OCCOQUAN MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE

BYLAWS

(Adopted August 20, 2016)


ARTICLE I - Authority

This Committee is created under the authority of and in accordance with the Virginia Democratic Party Plan as adopted now or hereinafter amended by the Virginia Democratic State Central Committee and the Prince William County Democratic Committee Bylaws as adopted and hereinafter amended by the Prince William County Democratic Committee (PWCDC).


ARTICLE II – Name

This Committee shall be known as the Occoquan Magisterial District Democratic Committee, hereinafter the "ODC."


ARTICLE III - Purpose and Objectives

Section 3.1 Purpose

The purpose of the ODC is to promote the Democratic Party and its principles as contained in the Charter of the Democratic Party of the U.S.A. and in the Virginia Democratic Party Plan.


Section 3.2 Objectives

It shall be the duty of each officer and the membership of the ODC to seek the registration of voters, to perfect the Democratic organization within the precincts of the Occoquan Magisterial District, and to do all within his/her power to aid in the victory of the Democratic Party's nominees in all elections except as provided in Section 10.9 of the Virginia Democratic Party Plan: “The obligations and duties imposed on any county, city or district committee or the Central Committee and their members in this Plan shall not be deemed to require support of any candidate who is publicly supporting a nominee on the ticket of any other political party in any general election where Democratic candidates for office appear on the ballot, or who publicly supports any other candidate opposed to a Democratic nominee.”


ARTICLE IV - Membership

Section 4.1 Who May Join

Membership in the ODC is opened to any registered voter who is a resident of the Occoquan Magisterial District.



Section 4.2 Denial of Membership

Membership on the ODC may be denied on the grounds that the applicant:


Section 4.3 Term of Membership

The ODC shall be dissolved each December of each odd year and reformed by caucus during an organization meeting held in accordance with Article 8 of the Virginia Democratic Party Plan. Those members present during the organization meeting term of membership shall last until the next organization meeting, which dissolved the committee (Approximately two years). Those who join the ODC after the organization meeting term shall be for the remaining portion of the two-year period in which he or she becomes a member.


Section 4.4 How to Join the ODC

Those wishing to join may apply to join the ODC by application. Payment of membership dues as specified in these Bylaws is not required to be a member but is appreciated. Membership in good standing is afforded to those who complete and signed the ODC’s application and upon being elected by a quorum of the ODC’s membership.


Section 4.5 How to Join the PWCDC

After membership in the ODC, the new member(s) shall be nominated at a meeting of the PWCDC by an ODC member to become a member of the PWCDC. The PWCDC membership shall call a vote and once approved by the PWCDC membership the new ODC’s member(s) is also a member(s) of the PWCDC.


Section 4.6 Composition of the ODC

In accordance with the Bylaws of the Prince William County Democratic Committee (PWCDC), the ODC shall consist of 35 seated members and 15 alternate members and an unlimited number of associate members. Among the 35 seated members, each precinct with a member shall be represented by at least one seated member.


Section 4.7 Vacancies

Vacancies of seated or alternate members of the ODC shall be filled by nomination of general members from the committee and approved by a quorum of the membership of the ODC.


Section 4.8 Relocation of Member

Any seated, alternate, or associate member who removes his or her residence from the boundaries of the Occoquan Magisterial District shall be deemed to have resigned from that ODC within thirty days after such move unless he or she resigns earlier.


Section 4.9 Ex-Officio Members

All publicly elected Democrats, all members of Congressional District Democratic Committees who reside within Prince William County, and all elected officers of PWCDC are ex-officio seated members of the PWCDC. Their number shall not count against the ODC’s 35 seated and 15 alternate members allowed. Ex-Officio members are not to be counted in determining if a quorum is present for the PWCDC; however, they may be counted for an ODC quorum.


Section 4.10 Removal from Office and Membership


Section 4.10.1 Willful Neglect

The ODC may remove from both office and membership any person who shall be guilty of willful neglect, as defined in the glossary, of any duty imposed upon him or her.


Section 4.10.2 Procedure for Removal for Willful Neglect

Removal action shall be taken only on the recommendation of a quorum of the ODC. Before making a recommendation of removal, the ODC’s Chair or Vice-Chair shall provide the member with ten (10) days written notice of the charges and with an opportunity for a hearing before a meeting of ODC with a quorum present. If a majority of this meeting votes to remove the member the Chair or the Vice-Chair shall forward the ODC’s recommendation to the PWCDC Steering Committee. The member’s ODC membership cannot be denied until approved by the PWCDC.


Section 4.10.3 Absences from Meetings

Any Seated member who, without valid reason (as determined by the ODC), is absent from three consecutive PWCDC meetings or any four PWCDC regular meetings within a 12-month period may be removed as a ODC’s Seated Member status and re-assigned as either an Alternate or Associate Member. The ODC Chairman and Vice-Chairman must make a reasonable effort to determine whether good cause for such absences exists and what is the desire of the Seated Member. The Member in question may present their case to the Chair and Vice-Chairman and/or at a general meeting of the membership.


Section 4.11 Dues

Annual dues to the ODC shall be $35 for general members and $25 for Young Dems members (members under the age of 30) in January of each year, and such dues shall continue from year to year until amended. Dues for all members are optional. Dues are a requested donation and shall not be mandatory.


Section 4.12 Voting at ODC Meetings

All members of the ODC are entitled to vote at an ODC’s meeting. Voting will be regularly conducted in a verbal manner unless another method is deemed necessary. Other methods of voting are as follows. A roll call vote shall be by secret ballot when required by these Bylaws, called for by the Chairperson, or demanded by 25% of the members present and voting. Voting by show of hands or standing whenever the Chairperson is in doubt, or when requested by any member present and voting, is in order.


Section 4.13 Vacant Seated Members at PWCDC’s Meeting

It is the responsibility of the ODC Chairperson or his/her designee, to inform the PWCDC in the event a seated member vacancy is available during a PWCDC’s meeting allowing an alternate member to be eligible to be advanced. Precedent for advancement shall be based on the highest caucus election vote count and in order of decreasing vote count or, in the absence of a caucus, the priority in filing time, subject to the ruling of the ODC Chairperson. The seated status of the duly advanced alternate is waived upon adjournment of the PWCDC meeting in which the alternate member was advanced.


ARTICLE V – Dissolution and Reconstitution of the ODC

Section 5.1 Organizational Meeting


Section 5.1.1 Rules Governing Organizational Meeting

The organizational meeting of the newly reconstituted ODC shall be governed under the rules of the established Bylaws that shall remain the Bylaws of the new committee unless and until amended according to the procedure of Article X Section 10.1 of these Bylaws.


Section 5.1.2 Procedure for Organizational Meeting

The ODC shall have convened an organizational meeting on or between the first and third Saturday in December in odd numbered years and prior to the date of the county committee reorganization meeting. The organizational meeting shall be chaired and recorded by the current ODC Chairperson and Secretary. The first order of business of said organizational meeting shall be the election of seated, alternate, and associate members, followed immediately by the election of officers.


Section 5.1.3 Organizational Meeting Edible Voting Members

All current ODC’s members in attendance may vote in the ODC’s organizational meeting elections.


ARTICLE VI - Officers of the ODC

At its organizational meeting, the ODC shall elect the following officers: Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer.



Section 6.1 Procedures for Election of Officers

At the organizational meeting, each office shall be voted on separately. The opportunity shall be afforded to all members (Seated, Alternate, and Associate) to make nominations for each office from the floor at the organizational meeting. To be elected, a nominee must receive a majority vote of the members present and voting. If in a contested election of more than two nominees for an office, one nominee does not receive a majority vote, additional elections shall be held and the nominee receiving the lowest number of votes in each election shall be deleted thereafter from the ballot. If there is only one nominee for an office, the Secretary may be directed to cast a unanimous vote for the nominee.


Section 6.2 Duties of Officers


Section 6.2.1 Chairperson’s Duties

The Chairperson shall preside at meetings of the ODC and shall appoint the Chairperson and other such members of standing and special committees; shall be the Chief Executive Officer and shall have supervisory authority over the ODC's activities under the policies and procedures as determined by the ODC. The Chairperson may appoint a parliamentarian to assist the Chairperson in parliamentary matters during Committee meetings.


The Chairperson is authorized to spend or to obligate the ODC to spend a maximum of $100 between meetings for ODC business without prior approval of the ODC. A $100 allowance per month shall be made available for the Chairperson for necessary expenditures to represent the Democratic Party, not to include fundraisers. The unspent allowance may not be carried forward to the next calendar month. A written report of such expenditures or obligations must be made available to the ODC at the next meeting thereof.


The Chairperson shall be an ex-officio member of all standing and special committees except the nominating committee.


Section 6.2.2 Vice Chairperson’s Duties

The Vice Chairperson shall perform such duties as may be assigned by the Chairperson, and in the absence, resignation or inability of the Chairperson to perform his or her duties. The Vice Chairperson shall serve as acting Chairperson until the return of the Chairperson or, if necessary, until the election of a new Chairperson at such time, place or manner as determined by the ODC.


Section 6.2.3 Secretary’s Duties

The Secretary shall take and maintain the minutes of the ODC meetings. The Secretary shall be custodian of all records of the ODC unless otherwise directed by the ODC. The Secretary shall be responsible for ensuring all records of the ODC are appropriately transferred to the Secretary-Elect upon the election of new ODC- officers. The Secretary shall send the notice and agenda for each meeting of the ODC and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Chairperson.


Section 6.2.4 Treasurer’s Duties

The Treasurer shall receive and be responsible for all money and the maintenance of all financial records; shall report in writing at each meeting to the ODC and shall file all reports required by PWCDC, as well as state, federal, and other government agencies, in a complete and timely manner; and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Chairperson. The Treasurer shall be responsible for ensuring all financial records and reports are appropriately transferred to the Treasurer-Elect upon the election of new ODC officers.


ARTICLE VII - Meetings

Section 7.1 Schedules of Meetings

The regular meeting of the ODC shall be held on the third Saturday of each month unless otherwise ordered by the Committee.


Section 7.2 Notices of Meetings

Written or electronic notice of all ODC meetings shall be sent to members at least five days prior to each meeting.


Section 7.3 Quorums

A quorum shall consist of thirty percent (30%) of the total membership of the ODC.


Section 7.4 Meeting Minutes Distribution and Approval

Minutes shall be distributed via email to all members and submitted for approval at the next meeting.


Section 7.5 Availability of ODC’s Membership Roster

The Secretary shall have available at ODC meetings an updated list of all members in good standing. It is the responsibility of the Secretary to maintain the list of members in good standing.



ARTICLE VIII - Subcommittees

Section 8.1 Subcommittees’ Membership

Membership on ODC subcommittees shall be open to anyone who has been elected as a member of the ODC.


Section 8.2 Establishment of Standing and Ad-hoc Committees

Standing and ad-hoc subcommittees may be established by the ODC. Subcommittees will operate in accordance with the rules established for the operation of the ODC.



ARTICLE IX - Parliamentary Authority

For purposes of these Bylaws the ODC operates as a Deliberative Assembly as defined in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised that shall decide all questions of order not provided in these Bylaws.



ARTICLE X - Bylaws

Section 10.1 Amendments

The draft of any amendment to these Bylaws must be distributed at least 10 days before a regularly scheduled meeting. The proposed draft must be discussed at a regularly schedule meeting with a quorum before a vote on the amendment may be taken. At this meeting once all recommended changes to the draft have been made and approved by the quorum of this meeting, the revised draft shall be electronically distributed to the entire membership for review. An electronic vote shall be called for approval or disapproval of the draft as written, no changes will be allowed. A majority vote of the total membership of the ODC rounded to the lowest whole person is required for the draft amendment to pass. If the current draft does not pass the process with new changes shall be repeated. The names of those and their vote shall be recorded in the minutes of the next meeting.


Section 10.2 - Availability of Bylaws and Submission to PWCDC

The ODC shall have a set of Bylaws available for its membership upon request. Such bylaws shall be submitted to the Prince William County Committee for review as to form and consistency with the County Committee bylaws. It shall be the responsibility of the ODC chairperson to submit such bylaws to the Prince William County Committee within one hundred and twenty (120) days after the final approval of the PWCDC’s Bylaws.


ARTICLE XI – Endorsements, Public Statements and Releases

Section 11.1 Endorsements

The ODC shall not endorse any candidate prior to the Democratic primary, convention, caucus, or the filing deadline for submission of petitions. Any ODC resources made available to candidates seeking the ODC’s endorsement or nomination shall be made available to all candidates on a non-discriminatory basis.


Section 11.2 Public Statements and Releases

Any member may introduce resolutions proposing or endorsing matters of public or party policy, adoption of which shall be by a majority of those members present and voting. All proposed resolutions or public statements shall be forwarded to the Chair of the PWCDC


Glossary of Terms


Alternate Member - An ODC alternate member is one who was duly elected to membership pursuant to Article V, Section 5.1.2 of these Bylaws, and whose term of membership is for a two-year period commencing with the organizational meeting and who is entitled to vote at the PWCDC’s meeting in the absence of full representation of ODC’s Seated members. The ODC may elect a maximum of 15 alternate members.


Associate Member – An associate member is a voting member of the ODC who was duly elected to membership pursuant to Article V, Section 5.1.2 of these Bylaws, and whose term of membership is for a two-year period commencing with the organizational meeting. There is no limit on the number of Associate members the ODC may have.


Caucus - A caucus is a meeting of members of the ODC whose purpose is to elect members or delegates; or select candidates. A caucus is referenced in these By-aws referring to a meeting that may be held by ODC for the purpose of election of seated members and alternate members to for the ODC.


Duly Advanced Alternate Member - A duly advanced alternate member is an alternate member who is selected by the ODC Chairperson to fill the seat of an absent seated member of the ODC at a PWCDC meeting. Precedent for advancement shall be based on the highest caucus election vote count and in order of decreasing vote count or, in the absence of a caucus, the priority in filing time.


Member in Good Standing- A member who has signed their membership pledge and been elected to the committee by the membership.


Organizational Meeting - The Organizational Meeting of the ODC is the first meeting of the reconstituted Committee, whose principal purpose is to assigned members presents as Seated, Alternate, or Associate members followed by the election of officers of the Committee. (See Article V, Section 5.1.2) The Organizational Meeting occurs once every two years.


Precinct - A precinct is the smallest defined voting sub-unit within the ODC. Provided there is at least one ODC member in the precinct, each precinct in the ODC shall be represented by at least one seated member.


Quorum - A quorum of the ODC is such a number as is sufficient to conduct business at its meetings. The established ODC quorum is thirty percent (30%) of the total ODC membership (Seated, Alternate, and Associate) rounded to the lowest whole person. I.E. a quorum for a membership of 36 would be 10 members (36 x 30% = 10.8).

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Roll Call Secret Ballot - A roll call secret ballot is the voting method used in electing Officers of the ODC. In this method of voting, the Chairperson may direct tellers to distribute ballots, upon which each member writes his/her vote. The Chairperson will direct the Secretary to call the roll of members and each member, as his/her name is called, will proceed to a balloting area designated by the Chairperson. When the roll call is finished, the tellers will proceed to count the votes and the results reported to the Chairperson, who then announces it to the Committee.


Seated Member – An ODC seated member is one who was duly elected to membership of the Prince William County Democratic Committee pursuant to Article IV, Section 4.6 of these Bylaws, and whose term of membership is for a two-year period commencing with the organizational meeting. The Committee may be comprised by up to the maximum of 35 seated members.


Special of Ad-Hoc Subcommittees - Special or Ad-Hoc Subcommittees are temporary subcommittees appointed by the Chairperson of the ODC for a specific purpose. Upon the completion of its duties the committee is discharged.


Standing Subcommittee - A Standing Subcommittee is a permanent subcommittee with established duties. The Chairperson of the ODC appoints the chairperson of such a committee.


Willful Neglect – The following shall be considered willful neglect as discussed in Section 4.10:

Malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance of duties;

Conduct injurious to the good name of the Democratic Party or the Committee;

Use or implication of the name or resources of the Committee to promote a contested candidate for public office who is not a Democratic nominee or endorsee;

Public recruitment, endorsement, support, assistance, or contribution of or to an endorsed or nominated candidate for another political party or an independent, who is opposed to an endorsed or nominated Democratic candidate.


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