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CYD Bylaws

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PREAMBLE

The California Young Democrats shall endeavor to stimulate in young people an active interest in governmental affairs, increase the efficiency of our government, maintain the viability of our free institutions, and contribute to the growth and influence of the ideals and philosophies of the Democratic Party.

 

ARTICLE I NAME AND AFFILIATION

Section 1 Name

The name of this organization shall be the CALIFORNIA YOUNG DEMOCRATS

 

Section 2 Affiliation

The California Young Democrats (CYD) shall be affiliated with the Young Democrats of America. The California Young Democrats shall be affiliated with the College Democrats of America through its California College Democrats Caucus.

 

 

ARTICLE II ORGANIZATION

The California Young Democrats shall be comprised of seven regions which shall be called the North State Region, the Bay Area Region, the Central Valley Region, the Central Coast Region, the Los Angeles Basin Region, the Inland Empire Region, and the South State Region.

1. The North State Region shall consist of Del Norte, Siskiyou, Modoc, Humboldt, Trinity, Shasta, Lassen, Tehama, Plumas, Mendocino, Glenn, Butte, Sierra, Lake, Colusa, Sutter, Yuba, Sacramento, Yolo, Placer, El Dorado and Nevada Counties.
2. The Bay Area Region shall consist of Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Marin, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey and SanBenito Counties.
3. The Central Valley Region shall consist of Amador, Alpine, San Joaquin, Calaveras, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Mono, Merced, Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare, Inyo and Kern Counties.
4. The Central Coast Region shall consist of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.
5. The Los Angeles Region shall consist of Los Angeles County.
6. The Inland Empire Region shall consist of Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties.
7.  The South State Region shall consist of Riverside, San Diego and Imperial Counties.

 

Regions may be divided into two Sections, Northern and Southern, as required by these Bylaws.

• The South State, Los Angeles Basin, Inland Empire Region, and Central Coast Regions shall comprise the Southern Section.
• The Central Valley, Bay Area, and North State Regions shall comprise the Northern Section.

 

 

ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP

 

Section 1 State Membership

1. The California Young Democrats membership shall be comprised of duly chartered Young Democratic Clubs and the members thereof.
2. At-Large membership in the California Young Democrats shall be granted to individuals on a limited basis at an annual rate of $10.00. At-Large members receive all privileges, except voting, and may not run for CYD office. At-Large membership is open to persons who meet requirements as outlined in Article III, Section 2, part 1.

Section 2 Club Membership

1. Regular membership in chartered clubs shall be open to persons who are at least fourteen (14) years of age and not more than thirty-five (35) years of age who are registered Democrats or who intend to register when eligible.
2. Every regular member of a duly chartered club shall be eligible for any office in this organization, but no club shall have more than two members serving as State Officers or Regional Directors during any one term.
3. Persons below the minimum age or over the age of thirty-five (35) may be admitted as non-voting members of any club. No non-voting member may be used for the purpose of representation at any meeting of this organization.
4. No member may be claimed by more than one club for the purpose of chartering. The most recent date of club membership shall be binding unless the member in question expressly changes his or her membership for chartering purposes. Individuals are considered to reside in the same region as the club of which they are a member.

 

 

ARTICLE IV CHARTERING/MEMBERSHIP PROVISIONS

 

Section 1 Procedure

1. Any club meeting the requirements of these Bylaws and with at least ten (10) members may charter with the California Young Democrats.
2. A club seeking to be chartered with this organization shall file an application with the Rules Committee Chair thirty (30) days prior to an Executive Committee meeting in order to vote at that meeting. The application must contain the materials detailed in subsection (4) below.
3. In order to vote at the State Convention, all clubs must be chartered by February 28.
4. Submitted charter applications shall include:
1. Club membership form listing of all members including name, address, phone number, date of birth, and e-mail address
2. Club rosters shall be submitted via either email or the United States Postal Service to the person designated by the State President.  Email submissions must be sent by 11:59 pm, February 28.  Mailed submissions must be postmarked February 28 and include a hard copy as well as a computer disk with the required chartering material in a commonly used format.

• For purposes of this section, “commonly used format” may include documents saved in Word, WordPerfect, Excel, or Access.

1. A list of the applying club’s Officers
2. A copy of the club’s current bylaws.
3. Chartering materials sent by email shall be sent by the club’s President, Secretary, or the executive officer in charge of record-keeping.
4. The club’s President, Secretary, or executive officer in charge of recordkeeping shall sign the hard copy of the club’s bylaws if the chartering materials are submitting by mail.
5. The appropriate chartering fee of:

• twenty dollars ($20), plus
• One dollar ($1) per member for high school clubs, or
• Two dollars ($2) per member for all other clubs.

1. An annual progress report providing general information regarding membership, meeting schedules, noteworthy events, and a financial statement.

• Violation of this subsection “h” may not be used to refuse credentials to an otherwise compliant club.

1. The California Young Democrats shall cover the $25 College Democrats of America (CDA) national chartering fee for all College Democrat clubs meeting the chartering requirements of this section.

 

Section 2 Duration

Every club charter shall expire annually February 28. Any club charter received less than thirty (30) days prior to the last Executive Committee meeting before February 28 or anytime thereafter through February 28 shall be deemed to be an application for charter for the year commencing February 28.

 

Section 3 Suspension or Revocation

Club charters may be suspended or revoked by action of any duly called meeting of the Rules Committee at the State Convention for violations of these Bylaws. Said club and all Rules Committee members must be notified of alleged violations and such action at least thirty (30) days prior to said meeting.

 

Section 4 Name of Clubs

Clubs may assume any name, including the name of its college, region, city, county or political subdivision, provided that the name is not already being used by chartered club.

 

 

 

ARTICLE V OFFICERS

 

Section 1 Officers

The Officers of the California Young Democrats shall be: State President, State Vice President of Membership, State Vice President of Finance, State Secretary, State Parliamentarian, National Committeewoman, National Committeeman, State Political Director and seven Regional Directors.

Section 2 Duties

1. The State President
1. Shall be the chief executive Officer and official voice of CYD and shall represent at all State Democratic Party functions.
2. Shall preside over all meetings.
3. Shall appoint chairs of all standing committees and the chairs and membership of all special committees, unless otherwise provided for in these Bylaws.
4. Shall appoint from the membership three individuals from each sex as voting members of the Democratic State Central Committee (DSCC), with preference given to State Officers and the President of the California College Democrats if they are not already members of the DSCC.
5. The President may appoint a State Controller in consultation with the State Vice President of Finance.
6. All appointments of the President are subject to the approval of the State Executive Committee.
7. The President shall establish an organizational calendar and shall make all efforts to maintain and strengthen communications between the various member clubs.
2. The State Vice President of Membership.
1. Shall be a member of all standing and special committees,
2. Shall coordinate At-Large membership
3. Shall coordinate major state events.
4. In the absence of the President, the Vice President of Membership shall preside at meetings.

1. Should a vacancy occur in the presidency of this organization, the Vice President of Membership shall assume the duties of President until such time as a replacement is selected according to these Bylaws.

3.  The State Vice President of Finance

1. Shall serve as the Treasurer of record, be responsible for all CYD fundraising activities,
2. Shall submit financial statements to the State Executive Committee at each regularly scheduled meeting,
3. Shall chair the Finance Committee.
4. Shall be responsible for seeing that all disbursements, receipts, banking relationships, FPPC statements and in general, any and all bookkeeping responsibilities of CYD are fully and properly performed.

• Bookkeeping duties may be performed by a State Controller, provided one has been appointed by the State President.
• The State Controller shall reside in the same Section as the President.
• The State Vice President of Finance retains final responsibility over the State Controller’s duties.

1. Shall prepare an annual CYD budget for approval of the State Executive Committee at least thirty (30) days prior to the fall Executive Committee meeting.
1. The State Secretary
1. Shall maintain all CYD records, serve all required notices, and discharge any other duties at the discretion of the President.
2. The National Committeewoman and the National Committeeman
1. Shall, together with the State President, represent CYD at all meetings of the National Committee of the Young Democrats of America.

• In the event that the National Committeewoman, National Committeeman and/or the State President is unable to attend any National Committee meeting, that Officer shall give his or her proxy to any member of the California Young Democrats or any Young Democrats of America National Committee person.

1. The National Committeeman and National Committeewoman shall prepare the materials necessary to maintain CYD’s current membership in the Young Democrats of America.
1. The State Parliamentarian
1. Shall assist the State President and render opinions and rulings requested by the Chair, or when appealed to from the membership regarding CYD’s bylaws, its interaction with the State or National Party or with the Young Democrats of America.
2. Shall chair the Rules Committee.
3. To facilitate accurate rulings, the State Parliamentarian shall collect and maintain records of CYD parliamentary inquiries, and issues.

• Copies of these parliamentary records shall be provided to the State Secretary and to any Officer, club or members as requested

1. The Political Director
1. Shall maintain contact with elected officials and statewide campaigns and notify the membership of political events.
2. Shall also submit recommendations to the Executive Board regarding endorsements and the process by which CYD may endorse Democratic candidates, ballot initiatives, or other matters of statewide concern. 
3. Shall endeavor to keep the membership informed on relevant political activities in the state.
2. Regional Director
1. Shall be the chief organizing Officer of their respective region of the state. The Regional Director shall proactively recruit members, regularly inform their region of political activities, and aid in the development and retention of clubs. The Regional Director shall call and preside over the Regional Executive Committee.  Regional Directors shall assist the State President with the  State President's duties in their respective areas

 

Section 3 Election of Officers

1. All Officers shall be elected at the State Convention of the California Young Democrats held annually.
2. The State President, State Vice President of Membership, State Vice President of Finance, State Secretary, National Committee persons, State Parliamentarian, and State Political Director, shall be elected by the entire membership of this organization at the State Convention in the order listed in Section 2 of this Article.
3. The State Vice President of Membership shall be elected from a different Region than the State President.
4. The second National Committee person elected must be of the opposite sex of the first National Committee person elected.
5. All Regional Directors shall be elected by the membership of their respective regions.
6. An unsuccessful candidate for an Officer position may be elected for any remaining Officer position provided they meet all requirements as stipulated by these Bylaws.
7.  All candidates for state office shall file their "intent to run" with the State Secretary at least thirty (30) days prior to election.

 

Section 4 Term of Office

1. Officers elected at the State Convention shall take office immediately after the adjournment of the Convention.

2.  Every Officer shall hold office until the adjournment of the next State Convention or until removed pursuant to Section 6 of this Article.

 

Section 5 Vacancy

Vacancy in any of the eight statewide offices shall be filled by a majority vote at a meeting of the State Executive Committee, which shall be summoned upon at least three (twenty-one (21) days notice.

1. For the offices of State President and State Vice President of Membership, the vacancy may not be filled by a person whose election would violate the requirement that the State President and State Vice President of Membership reside in different Regions, pursuant to Section 3(3) of this article.
2. For the National Committeeman and National Committeewoman, the person filling the vacancy must be of the same gender as the person being replaced.

 

Section 6 Removal

1. The Executive Committee may, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote, remove any Officer contingent upon the following procedures:
1. Written charges against the Officer shall be provided to every member of the State Executive Committee at least thirty-five (35) days in advance of the meeting at which the removal shall be moved.
2. The Officer shall be given the opportunity to answer the charges and to know the identity of his or her accuser(s).

• Notification by Certified Mail and by email to all known addresses shall be deemed as sufficient notice and shall constitute an invitation to answer the charges.

1. A motion for removal shall take effect immediately, at which time a vacancy shall be declared pursuant to Section 5 of this Article. If within twenty-four (24) hours of receiving notice of the charges, the Officer submits a resignation, the motion to remove shall be expunged from all records and the resignation shall be recorded as such.
1. The excessive absence of a Statewide Officer at properly noticed events of the State Executive Committee shall be deemed an effective resignation, creating a vacancy in the office.
1. At the close of the second consecutive event in which an Officer has not submitted a written excuse for absence or failed to submit an Officer’s report, his or her office shall be declared vacant due to dereliction of duty.
2. When personal, academic or professional obligations prevent an Officer’s executive committee attendance, the Officer may submit a written note and an Officer’s report prior to the meeting directed to the State President, State Secretary or Regional Director as a sufficient excuse for absence .

 

 

ARTICLE VI STATE CONVENTION

 

Section 1 Time and Location

1. This organization shall convene in a State Convention every year concurrent with the California Democratic Party State Convention unless infeasible.  In such a case, the Convention shall be held no later than May of each year.
1. The location of the Convention shall follow the annual rotation of the State Party between the Northern and Southern Section.
2. A notice as to the date, place, and tentative agenda along with a current CYD roster of all chartered clubs and a current copy of these Bylaws shall be sent to each chartered club and to each member of the State Executive Committee at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the State Convention

• The information required in Section 1(b) above may be provided via email so long as the State Secretary has verified that all clubs and club presidents may be reached by electronic means.

 

Section 2 Voting

1.       All chartered clubs shall receive one (1) delegate vote for 10-24 members, two (2) delegate votes for 25-49 members, three (3) delegate votes for 50-74 members, four (4) delegate votes for 75-99 members and one (1) vote thereafter for each twenty-five members thereafter.

1.  The Credentials Committee shall approve each clubs’ membership and assign the proper number of delegate votes to each.
2. Each delegate from each club of the Section in which the State Convention is being held has only one (1) vote and may not cast more than their allotted vote.
3. Each delegate from each club of the Section in which the State Convention is not being held shall have one (1) vote and may carry one (1) proxy vote.

• No member may cast more than two (2) votes.

1. All Statewide Officers, Regional Directors, the President of the California College Democrats, the President of the California High School Democrats, and members of the Democratic National Committee who are members of a chartered Young Democrats club shall be voting delegates. These persons may not allow others to carry their proxy vote and may not carry a proxy vote for any other Officer or delegate. Officers who are in a position to carry more than one vote must inform the State Secretary of whether they are carrying their vote or another’s vote. They may not do both.
2. If an Officer listed in Section 2(5), above, forgoes the vote granted to him or her by virtue of their elected position, they remain subject to the proxy limits specified in Section 2(3) or Section 2(4), above.

 

Section 3 Procedure and Action

1. These Bylaws may be amended, resolutions may be adopted, and all actions appropriate and consistent with these Bylaws may be taken at the State Convention
2. All meetings held during the State Convention shall be run according to these Bylaws and Robert's Rules of Order (Newly Revised).
3. Any report or resolution to be presented to the full convention must be copied in sufficient numbers as to allow each delegate adequate access to the matter under consideration.

 

 

Section 4 Special Conventions

1.       Special State Conventions shall be called by the State President upon written request of a majority of the entire State Executive Committee.

1. A Special Convention shall consider only those items stated in the request for such a convention.
2. Notice shall be sent to all chartered clubs and State Executive Committee members stating the time, location and agenda at least sixty (60) days in advance of the Special Convention.

 

 

 

ARTICLE VII STANDING COMMITTEES

 

Section 1 Credentials Committee

1. There shall be a Standing Committee on Credentials consisting of one member from each chartered club.
1. For the purposes of the first Credentials Committee meeting after the start of the new year, each club chartered thirty (30) days before the Executive Committee Meeting prior to the State Convention shall be entitled to a vote on the Credentials Committee.
2. It shall be the duty of the Credentials Committee to approve the true number of members of chartered clubs for the purpose of allocating votes at any statewide meeting requiring such representation.
3. The Credentials Committee shall be formed by January 31 of each year.
4. The President shall appoint the Chair of the Credentials Committee.
1. The Chair must be a member in good standing of the California Young Democrats
2. At no time during his or her service may the Chair run for election to any Office enumerated in these Bylaws.
5. The Credentials Committee shall verify each club's membership by randomly calling or contacting by electronic means ten percent (10%) of that club's membership.

 

Section 2 Rules Committee

1.       There shall be a Standing Committee on Rules consisting of one member from each chartered club.

2.      The State Parliamentarian shall chair the Committee

3.       The Rules Committee

1. Shall maintain and review these Bylaws,
2. May propose rules or amendments when necessary,
3. Shall interpret the rules when called upon by the State President, the State Executive Committee, or any California Young Democrats member in good standing,
4. May review the Bylaws of member clubs as required by these Bylaws or upon the request of any member

1. The Rules Committee shall approve the chartering of all clubs.

 

Section 3 Resolutions Committee

1.       There shall be a Standing Committee on Resolutions consisting of one member from each chartered club.

1. The State President shall appoint the chair.

3.       The Resolutions Committee shall review all proposed resolutions.

1. The Committee may recommend, reject, or amend a resolution prior to referring it to the membership or Executive Committee.

4.      Proposed resolutions shall be distributed to all members eligible to vote.

 

Section 4 Finance Committee

1.       There shall be a Standing Committee on Finance consisting of the State Vice President of Membership, State Vice President of Finance, President of the California College Democrats and one representative from each chartered club.

2.     The State Vice President of Finance shall chair the Committee.

1. The Finance Committee shall explore all fund raising possibilities and recommend future fundraising measures to the Executive Committee.
2. The Finance Committee shall propose a budget for the California Young Democrats at the first Executive Committee meeting following the State Convention.

 

Section 5 Platform Committee

1. There shall be a Standing Committee on Platform, consisting of one committee chair, and two members from each chartered club.
2. The Platform Committee shall produce a Platform that includes specifically enumerated youth positions from a youth perspective.
3. The Committee shall meet in odd-numbered years and shall draft a Platform proposal to be considered no later than August 30 of the same year.
4. Authority to ratify the Platform lies in the Executive Committee.
5. Copies of the platform shall be distributed to all voting members of the Executive Committee. In the event that a Platform is not adopted, the most recently approved Platform shall remain in effect.
6. The platforms of the California Democratic Party and the Young Democrats of America shall govern issues not included in the California Young Democrats Platform.

 

Section 6 Awards Committee

1. There shall be a Standing Committee on awards for the purpose of acknowledging dedication and achievement by young activists and chartered clubs. The committee shall convene prior to the State Convention.
2. Awards shall be presented at the State Convention.
3. The State President shall appoint the Awards Committee Chair, who shall develop and administer the nomination and awards procedures, and who may not vote on Awards except in case of a tie.
1. At no time during his or her service may the Chair run for election to any Office enumerated in these Bylaws.
4. The Awards Committee shall consist of the State President, the CCD President and the seven Regional Directors.
5. Annual awards shall be:
1.  CYD/CCD Man of the Year and woman of the Year (elected Officers ineligible),
2. Outstanding Young Democrats Club,
3. Outstanding College Democrats Club,
4. CYD/CCD Outstanding Project,
5. Outstanding Leadership Award (reserved for an elected Officer), and
6. The Willie Brown Mentor Award for a recipient over 35 years of age.
6. Only chartered clubs and members in good standing are eligible to receive awards, with the exception of the Willie Brown Jr. Mentor Award.
7. All awards shall be presented annually at the State Convention, with the exception of the Willie Brown Jr. Mentor Award, which may be presented at any time deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee.

 

 

 

ARTICLE VIII CAUCUSES

 

Section 1 Special Caucuses

1. CYD may recognize Special Caucuses among members of similar interests at its discretion for the purposes of participating in the policy decisions and the outreach programs of the California Young Democrats. Recognition shall be subject to the following provisions:
1. A Caucus membership list and bylaws are submitted to the Rules Committee for approval by the Executive Committee.
2. The Caucus bylaws are consistent with the Bylaws of this organization.
3. Quarterly financial reports shall be filed by such Caucus groups with the State Treasurer of this organization.
2. Official recognition of a Caucus shall be renewed annually except for the California College Democrats and the California High School Democrats which shall be considered standing caucuses. 
3. Membership and full voting rights in an officially recognized Caucus shall be open to all registered Democrats of chartered clubs of the California Young Democrats who meet the membership requirements of the Caucus bylaws.
4. All Caucuses shall meet only in conjunction with the California Young Democrats Executive Committee and regional meetings.

 

Section 2 Standing Caucuses

1. California College Democrats
1. The California Young Democrats recognizes the California College Democrats as an integral part of the overall California Young Democrats organization and will strive to ensure fair and consistent representation to college clubs.
2. The President of the California College Democrats, or his/her designee, shall serve as the official liaison of the California Young Democrats and the California College Democrats Caucus to the College Democrats of America. The President, his/her designee, shall update the California Young Democrats Executive Committee on activities of the College Democrats of America at each Executive Board Meeting.
2. California High School Democrats
1. The California Young Democrats recognizes the California High School Democrats as an integral part of the overall California Young Democrats organization and will strive to ensure fair and consistent representation to high school clubs.

• The President of the California High School Democrats, or his/her designee, shall serve as the official liaison of the California Young Democrats and the California High School Democrats to the Young Democrats of America High School Caucus. The President, his/her designee, shall update the California Young Democrats Executive Committee on activities of the Young Democrats of America High School Caucus at each Executive Board Meeting.

 

 

ARTICLE IX EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

 

Section 1 Executive Committee

There shall be an Executive Committee of this organization that shall have all the powers and duties of the California Young Democrats.

Section 2 Executive Committee Membership

The Executive Committee shall consist of the following members:

1. All Statewide Officers and the Regional Directors.
2.  The immediate past-State President.
3. The Presidents of each duly chartered club.
4. The President of California College Democrats
5. The President of California High School Democrats
6. Any Officer of the Young Democrats of America, College Democrats of America, or Young Democrats of America High School Caucus residing in the State who is a member of a duly chartered California Young Democrats club.                 
7. Any member of the Democratic National Committee member who is a member of a duly chartered Young Democrats club
8. Non-Voting Members
1. The chairs of all Standing and Special Committees and Caucuses.

 

Section 3 Executive Committee Organization

The State President shall be the Chair of the Executive Committee and the State Secretary shall be the Secretary of the Executive Committee.

 

Section 4 Executive Committee Meetings

1. The Executive Committee shall meet a minimum of four (4) times per year. When possible, these meetings shall be held in conjunction with Executive Committee meetings of the California State Democratic Central Committee.
2. The Executive Committee may convene Special Meetings:
1. The call of the State President at such time and in such place as the State President may designate, or
2. Upon written request submitted to the State President of eight (8) or more members of the Executive Committee at such time and in such place as they may designate.
3. The State Secretary shall give notice of Regular and Special Meetings via e- mail at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the Meeting.  Notice may be provided solely via email so long as the State Secretary has verified that all clubs and club presidents may be reached by electronic means

 

Section 5 Executive Committee Proxy Voting

Executive Committee Members may not carry more than one vote. For Executive Committee Members to

cast their vote in absentia the following conditions must be met:

1. The person carrying the proxy must be a Member of a duly chartered California Young Democrats club. The proxy holder may not be a member of the Executive Committee.
1. No person may hold more than one proxy.
2. The President of a duly chartered club may designate as his or her proxy only another member of the President’s club.
3. An Executive Committee Members as defined in Sections 2(1) and 2(2) of this Article may not designate a proxy to cast his or her vote.
4. An Executive Committee Member wishing to cast his or her vote in absentia shall file his or her intent in writing with the State Secretary.

 

Section 6 Executive Committee Quorum

The Executive Committee may conduct business when at least ten (10) voting members of the Executive Committee are present.

 

 

Section 7 Regional Executive Committee

1. Each Region shall have a Regional Executive Committee. The Regional Executive Committee shall have such duties within the Regions not covered by the State Executive Committee.
2. Membership in each Regional Executive Committee shall consist of the following:
1. All State Officers of this organization residing in the section and the Regional Director.
2. Presidents of duly chartered clubs in the region.
3. The immediate past Regional Director.
3. Any other such members as may be determined by the Region's bylaws.
4. The Regional Director shall chair the Regional Executive Committee.
5. Each Regional Executive Committee shall meet at least once between each State Executive Committee meeting. Special meetings may be called by the Regional Director or upon written request of at least five (5) members.
6. Notice of regular and/or special meetings shall follow the same procedure as set forth in ARTICLE IX, Section 4, part 2, with the exception that only members of the respective region must be notified.

 

 

ARTICLE X GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

Section 1 Expenditures

1. Neither CYD nor any of its officers or members may expend any amount in excess of one hundred dollars ($100) without the prior approval of the State President.
2. Neither CYD nor any of its officers or members may expend any amount in excess of five hundred dollars ($500) without the prior majority approval of the State Executive Committee

 

Section 2 Endorsements

The State Executive Committee and all CYD Officers shall use their power and influence to achieve a high level of effective participation by the chartered clubs and their members in Democratic nominees’ campaigns.

1. The State Executive Committee may, upon due notice of thirty (30) days, by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of those present and voting, endorse in the Democratic Primary of the following races:
1. California Constitutional Officers,
2. United States Senate,
3. United States President and,
4. California ballot propositions.
2. A chartered club may endorse or support the candidacy of a Democratic Party member prior to nomination by the Democratic Party provided that the chartered club uses only its official name in conjunction with the endorsement and not the name of the California Young Democrats.
3. Endorsement of non-Democrats for purposes of elections is a violation of these bylaws, and may result in charter revocation.

 

Section 3 Reserved Powers

Subject to the conditions and limitations herein provided, both the Regions and the Young Democratic Clubs thereof shall be considered autonomous organizations.

 

Section 4 National Committee

Should the State President, National Committeewoman, or National Committeeman be voting members of the National Committee by virtue of any other national position, the State Executive Committee may elect an alternate to represent the State until such time as the affected Officer no longer holds said position.

 

Section 5 Organizational Records

The State President, Secretary and Parliamentarian shall, whenever possible, forward relevant organizational records to an established California Young Democrats archive within the University of California Northern Regional Library facility and Southern Regional Library facility. Information including, but not limited to photos, memorabilia, meeting minutes, leadership rosters, conference notes, convention agendas, credentials reports and other statements shall be forwarded periodically and at the close of each State Convention. Such records serve to preserve the history of the organization for future generations.

 

 

ARTICLE XI AMENDMENT OF THE BYLAWS

 

Section 1 Amendment

These Bylaws may be amended by majority vote of all the delegates accredited and in attendance at any State Convention, or by two-thirds (2/3) vote at any State Executive Committee. An amendment shall become effective on the first Monday after adjournment of the meeting at which the amendment was adopted unless a specific exception is stated in the motion to amend.

 

Section 2 Notice

Notice to amend the Bylaws shall be given twenty-one (21) days prior to any Executive Board meeting at which the amendment may be considered.

 

 

ARTICLE XII SUSPENSION OF THE BYLAWS

Any section of these Bylaws may be suspended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present and voting at any meeting of the Executive Committee or State Convention. A motion to suspend must identify the Article and Section being suspended and may not suspend more than one Article.  This Article may not be suspended.