Published on Tuesday, 22 November 2011 14:52
GEAUGA COUNTY TEA PARTY
BYLAWS
As Proposed: 4/18/2011
ARTICLE I – ORGANIZATION
A The name of this organization shall be the Geauga County Tea Party (hereinafter “GCTP”).
B. The GCTP shall be a political action committee, operating under the laws of the State of Ohio.
ARTICLE II – STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
We come together as the Geauga County Tea Party:
1. To educate, organize, and inspire our fellow Citizens to actively participate in the political process; 2. To promote the values of individual liberty, limited government, and fiscal responsibility in local, state and national government; 3. To defend the self-evident Truth that our Creator, not government, endows each of us with inalienable and equal Rights; 4. To uphold the Constitution of the United States of America, and the Constitution of the State of Ohio, and respect for the Rule of Law; 5. And to hold our elected and appointed officials in government always accountable for the same; ensuring that they respect our values, respect our Rights, respect our money, and respect the letter and spirit of the Constitution of the United States of America, and the Constitution of the state of Ohio.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
1. Membership is open to any person at least 18 years of age upon payment of dues. 2. Dues – Voting Members shall pay annual dues according to the amount and schedule established by the Executive Committee. 3. Eligible Members may cast one vote each. 4. Termination of Membership – a Member who is provided a written notice of cause at least 10 days in advance may have their Membership terminated by a majority vote of those Members present, and voting at the next regular or special meeting. 5. Resignation – Any Member may resign at any time by delivering written notice to the Executive Committee. The Member’s resignation shall take effect on the date the letter is received. All dues will be forfeited.
ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS
1.The GCTP shall have a President, Vice President, Secretary, and a Treasurer. These officers comprise the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will also consist of a Member-At Large. The Member-At-Large shall be appointed by the Executive Committee, and shall be a Member of the Organization in good standing. 2. Eligibility – The President and Vice President shall be Members in good standing for not less than 6 months. Secretary and Treasurer shall be Members in good standing. All Officers shall be at least 25 years of age. 3. Resignation – Officers may resign at any time by delivering written notice to the Board. The resignation shall take effect on the date the letter is received. The President may appoint an interim replacement for the resigning Officer. 4. Removal – Any Officer may be removed at any time by a majority of the Members at a Special Meeting called for that purpose. The Office and Members must first be notified about the removal proceeding by written notice at least 10 days before the Meeting at which the vote takes place. 5. President – The President shall preside over all Meetings of the GCTP and the Executive Committee. With the advice of the Officers and Members, and in accordance with these Bylaws, oversee the affairs of the GCTP, and set the agenda for each Meeting of the Members. 6. Vice President – The Vice President shall act in place of the President in the event of the President’s absence, inability, or refusal to act when directed by the Board. The Vice President may perform any specific duties as set forth by the President of the GCTP. 7. Secretary – The Secretary shall be the custodian of all books and records of the GCTP, take or ensure that someone takes correct records of account of all activities and of the proceedings of
the Membership. 8. Treasurer – The Treasurer shall have charge and custody of all GCTP funds, oversee and supervise the fiscal affairs of the GCTP, and provide reports and accountings to the Members at each Executive and Regular Committee Meeting. A year-end financial report will be provided to the Membership.
ARTICLE V – COMMITTEES
1. Standing committees, appointed by the Present and/or Executive Committee, shall be: Membership, Fundraising, Media Relations, Website Administration, and Hospitality. 2. The duties of the Membership Committee shall be to develop and implement plans for growing and retaining Membership in our Organization. 3. The duties of the Fundraising Committee shall be to raise money for the Organization and the causes we support. 4. The duties of the Media Relations Committee shall be to create and manage relations with local, regional, statewide and national media members and organizations, keep them informed about our organization’s activities, monitoring their reporting of the coverage of our organization’s activities, and responding to coverage of our organization’s positions and activities. 5. The duties of the Hospitality Committee shall be to provide hospitality at all organization events. 6. The Executive Committee may agree on additional committees by a majority vote at any Executive Committee meeting. Committee Members shall elect the chair of their committee.
ARTICLE VI – TERMS OF OFFICE
1. All GCTP Officers shall be elected by a vote of the Members in good standing present at the December Membership meeting, and shall serve for a term of one year. The term shall begin at the close of the December Membership meeting. 2. No person shall serve more than two consecutive terms in a particular Office. More than 180 days in an office shall count as a full term for this purpose. Officers serving at the time of the adoption of these Bylaws shall have their current time in Office considered under these limits. 3. If an Officer misses more than three Membership meetings or more than six GCTP Executive Meetings in a term without extenuating circumstances accepted by the GCTP Board, the Office shall be considered vacant. The President may appoint an interim replacement of the Officer. If the Office vacated is that of the President, the Vice President shall appoint an interim replacement.
ARTICLE VII – ELECTION OF OFFICERS
1. The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee from Members in good standing one month before an election. Nominations for Office will also be accepted from the floor as well by the Presiding Officer. 2. At the Membership meeting where the Election takes place, each Candidate shall have three minutes to speak directly to the Membership. 3. Election of Officers shall be by majority vote of the Membership in good standing, and each Member shall have one vote.
ARTICLE VIII – MEETINGS
1. The Executive Committee shall schedule regular Meetings, but not less than once a month. The GCTP President shall preside at all meetings, and shall set the agenda, but may from time to time delegate that responsibility to the Vice President. The four GCTP Officers, or three Officers and one Member-At-Large, shall constitute a quorum to do business. 2. Board Meetings shall be open to Members and Associates to observe, but may be called into Executive Session by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE IX – ADOPTION
1. These bylaws shall be adopted when two-thirds of the Members at a Membership Meeting vote for their adoption. 2. Adoption of these bylaws may not be voted on until the Membership Meeting following their submission to the Members. 3. Officers serving at the time of adoption shall continue to serve in their respective Offices until the next Election.
ARTICLE X – AMENDMENT
1. These bylaws may be amended when two-thirds of the Members at a Membership Meeting vote for an amendment. 2. Amendments may be proposed by any Member in writing to the GCTP Board. If the majority of the GCTP Board concurs as written, the proposed Amendment shall be submitted to the Members at the next Membership Meeting. 3. Amendments submitted to the Members may not be further amended, and shall be voted on as written. 4. Proposed Amendments may not be voted on until the Membership Meeting following their submission to the Members.
ARTICLE XI – LIMITS OF LIABILITY
1. No member of the Organization shall be liable personally for any obligations of the Organization.
ARTICLE XII – RULES OF ORDER
The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the Organization in all cases to which they are applicable.
To be a member of Geauga County Tea Party is $20.00 for a year. These dues help us to keep the Tea Party active and to have different events throughout the year as it helps with advertising, etc. A member will donate $1.00 for each meeting they attend. Non-member will donate $2.00 for each meeting. We appreciate every member of our organization and thank you for your donations and attending our meetings helps the organization to grow and get the word out to the community.