Bylaws of the Coronado Democratic Club

(Revised as of July 25, 2020)

ARTICLE I – NAME AND PURPOSE

Section 1
The name of this organization shall be the CORONADO DEMOCRATIC CLUB.

Section 2
The purposes of this organization are

  • to unite the Democrats of Coronado in an organization.
  • to promote Democratic principles.
  • to encourage an increased understanding of the Democratic Party objectives
  • to support the Democratic platform and nominees for office.

ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP, QUALIFICATIONS, AND VOTING

Section 1
Membership is open to all who support the purposes of the organization and abide by these bylaws.  Registered Democrats shall never constitute less than 85 percent of the membership.

Section 2
Every person who is eligible to be a member of the Coronado Democratic Club (the Club) and has paid the annual dues shall be a member in good standing.

Section 3
Only members in good standing (having paid annual dues) and having been a member of the Club for at least thirty (30) calendar days are allowed to vote.  No proxy voting is permitted.  Absentee ballots will be accepted on all proposed resolutions, endorsements, elections, and changes in the bylaws.

ARTICLE III – DUES

Dues shall be set by a majority vote of the members and paid annually.

ARTICLE IV – GENERAL MEETINGS AND QUORUMS

Section 1
Regular Club meetings shall be held every other month, the time and place to be determined by the program chair.

Section 2
Special Club meetings may be called by the President, with the approval of the Board of Directors, or when requested in writing by any five (5) members in good standing.

Section 3
Members shall be notified by mail, e-mail, newsletter, telephone or public notice of all regular and special meetings at least fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the dates of such meetings.

Section 4
No official business of this organization shall be transacted at any meeting in the absence of a quorum.

Section 5
Ten (10) members in good standing or ten percent (10%) of the members in good standing, whichever is greater, shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE V – BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1
The Board of Directors (the Board) shall be composed of the Club’s elected officers, one Club member-at-large (chosen by the elected officers), and the chairs and co-chairs of all standing committees.  The Board shall meet at least six times a year.  The Board’s meetings shall precede regular Club meetings by at least ten (10) calendar days.  The President or a majority of the Board may call additional meetings at any time.

Section 2
A majority of the members of the Board, or three of the elected officers plus the member-at-large, constitute a quorum. No official business of the Board shall be conducted in the absence of a quorum.

Section 3
All members of the Board shall have an equal vote on matters that come before the Board.  Issues are decided by a majority vote of the Board members who are present at the Board meeting.

ARTICLE VI – OFFICERS AND THEIR DUTIES

Section 1
The officers of this organization shall be the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, each elected to serve a two-year term.

Section 2
The duties of the officers shall be as follows:

  • The President shall preside at all meetings except on subjects which concern the President’s tenure or actions as President; shall be the official representative and spokesperson for the organization unless otherwise designated; shall appoint the Chair of each Standing Committee, and may appoint an auditor.  The President, with the approval of the Board, may appoint any other officers not otherwise specified by these bylaws, when required for the well-being of the Club.
  • The Vice President shall act in the absence or disability of the President and shall be the Program Committee Chair.  See Article VII, Section 1 B for the Program Committee Chair’s duties.
  • The Secretary shall take minutes at all meetings and distribute copies to the appropriate group (either Board members for Board meetings or the general membership for general meetings); shall read the minutes when necessary; shall keep a permanent file of the minutes; shall maintain a reference file of correspondence, and shall perform other duties as requested.
  • The Treasurer shall keep the books on all money transactions of the Club; shall receive all monies from any source; shall bank all monies in the name of the Coronado Democratic Club; shall issue all checks, which must be signed by two of the four elected officers if exceeding $250.00; and shall report at each Board and general meeting as to the monies received and expended since the previous report and as to the financial condition of the Club.

ARTICLE VII – COMMITTEES

Section 1
The standing committees of the Club shall be as follows:

  • The Membership Committee shall meet throughout the year to promote new membership in the Club and to maintain a current roster.
  • The Program Committee (chaired by the Club Vice President) shall arrange programs and meeting places for the Club, notify the members and the general public of the time and place of meetings, and arrange for set up and tear down of the meeting room.
  • The Hospitality Committee shall host in-person meetings, be responsible for taking and recording attendance at all meetings, and arrange for refreshments when so desired.
  • The Legislative Committee shall study local, state, and federal legislation, both existing and proposed, and shall report to the Board.
  • The Newsletter Committee shall produce and distribute a Club newsletter, frequency to be determined by the Newsletter Committee and approved by the Board.
  • The GO Team Committee (Grassroots Organizing Team Committee) shall work with the San Diego County Democratic Party to create and organize a team for precinct canvassing.
  • The Technology/Outreach Committee shall build and maintain an interactive web platform for the Club, foster community involvement and conversation through web tools, and market the Club via e-mail and social media.

Section 2
At any time, a special committee may be appointed; the duties of this committee shall be specified by the President with the approval of the Board, or a majority vote by the membership at any general meeting.  The President, with the approval of the Board, may discontinue the committee at any time.

ARTICLE VIII – NOMINATIONS, ELECTIONS, TERMS, REPLACEMENTS, AND REMOVALS

Section 1

  • There shall be a Nominating Committee of five (5) members in good standing, appointed by the Board in January of an election year.  The Committee shall develop a slate of officers for the coming term.  The Committee may designate one of its members to be its Chair.  If the Committee finds that it wishes to nominate one of its own members, that member must step off of the committee for nomination of that particular office.
  • Only members of the Club in good standing who are registered Democrats and are willing to serve shall be eligible for nomination and election to any office.  The Nominating Committee shall make its report to the Board in February of an election year.
  • The slate of candidates for office shall be announced to the membership at least ten (10) calendar days in advance of the March meeting.

Section 2

  • Election of officers shall be at the annual March meeting.
  • The Chair of the Nominating Committee shall read the list of candidates; the President shall call for any additional nominations (for each office) from the floor
  • When there is more than one candidate for any office, the election shall be by paper ballot.  When there is only one candidate for any office, the election may be held by voice vote.  A majority vote of the members present, providing there is a quorum, shall be required for a candidate to be elected.

Section 3
Should any officer fail to attend three (3) regularly scheduled consecutive general meetings or Board meetings without reasonable cause, the office may be declared vacant by the Board.

Section 4
Any officer may be suspended from office by a simple majority vote of no confidence of the membership present and voting at any meeting.  After a thirty (30) calendar day waiting period, a second vote of no confidence shall be taken.  If the first vote of no confidence is repeated, the officer is removed from office.

Section 5
Any vacant elective office, for whatever reason, shall be filled by appointment of the Board, subject to ratification by the membership.  Membership is to be notified at least five (5) calendar days in advance of the meeting at which ratification is to be sought.  If the Club does not ratify the choice of the Board, then nominations shall be accepted from the floor at the meeting.  If there is more than one person nominated, the election shall be by paper ballot, and the person receiving the most votes shall be declared elected.

ARTICLE IX – AFFILIATIONS

The Club shall be chartered by the San Diego County Democratic Central Committee, paying all fees and renewing its charter as may be required.

ARTICLE X – CANDIDATE AND BALLOT MEASURE ENDORSEMENTS

Section 1
The Club may only call for candidate endorsement votes or take positions on ballot measures if notice is given as specified in Article IV, Section 3, of these bylaws.  Only Club members who are registered Democrats, and who have been Club members for at least 30 calendar days, may vote on candidate endorsements or ballot measures.

Section 2
In order to be eligible for the Club’s endorsement, a candidate must be a registered Democrat.  In non-partisan elections, only those candidates who request an endorsement in writing are eligible.

Section 3
In elections where the number of Democratic candidates does not exceed the number of open seats, the Club may endorse Democratic candidate(s) by a majority vote of members in good standing present at a general meeting.

Section 4
The Club may also endorse Democratic candidate(s) in elections where the number of Democratic candidates exceeds the number of open seats.  The winning candidate(s) must receive at least 60% of the votes cast by members in good standing present at a general meeting, with a minimum affirmative vote of thirty (30) members or 20% of the total Club membership, whichever is larger.

Section 5
The Club may take positions on ballot measures in an upcoming election. Any position taken must receive at least 60% of the votes cast by members in good standing present at a general meeting, with a minimum affirmative vote of thirty (30) members or 20% of the total Club membership, whichever is larger.

Article XI – CLUB REPRESENTATIVES TO CALIFORNIA PARTY ENDORSEMENTS

Section 1 – California Democratic Party
Club representatives to the California Democratic Party’s (CDP) Pre-Endorsement Conferences shall be allocated as follows: one representative, residing in the Assembly District, for each full (not fraction thereof) twenty (20) registered Democratic Club members in good standing in the Assembly District who are listed on a roster submitted by July 1 of each odd-numbered year to both the San Diego County Democratic Party and the appropriate CDP Regional Director(s).  The roster shall be certified by the Club’s President, Secretary, or Treasurer.  Representatives should be equally apportioned between men and women to the extent possible.

Section 2 – San Diego County Democratic Party
Under the Club’s charter with the San Diego County Democratic Party (SDCDP), its President is a representative to the SDCDP Central Committee as an Associate Member.  If the President is already a Central Committee member or chooses not to serve, a different representative may be selected to serve his or her term according to the provisions of Sections 3 and 4 of this Article.  An Associate Member application, for the President or any other representative, must be submitted to the SDCDP within thirty (30) calendar days of his or her selection by the Club.

Section 3 – Selection
Club representatives to the CDP and SDCDP (and any other official representatives, delegates, and/or alternates from the Club to conferences, caucuses, councils, conventions, and other such meetings) shall be selected by a vote of members in good standing at a duly noticed Club meeting or, if that cannot occur, at a regular or special meeting, designated by the President.

Section 4 – Adherence to Club Positions
Club representatives described in this Article, when participating in voting and discussion in that capacity, shall adhere to and represent the Club’s official positions on endorsements and other matters wherever applicable, and shall agree to do so prior to their selection

ARTICLE XII – AMENDMENTS AND RULES OF ORDER

Section 1
These bylaws may be amended at any regular or special meeting of the Club by a two-thirds vote of the members in good standing and present. Notice of the proposed amendments shall be included in the announcement of the meeting at which the proposed amendments will be presented.  The proposed amendments will be presented at the meeting and immediately after the presentation, a vote on the proposed amendments shall be held.

Section 2
This organization shall be ruled by Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised when they are not in conflict with these bylaws.

ARTICLE XIII – ADOPTION

These bylaws shall become effective immediately upon their adoption and shall supersede any other constitution, bylaws, or any other document of this Club.