Constitution of the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats
Adopted May 24, 2018 (Last updated 2023)
PREAMBLE
To satisfy a need in this community for a Democratic political organization that will represent and be responsive to the needs of the people of the area, we have chosen to establish the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats.
ARTICLE I
The name of the Club shall be: Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats
ARTICLE II
Purposes The purposes of the Club shall be
A. to provide an independent, vigorous, liberal Democratic organization in the 44th, 51st, 52nd, and 57th Assembly Districts and their immediately adjacent neighborhoods in the County of Kings;
B. to encourage the participation of all people in the affairs of the Democratic Party;
C. to seek and support candidates for public office and party office of ability and integrity who are dedicated to public service, to promote measures designed to serve all the people, and to encourage the appointment of qualified public officials and employees without regard to political sponsorship;
D. to further the interest and participation of all citizens in the political and civic affairs of our community
ARTICLE III
Membership
A. Any person 16 years or older who subscribes to and desires to further the purposes of the Club, as set forth in Article II hereof, shall be eligible for membership
B. Dues of members shall be determined from time to time by the Executive Committee and are subject to the approval of the membership. All dues shall be due and payable on the date of each Annual Meeting of the Club, provided, however, that any person first becoming a member after the first day of July in any year shall remain a member in good standing until the annual meeting of the following calendar year without the payment of additional dues. Members in default of payment of dues on or after the January meeting of any year shall cease to be members in good standing until dues have been paid. Members should be given notice of these cut off dates at least one month in advance. Voting eligibility requirements are detailed in Articles VII, IX and XI. This change takes effect February 1, 2023.
ARTICLE IV
Officers
A. The officers of the Club and their order of succession to the Presidency shall be:
1. President;
2. Vice-President of Political Strategy;
3. Vice-President of Membership;
4. Vice-President of Communications;
5. Vice President of Social Media;
6. Recording Secretary;
7. Treasurer
Each office shall be elective. No one who is elected or appointed at the level of State Committee or higher may be an officer.
B. Their duties are defined as follows:
1. The President shall be responsible for convening and facilitating meetings of the Executive Committee on a monthly basis; convening and facilitating monthly meetings of the Club with the support of other officers and Executive Committee members; and representing the Club in conversations with outside parties as needed. The President will also be the first point of contact to respond on behalf of the club to press inquiries.
2. The Vice-President of Political Strategy shall oversee the Club’s political research and endorsement process and disseminate questionnaires and/or set-up interviews with candidates seeking the Club’s endorsement.
3. The Vice-President of Membership shall be responsible for generating and circulating sign-in sheets at all meetings and events and maintaining an updated membership list and eligible voter list.
4. The Vice-President of Communications shall record and disseminate all nominations for officers and Executive Committee members; provide notification of upcoming meetings and general updates through appropriate channels to all Club members.
5. The Vice President of Social Media shall promote the club, its positions, and its endorsed candidates on the relevant social media outlets.
6. The Recording Secretary will maintain an accurate record of all Club discussions and business during meetings of the general membership and Executive Committee.
7. The Treasurer shall account for all membership dues, expenditures, and revenue generated by the Club, maintaining accurate records and rendering yearly written reports including a general accounting to the general membership and detailed accounting to the Executive Committee. The Treasurer will also be responsible for any state filings related to the Club’s political contributions and expenses. The Treasurer shall provide the Executive Committee with monthly updates on the general state of the Club’s finances, either in person at monthly Executive Committee meetings or via written communications.
C. In the event the President or an officer fails to fulfill these duties, the Executive Committee shall supervise or appoint members of the Executive Committee to supervise such activities
D. Term of Office. The regular term of each office shall be one (1) year commencing with the Annual Meeting.
E. Vacancy. If the office of the President shall become vacant during the regular term, the next available officer in order of succession shall serve as acting President until an interim election is held to fill the vacancy pursuant to Article IX. If there shall be a vacancy in any other elective office during the regular term of that office, it shall be filled by the Executive Committee until an interim election is held to fill the vacancy pursuant to Article IX. Any officer so elected shall serve until the next Annual Meeting.
F. Re-Election of Officers. The President shall not serve more than three (3) consecutive regular terms nor be eligible for the office of Vice-President of Political Strategy at the election held upon the expiration of three regular terms.
ARTICLE V
Committees
A. Committee Chairpersons. Chairpersons of all committees shall be appointed by the President, and be subject to the disapproval of the Executive Committee.
B. Campaign Committee. At the discretion of the Executive Committee a Campaign Committee shall be formed that consists of Election District Captains and other personnel at the discretion of the Chairperson of the Campaign Committee.
C. Audit Committee. There shall be an Audit Committee which shall examine and audit the books of the account of the Club within thirty (30) days following the election of a Treasurer, and at such times as the President or the Executive Committee shall direct. A report shall be submitted to the Executive Committee at the first meeting following such audit.
D. Special Committees. The President, subject to the disapproval of the Executive Committee, or the Executive Committee, may create such special committees as may be deemed necessary.
ARTICLE VI
Executive Committee
A. Purpose and Powers of the Executive Committee. There shall be an Executive Committee that shall serve as the administrative and governing body of the Club. Any action of the Executive Committee may be rescinded by the membership and any power of the Executive Committee may be exercised by the membership.
B. The Executive Committee shall consist of all the officers of the Club and a number of members-at-large equal to ten (10)% of the membership, but not less than ten (10) nor more than thirty (30) members-at-large, who shall be elected by the general membership at the Annual Meeting. In addition, any past elected President of the Club shall automatically become a member of the Executive Committee and shall have all powers and rights of the members of the Executive Committee for one year following completion of the term of office. In addition any Club member elected to the State Committee in the 44th, 51st, 52nd or 57th Assembly Districts as an endorsed candidate of the Club shall be a member of the Executive Committee for the duration of their term so long as they remain a member in good standing. National Committee persons who are members of the Club at the time of their election to the National Committee shall be members of the Executive Committee so long as they remain a member in good standing.
C. Political Action Questions. The Executive Committee shall study and recommend questions involving political action. Such questions shall include but not be limited to the Club position on legislation and on controversial public questions. All recommendations of the Executive Committee on political action questions as defined above shall be referred to the general membership. The Club shall take a position on a political action question only by a majority vote of the members of the Club voting in a general membership meeting. However, when in the opinion of the Executive Committee it becomes necessary to take immediate political action and it is not feasible to wait until a general membership meeting before taking such action, the Executive Committee shall have the power to take such action, but in no instance shall the Executive Committee delegate to another group or to any person the power to take such action. For the purposes of this paragraph endorsement of candidates for political and/or party office shall never be deemed an emergency.
D. The Executive Committee shall maintain, for at least a period of ten (10) years, an archive of Club decisions and political endorsements. Members have a right to review the Club’s records within a month of making a request.
E. If there is a vacancy on the Executive Committee during the regular term, the Executive Committee shall have the power to fill the vacancy until an interim election is held pursuant to Article VII, and persons elected to the Executive Committee to fill such vacancy shall have the power to vote as Executive Committee members.
F. No expenditure by the Executive Committee, other than an ordinary and necessary expenditure for rent, postage, utilities, or fundraisers for the benefit of the club, in excess of five hundred ($500.00) shall be made without prior approval of the General membership at a meeting. The Treasurer shall render periodic reports to the membership. The membership at its Annual Meeting shall receive a financial report of the last year’s activities.
G. Reports to the Membership. All actions of the Executive Committee shall be reported to the general membership at, or before, the succeeding meeting of the general membership.
ARTICLE VII
General Membership Meetings
A. Annual Meetings. There shall be an Annual Meeting of the Club to be held in October, at which the membership-at-large shall elect the officers of the Club and the membership-at-large of the Executive Committee.
B. Other Meetings. General Membership Meetings shall be held at least once every month with the exception of August. Meetings of the general membership may be called at any time by the President, the Executive Committee, or upon the written request of ten (10) members in good standing or ten (10)% of the membership as at the time of the last Annual Membership Meeting, whichever is greater.
C. All members shall be given at least five (5) days written notice of all meetings of the general membership. Notices shall state time, place and proposed agenda of meeting.
D. Twenty five (25) members-in-good-standing or 25% of the general membership, whichever is less, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
E. Except as otherwise provided in this constitution, all questions shall be decided by a majority of those voting. All votes must be cast in person or online through an application/platform previously approved by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall convene virtual membership meetings and Executive Committee meetings and allow online voting at their discretion. In-person or virtual attendance is required in order to vote. Votes by proxy are not allowed. Each member in good standing who has attended two (2) meetings in the twelve months prior to the meeting of the vote shall be entitled to vote. This change takes effect February 1, 2023.
F. The President may arrange to have present at each meeting a parliamentarian to advise the presiding officer of the meeting.
ARTICLE VIII
Executive Committee Meetings
A. Schedule of Meetings. There shall be at least one regularly scheduled meeting a month with five (5) days written notice on dates to be determined by the Executive Committee and there will be an agenda on all scheduled meetings. The President may call special meetings of the Executive Committee. The President must call such meetings upon the receipt of a petition for a meeting signed by at least ten (10) members of the Executive Committee.
B. Open Meetings. All meetings of the Executive Committee for the purpose of transacting business shall be open to the general membership.
C. One-third (1/3) of the membership of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
D. All questions, except as otherwise provided for in this Constitution, shall be decided by a majority of those voting. Every member of the Executive Committee shall be entitled to one (1) vote, which must be cast in person or online through an application/platform previously approved by the Executive Committee. Votes by proxy are not allowed.
E Automatic Loss of Membership. Members of the Executive Committee who miss four (4) consecutive, regularly scheduled meetings of the Executive Committee, or a total of six meetings over the course of one calendar year, without excuse of the Executive Committee, shall forfeit membership on the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE IX
Regular Elections
A. Schedule of Elections. Officers of the Club and members-at-large of the Executive Committee shall be elected at the Annual Meeting.
B. Eligibility for Office and for Executive Committee. All candidates for election shall be members in good standing as of sixty (60) days preceding the election.
C. Nominations for Office. At least two weeks prior to the July meeting the President must send notice to the General Membership that elections will be held at the October Annual Meeting and that nominations for all Officers and Executive Committee members will be taken at the two public meetings prior to the Annual Meeting. People who wish to nominate themselves must attend one of the two meetings, or if unable to attend, must submit a written nomination to the Vice-President of Communications no later than the September meeting. The Vice-President of Communications will record all nominations and send them to the members, as well as post them on all CBID digital platforms, not less than two weeks prior to the Annual Meeting. This change takes effect February 1, 2023.
D. Nominations from the Floor. At the Annual Meeting, nominations of officers of the Club may be made from the floor only (i) if no eligible candidate has been otherwise nominated, or (ii) if any nominee for officer shall withdraw their acceptance of the nomination after the notice of all nominees has been mailed to the membership in which event nominations may be made from the floor for such office only. Nominations from the floor shall be open for the Executive Committee.
E. Members Entitled to Vote. All members in good standing who have attended three meetings in the twelve months preceding an election shall be eligible to vote.
F. Voting Procedure. For any regular club election a vote by secret ballot shall be taken, and an option for “no endorsement” shall be one of the choices permitted on such ballot. All votes must be cast in person or online through an application/platform previously approved by the Executive Committee. No proxy votes will be accepted. Each voter shall have one vote for each officer and each member-at-large of the Executive Committee. A majority of all ballots cast for any office shall be necessary for the election to such office.
G. Uncontested Elections. Uncontested elections may be decided by a show of hands.
ARTICLE X
Interim Elections
A. Schedule. Interim elections to fill any permanent vacancies then existing in the elective officers or in the Executive Committee of the Club may be held at any regularly scheduled meeting of the general membership, provided five (5) days’ prior written notice has been given to the general membership that such interim election will be held at such meeting. It shall be the duty of the President to call such an election within sixty (60) days of the occurrence of any vacancy in an elective office of the Club. Any vacancy in the Executive Committee shall be filled by election at the next regular membership meeting of the Club.
B. All nominations for any elective position to be filled at an interim election shall be made from the floor at the meeting at which the election is to be held.
ARTICLE XI
Endorsement of Candidates
A. Submission of Candidates by Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall prepare a ballot consisting of all likely candidates, for nomination as Democratic Candidate for public office, or for election to public office, to be considered for endorsement by the Club.
B. Submission of Candidates by Members. Additional candidates may be proposed by members in good standing no less than one week prior to a scheduled endorsement meeting by sending a written statement to the Vice-President of Communications. Any proposed candidates must have a declared no less than 30 days prior to the endorsement meeting
C. Members Entitled to Vote. All members in good standing who have attended three (3) meetings in the twelve (12) months preceding an election shall be eligible to vote.
D. Voting Procedure. For any endorsement a vote by secret ballot shall be taken, and a vote for “no endorsement” shall be one of the choices permitted on such ballot. All votes must be cast in person or online through an application/platform previously approved by the Executive Committee. No proxy votes will be accepted. The votes are tabulated separately for each contested election. If more than one candidate is running the ballot shall provide a method for each voting member to express their numerical preference among the candidates and no endorsement by writing the numbers 1, 2, 3, etc. on the ballot alongside the name of each candidate and no endorsement. In the event neither any candidate nor no endorsement receives a majority of the first place votes on the first canvass of ballots, the ballots shall be re-canvassed, using the following method, until a candidate or no endorsement receives a majority of the first place votes: upon the second canvass and any required canvass thereafter the candidate or no endorsement receiving the fewest first place votes during the previous canvass shall be eliminated from the contest and their votes shall be allocated among the remaining candidates and no endorsement according to the to the numerical preference expressed on the subject ballot. Such reallocated ballots shall be deemed first place votes for the candidate or no endorsement to which they are thus assigned. The process shall be repeated until a candidate or no endorsements receives a majority of the first place votes. However, in certain circumstances (e.g. multi-seat judicial races or similar complicated situations), endorsement votes may be conducted through a means other than ranked choice voting. This process shall be determined by the Executive Committee, and must be conducted to ensure a fair outcome substantially equivalent to a ranked choice vote.
E. Material Support of Non-Endorsed Candidates. The facilities of the Club shall not be used on behalf of any candidate not endorsed in accordance with this Article, except upon a vote of the membership in a case in which the Club has voted no endorsement.
ARTICLE XII
Patronage
A. Members of the State Committee. The Club shall not endorse any person for Member of the State Committee unless such person has pledged not to accept patronage while serving in such capacity.
B. Officers of the Club. No person shall be eligible for election or to serve as President or Treasurer of the Club who holds a patronage appointment.
C. Definition of Patronage. Patronage shall mean any discretionary appointment, except for career managerial and career professional appointments, terminal at the discretion of the appointing authority made by any arm of government, or any function performed for compensation from an elected official, or service rendered to a legislative body, or any court appointment made on the basis of a political recommendation. In the event of any dispute regarding whether a position is to be considered a patronage position under this article, such dispute shall be resolved by the general membership by considering, among other things, (1) the tenure of the appointee, (2) the means by which the appointment was made, (3) the identity of the appointing authority, (4) the function performed by the appointee and (5) the pre-appointment relationship of the appointee, or immediate family members of the employee, with the appointing authority.
ARTICLE XIII
Expulsion
A. Method of Expulsion. The Executive Committee, by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of its full membership, may expel a Member for conduct contrary to the interests or purposes of the Club. Expulsion shall be proposed by a petition stating reasons, signed by at least five (5) Executive Committee members or twenty-five (25) voting members, and submitted to the Vice-President of Communications. The Vice-President shall present the petition to the next meeting of the Executive Committee and shall give the member at least one (1) week’s notice by registered or certified mail of the time and place of such meeting.
B. Should the Executive Committee vote to expel a member, the member within ten (10) days after the mailing to the member by registered or certified mail of the Executive Committee’s decision, may notify the Vice-President of Communications or President of the member’s intent to appeal. Such appeal shall be voted upon at the next meeting of the Club for which the notice shall list the appeal as an item on the agenda. If appealed, the decision of the Executive Committee shall not be operative unless ratified by a majority of the voting members present and voting at the meeting.
ARTICLE XIV
Amendments
A. Proposal of Amendments. Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed by the Executive Committee or by written petition signed by thirty (30) members or twenty-five (25)% of the membership, whichever is less, and submitted to the Vice-President of Communications
B. Adoption of Amendments. To become effective, any amendment so proposed must be approved and adopted thereafter by a majority of the members present at two (2) consecutive meetings of the Club which shall be at least one (1) week apart. The text of such proposed amendment or amendments must be included in the notice of each of the aforesaid consecutive meetings and the notice of the second (2nd) meeting shall further state that final action will be taken upon amendment or amendments to this Constitution. Said amendment or amendments shall become effective as part of this Constitution upon the date of final approval and adoption or on such other date as the amendment or amendments shall specify. All approved or adopted amendments shall be included with the notice of the next general meeting.
ARTICLE XV
Robert’s Rules of Order
Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the parliamentary procedure, the duties of the officers and other matters not specifically provided for in this Constitution. Motions to table shall require a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the members voting.
ARTICLE XVI
Membership List
Every member shall be entitled to a complete and current membership list showing names and mailing addresses in order to contact other members for political purposes consistent with the aims of the Club, pending approval by the Executive Committee. A membership list furnished under this provision should not be released to third parties.
Ratified December 15, 2022