Colorado Log Cabin Republicans

By-Laws

Article I - Name

The name of the organization shall be the Colorado Log Cabin Republicans, hereinafter referred to as “Club.”

Article II - Objectives

§1. The Objectives of the Club shall be:

A. To develop and maintain a statewide Log Cabin Republican organization in the state of Colorado.

B. To bring gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning people into the Republican Party, to provide an opportunity to them for political expression and recognition, to train them as political workers and to provide a practical means by which they may contribute in the development and betterment of the Republican Party as a service to the United States of America, the State of Colorado, and all its political subdivisions.

C. To welcome all allies and to build bridges of understanding across the political spectrum.

D. To support the principles, objectives, and platform of the Republican Party and to work for the election of all duly nominated Republican Party candidates. The Club shall not, as an organization, seek to influence the nomination of any Republican Primary candidates by endorsing any candidate that is not the nominee of the Republican Party.

E. Bring to the Republican Party the issues and causes affecting the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning community for the purpose of building bridges between these two communities.

Article III - Membership

§1. There shall be three (3) classes of membership in the Club.

A. Active Membership: Any individual who living in the state of Colorado that self-identifies as a Republican is eligible for active membership in the Club.

B. Student Membership Any individual who living in the state of Colorado that self-identifies as a Republican and is currently enrolled as a student of a high school, university, trade school, or community college is eligible for active membership in the Club.

C. Honorary Membership: Honorary members shall be those people, designated for honorary membership by two-thirds of the Executive Board and three-fourths of those members present at any regular meeting of the Club.

D. The term “members” where used shall mean only active and student members of the Club.

§2. Dues. Annual dues for active members shall be $65 and student members shall be $30 for a single membership. Dues may be raised or lowered by a unanimous vote of the Executive Board upon the recommendation of the Finance Committee. Members or supporters of the club may make additional financial considerations to the club. All such contributions are on the understanding that such monies will be used in a manner consistent with the by-laws of this club and the principals of the Republican Party.

§3. New Members. Any person who applies for active or student membership shall be considered a member of the Club upon the close of the second meeting at which said member is present and the joining of at least one committee of the Club.

§4 Good Standing. A member or associate member is in “good standing” when he or she is a member of at least one committee and who has no dues outstanding.

§5. Expulsion. The membership may submit a petition containing the signatures of two-thirds of the members stating that a member has committed an act or conduct deemed unfriendly or hostile to the best interests of the Club. The Executive Board must then review the matter. That member shall then be notified by certified mail of the recommendation of the Executive Board at least one (1) week prior to the next meeting and shall have the right to appear in person or by a representative. Notice of the charges against the member and the recommendation of the Executive Board must be included in the call of the meeting, and must be received by the membership at least seventy-two (72) hours prior to the beginning of the next meeting. At this meeting the member may then be expelled upon a three-fourths vote of those members present.

§6. Rights and Privileges.

A. All members and students must serve on at least one committee of their choice, and attend half the meetings the committee conducts per year.

B. All members shall have the right to vote.

Article IV - Officers

§1. Number and Term. The officers of this Club shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. All officers shall hold office from the February meeting in which they were elected until their duly elected successors take office. Officers shall serve without compensation and must be active members of the Club.

§2. Vacancies.

A. The Vice-President shall fill a vacancy in the office of President.

B. All other vacancies shall be filled by the appointment of the President subject to ratification by the membership.

§3. Powers and Duties.

A. President.

1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Club and the Executive Board.

2. The President shall recognize members who are entitled to the floor.

3. The President shall enforce and follow the rules relating to debate, order and decorum within the assembly.

4. The President shall expedite business in every way compatible with the rights of members.

5. The President shall appoint the chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of the standing committees, except where noted otherwise, pursuant to Article IX, §3, within 30 days of taking office.

6. The President shall appoint a Parliamentarian and a Special Advisor within 30 days of taking office.

7. The President shall supervise the activities of the Club, and perform all other duties incidental to his or her office.

8. The President shall have the authority to introduce matters for the consideration of the Board.

B. Vice-President.

1. In the President’s absence the Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President.

2. The Vice-President shall oversee all outreach activities to the GLBTQ and GOP Communities.

C. Treasurer

1. The Treasurer shall collect and pay out all Club funds as directed by the Executive Board.

2. The Treasurer shall deposit such funds in a depository designated by the Executive Board and shall keep accounts thereof open at all-times to inspection by the members.

3. The Treasurer shall render accounts of his or her transactions and of the financial condition of the Club at each regular meeting and shall submit a bi-annual written report at the beginning of the January and July meetings.

4. All financial records shall be maintained by the Treasurer.

5. The Treasurer shall perform such duties as assigned by the Executive Board.

D. Secretary

1. The Secretary shall be responsible for taking the minutes of all Club meetings and meetings of the Executive Board and shall submit a copy of the minutes to the Board at/or before the beginning of the next meeting.

2. The Secretary shall keep the roll of the members and honorary members of the Club. A copy of the membership list must be distributed to the Officers of the Club when there is a change to membership. This may be completed in person, mail, or electronically.

3. The Secretary shall be responsible for the mailing of all announcements and/or notices, and the handling of all other secretarial work as assigned by the President or Executive Board.

§4. Impeachment Procedures

A. Any officer can be censured or impeached if found to be incompetent, failing to perform his or her duties or engaging in activities detrimental to the Club.

B. Proceedings must be initiated by the Executive Committee or two-thirds of all Club members in writing.

C. The Executive Committee must then appoint a three-person panel to investigate the matter. The General Counsel will preside over the Impeachment Panel. However, the General Counsel will not have a vote in the panel’s findings.

D. Within ten (10) days of the panel’s formation, the panel must meet. Within two (2) weeks of the panel’s formation, the panel must issue at least one report to the Executive Board. Minority and concurring reports are permitted.

1. Each report must contain a finding of fact and a conclusion as to whether the accused shall be censured, removed from office, or whether no action should be taken.

E. The Executive Board within five (5) days must adopt one (1) of the reports by a majority vote. The adopted report is the presented to the membership. The membership can adopt the report upon a majority of those present.

F. If the Executive Board fails to adopt a report then all the reports shall be presented to the membership. The membership can adopt a report with a two-thirds vote of those present.

§5 Termination of the Entire Slate of Officers: Any member of the Executive Board may call for a vote of “no confidence” in the officers. Upon such a call a meeting of the Executive Board must take place within thirty (30) days. Two-thirds of all Board members plus two-thirds of the Club can then terminate all of the current officers and call for an immediate election by voting “no confidence.” Upon the termination of the officers a new election shall take place within thirty (30) days of the dissolution. The General Counsel shall supervise the election and two (2) other members of the Club selected by the Board and who are not intending to seek office. At the instant of the completion of this special election the entire old Board will be considered dissolved and all appointments are null and void.

Article V - Executive Board

§1. Duties. The Executive Board shall consist of the officers of the Club, the Immediate Past President, the general counsel, the chairpersons of the standing committees, and the holders of the advisory positions. The Executive Board shall be responsible for the management of all Club activities subject to the approval of the membership. With the exception of the officers of the Club, the members of the Executive Board do not have executive voting privileges but provide guidance to the officers of the Club.

§2. Meetings. Executive Board meetings shall be held at such times and places as the President, the Vice President, or a majority of the Executive Board shall decide, and each Board member shall receive at least five (5) days’ notice from the President. A majority of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum.

§3. Attendance. Any member of the Executive Board who misses three (3) meetings of the Board, and does not show due cause within a period of fifteen (15) days from the third meeting shall be considered to have resigned his or her office.

§4. Spending Powers. Only the Executive Officers may authorize the spending of any Club funds in excess of $50. Officers may spend up to $50 for Club expenses without the prior consent. However, reimbursement of said expenses shall be at the discretion of the Executive Officers after receipts are presented to the Treasurer.

§5 The Executive Board shall have the authority to introduce matters for the consideration of the Club.

§6. Any person with more than one position on the Executive Board shall still only have one (1) vote on the Executive Board.

§7. The Executive Board shall appoint a General Counsel.

Article VI - Advisory Positions

§1. Qualifications. A member, rather active or student can hold the Advisory positions. An Honorary member may serve as General Counsel or as the Special Advisor to the President, but will then not have a vote on the Executive Board.

§2. General Counsel:

A. The General Counsel shall be the legal counsel of the Club and shall be responsible for giving the Executive Board and its members legal advice pertaining to Club business. The General Counsel shall be vested with the power of resolving disputes involving the Club. The General Counsel shall be an ex officio member of the Executive Board.

B. All opinions are advisory only and the Executive Board is the final judge of the propriety of its actions.

C. No person shall hold the position of General Counsel unless he or she is an attorney in good standing admitted to practice law in the State of Colorado.

D. The General Counsel shall preside over any proceeding for removal or censure, and shall have the power to issue a notice of warning to any member of the Club.

E. The General Counsel shall be appointed by a majority of the Executive Board and can only be removed by a two-thirds majority of the Executive Board.

§3. Special Advisor to the President. The Special Advisor shall be a confidential advisor to the President. He or she shall only report to the President and serves at the President’s pleasure.

§4. Parliamentarian. The Parliamentarian shall rule on issues of procedure as may be referred to him or her by a member of the Club or Board. All rulings of the Parliamentarian shall be pursuant to Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised. The Parliamentarian shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Executive Officers.

§5. Special Advisors to the Executive Board. Members of the Executive Boards of all established Republican organizations and as well as those organizations working to promote the equality of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning with the community, shall be Special Advisors to the Executive Board.

§6. All Advisory positions shall be ex officio members of the Executive Board

Article VII - Meetings

§1. Regular. The President or two-thirds of the Executive Board of the Club shall call regular meetings. They shall be held at least eight (8) times per year, but not more than one (1) meeting shall occur per month. Meetings must be held in the months of December, January, and February. Written notice shall be sent to the members by mail at least seventy-two (72) hours prior to the meeting.

§2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Club shall be called by the President upon receiving a petition of at least ten (10) members of the Club. Said petition shall state the purpose of this special meeting and the requested date of said meeting. The President must call said meeting within a week of the date designated in the petition. The President may also during a regular meeting propose special meetings with the consent of the majority of members present

§3. Quorum. A quorum shall consist of five (5) percent of the membership. At the call to order of the meeting, whether there is a quorum shall be determined and announced.

Article VIII- Elections

§1. The election of officers of the Club shall be held at the February meeting one year after the prior election. The newly-elected officers shall take office at the conclusion of said meeting.

§2. Election Committee. At the regular meeting in December, the President shall appoint two (2) Executive Board members and the members shall elect two (2) non-Executive Board members to serve with the President as the Election Committee.

A. Any member interested in running for an office must submit a letter of intent listing his or her qualifications for the office being sought and why he or she should be elected to that position, postmarked no later than December 15. This paper will be mailed, hand-delivered, or electronically delivered to members pursuant to subsection D of this section, infra.

B. The Election Committee shall review the qualifications of those interested to serve as an officer and shall “approve” all members who are in good standing pursuant to Article III, section 4 to run for that office.

C. All “approved” candidates will be placed on the ballot for the February meeting.

D. Copies of the document prepared in subsection A of this section, supra, will be mailed or emailed to all members at least ten (10) days before the election. This shall be the only campaign material which will be sent to the members of the club on behalf of any candidate.

E. By running for office candidates voluntarily waive their rights to communicate to the members directly or by third party and shall not write or call any members for their vote. The only mail that will be sent to the members regarding the election will be by the Election Committee.

F. Any member found by the Election Committee to have violated any of the Election Rules will have their names removed from the ballot and cannot hold office for a period of two (2) years.

G. No nominations from the floor at the February meeting will be allowed or are in order.

H. The Election Committee may set Rules of Procedure for the election meeting.

I. In a special election to fill a vacancy, the Election Committee shall set the rules and procedures for said election which will incorporate the rules provided for in subsections A through H, supra, into the time-frame for the special.

§3. Voting. Voting in all contested races shall be by secret ballot. No proxies shall be allowed. Fifty (50) percent plus one (1) of the votes cast shall constitute a majority for that office. If a majority is not obtained on the first ballot, the two (2) candidates receiving the most votes will be the candidates in a run-off election.

§4. The President shall appoint at least three (3) tellers who shall dispense, collect and tabulate the vote.

Article IX - Committees

§1. Standing Committees. The Standing Committees and their function are as follows:

A. By-Laws: The By-Law Committee shall be charged with keeping the by-laws of the Club up-to-date and suggesting possible changes and amendments to the by-laws. They shall also submit a report to the Executive Board upon the request of any member for an interpretation of a section of the by-laws. A two-thirds vote of the Executive Board and a majority of the Club members can only override the decision of the By-Laws committee. The General Counsel, when one is appointed, shall serve as Vice-Chair of this committee.

B. Finance: The Finance Committee is charged with examining the books of the Club and in making sure the Club is solvent. The Finance Committee shall run any fund raising venture of the Club and shall be responsible for monitoring any trust or scholarship funds held by the Club or any of its subsidiaries. This committee must report quarterly to the executive officers. The Treasurer shall serve as vice-chair of this committee.

C. Membership: The Membership Committee is charged with seeking new members for the Club, acting as a liaison with established College & Young Republican Groups, and assisting in the establishment of new Log Cabin Republican Groups. The Secretary is vice-chair of this committee.

D. Political Affairs: The Political Affairs Committee is charged with keeping the organization versed in all pending legislation on a state level. This committee will also work with the Regional Committee regarding pending actions on a local and county level. This committee is further charged with overseeing any and all campaign work done by members of this organization and for developing new ideas on how to best utilize the Club for political activities. The Vice-President is vice-chair of this committee.

E. Publicity and Community Activities: The Publicity and Community Activities Committee is charged with developing and publishing a newsletter, handling public relation ventures concerning the Club, making the Clubs activities known to the people of Colorado and in developing community projects which this Club can get involved in.

F. Regional: The Regional Committee is charged with advocating the issues affecting people living outside the greater Denver metropolitan area. It is desirable to have representation from the northern, southern and western regions of the state. The President is vice-chair of this committee. The Chair of this Committee will serve as a special non-voting advisor to the executive officers.

§2. The President may establish temporary committees as he or she sees fit. The term of said temporary committees will expire after three (3) months unless a majority of the members extend their duration by a fixed time period. Chairs of temporary committees shall serve as advisory members of the Executive Board.

§3. The President shall appoint the chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of all committees with two-thirds of the Executive Board having the power to veto the choice. With regards to initial appointment of chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of this Club, the general members present have the power to veto with a two-thirds vote.

§4. The President can remove the chair of a committee appointed by the President with a majority of the Executive Board or two-thirds of the membership. The chair of a committee may any active or student member in good standing.

Article X - Candidate Endorsement

§1. The Executive Board in its official capacity, acting in entirety with a vote greater than three quarters may endorse or oppose any candidate for election at the local or statewide level, or any current ballot initiative.

§2. Violation of section 1 of this article shall be the grounds for impeachment under Article IV, section 4.

Article XII - Procedures and By-Laws

§1. The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern all proceedings, except when inconsistent with the By-laws of this Club.

Article XIII – Adoption and Amendments

§1. Adoption. These By-Laws of the Club shall be considered enacted following there presentation to the membership.

§2. Submission. Any proposed amendment to these By-laws shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary at any regular meeting. Said Amendment shall then be read to the members.

§3. Announcement. The meeting notice for the next regular meeting shall then contain the text of the proposed amendment to be voted on.

§4. Voting. Any amendments will be adopted upon a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board and a majority vote of the membership.