable time between 8:00 AM and 8:00
PM.
5.06 STATUTORY MEETINGS. Meetings required by the Election Code shall convene at the
time and place provided by the Code to conduct such business as may properly
arise
5.07
QUORUM.
At all Executive Committee meetings a quorum shall consist of
twenty-five percent (25%) of the members of the Executive Committee in office
at the time the meeting is called to order.
If a quorum is not present, a lesser number may adjourn the meeting to
some future date. At all Statutory
Meetings a quorum shall consist of those members of the Executive Committee
present; provided, however, that if a majority of the members are not present,
then only such business as is called for by the Election Code shall be
transacted at such meeting
5.08 MEETING NOTICES. All meeting
notices must include the date, time, and location of the meeting. A notice must include a statement of any
business requiring a vote of the Executive Committee, or the Advisory Board as
the case may be, to be conducted at the meeting. Official action may be taken only on items listed in the notice
unless unanimous consent is received from Executive Committee members present
at the meeting to waive such requirement.
A good faith effort must be made to notify every Officer and Executive
Committee member by one of the means provided for in Section 5.09.
5.09 NOTICE DELIVERY. Meeting
notices may be delivered by United States mail (postmark is considered
effective receipt), electronic mail (e-mail), telephone, electronic facsimile,
courier, or personal delivery.
ARTICLE VI
COMMITTEES
6.01 STANDING COMMITTEE
CHAIRMEN. The County Chairman shall appoint the chairmen of the Standing
Committees deemed necessary to carry out policies of the Party. With the concurrence of a committee
chairman, the County Chairman may also appoint a committee vice chairman. Committee chairmen and committee vice
chairmen serve at the County Chairman’s pleasure and for such time as the
County Chairman may hold office.
6.02 MEMBERS. A committee
must have a minimum of three (3) members.
The committee chairman may appoint members as he/she may choose. Without exception, the County Chairman and
County Vice Chairman are ex-officio voting members of all committees but are
not to be considered for purposes of determining minimum committee membership.
6.03 MEMBER REMOVAL. A committee
member or members may be removed from a committee upon request of the committee
chairman or the County Chairman.
6.04 PROCEDURES. Each
committee is authorized to develop procedures for conducting the business
within that committee’s jurisdiction, subject to review and amendment by the
full Executive Committee. Committees are exempt from the provisions of Section 5.08
and shall meet at the call of the committee chairmen as often as necessary to
accomplish their goals.
6.05 DESIGNATION OF
STANDING COMMITTEES. Standing Committees shall be: Selection, Finance, Leadership,
Rules, Candidates, and Candidate Funding.
6.06 COMMITTEE DUTIES. The duties of the Standing Committees
are as follows:
A.
The
Selection Committee shall make recommendations
to the Chairman on appointments to fill Precinct Chairman vacancies.
B.
The Finance Committee shall
be responsible for planning and directing fundraising activities for the Grimes
County Republican Party. The Treasurer
shall be an ex-officio voting member of the Finance Committee.
C.
The Leadership Committee
shall develop and conduct periodic training programs for precinct chairmen,
campaign workers, and/or potential Party supporters, in cooperation with the
Republican Party of Texas.
D.
The Rules Committee shall
periodically review the bylaws governing the Executive Committee and may
recommend amendments for consideration of the Executive Committee.
E.
The Candidates Committee
shall endeavor to recruit and encourage qualified persons to seek public office
on the Republican ticket. Following the
Primary elections each biennium, the Candidates Committee shall offer practical
assistance and advice to the Party's candidates relevant to fundraising, organization,
reporting, etc.
F.
The Candidate Funding
Committee shall consider applications from Grimes County Republican candidates
for campaign funding and shall make recommendations to the Executive Committee
as to which candidates are funded, if any, and the individual funding
amount(s). The Candidates Committee
Chairman shall act as the committee
chairman. He/She may appoint up to four (4) members of his/her choosing to
the committee. The Treasurer and the Finance Committee Chairman shall be voting members of the committee.
6.07 SPECIAL COMMITTEES. The County Chairman may appoint such special committees, as
he/she deems necessary to assist him/her in carrying out duties not
specifically assigned to a Standing Committee.
ARTICLE VII
ADVISORY BOARD
7.01
Selection of Board. Officers of the Executive Committee, appointive and elective,
plus three (3) members of the Executive Committee to be selected by the County
Chairman at the organizational meeting of the newly constituted Executive
Committee, shall compose the Advisory Board.
7.02 Authority. The Advisory Board shall have general supervision of the Grimes
County Republican Party between meetings of the Executive Committee and shall
be authorized to conduct necessary business on behalf of the Executive Committee,
subject to provisions of the Election Code and these Bylaws.
7.03 Meetings. The Advisory Board shall meet at the call of the County Chairman,
who shall be the presiding officer, or at the petition of three (3) members of
the Board to either the County Chairman or Secretary. Five (5) days notice of meeting as prescribed in Sections 5.08
and 5.09 shall be given each Board member, except in case of emergency in which
event notice by personal contact is acceptable.
7.04
Quorum.
Four (4) members shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business
at all meetings of the Advisory Board
ARTICLE VIII
PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
8.01 RULES. The rules
contained in the most current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, as revised,
shall govern the Executive Committee in all cases to which they are applicable
provided they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and any rules promulgated
by the Republican Party of Texas, or any state or federal statutes.
8.02 PARLIAMENTARIAN. The County Chairman may at his/her discretion appoint a
Parliamentarian whose appointment shall be confirmed by the Executive
Committee. The duties of this office
will be to keep order at all meetings and to ensure they are conducted in
accordance with proper authorities.
8.03 PARLIAMENTARIAN’S TERM
OF OFFICE. The Parliamentarian’s term of office shall be concurrent with that of the
Executive Committee, except in the event of a vacancy in the office of County
Chairman in which event the Parliamentarian shall serve only until election of a new County
Chairman.
ARTICLE IX
SUPPORT OF
CANDIDATES
9.01 PARTY SUPPORT. Recognizing
the Party’s obligation to support Republican candidates and to foster and
encourage loyalty to the Party (see Sections 2.01 B. and 2.01 C.4.), the Party
retains the option of the manner in which it chooses to bestow its support upon
Republican candidates in a Primary or General election, or whether it chooses
to withhold or take a neutral position regarding any one Republican candidate
or candidates in such elections.
9.02 CANDIDATE PLEDGE. The Chairman,
in consultation with the Candidates Committee, shall develop a pledge of Party
allegiance and support for candidates to sign who wish to receive any form of
Party support. The Executive Committee
shall approve the foregoing pledge by simple majority vote before its
submission to candidates. Candidates
must have signed the pledge before making application to the Candidate Funding
Committee for campaign funding.
9.03 CHAIRMAN PROHIBITION. The Chairman
is specifically prohibited from recommending any candidate who has not signed
the pledge to any other organization or groups for campaign funding or any
other form of support.
ARTICLE X
AMENDMENT
OF BYLAWS
10.01 AMENDMENT. These Bylaws
may be amended, repealed, or replaced by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members
of the Executive Committee present and voting at a properly called meeting of
the Executive Committee by giving notice at the previous regular meeting, or by
notice to each Executive Committee member as prescribed in Sections 5.08 and 5.09 at least seven (7) days in advance of a Regular or
Special Meeting called for that purpose.
The subject matter of any proposed amendment, addition, or deletion to
these Bylaws must be included in the meeting notice provided for in Section
5.08.
Adopted this 2nd day of April 2007 by the Executive Committee of the Grimes County (Texas) Republican Party.
R. Malcolm Green Debra L. Goldstein
Chairman Secretary