Bylaws

Democratic Club of Leisure World By-Laws

These new bylaws were amended at the Club’s meeting on June 11, 2009, and then adopted as amended. Additional amendments were adopted at a Club meeting October 17, 2013. Further amendments and changes were adopted on July 31, 2022.

Article I – Name

This organization shall be known as the Democratic Club of Leisure World, Maryland, hereinafter referred to as the “Club.”

Article II – Purpose

The Club shall support the principles and the candidates of the Democratic Party at the County, State, and National levels. The Club will dedicate itself and employ its best efforts to promote, educate, and inform voters of Democratic Party principles and issues, and encourage voter participation in party affairs to promote and serve good government and enhance the grassroots and precinct organization at Leisure World, Montgomery County, Maryland.

Article III – Endorsements

The Club shall not endorse candidates in the Democratic Party primaries, but individual Club members may, without reference to the Club, endorse candidates of their choice in any election.
In general or special elections, the Club may endorse candidates for elected public office or take a position on public policy or political issues by a minimum of 10% of Leisure World resident members present at a General Membership meeting, at a special meeting or a similar method of voting, such as via the internet. There shall be reasonable notification of the date, time, and place of a special meeting.
Reasonable notification for all purposes in these Bylaws may include publication in The Leisure World News, posting on Leisure World Clubhouse bulletin boards, broadcast on the Leisure World closed circuit television system, by regular mail including post card notification, or by email and on the Club website.
The Board may endorse, on behalf of the Club, individuals for non-elected appointive offices.

Article IV – Membership

Membership shall be open to all registered Democrats who reside in the Leisure World precincts and who support the party principles and the purpose of the Club.
The Board may from time to time, confer “Honorary Membership”, with no voting rights, on those persons adjudged to have served the Democratic Partly with distinction. Honorary members do not pay dues.
The payment of dues is a requirement of membership. The Board shall set the amount of annual dues, and the membership period shall correspond to the fiscal year of June 1 through May 31.
The Club shall not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation for admission to club membership or to hold office on the Board.
To vote at a general membership meeting (for officers, bylaws, etc.) the voter must be a member in good standing for at least 15 days before the vote.

Article V – Officers and Board

Officers of the Club, all of whom shall be members of the Board, shall be: President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and 3 Members at Large of the Board, all of whom shall be voting members of the Board. The Club encourages the immediate past President to attend Board meetings and be active in decision making.
Any regular member of the Club in good standing is eligible for election to the Board.
The term of office for each officer shall be 2 years, ending in each odd numbered year. In the event of a vacancy, the Board shall appoint a temporary replacement and an election shall be held at the next General Membership meeting. There shall be no term limits for officers of the Club.
Should a Board member be absent for more than 3 meetings of the Board, without good cause, that position shall be declared vacant and that position shall be filled in accordance with Article V, section 3.
A duly elected officer of the Club, after fair hearing before the Board in closed session, may be removed from office for good cause as determined by the Board. A vote for removal is dispositive.

Article VI – Duties of the Officers

The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Club and shall serve as chair of the Board. The President shall appoint the chairperson of all standing and ad hoc committees, with the exception of the Nominating & Election Committee, whose chair is elected by its members. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating & Election Committee.
The First Vice President shall, in the absence of the President, assume the duties and responsibilities of the President. The First Vice President shall be responsible for general membership meeting programs and special events.
The Second Vice President shall, in coordination with the President, be responsible for membership issues, including recruitment of new members and retention of current members.
The Secretary shall keep minutes of all meetings and shall maintain all reports and correspondence of the Club. Should the Secretary vacate that office, all records, documents, and minutes shall be given to the President. The Secretary shall, on reasonable notice, make all records, documents, or minutes available to Club members on request.
The Treasurer shall receive, deposit, and maintain all funds of the Club in appropriate accounts in financial institutions approved by the Board. The Treasurer shall submit a written report of all receipts and disbursements at each regular meeting of the Board. On reasonable notice, the Treasurer shall make all financial records available to any member of the Club upon request. The Treasurer shall disburse all Club funds on presentation of a voucher for such transaction. The Treasurer’s check signing authority is limited to transactions of five hundred dollars ($500) or less. Checks for amounts over five hundred dollars ($500) must have the signatures of the Treasurer and the President, or in the absence of either, the First Vice President. Bank reconciliations shall be prepared by the Treasurer and reviewed by the Board.
The Members at Large of the Board shall assist in the affairs of the Club and make meaningful contributions at the request of the President for assistance in special program supervision of Club representation.

Article VII – Committees

Standing Committees of the Club shall be Membership, Finance, Hospitality, and Refreshments.
1. The Membership committee shall develop a program for member recruitment and retention strategies, maintain all records of members, collect membership dues and applications, maintain a current voter roll for Club elections, and maintain a volunteer list by category of service offered.
2. The Finance Committee shall prepare an annual budget for submission to the Board for review, and for presentation to the general membership, and supervise the investment of the Club’s funds. The Club Treasurer and Secretary shall serve on the Finance Committee. The President may appoint a committee consisting of three (3) members of the Board to research and recommend a professional resource person(s) to the Finance Committee for advice and guidance. All financial records of the Finance Committee are open to all Club members upon reasonable request. The President shall appoint an audit committee annually to audit all financial records of the Club and to submit a written report of the audit to the general Executive Committee within three (3) months after the end of the fiscal year. The audit report shall be made available to the general membership.
3. The Hospitality Committee shall greet and assist Club members and guests and provide any information requested.
4. The Refreshment Committee shall arrange for and provide refreshments for General Membership meetings and special meetings upon request.
Ad Hoc Committees may be appointed, as the need arises, by the President for specific purposes, and for a term specified when they are created.

Article VIII – Nominations & Election Committee

The President shall appoint 5 members of the club to serve on the Nominations & Election Committee with the advice and consent of the Board.
No member of the Board shall serve on the Nominations & Election Committee and no member of the Nominations & Election Committee shall be a candidate for Club office.
The Nominations & Election Committee shall convene no later than February in each odd numbered year to interview, select, and nominate a slate of Club officers.
The Nominations & Election Committee shall conduct and supervise the election of officers at the General Membership meeting in May of odd numbered years. Nominations from the floor will be accepted providing the nominee is present and consents to the nomination.
Installation of officers will be held at the General Membership meeting in June, following the May election.

Article IX – Meetings

All meetings of the Club are open to the general public for observation. Board meetings shall be open to the general membership according to the policy established in the Maryland Open Meetings Act.
Members of the Club and/or visitors may speak at Board meetings at the discretion of the President. Members are encouraged to speak at General Membership meetings.
Special meetings may be held on the call of the President or the Board, or when requested by petition of 5 members of the Board or 15 Club members. Club members shall be notified of any special meeting, including its date, time, location, and the reason the special meeting was called.
General Membership meetings shall usually not be held during July and August. Meetings during those months shall be at the call of the President as special meetings.
A quorum for all official Board business shall be a majority of the voting members of the Board. Decisions shall be made by majority vote of the Board members present.
A quorum for voting and deciding issues at General Membership meetings shall be 50 members in good standing. To be adopted, votes must receive 51% of the members present.

Article X – Dissolution

The club may be dissolved by a two thirds (2/3) vote of the general membership at a special meeting of the Club called for that purpose.
In the event of dissolution, any money and property remaining after the satisfaction of all debts and obligations shall be transferred to and become the property of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee.

Article XI – Amendments

Proposed amendments to these bylaws shall be presented in writing to the Executive Committee.
The proposed amendment shall be read to the membership at the following regular meeting but shall not be voted on at that time. Provision should be made for discussion, as needed. The actual vote shall be taken at the next regular meeting.
Any proposed amendment must receive 51% of the members present.

Article XII – Rules of Procedure

Questions, action, or procedures not covered in these bylaws shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order.