CONSTITUTION OF THE
ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK STATE YOUNG REPUBLICAN CLUBS, INC.
(NEW YORK STATE YOUNG REPUBLICANS)
Adopted at a Convention held on September 20, 1997, in Saratoga, New York.
Amended at a Special Meeting held on August 1, 1998, in Painted Post, New York.
Amended at a Convention on April 11, 1999, in Albany, New York.
Amended at a Special Meeting held on August 1, 1999, in Staten Island, New York.
Amended at a Convention on June 28, 2003, in Buffalo, New York.
Amended at a Constitutional Convention on August 23, 2003, in Westchester, New York.
Amended at a Convention on June 11, 2005, in Plainview, New York.
Amended at a Convention on May 18, 2013, in Staten Island, New York.
Article I – Organization Designation
SECTION 1: The name of this organization shall be New York State Young Republican Club (hereinafter referred to in this document as the “NYSYR.”) It shall be incorporated under the name of the Association of New York State Young Republican Clubs, Inc., a not_for_profit corporation under the laws of New York State.
SECTION 2: It shall be permitted at all times hereafter to use the names “Association of New York State Young Republican Clubs, Inc.,” “New York State Young Republicans,” and “The New York State Young Republican Club.”
Article II – Affiliation
SECTION 1: The NYSYR shall be affiliated with, and shall abide by the rules of the New York Republican State Committee and the lawful directives of the Chair of said Committee.
SECTION 2: The NYSYR shall be affiliated with the Young Republican National Federation, and shall comply with the rules of said Federation.
Article III – Membership
SECTION 1: There shall be four categories of membership in the NYSYR. They shall be Community-based clubs, College Republican-based clubs, Teenage Republican clubs and Individual membership. Each club shall be considered a member of the NYSYR and will
have the right to send delegates pursuant to the Bylaws of the NYSYR.
Article IV – Officers
SECTION 1: The elected officers of the NYSYR shall be Chair, Vice-Chair, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer and two National Committee Members (one male and one female). All officers must be elected pursuant to Article VI of this Constitution.
SECTION 2: a) Officers of the NYSYR shall be under 38 years of age at the time of election and shall be current members in good standing of a member organization as defined in the Bylaws. b) No person shall hold more than one officer position in the NYSYR at any one time. c) All officers’ term of office shall be two years with elections held in odd numbered years. d) All officers’ terms shall run concurrently with that of the Chair. e) All officers of the NYSYR shall have been an officer of a member organization for a minimum of (1) year before running for
office.
SECTION 3: a) The officers shall perform the duties prescribed by the Constitution and Bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the NYSYR. b) The corporate directors of the NYSYR shall be the Vice-Chair, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer and the two National Committee Members.
Article V – Regional Vice Chairs
SECTION 1: The Regional Vice-Chairs shall be non-elected officers of the NYSYR.
SECTION 2: The Regional Vice-Chairs shall be appointed by the Chair and serve at his or her will. However, a two-third affirmative vote at the first membership meeting following the appointment may veto the choice of the Chair.
SECTION 3: The state shall be divided into regional districts by county with each region being afforded one Regional Vice-Chair.
Article VI – Election
SECTION 1: All elected officers shall be elected at a Biennial Convention of the NYSYR. a) The Executive Committee by majority vote shall determine the time, date and location of the State Convention for purpose of election and shall notify each accredited NYSYR member and the Chair of the New York State Republican State Committee no less than seventy-five (75) days prior to the date of the election. b) The notification provided shall contain the information necessary for nominations and candidacy. c) A person may only declare for one office.
SECTION 2: All officer nominations for election to the NYSYR Government must be received in writing to the General Counsel Corresponding Secretary or Recording Secretary no less than sixty (60) days before the date of the proposed election. Such written officer nominations may be sent by email, facsimile, or mail. The written notification must contain: a) A statement of eligibility for the office being sought. b) A declaration of candidacy including a platform for the particular office sought. c) Two seconding nominations from persons enrolled in two different member clubs, listed on the respective rosters of those clubs filed with the Credentials Committee during the election year.
SECTION 3: The General Counsel, Corresponding Secretary and the Recording Secretary shall report to the Governing Board all received written officer nominations within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt of such nomination by any one of them. The General Counsel, Corresponding Secretary and the Recording Secretary shall each forward their reports to the entire Credentials Committee within fifty-five (55) days of the proposed election.
SECTION 4: The Credentials Committee shall review the eligibility of all nominees for office and report its findings and rulings to the NYSYR and the candidates within fifty (50) days of the proposed election. All challenges to verification must be appealed to the Rules Committee at least ten (10) days before the proposed election. The Rules Committee must meet before the election to rule on any appeals and report its decisions to the Credentials Committee ad the Executive Committee at least seven (7) days prior to the election. The Executive Committee will then meet to accept or reject the decision of the Rules Committee, and shall report such decision to the Chair of the Credentials Committee at least six (6) days prior to the election. The Chair of the Credentials Committee shall inform all candidates and the Executive Committee of their rulings within five (5) days thereafter.
SECTION 5: The election of the Officers shall be held at the Biennial Convention.The Parliamentarian shall preside over the Convention for purposes of election of Officers.
SECTION 6: Upon the tallying and recording of votes, the Parliamentarian shall report the winners and submit a written report of the Convention results to the New York Republican State Committee.
SECTION 7: If the Parliamentarian is a candidate for elected office, the other officers shall by majority vote appoint a non-candidate Executive Committee member to oversee the Parliamentarian’s role in accordance with these By-laws for election purposes only.
Article VII – Officer’s Duties
SECTION 1: THE CHAIR
a) The Chair shall be the Chair and the Chief Executive Officer of the NYSYR. The Chair shall be vested with the power of chairing all meetings and presiding over the Executive Committee. The Chair shall be elected pursuant to Article VI. No person shall hold the office of Chair unless he or she has been an NYSYR member for two or more years and the former President or Chair of a member organization. b) The Chair, by and with the majority consent of the officers, shall have the power to appoint all cabinet positions prescribed herein to the Executive Committee; and, with the majority consent of the membership, create all Ad Hoc Special Committees and appoint all delegates to political or educational conventions. c) The Chair shall also have the power to determine the date for a special election should a vacancy arise as to any office but his own or the First Vice-Chair and notify the membership of the special election at least forty-five (45) days beforehand. However, if less than six months remain in the term of office, then the chair may appoint someone to fill the vacancy with the consent of a majority of the Committee. In a special election the general counsel will receive notification in writing no less than fifteen (15) days before the date of the proposed election. The written notification must conform with Article VI §2. The Credentials Committee Chair and the General Counsel will then prepare a ballot listing any and all qualified candidates to be voted on at the special election. Any appeal of the ruling of the General Counsel and Credentials Chair shall be made to the Executive Committee before the election. d) The Chair shall also have the power to introduce a matter for
consideration by the NYSYR. e) The Chair shall annually present a state of the NYSYR report to the NYSYR and shall provide a written copy of such report to the Chair of the New York Republican State Committee and the elected leaders of the Republican party. f) The Chair shall perform any and all other duties incident and necessary to his office and is granted any powers incidental to the accomplishment of his duties.
SECTION 2: THE VICE-CHAIR
a) The Vice-Chair shall be the Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee and the Deputy Executive Officer of the NYSYR. The Vice-Chair shall be elected with the Chair, and shall serve during the same term. The Vice-Chair shall monitor, supervise and report on the various parts of this organization as follows: 1. The Vice-Chair shall coordinate the activities of and facilitate the communication between the Regional Vice-Chairs. 2. The Vice-Chair shall coordinate the activities of and facilitate the communication among all standing committees of the NYSYR and shall be an ex-officio member of all standing committees, except the Executive Committee. b) The Vice Chair shall coordinate the activities of and facilitate the communication among all ad hoc special Committees of the NYSYR and shall be an ex-officio member of all ad hoc special committees. The Vice Chair shall also be a member of the following standing committees: Campaign and Finance. c) In the absence or disability of the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair. d) In the event of a death or other event causing a permanent vacancy in the Office of the Chair, the Executive Committee by majority vote of 50.1% shall elect the Chair and serve the remainder of the Chair’s term of office. The candidates for the office shall be any of the current members of the executive committee. If no candidate receives a majority on the first ballot the candidate receiving the fewest votes will not be eligible to run on the second ballot.
SECTION 3: REGIONAL VICE-CHAIRS
a) Regional Vice-Chairs shall direct, manage, and be responsible for the affairs of the NYSYR within their respective regions. They shall report to the Vice-Chair in charge of coordinating regional activity. They shall be primarily responsible for the perpetuation and creation of Young Republican organizations. All Regional Vice-Chairs shall serve as members of the following committees: Membership, Campaign and Finance.
SECTION 4: CORRESPONDING SECRETARY
a) The Corresponding Secretary shall be responsible for all written communications; issuance of meeting notices and performance of such other duties as shall be required. The Corresponding Secretary shall be a member of the Communications Committee.
SECTION 5: RECORDING SECRETARY
a) The Recording Secretary shall keep records of all proceedings of the NYSYR and of such other matters as shall be deemed advisable by the Chair. The Recording Secretary shall be a member of the Credentials Committee.
SECTION 6: TREASURER
a) The Treasurer shall be kept aware of any and all financial outlays paid by the NYSYR and shall be a signatory on the checking account of the NYSYR, along with the Chair and the Executive Director. Only one signature will be required to sign a check. The Treasure shall make disbursements as provided in Article X, Section 1 of this Constitution. The Treasurer shall be a member of the Finance Committee. b) The Treasurer shall submit a proposed budget to the Finance Committee for the upcoming year by August of the preceding year. c) The Treasurer shall make a quarterly report to the Chair concerning the financial status of the NYSYR. Copies of all bank statements shall be presented to the Finance Committee whenever the Chair of the Finance Committee requests. The Treasurer shall make a final report at the Biennial Convention of the NYSYR listing all disbursements and deposits for the period of his/her term.
SECTION 7: NATIONAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS
a) A National Committeeman and Committeewoman shall represent the NYSYR on the National Committee of the Young Republican National Federation.
Article VIII – Removal
SECTION 1: Any officer or delegate found to be incompetent or failing to perform his or her duties may be censured or impeached.
SECTION 2: Any member of the Executive Committee who will miss a NYSYR meeting shall provide a written explanation to the Chair, by any means, at least 72 hours before the meeting. Failure to do so on two occasions shall be considered a failure of duty and will negate the need for am the impeachment committee finding. In the event of non-attendance at a third meeting the member will be deemed resigned.
SECTION 3: If the YRNF National Committeeman and Committeewoman miss two consecutive or non-consecutive meetings of the YRNF they may be removed by a two-thirds vote
of the Executive Committee. Failure to give a proxy to an authorized person under the rules and regulations of the YRNF shall be considered a failure of duty and will negate the need for an impeachment committee finding.
SECTION 4: The NYSYR may, by a two-thirds vote, censure a member club or individual at any meeting.
SECTION 5: The NYSYR, at any duly convened meeting, may consider the outcome of any dispute resolved in accordance with the procedures established by Article VII of our Bylaws _ Dispute Resolution Procedure, or the failure of any party (or parties) to a dispute to participate in such proceedings or to accept the result of any final decision arising in accordance with such provisions, and as a result of any such outcome or failure may revoke the charter of, or otherwise discipline, any member or officer by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the NYSYR Executive Board and a simple majority of the membership.
Article IX – Cabinet
Members of the Cabinet shall be appointed by the Chair and with the consent by majority vote of the officers. All cabinet members shall be voting members of the Executive Committee. All cabinet members shall be non-salaried. The following positions make up the cabinet: Chief of Staff, Executive Director; General Counsel; Parliamentarian and the Chairs of the Standing Committees. Their respective duties are as follows:
SECTION 1: THE CHIEF OF STAFF
a) The Chief of Staff shall be the confidential adviser to the Chair and shall assist the Chair in scheduling, appointments and other duties as assigned by the Chair. The Chief of Staff shall be responsible for supervising the members of the Chair’s cabinet. b) The Chief of Staff with the approval of the Chair shall designate the financial institution where the monies of the NYSYR are to be deposited. The Chief of Staff or his or her designee shall supervise the collection of dues and any other accounts receivable to the NYSYR and make a full report to the Treasurer within ten (10) days. c) Following each Convention, the Chief of Staff shall remain a member of the Cabinet (the “Transition Leader”) until the next general meeting following any Convention unless the Chief of Staff is reappointed Chief of Staff following the Convention, and shall retain all documents from the previous administration for the purpose of providing them to any new administration. A person may serve as a Transition Leader concurrent with any other elected or appointed position.
SECTION 2: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
a) The Executive Director shall ensure that the day to day operations of the NYSYR is handled in a timely manner and assist the Chair, Corresponding Secretary and Chief of Staff with their duties.
SECTION 3: THE GENERAL COUNSEL
a) The General Counsel shall be the Legal Counsel of the NYSYR and shall be responsible for all legal proceedings involving the NYSYR. The General Counsel shall be vested with the power of resolving disputes involving the NYSYR and render opinions upon request to the Executive Committee concerning the legal effects of the NYSYR’s actions. These opinions shall be advisory only and the Executive Committee shall be the final judge of the propriety of its actions. b) No person shall hold the office of General Counsel unless he or she is an attorney in good standing admitted to practice law in the State of New York and has been a member of the NYSYR or a member club for no less than two years. He or she shall hold his office for a term of two years. c) The General Counsel shall be a member of the Rules Committee.
SECTION 4: PARLIAMENTARIAN
a) The Parliamentarian shall rule on issues of procedure as may be referred to him by a member of the NYSYR Government. All rulings of the Parliamentarian shall be made pursuant to Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised. b) The Parliamentarian shall preside over the biannual convention for purposes of election of officers in accordance with Article III.
SECTION 5: CHAIRS OF THE STANDING COMMITTEES
a) The Chairs of the Standing Committees of the NYSYR, shall be responsible for the work of the Committees.
Article X – The Governing Board
SECTION 1: The members of the Governing Board are to be provided for in the NYSYR By-Laws.
SECTION 2: The Governing Board shall set the policy of the NYSYR and bring business before the NYSYR. All withdrawals of funds, by check or otherwise, shall require the authorization of the Chair or the Governing Board. The Governing Board must approve all financial expenditures over $100. All expenditures must be presented to the membership for ratification as part of the Treasurer’s report.
Article XI – The Executive Committee
SECTION 1: The Executive Committee shall be comprised of the elected officers of the NYSYR. The Chief of Staff, General Counsel and Executive Director shall be non-voting members of the Board.
SECTION 2: The Executive Committee shall have the authority to conduct the business of the NYSYR between meetings and subject to later approval by the Executive Committee and the membership. The Executive Committee must adhere to any and all policies established by the Governing Board and the membership.
SECTION 3: The Executive Committee may meet in person, over the phone or by any means that technology allows, including the Internet. Three (3) days notice shall be required for any in-person meetings. One (1) day notice shall be required for meetings other than in person.
Article XII – Committees
SECTION 1: The NYSYR shall have the following standing committees:
a) Rules Committee b) Credentials Committee c) Membership Committee d) Campaign Committee e) Finance Committee f) Communications Committee g) College Chapter Liaison h) Events Committee
SECTION 2: The Chair, with the advice and consent of the NYSYR or Governing Board shall have the power to create Ad Hoc Committees to further the goals of the NYSYR. All Ad Hoc committees shall not last beyond a term of one year, or an intervening NYSYR election without the majority vote of the Governing Board.
Article XIII – Meetings/Conventions
SECTION 1:
a) There shall be a minimum of three general meetings of the NYSYR each year. b) There will be a Biennial Convention in addition to the regular NYSYR meetings each odd-numbered year. c) The Chair shall set the time and place of all meetings. The date must be approved by a majority vote of the Governing Board. d) A minimum of 21 days written notice of all general meetings shall be given to all member clubs and members of the Governing Board. e) At all meetings the NYSYR may act on any business within its specified powers. f) A quorum shall constitute one third of all eligible voting member clubs.
SECTION 2:
a) Special meetings of the NYSYR may be called by the Chair at any time. b) Special meetings of the NYSYR must be called by the Chair upon written request of the majority of the Governing Board or majority of the member organizations. c) Written notice of all special meetings, specifying the business to be transacted, shall be given to all member clubs and Governing Board members a minimum of seven (7) calendar days in advance of the meeting date. d) The business transacted at any special meeting shall be limited to that specified in the meeting notice.
Article XIV – General Provision & Amendments
SECTION 1:
a) The Constitution may be amended by two-thirds vote at the Biennial Convention of the NYSYR provided a copy of the proposed amendments shall have been mailed to each member club and members of the Governing Board at least twenty-one (21) days in advance. b) The Bylaws may be amended by two-thirds vote at any general meeting of the NYSYR provided a copy of the proposed amendments shall have been mailed to each member club and members of the Governing Board at least twenty-one (21) calendar days in advance. c) The Constitution may be amended provided that the following has occurred. The proposed amendments must have been read aloud at a general meeting of the NYSYR. Those amendments must also have been submitted to each Member Club and members of the Governing Board at least twenty-one (21) calendar days in advance of the general meeting of the NYSYR where they were first read. After the first reading, alterations to the proposed amendments may be offered and would be adopted upon a simple majority vote. The proposed amendments whether they are altered or unaltered must receive the support of a simple majority to get a second reading at the next general meeting of the NYSYR. Any amendments that receive such support must be submitted to each Member Club and members of the Governing Board no more than seven (7) calendar days after that general meeting of the NYSYR. After the second reading the proposed amendments shall be proposed to the Member Clubs after a twothirds vote. The proposed amendments shall be submitted to each Member Club and members of the Governing Board within seven (7) calendar days of that general meeting. Each member club shall have one hundred twenty (120) calendar days after receiving the proposed amendments to hold a vote on ratification and will submit the results of the vote to each Member Club and the Governing Board. A simple majority of the Member Club shall be needed to ratify. If a Member Club shall have not taken such action within the time allowed, then they shall be deemed to have ratified the proposed amendments. Once two-thirds of the Member Clubs have ratified the proposed amendments, they shall be adopted.
SECTION 2: Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall apply wherever not in conflict with any of the specific provisions herein stated or contained in the By-Laws of this organization.
SECTION 3: The NYSYR will have a Constitutional Convention between the dates of August 1, 2003 and September 31, 2003. The NYSYR Constitution and Bylaws may be amended by two-thirds vote at this Constitutional Convention of the NYSYR provided that notice of the specific date, time and location have been mailed to each member club and members of the Governing Board at least twenty-one (21) days in advance by the Corresponding Secretary. The exact date, time and location of this Constitutional Convention will be determined by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee. There is no requirement for this Constitutional Convention that a copy of a proposed amendment shall have to be mailed to each member club and members of the Governing Board at least twenty-one (21) days in advance. Quorum determination, delegate rules and the use of proxies for this Constitutional Convention will follow the rules prevailing under the current NYSYR Constitution and By-laws as they would for a General Meeting.
SECTION 4: All votes at political or educational conventions in which the NYSYR is a participant shall be done pursuant to “unit rule.” Unit rule shall be determined by a caucus of all delegates present to any political or educational convention. At no time may a motion to bind such votes be entertained and it shall be deemed contrary to this Constitution for such a motion to be entertained and/or passed.
SECTION 5: Upon the presentation of evidence of non-compliance with the rules governing the conduct of member clubs of the NYSYR, the President, to whom such evidence must first be directed, shall refer the matter to the credentials committee, herein described. The credentials committee shall then conduct a review of the evidence of wrongdoing. At the next state-wide meeting of the NYSYR, that is at least thirty days from the date of the presentation of evidence of non-compliance to the President, the credentials committee shall present its report and recommendation concerning the alleged improprieties will be presented to the NYSYR as assembled. At that time, the allegedly non-complaint member club shall have the opportunity to present evidence in its favor to the NYSYR as assembled. At the conclusion of the presentation of evidence, the NYSYR as assembled shall vote on the revocation.
SECTION 6: The laws of the State of New York shall be deemed incorporated into this document and all others passed by the NYSYR and nothing contained herein shall be construed in conflict of any applicable New York State Law.
Article XV – Effective Date
This Constitution and Bylaws will be in effect immediately upon passage.