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Stonewall Democratic Club of Southern Nevada By-Laws

Article I. Name:
The name of the Organization shall be the Stonewall Democratic Club of Southern Nevada.

Article II. Purpose:
The purpose of the Stonewall Democratic Club of Southern Nevada is to:

Educate and sensitize the community at large, its Democratic Candidates and office holders to the political needs and issues of importance to the LGBT community;

Enhance the Democratic Party's message of economic justice and social equality to the LGBT community;

Encourage LGBT Democrats to run for political office at all levels of government;

Promote LGBT participation in the campaigns of Democratic candidates and to all levels of the Democratic Party;

and Elect Democratic candidates to public office by maximizing the Democratic turnout of the LGBT community and its supporters.

Article III. Membership:
Section 1: Any person who is a registered Democrat and who subscribes to the stated purpose of the Stonewall Democratic Club of Southern Nevada shall be eligible for regular membership in the club.

Section 2: Any person who is eligible to be a member of the Organization and who has paid annual dues will be a member in good standing. Members must be members in good standing for at least 30 days to be able to vote in any club election. The Board of Directors will determine questions of eligibility.

Section 3: The Executive Board shall set annual membership dues. The Treasurer or designee shall notify members when their dues are payable thirty days before the anniversary date of their joining the Organization. Members whose dues are not paid within two months after their anniversary date shall automatically be dropped from the Organization's membership.

Article IV. Meetings:
Section 1: The General Membership Meetings of the Organization shall be for speakers, receiving reports and the conducting of other business that may arise. The Meeting shall be held monthly unless otherwise ordered by the Executive Board.

Section 2: The Executive Board shall notify all members of the time, date and location of the General Membership Meetings by mail, e-mail or telephone at least 14 days in advance.
Section 3: The February meeting shall be known as the Annual Meeting and shall be primarily for the purpose of electing Officers and to receive reports of Officers. A quorum of this Annual Meeting shall consist of 10% of the members in good standing.

Section 4: Special Meetings may only be called by the Chair or by a majority of the Executive Board. The purpose of Special Meetings shall be stated in a written notice to the Membership. Except in cases of emergency, seven days will be given as notice.

Article V. Officers:
Section 1: The Officers of the Organization shall be a Chair, a Vice-Chair, a Secretary and a Treasurer. These Officers shall perform the duties prescribed by these By-Laws and ruled by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Organization.

Section 2: At the Annual Meeting, in February, nominations shall be accepted for Officers. To be eligible for election a candidate for office must be a dues paying member in good standing for 90 days prior to the election. The election shall be held at the same meeting. The Officers shall be elected by secret ballot to serve for a one year term or until their successors are elected, and their term of office shall begin at the close of the meeting at which they are elected.

Section 3: Chair: The Chair will manage the day-to-day business of the Organization. The Chair shall serve as the representative of the SDCSN at public forums. The Chair shall be responsible for presiding over Board and General Membership Meetings. The Chair shall share fiduciary responsibilities with the Treasurer.

Section 4: Vice-Chair: The Vice-Chair shall assist the Chair and preside at meetings of the Board and of the General Membership in the absence or inability of the Chair and if practicable shall be of the opposite gender than the Chair.

Section 5: Secretary: The Secretary shall maintain a record of all meetings of the Board and of the General Membership; be prepared to read the minutes of the previous meeting at the current meeting of the Executive Board or of the General Membership; receive and maintain official records, the reports of elected officers and standing committees; maintain a compendium of standing rules, resolutions and policies adopted by the Board or the General Membership, and such correspondence as the Chair or Board may direct; and, perform such other duties as the Chair may direct.

Section 6: Treasurer: The Treasurer shall maintain the financial records of the Organization; receive and disburse funds; prepare an annual budget of anticipated revenues and expenses for approval by the Executive Board; provide addenda to the budget as required; report the financial status of the Organization to the Board on a regular basis; make an annual report to the General Membership; and provide all information necessary for periodic audits as may be directed by the Board. The Treasurer shall, in consultation with the Board, file federal and state tax returns, and forward SDCSN dues to the National Stonewall Democrats.

Article VI. The Executive Board:
Section 1: The Officers and Committee Chairs of the Organizations shall comprise the Executive Board.

Section 2: The Executive Board at its discretion may appoint Committee Chairs to the Executive Board to implement the purposes and goals of the Organization. To be eligible to serve, a prospective member of the Executive Board must be a current member in good standing of the Organization. Such member's terms shall not exceed beyond the Annual Meeting in January unless re-appointed.

Section 3: The Executive Board shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Organization between its business meetings, set the time and place of meetings, make recommendations to the Organization and perform other duties as specified in these By-Laws. The Executive Board shall be subject to the orders of the Organization, and none of its acts shall conflict with actions taken by the Organization.

Section 4: The quorum for meetings of the Executive Board shall be a simple majority of its members.

Section 5: The Executive Board shall meet at the discretion of the Chair or a simple majority of the Executive Board. Notice of all meetings of the Executive Board shall be given to each member of the Executive Board by mail, e- mail or telephone at least seven days prior to the meeting date.

Section 6: Each Officer and each Committee Chair (or Vice-Chair in the event of the Chair's absence) of the Executive Board shall be entitled to one vote on each mater submitted to a vote. A member must be present to vote. No proxy voting is permitted.

Section 7: Any vacancy occurring on the Executive Board shall be filled by a nominee of the Chair and appointed by the Executive Board.

Section 8: Any Executive Board member, whether elected or appointed, may be removed by a two-thirds affirmative vote of he members of the Executive Board at a properly called meeting.

Section 9: The Executive Board will approve the budget and authorize receipt of revenue and payment of expenses. Expenses less than a dollar amount set by each new Board upon taking office will be approved by either the Chair or the Treasurer. The Executive Board will formulate policy and approve projects to carry out the purposes of the organization; review all projects and activities of committees and make decisions regarding the employment of any paid staff. The Executive Board may develop policies and procedures as necessary to further the mission of the Organization.

Article VII. Elections:
Section 1: Candidates for the Officer positions will be elected by the membership of the Organization by simple majority vote of those in attendance at the Annual Meeting. In the case where there is not a simple majority, the two nominees receiving the most votes will participate in a runoff election the same night. Should there be a tie during the runoff election; the outgoing Executive Board will resolve the tie in such a manner as it chooses.

Section 2: In the event a position is not filled in the annual election of Officers or there is a vacancy because of resignation or removal, with the exception of Chair, a special election will be held to fill the position at a General Membership Meeting. An Officer elected in a special election will take office immediately. When there is a vacancy in the Office of Chair, the Vice-Chair will fill the position and a special election will be held to elect a new Vice-Chair.

VIII. Parliamentary Authority:
The rules contained in the current edition of the Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Organization in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these By-Laws and any special rules of order the Organization may adopt.

IX. Amendments:
These By-Laws may be amended by two-thirds vote of the Executive Board. Such votes may occur at the regular Executive Board meetings or at other times by mail, email or fax. Amendments must be presented to all Executive Board members and the general membership of the General Membership Meeting prior to the vote.

X. Dissolution: The SDCSN may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board of Directors. Upon dissolution, any assets of the SDCSN will be given to the Nevada State Democratic Party.

Amended 12-28-2005

Stonewall Democratic Club of Southern Nevada Bylaw