Bylaws

LCARW Bylaws

Revised March 20, 2018

 

Article I:  Name:

The name of this organization shall be the Lake Conroe Area Republican Women (LCARW).  The address shall be P. O. Box 737, Montgomery, Texas 77356.

ARTICLE II:  Objectives:

1. To work for the election of the Republican Party’s nominees;
2. To promote an informed electorate through political education;
3. To increase the effectiveness of women in the cause of good government through active political participation;
4. To facilitate cooperation among local Republican Women’s Clubs:
5. To foster loyalty to the Republican Party and to promote its principles and candidates in all elections, including non-partisan elections.

ARTICLE III:  Policy

Section 1.        Organization Membership:

This organization and its members shall be members of the Texas Federation of Republican Women (TFRW) and the National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW), shall support their objectives and policies, and shall pay per capita dues and the annual service charges to said organizations.

Section 2.        Candidate Endorsement:

This organization, its President and its Campaign Activities Chairman shall not publicly endorse any candidate for public office in contested Republican Primaries, Runoff Elections, and Special Elections, and/or Non-Partisan Elections when more than one Republican is in the race.  Individual members of this organization, with the exception of the President and Campaign Activities Chairman, may work for any candidate of their choice in contested Republican Primaries but not in the name of the organization. No candidate shall use the TFRW logo in any political advertising, and any political advertising shall contain the following disclaimer:  “This endorsement is given by the individual(s) only, NOT the Texas Federation of Republican Women.”

Section 3.        Candidate Endorsement Exemption:

This article pertains only to contests between Republican candidates for public office.  An officer of this organization who is a candidate, or whose husband or other family member is a candidate, shall be exempt from this rule, but may not endorse in the name of the organization.

Section 4.        Working for a Candidate:

Individual members of this organization may work for any candidate of their choice in contested Republican Primaries.  No club shall publicly endorse or work for a known candidate of another party in a partisan or non-partisan race where a Republican is in the race.  When more than one Republican is in a non-partisan or partisan race, no club, club President or Campaign Activities Chairman shall publicly endorse or work for any candidate in said race  Other than at a regular club meeting, a club is allowed to be involved in a voter education program or forum that concerns a non-partisan election if the candidate’s party affiliation is not announced.

Section 5.        Controversial Issues:

This organization and its officers shall not issue statements or pass resolutions on controversial issues in the name of the organization without first polling its members and obtaining a two-thirds (2/3) written vote of approval of the total membership.

Section 6.        Lobbying:

There shall be no lobbying with Legislators using the name of the Texas Federation of Republican Women by any federated local club or any individual member without the express permission of the Board of Directors of the Texas Federation of Republican Women.

Section 7.        Candidate Fairness:

After the end of the filing period for any office and ending the day after the final  election for that office, it is the policy of TFRW that all Republican candidates for that office shall be treated fairly and equitably.  When one Republican candidate for an office is invited to speak at a Federation or club meeting, then all Republican candidates for that office shall be offered equal presentation time at the same meeting or another meeting before the election.

Section 8.        PAC Committee:

This club shall be a Political Action Committee and shall be registered as such with the Texas Ethics Commission.

Section 9.         Fiscal Year:

The fiscal year of this organization shall be from January 1 through December 31.

Section 10.      Delivery of Records:

All officers and all committee chairmen and vice chairmen shall deliver all records, files, passwords, social media administrative rights, and properties of the club to their successor before December 31 of the year in which she is retiring from office, or within 3 days of leaving the position if earlier than December 31, unless otherwise directed by the club President or Executive Committee.  Failure to meet the deadlines may result in the termination of her membership by the club.

ARTICLE IV:  Club Membership:

Section 1.        Eligibility:

1. Any woman believing in the philosophy of the Republican Party and in the objectives of this organization shall be eligible for membership
2. She shall be a registered voter.
3. To be eligible to vote in club elections, a member shall have paid her dues at least 30 days prior to the election and shall have attended at least one meeting.

Section 2.        Classification of Membership:

1. Active Members:

Any woman who believes in the philosophy of the Republican Party, the objectives of the local club and who pays the required annual dues shall be classified as an Active member.  An Active member shall be counted in one (1) local club for the purpose of delegate representation to Federation State and National Conventions, and this shall be the only local club in which she shall hold office.  Her dues and name shall be submitted to the Texas Federation of Republican Women from her primary local club only.

1. Associate Members;

A Republican Woman who is an Active member of a Federated local club and who wishes to support the LCARW may be eligible for Associate membership upon payment of required dues to this club.  She shall not hold office, vote, or be counted for the purpose of determining the number of delegates to National or State Federation meetings or conventions.  As an Associate member, she shall not become a member of the State or National Federation.

1. Associate Men Members:

Republican men shall be eligible for Associate Men membership upon payment of the required annual dues.  They shall not hold office, have a voice or vote, and shall not be counted for the purpose of determining the number of delegates to National or State Federation meetings or conventions.  They shall not become members of the State or National Federation.

1. Young Affiliate Members:

A Young Affiliate shall be a teenage woman, age thirteen (13) through seventeen (17), who wishes to be affiliated with a local Republican Women’s Club by paying the required annual dues.  A Young Affiliate shall not be listed on the roster to the Texas Federation of Republican Women from the subsequent local club, shall not be counted for purposes of determining the number of delegates to the Texas Federation of Republican Women or the National Federation of Republican Women meetings or conventions, and shall have no vote at local meetings.  Her name and dues shall not be sent to the Texas Federation of Republican Women Headquarters by the subsequent local club.

1. Honorary Members:

Honorary members shall have all the privileges of membership except when they are also an Active member of another local Republican Women’s club.  Honorary members shall pay no dues, and the local club shall pay their per capita dues to the Texas Federation of Republican Women and the National Federation of Republican Women, unless they are Active members of another local Republican Women’s club.

ARTICLE V:  Dues:

Section 1.        Annual dues shall be set by the membership in the Standing Rules.

Section 2.        Dues shall be payable on January 1, which shall include LCARW dues, State dues and National dues.

Section 3.        The organization shall pay the annual service charges required by the Texas Federation of Republican Woman and the National Federation of Republican Women, and shall submit names and addresses of Club officers and Active members with said payment.

Section 4.        This organization shall pay the annual per capita dues for its Active members to the TFRW and NFRW.

ARTICLE VI:  Officers and Their Duties:

Section 1.        Elected Officers:

The officers of this organization shall be President, 1^st Vice President, 2^nd Vice President, 3^rd Vice President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer.

Section 2.        Qualifications of Officers:

1. In order to be elected as an officer, a nominee shall have been an Active member of this organization for one full year prior to her nomination in September, shall be current with paid dues and shall be in good standing with the Texas Federation of Republican Women.
2. Nominees for offices of President and 1^st Vice President shall have served on the Board of Directors at least one (1) year prior to their nomination in September.

Section 3.        Duties of Officers:

1. The President shall preside at all LCARW meetings, shall appoint Chairmen of all Standing and Special committees and the Political Action Committee Treasurer (if separate from the elected Treasurer) with the approval of the Executive Board, shall appoint a Parliamentarian, and shall serve as ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee. She shall have general supervision of the work of the organization. The President shall have such authority only insofar as the Bylaws provide it.  Additional duties shall be to appoint, with the approval of the Executive Committee, a three (3) member Internal Review/Audit Committee, composed of non-Executive Committee members.
2. The 1^st Vice President shall perform the duties of the President whenever the President is absent or otherwise unable to serve. She shall perform such other duties as the President may designate.  She shall serve as the Program Chairman.
3. The 2^nd Vice President shall perform the duties of the First Vice President or President in their absence. She shall perform such other duties as the President may designate.  She shall serve as the Membership Chairman, and shall keep an up-to-date roster of the membership and encourage renewals throughout the year and distribute the list of volunteers to committee chairs.
4. The 3^rd Vice President shall perform the duties of the 2^nd Vice President, 1^st Vice President or President in their absence. She shall perform such other duties as the President may designate.  She shall serve as Ways and Means Chairman and shall head fundraising activities.
5. The Recording Secretary shall keep a factual and unbiased record of proceedings of all meetings of the organization. She shall have custody of all pertinent records, and shall perform such other duties as the President may designate or as her office requires.
6. The Corresponding Secretary shall prepare the correspondence of the organization, shall coordinate information about upcoming events with the club’s Communication Chairman, and shall serve as Recording Secretary in her absence. She shall also perform such additional duties as may be required of the office.
7. The Treasurer:
8. Shall receive and be Custodian of all general operating funds and shall pay all bills upon authorization by the President. The Treasurer shall keep an account of all monies received and disbursed and shall give a report at the annual meeting, at general meetings and Board meetings as required by the President.  She shall     submit her financial records to the Internal Review/Audit Committee for an end of year financial review no later than January 31st. of the following year.
9. She shall oversee that all reports required by the Texas Ethics Commission are submitted in a timely manner by the PAC Treasurer.
10. Authorized signers of Club checks shall be the Treasurer, PAC Treasurer, President and First Vice President.  She shall coordinate all changes of authorized signers as needed.
11. Authorized debit card holders shall be the President and Treasurer.
12. Delivery of Records:

Each officer, except the Treasurer and/or PAC Treasurer, shall deliver all records, files, etc. to her successor on or before December 15 following installation.  The Treasurer and/or PAC Treasurer shall deliver all financial material to the new Treasurer as soon as the financial review is completed.

ARTICLE VII:  Executive Committee and Board of Directors and Their Duties

Section 1.        Executive Committee:

1. The Executive Committee shall consist of the seven (7) elected officers and the Immediate Past President, who shall serve in an Advisory capacity and shall retain voting privileges.
2. The Executive Committee shall have authority to transact any necessary business between meetings, to make recommendations as to policies, to advise the President, to fill vacancies that occur between elections and to approve committee chairmen appointed by the President.
3. A quorum for the Executive Committee shall be four (4) members.
4. The term of service for Officers and Chairmen shall be from January 1 through December 31 following their election or appointment.  No Officer may serve in the same position for more than two consecutive terms with the exception of Treasurer and PAC Treasurer.

Section 2.  Board of Directors:

1. The Board of Directors shall consist of the Executive Committee, the Immediate Past President and all Standing Committee Chairmen and Co-Chairmen.
2. Each individual member of the Board shall be entitled to one vote.
3. The Board of Directors shall have the power to transact routine and necessary business between meetings, to make recommendations as to the policies of the organization, to advise the President and to fill vacancies that occur between elections by a two-thirds (2/3’s) vote of the Executive Committee members present and voting, with the exception of a vacancy in the Presidency, in which case the 1^st Vice President shall assume the office of President and the Executive Committee shall elect a new 1^st Vice President as stated herein. The Board of Directors will outline a general program, which shall be submitted to the body for approval.
4. A budget shall be outlined by the Board of Directors and shall be approved by the body, for apportioning monies to the various committees and other necessary expenditures.
5. Purchases exceeding budgeted amounts shall be preapproved by the Board.
6. A quorum for any meeting of the Board of Directors shall consist of thirty percent (30%) of the voting members of the Board.

ARTICLE VIII:  Meetings

Section 1.        General Membership Meetings:

1. The general membership meetings shall be held on the first Thursday of each month unless otherwise ordered by the Board of Directors, which shall give no less than seven (7) days’ notice of the change to the membership.
2. A minimum of five (5) general meetings per annum shall be held.

Section 2.        Annual Membership Meetings:

1. The annual membership meeting and the election of officers shall be held during the October general meeting.
2. The installation of officers shall be held during the November general meeting.

Section 3.        Special Meetings of the General Membership:

1. Special meetings shall be held at the call of the President or upon the request of twenty-five percent (25%) of the Active members, the purpose of the meeting to be stated in the call.
2. No other business shall be considered at the special meeting except that stated in the call of the meeting.

Section 4.        Regular Meetings of the Board of Directors:

Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held two (2) weeks prior to the general meeting at such time and place as shall be determined by the President.

Section 5.        Special Meetings of the Executive Board and/or Board of Directors:

Special meetings may be called by the President or upon request of three (3) members of the Executive Committee or Board of Directors, the purpose of the meeting to be stated in the call and no other business shall be transacted.

Section 6.        Quorum for Meetings

A quorum for a general meeting of LCARW shall be twenty percent (20%) of the Active members.

ARTICLE IX:  Standing Committees

Section 1.        The Standing Committees shall include: Americanism, Awards, Board Meeting Coordinator, Bylaws / Parliamentarian, Campaign Activities,

Caring for America, Chaplain, Club Communications, Community Engagement, Greater Houston Council, Hospitality, Legislative Issues, Literacy, Media Relations, Membership Directory, Newsletter,

Political Action (PAC), Photography, Scholarship, Senior Americans, Social Media, Special Events, and Website.

Section 2.        The Chairmen of the Standing Committees shall be appointed by the President. The committee Chairs shall outline programs for action in their respective fields for consideration and adoption by the Board of Directors, and shall carry out such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors and/or the President. Chairmen should be prepared to make reports at all meetings.

Section 3.        PAC Treasurer:

1. The Political Action Committee shall be chaired by the Political Action Treasurer, who, if not elected, shall be appointed by the President and be a voting member of the Board of Directors. She shall abide by Texas Election Laws and the opinions issued by the Texas Ethics Commission.  She shall be registered with the Texas Ethics Committee. All decisions relative to the distribution of funds shall be approved by the Board of Directors.
2. She shall submit all reports as required by the Texas Ethics Commission in a timely manner. All records must be submitted at the end of the year for review or audit.
3. The committee shall consist of Past Presidents who are Active members and three (3) appointed Active members.

Section 4.        Special Committees:

1. Special Committees shall include: Internal Review, Nominations, and Finance.  Special Committee Chairmen shall be appointed by the President and/or committee members as deemed advisable.  Other special committees may be appointed by the President and/or Board of Directors as deemed advisable.
2. The Special Committees shall outline programs in their respective fields for consideration and adoption by the Board of Directors.
3. These committees shall be formed for the duration of their service, and they will not have a voice or voting rights.

The Finance Committee:

The Finance Committee shall consist of the Elected Officers and the PAC Treasurer.  The President shall appoint the Chairman.  The Finance Committee shall draw up a projected budget for each fiscal year and submit it to the membership for approval.

Internal Review / Audit Committee:

A three (3) member Internal Review Committee shall be selected to conduct an internal review of the books by January 31st. of the following year and shall submit its report to the Executive Committee during the first (1) quarter.  The Treasurer shall bepresent at the internal review of the books.

Section 5.        Committee Reports:

All Committees shall report to the membership at the Board of Directors and the general membership meetings as ordered by the President.

ARTICLE X:  Nominations and Elections

Section 1.        Nominating Committee:

1. A Nominating Committee of not less than five (5) and not more than seven (7) members shall be elected at the regular board meeting in May. At least one (1) committee member shall not be from the existing Board of Directors.
2. All members of the Nominating Committee shall have been an Active LCARW member for a minimum of six (6) months.
3. The Nominating Committee shall elect its chairman from one of its own number and shall report one nominee for each office at the September general meeting.
4. A brief biographical sketch of each nominee shall be included in the September newsletter.
5. Nominees for office shall meet all criteria for Active members.

Section 2.  Elections:

1. Elections shall be held at the October general membership meeting after the Nominating Committee has reported its nominees.
2. Nominations from the floor shall be allowed, provided prior consent of each of the nominees has been obtained.
3. Where there is only one (1) candidate for an office, election shall be by voice vote. Where there is more than one (1) candidate for an office, election shall be by ballot.  A plurality vote shall elect.
4. No absentee or proxy voting shall be allowed.

Section 3.  Installation of Officers:

Officers shall be installed at the November general membership meeting.

ARTICLE XI:  Conventions and Representation

Section 1.        Texas Federation of Republican Women Biennial Convention:

1. LCARW may be represented at the TFRW Biennial Convention by one (1) delegate and one (1) alternate for each ten (10) Active members and one (1) additional delegate and alternate for a remainder of six (6) to nine (9) Active members.
2. Delegates and alternates to the TFRW convention shall be nominated at a board meeting and elected at a general meeting.

Section 2.        National Federation of Republican Women Biennial Convention:

1. LCARW may be represented at the Biennial National Convention by one (1) delegate and one (1) alternate.

The delegate and alternate to the National Federation of Republican Women Convention shall be elected at the May Board meeting.

ARTICLE XII:  Parliamentary Authority:

Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised, or the latest edition thereof, shall govern all proceedings except where inconsistent with the Bylaws of this organization and those of the Texas Federation of Republican Women and of the National Federation of Republican Women.

ARTICLE XIII:  Amendments:

Section 1:        Amendment Approval:

These Bylaws may be amended at any general membership meeting of the LCARW by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Active members present provided that notice of the proposed amendment has been sent to each member at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting, or provided that notice of the proposed amendment has been submitted in writing at the previous general meeting.

Section 2.         Proper Form of Presenting Proposed Amendments:

The Bylaws Committee shall consolidate and present in proper form the proposed Bylaws amendments to the Board of Directors for approval before presenting them to the membership.

ARTICLE XIV:  Dissolution:

This Club may be dissolved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote at any meeting of the Club, provided that Notice of Dissolution has been submitted in writing at the previous meeting and has been sent by mail or email to all members of the Club.  In the event of dissolution, the Board of Directors shall, after payment of all liability of the Club, distribute any remaining assets to the State Federation.  None of the assets shall be distributed to any member of officer of the Club and the right to use the name of this organization shall revert to State Federation.

 

STANDING RULES

Standing Rules are rules which are related to the details of administration rather than to parliamentary procedure, and can be adopted or changed upon the same conditions as any ordinary act of the organization.  Standing Rules may be amended or altered at any business meeting by a majority vote of Active members.  Refer to Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, “Standing Rules.”

The Standing Rules for the Lake Conroe Area Republican Women shall be as detailed below:

Membership Dues shall be:

1. Active Members:                          $30.00
2. Associate Members:                     $15.00
3. Associate Men Members:             $15.00
4. Young Affiliate Members:             $15.00
5. Payable January 1^st of each year. New members who join effective November 1^st or later shall be considered paid members through the upcoming year.

Distribution of materials:

Any material distributed, circulated or sold at meetings, with the exception of authorized Republican material, must be approved by the Board of Directors.

Club Communications:

All club communications (electronic or otherwise) shall be pre-approved by the President or Chairman.

Candidates Speaking at Meetings:

Republican candidates may be allowed to speak at meetings.  Non-Republican candidates shall not be allowed to address meetings in contested partisan elections.

Yearbook:

A membership yearbook, which shall include a roster of all current officers, members and other information, will be distributed to each member.  The deadline to be included in the annual directory shall be March 31.

Installation of Officers:

The person to install and format the installation of Officers shall be at the direction of the Executive Committee.

Expressions to Members:

Expressions of sympathy or congratulations to a member or friend of LCARW shall be by card or note.  In the event of the death of a spouse, member or child, a gift may be made from the organization.