Bylaws

FERNLEY REPUBLICAN WOMEN 

BYLAWS

The name of this organization shall be the Fernley Republican Women.

The objectives of this club shall be:

1. To increase the effectiveness of women in the cause of good government through political education and active political participation.

2. To support objectives and policies of the Nevada and National Federation of Republican Women.

3. To foster loyalty to the Republican Party and to promote its principles.

4. To work for the election of the Republican Party nominees.

5. Select topics, which interest the club and focus on new legislation in order to interact with our elected officials within the state and nation.

Section 1 The club shall follow a policy of non-endorsement in primary campaigns or of presidential or vice-presidential candidates prior to the Republican National Convention.

Section 2 An elected officer shall not pre-endorse a candidate in a primary campaign or endorse a presidential or vice-presidential candidate prior to the Republican Convention.

Section 3 Failure to support the GOP ticket, advocating a split party ticket, or supporting one Republican candidate to the exclusion of others in a primary election shall result in removal of a club from State Federation membership.

Section 4 Any member who publicly supports a candidate of an opposition party in a campaign, for which a Republican is also a candidate, shall be removed from membership.

Section 1

a. Membership shall be open to any registered Republican woman.

i. An individual may join only one club as a full member.

ii. An individual may thereafter join any number of clubs as an associate member.

b. Associate membership:

i. Republican women who are members of another Federated club may join as associate members.

ii. Any man, duly registered as a Republican, may become an associate member.

iii. An associate member may speak on issues, but may not hold office, vote, or serve on committees.

c. When the First Lady of Nevada is a Republican, she will automatically be an honorary member of this club with the same privileges as an associate member. She may choose one club in which to be a full member in order to have a vote.

Section 2 This club shall be a member of the NEVADA FEDERATION OF REPUBLICAN WOMEN and the NATIONAL FEDERATION OF REPUBLICAN WOMEN.

Section 3 Should a member be removed from membership for cause, a majority vote of the Executive Committee shall determine whether said member shall be eligible for reinstatement.

Section 1 The elected officers of this club shall be President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.

Section 2

a. To hold an elected office in this organization, a member must be in good standing, be current in her dues and a registered Republican in the State of Nevada.

b. A term of office is one year from January 1 through December 31. An officer who has served seven months shall be considered to have served a full term in that office.

c. An elected officer may serve only two consecutive terms in the same office or until her successor takes office.

d. In the event of a vacancy in the office of:

i. President - the Vice President shall assume the office of the President.

ii. Other elective offices - the vacancy shall be filled by election at the next meeting following the vacancy.

iii. Temporary vacancies, due to leave of absence, shall be filled by appointment by the President.

e. An officer candidate may not simultaneously run for more than one office.

Section 3 Duties of the elected officers:

i. Preside over all general membership, Executive Committee and Board of Directors meetings.

ii. Appoint chairmen of Standing Committees and Appointed Officers as provided in Article V, Section 4, and other special committees as determined necessary, except the Nominating Committee.

iii. Serve as an ex-officio member of all committees, except the Nominating Committee.

iv. Sign all contracts and obligations of this club as approved by the Executive Committee.

v. Serve on the Nevada Federation of Republican Women's Board of Directors.

vi. Serve as the club’s delegate to the National Federation of Republican Women biennial convention if held during her term of office. If she is unable to attend, an alternative delegate will be chosen by the Executive Committee.

vii. Serve on the Lyon County Central Committee as the representative of the club or appoint a representative from the club.

i. Perform the duties of the President in her absence.

ii. Assume the responsibility for the programs presented at the general meeting with Board approval.

iii. Be chairman of the Membership Committee.

iv. Be chairman of the Achievement Awards committee, if no other member is willing to serve.

v. Perform such other duties as requested by the President or the membership.

i. Have custody of all papers and records.

ii. Take the minutes of all general, Executive Committee and Board of Director's meetings and maintain an accurate and permanent record of the club's activities.

iii. Issue notice of any special meeting.

iv. Answer correspondence, write acknowledgments, send special invitations and attend to any other mail as required of her by the President, Executive Committee, or the Board of Directors.

i. Be custodian of all funds of this organization.

ii. Be responsible for the collection of dues and all other money collected by the club.

iii. Pay all bills, keep all receipts and financial records, and sign all checks with the President's signature as required.

iv. Adhere to the latest revision of the "Procedures – Office of the Treasurer".

v. Submit the books for annual audit, which shall be completed by the fifteenth day of January.

vi. Be an ex-officio member of the Budget Committee.

vii. The Treasurer shall prepare and present quarterly reports to the Budget Committee and the general membership.

viii. When feasible, the Treasurer shall be bonded and the club shall pay the necessary fees.

Section 4 The appointed officers of this club shall be Chaplain, Historian and Parliamentarian.

Section 5 Duties of the appointed officers.

i. Give the invocation and, if used, the benediction at the meetings and other events as directed by the President; and,

ii. Serve as a voting member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors.

i. Be responsible for keeping an official historical record of all club activities; and,

ii. Serve as a voting member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors.

i. Be thoroughly familiar with the bylaws of the club, NvFRW and NFRW in order to interpret and inform.

ii. Be familiar with the rules set out in the adopted parliamentary authority.

iii. Serve as the interpreter of correct parliamentary law procedures and protocol.

iv. Serve as a non-voting member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors, except in the case of a written ballot.

v. Instruct the Nominating Committee as to proper procedure, orally and in writing.

vi. Be the Chairman of the Bylaws Committee.

Section 1 A member and two alternates to the State Nominating Committee shall be appointed biennially by the members at the regular November meeting preceding the state convention.

Section 2 The appointee shall represent the Fernley Republican Women at the meeting of the State Nominating Committee, which will be called by the Chairman of the State Nominating Committee before the convention.

Section 1 Standing committees may consist of the following:

Achievement Elections Newsletter

Americanism Fourth of July Nominations

Audit Hospitality/Telephone Publicity

Bylaws Legislation Raffle Budget Literacy Scholarship

Campaign Membership Ways and Means

Caring for America/ Member Reception Website/Facebook

Adopt-a-Soldier Woman of the Year

Section 2 Committees may be added or eliminated by majority vote of the Board of Directors.

Section 3 When a new committee is established, the Chairman must report back to the Board of Directors prior to implementation of any new programs. The Board will then make their recommendation(s) to the full membership.

Section 1 Executive Committee

a. The Executive Committee shall consist of the elected and appointed officers and immediate past President.

b. The President may call a meeting of the Executive Committee, or a meeting may be called at the request of three members of the Executive Committee.

c. The Executive Committee shall be empowered to act for the club when necessary for the good of the order.

Section 2 Board of Directors

a. The Board of Directors shall consist of the Executive Committee and chairmen of the standing committees.

b. The Board of Directors shall meet monthly as needed or at the call of the President.

c. The Board of Directors shall propose recommendations for presentation to the members for action at the regular meetings

d. A member of the Board of Directors who is absent from three consecutive meetings of the Board of Directors without sufficient cause may be removed from her office or chairmanship at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

e. The President, with the approval of the Board of Directors, shall appoint a Chairman to fill a vacancy so caused.

Section 1 At least five meetings shall be held each year.

Section 2 The day on which the meetings shall be held shall be designated by a majority vote of the members present at any regular meeting.

Section 3 The months in which meetings shall be suspended, if any, shall be determined by a majority vote of the members present at any regular meeting.

Section 1 The dues of this club shall be reviewed annually by the general membership to meet required obligations to the State and National Federation of Republican Women.

Section 2 Dues are due and payable on the first day of January of each year. The Membership Chairman shall mail the dues notices no later than the fifteenth day of December of the preceding year.

Section 3 Dues shall be delinquent on the first day of February of each year.

Section 4 The Board of Directors shall declare those members delinquent whose dues have not been received by the fifteenth day of March and clear the membership rolls accordingly.

Section 5 Dues shall be non-refundable and shall not be prorated. Should a member resign or be removed from membership, dues shall be forfeited. New members joining during October, November and December shall have their dues applied to the following year.

Section 1 Nominations

a. A Nominating Committee of three members, one from the Board of Directors and two from the general membership, shall be elected in September. The committee shall elect its own chairman. The Parliamentarian shall instruct the committee, orally and in writing, as to proper procedures.

b. The Nominating Committee shall report a slate of officers to the Board and the general membership at the October meeting, after which nominations from the floor shall be in order.

c. All nominees shall be members in good standing and shall have given their consent to serve if elected. If not present when nominated, consent must have been previously given in writing.

Section 2 Elections

a. An Elections Committee of at least three members shall be appointed by the President prior to the November meeting. At the November meeting, the Elections Committee shall provide all elections materials and act as tellers for the election. The Elections Committee chairman shall present the final tally to the President.

b. Election shall be by ballot at the November meeting, except when there is no contest, election shall be by voice vote. No proxy or absentee voting will be allowed.

c. The candidate receiving a majority of all votes cast shall be considered elected.

d. In the event of a tie vote between two candidates, there shall be one re-vote. If there is still a tie vote, the flip of a coin will determine the winner.

e. Newly elected officers shall assume office on January 1 and serve to December 31.

Section 3 Exception

Except as noted in Article V, Section I c., in case of a vacancy during the regular term, the Executive Committee shall submit one or more names for the vacated office, and nominations from the floor shall be in order.

Section l One-fourth of the voting members shall constitute a quorum at a club meeting.

Section 2 The quorum for an Executive Committee meeting shall consist of a majority of the members of the Executive Committee.

Section 3 The quorum for a Board of Directors meeting shall consist of a majority of the Board of Directors.

The current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern all proceedings except where inconsistent with the bylaws of this club, and those of the State and National Federation of Republican Women.

Section 1 Budget

a. The newly elected President shall appoint a Budget Chairman and the Budget Committee composed of a minimum of two from the membership with the Treasurer as an ex-officio member, following the November meeting.

b. The proposed budget shall include funds, if available, to offset costs of attending National and Nevada Federation of Republican Women biennial conventions for delegates and alternate delegates designated by these bylaws or elected by the membership as appropriate.

c. The proposed budget shall be presented to the Board of Directors for review and to the membership for approval at their respective January meetings.

d. The fiscal year shall coincide with the calendar year.

e. Any proposed expenses not provided for in the budget shall be presented, in writing, to the membership for approval.

Section 2 Audit

a. An Audit Committee composed of a minimum of two members appointed by the President from the general membership and one member from the Executive Committee shall be appointed in November.

b. The final report of the Audit Committee shall be presented to the membership at the general meeting in January.

These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any regular meeting, provided that the amendment has been presented in writing with at least 10-days’ notice. The process shall be as described in "Procedures – Bylaws Amendments".

Addendum

Fernley Republican Women

Procedures – Bylaws Revisions

As stated in Article XV Amendments, our bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any regular meeting, provided that the amendment has been presented in writing with at least 10 days’ notice. 10 days is the minimum notice and works best when amending the bylaws. An "amendment" of the bylaws opens only specific sections to change, which can be done more quickly than a "revision". A "revision" opens the entire document to review and change; and it involves rewriting the existing document and substituting a newly written document.

These procedures are to be followed when revising our bylaws:

1. Schedule a Bylaws Committee meeting.

2. Email or mail members to see if they have proposed changes and ask for them to be submitted to the Bylaws Committee chairman prior to the scheduled meeting.

3. The Bylaws Committee meets and develops proposed bylaws.

4. The Bylaws Committee presents the proposed bylaws at the next regular meeting of the FRW for the first reading and for additional changes the membership may suggest from the floor.

5. At the next month’s meeting of the FRW, the proposed by laws are read for a second time. If the changes from the prior meeting were not of major significance, the bylaws may then be adopted. If the changes were significant, the bylaws must be read for a third time and adopted at the next meeting.

Revised 4/19/11