CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I NAME

In recognition of the major event in the struggle for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, we proudly name this organization The Stonewall Democratic Club.

ARTICLE II PURPOSE

The purposes of the Club shall be:

a) to promote political undertaking and action within the Democratic Party around issues that primarily affect members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community;

b) to promote participation by members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in the affairs of the Democratic Party;

c) to promote and organize positive opinion on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in local, state and national sections of the Democratic Party;

d) to seek, encourage and support candidates to public and party office who will publicly support and promote issues affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community;

e) to promote qualified lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender candidates for party and public office.

ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

Sec. 1. There shall be three types of membership. The first, Regular membership, shall be for all self-affirming gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people residing in New York City. The second, Associate membership, shall be for all other individuals who do not quality for Regular membership. The third membership, Honorary, shall have the same rights as Associate Members without the requirement to pay dues.

Sec. 2. The Executive Board shall establish and may change from time to time the rates of dues to be paid annually by every member.

Sec. 3. The President may, with the consent of the Executive Board, waive the dues requirement for any Regular Member.

Sec. 4. Regular Members who have been members in good standing at least 90 days immediately prior to a Club vote, may vote at general membership meetings, club elections and endorsements.

Sec. 5. A secret ballot will be used for all candidate endorsements. The ballot will take place after the Executive Board has made its endorsement recommendations to the membership.

Sec. 6 Associate Members shall enjoy the right to participate in all activities of the Club; to speak from the floor; to introduce or second motions; to serve, chair and vote on committees, but shall have no vote at general membership meetings or endorsement meetings and may not serve on the Executive Board.

Sec. 7. The President may, with the consent of the Executive Board, confer Honorary membership upon any person. Honorary Members shall enjoy the right to participate in all of the activities of the Club as those accorded Associate Members.

Sec. 8. Membership shall run from January 1 to December 31. A person joining the Club for the first time, if paying membership dues after November 1, shall be considered a member in good standing for the remainder of that year and for the following year.

ARTICLE IV OFFICERS

Sec. 1. The officers of the Club shall be: (a) President; (b) Vice-president (male); (c) Vice-president (Female); (d) Third Vice-president; (e) Fourth Vice-President (f) Treasurer; (g) Recording Secretary; (h) Corresponding Secretary.

Sec. 2. The duties of the officers shall be as follows:

(a) The President, consistent with this Constitution, shall:

• Preside at all meetings of the membership and the Executive Board

• Prepare the agenda for such meetings

• Represent the Club in such matters as authorized by the membership

• Exercise such powers and carry out such tasks as directed by the Executive Board

• Appoint the chairpersons of all committees

• Designate one of the Vice-presidents to chair meetings in her or his absence

• In conjunction with the Treasurer prepare an annual budget.

(b) The Vice-presidents shall assist the President in carrying out his or her duties and shall preside in the absence of the President.

(c) The Treasurer shall maintain the financial and membership records of the Club, shall present an annual written financial report and budget, and shall provide access to financial statements or list of members to any member.

Members shall maintain the confidentiality of such lists and use them only for activities authorized by the Executive Board. Violation of the aforementioned shall be cause for immediate membership suspension, pending dismissal as outlined in ARTICLE IX.

(d) The Recording Secretary shall maintain all non-financial records and shall take minutes of all Membership and Executive Board meetings. These minutes shall be available to all Members at the next regularly scheduled Membership meeting.

(e) The Corresponding Secretary shall handle correspondence including such notices to Club members as the President, Executive Board, membership or this Constitution may direct.

Sec. 3. Each officer shall be elected by and from the Executive Board in an open meeting and by open ballot.

Sec. 4. The regular term of each elective office shall be one year commencing with the first Executive Board meeting following the annual general election.

Sec. 5. If the office of the President shall become vacant during the regular term, the Secretary shall call a special meeting of the Executive Board for the purpose of selecting one of the Vice-Presidents to be President for the remainder of the term. If there shall be a vacancy in any other elective office during the regular term of that office, it shall be filled by the Executive Board for the remainder of the term.

ARTICLE V COMMITTEES

Sec. 1. The President, subject to the approval of the Executive Board or the Executive Board on its own, may create ad hoc or standing committees as deemed necessary. Chairpersons of all committees shall be appointed by the President subject to the approval of the Executive Board.

Sec. 2. There shall be a Campaign Committee appointed by the Chairperson of the Campaign Committee.

No person shall be eligible for appointment as Campaign Chairperson who shall accept any remunerate appointment or assignment made by a public officer, whether executive, legislative or judicial, other than an appointment or assignment as an inspector of elections, notary public, commissioner of deeds, or made pursuant to law from a civil service or jurors list.

Sec. 4. There may be additional standing committees consisting of the Audit Committee, Social, Communications, Political Action and other committees as from time to time shall be deemed necessary.

ARTICLE VI EXECUTIVE BOARD

Sec. 1. There shall be an Executive Board that shall serve as the administrative and governing body of the Club and serve as the nominating committee for Executive Board elections.

Sec. 2. The Executive Board shall consist of no more than twenty-three and no fewer than eleven persons elected at large by the Regular membership for alternating 3-year terms.

Sec. 3. The Executive Board shall study and recommend questions involving political action. Such questions shall include but not be limited to Club endorsements of candidates, nominees, judicial appointments and legislation, the Club position on primaries and controversial public questions. All recommendations of the Executive Board on political action questions as defined above shall be referred to the membership. The Club shall take a position on a political action question only by a majority vote of the Regular Members of the Club voting in a membership meeting where a quorum exists. However, when in the opinion of the Executive Board it becomes necessary to take immediate political action and it is not feasible to await a general membership meeting before taking such action, the Executive Board shall have the power to take such action, but in no instance shall the Executive Board delegate to another group or any person the power to take such action. Endorsement of candidates can never be deemed an emergency except in the event of a special election.

Sec. 4. If there is a vacancy on the Executive Board during the regular term, the Executive Board shall have the power to fill the vacancy until the next annual general membership meeting and the person elected to the Executive Board to fill such vacancy shall have the power to vote and act as an Executive Board member.

Sec. 5. The Treasurer and President shall prepare a detailed annual budget that shall be presented to the Executive Board for approval. The Treasurer shall present at each Executive Board meeting a comparison between each budget line item and expenses to date.

No budget line item may be exceeded by 10% without prior Executive Board approval.

ARTICLE VII MEETINGS

Part a. General Membership

Sec. 1. There shall be an Annual Meeting held during the month of January, at which regular elections shall be held for members of the Executive Board.

Sec. 2 Meetings of the general membership may be called at any time by the President, the Executive Board, or upon written request by 30 members in good standing. There shall be at least ten meetings of the general membership, including the Annual Meeting, throughout the year. There shall be at least one such meeting called every calendar month, except the Executive Board may suspend meetings during July and August.

Sec. 3. All members shall be given at least seven days written notice of all meetings of the general membership. Notices shall state time, place and proposed agenda of meeting.

Sec. 4. Ten members in good standing or 20% of the general membership shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

Sec. 5. All questions, except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, shall be decided by a majority of those voting. Every Regular Member in good standing shall be entitled to one vote, which must be cast in person and not by proxy.

Part B. Executive Board

Sec. 1. There shall be at least one regularly scheduled meeting of the Executive Board in each month on a date to be determined by the Executive Board. The President may call special meetings of the Executive Board. The President must call a special meeting within 7 days upon receipt of a petition for a meeting signed by at least 1/3 of the members of the Executive Board.

Sec. 2. All meetings for the purpose of transacting business shall be open to the general membership, except when the Board votes to go into executive session.

Sec. 3. One-half of the membership of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

Sec. 4. All questions, except as otherwise provided in this Constitution shall be decided by a majority of those voting. Every member of the Executive Board shall be entitled to one vote, which must be cast in person and not by proxy.

Sec. 5. Any member of the Executive Board who is absent without good cause from three consecutive, regularly scheduled meetings of the Executive Board shall forfeit membership on the Executive Board.

ARTICLE VIII ELECTIONS

Sec. 1. The election of members of the Executive Board shall be by the Regular membership at the Annual meeting. Prior to the Annual meeting, the Executive Board shall serve as the nominating committee for Executive Board elections. The nominating committee shall nominate candidates that shall be presented to the Regular membership at the Annual Meeting. Nothing shall prevent a regular member from nominating from the floor alternate candidates. A minimum of one third of the Executive Board shall be subject to election each year for a three-year term. Each candidate must receive a majority vote to be elected to the Board. Where an interim selection of an Executive Board member was made by the Executive Board to fill a vacancy, the membership shall at the annual general membership meeting elect a board member to fill the unexpired term.

Sec. 2. Endorsement of candidates for public or party office shall be made by the Regular membership at any membership meeting on the agenda of which the Executive Board shall have determined to include such endorsement. Recommendations for endorsement for all elective positions shall be made by the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall present its recommendations to the regular membership prior to the election. Nothing shall prevent a regular member from nominating an alternate candidate.

Sec. 3. Voting for election or endorsement shall be by secret written ballot.

Sec. 4. All officers and members of the Executive Board must be members in good standing of the Club. No person shall be eligible for nomination as a member of the Executive Board unless at the date of nomination he or she shall be been a member in good standing for the proceeding three months.

ARTICLE IX REMOVAL & EXPULSION

The expulsion of any member of the Club, the removal of any officer or the removal of any member at large of the Executive Board, for conduct inimical to the best interest of the Club or contrary to the purposes of the Club, may be proposed by a petition enumerating the reasons therefore, signed by at least five members of the Executive Board or twenty-five members of the Club and submitted to the recording secretary. The Recording Secretary shall present the petition at the next regular meeting of the Executive Board. At that meeting the petition may be dismissed by a majority vote of the Executive Board. If the petition is not dismissed, the proposal shall be tabled until a subsequent meeting of the Executive Board to be held not less than two weeks thereafter. The Corresponding Secretary shall give the person in question at least ten days notice by registered mail of the time and place of such meeting, the charges and the right to make a statement in person or in writing to such a meeting. A vote of at least two-thirds of the Executive Board shall be required for expulsion or removal. A decision unfavorable to the person in question may be appealed by said person or by any other member at the next meeting of the Club, provided that such person or such other member notifies the Recording Secretary or the President of the intention to make such appeal. If such appeal is taken, the determination of the Executive Board shall be inoperative unless and until ratified by a vote of the majority of the members present at such meeting.

ARTICLE X AMENDMENTS

Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by the Executive Board or by written petition signed by ten members or 20% of the membership, whichever is greater, and submitted to the Recording Secretary. To become effective, any amendment so proposed must be approved and adopted thereafter by two-thirds of the members present at two consecutive meetings of the Club that shall be at least one week apart. The substance of the change to be affected by such proposed amendment or amendments must be included in the notice of each aforesaid consecutive meetings and the notice of the second meeting shall further state that final action will be taken upon amendment or amendments to this Constitution. Said amendment or amendments shall become effective as part of the Constitution upon the date of final approval and adoption on such other date as the amendment or amendments shall specify.

ARTICLE XI

Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the parliamentary procedure, the duties of the officers and other aspects of a legally constituted organization in the absence of specific provisions in this Constitution or in the by-laws of this Club to the contrary.

ARTICLE XII BY-LAWS

The membership may from time to time adopt and amend by-laws to implement this constitution by majority vote of those in attendance at a general membership meeting where a quorum exists.

BY-LAWS

1. The following are the classes of membership in the club and the minimum dues which shall be annually paid:

a. A Regular Member shall pay $24.00
b. An Associate Member shall pay $24.00
c. A household shall pay $34
d. A student, senior, disabled person or person on a fixed income shall pay $12

2. No change may be made in the amounts of dues unless notice is given in writing to the general membership of the proposed change at least seven days prior to the general membership meeting.

3. At every membership meeting the President shall report to the membership on all Executive Board actions taken since the last membership meeting.

4. The agenda for all membership meetings shall be prepared by the President. Any item may be added to such agenda by the Executive Board or by written petition of five members submitted at least ten days prior to the date of said meeting. Any item may be added to such agenda by majority vote of those present at the convening of the membership meeting.

5. The agenda for all Executive Board meetings shall be prepared by the President. Any item may be added to such agenda by one-third of the members of the Executive Board present and voting.

6. No expense greater than $1,000.00 shall be authorized without the prior approval of a majority of the Executive Board. Four officers shall be authorized to sign Club business checks.

7. All Club business checks must be endorsed by at least two authorized officers.