Bylaws
The Libertarian Party of Denton County
Texas
Bylaws approved, May 10, 2001
ARTICLE I: General
- Name:
The name of this organization is the "Libertarian Party
of Denton County Texas" (LPDeT).
- Purpose:
The purpose of these Bylaws is to define goals, membership,
officer election procedures, officer duties, and to provide
guidelines for Precinct, County and District Conventions.
- Address:
The official mailing address of the LPDeT will be decided by
its officers.
ARTICLE
II: Goals
The purpose for which the LPDeT
is organized is to implement and give voice to the principles embodied
in the Statement of Principles of the Libertarian Party of Texas (LPT)
by:
- Precincts:
Developing Libertarian Party (LP) Precincts in Denton County
(DC) so they can hold Precinct Conventions.
- Counties:
Holding a LPDeT Convention and, if needed, assisting adjacent
counties to do the same.
- Districts:
Working with adjacent counties to hold District Conventions
for those political Districts that overlap into their counties.
- Campaigns:
Establishing a campaign headquarters in DC, coordinating and
promoting campaigns and entering into political information
activities to disseminate Libertarian information.
- Candidates:
Nominating and supporting candidates for local, state and
national office so they can be a voice for Libertarian ideas and win
elections.
- Texas.
Affiliating with the LPT, and endorsing and working with
other organizations that promote liberty.
ARTICLE III:
Members
Members consist of GENERAL,
AFFILIATES, DELEGATES and OFFICERS:
No dues are required to be a member.
- GENERAL:
Anyone on our mailing list.
- AFFILIATES:
Any DC registered voter who signs and affidavit with the
LPDeT agreeing not to participate in official activities of any
other political party during that election year.
See Article 13.01a(5) of the Texas Election Code for details.
- DELEGATES:
LPDeT has three types of Delegates:
Precinct, District and County.
AFFILIATES, at there Precinct Conventions, elect AFFILIATES
to represent them at both the LPDeT Convention and their District
Convention, but the Representatives do not become Delegates until
they attend either one or both Conventions.
The representative becomes a Precinct Delegate when he/she
attends the LPDeT and a District Delegate when he/she attends their
District Convention. The
LPDeT also elects AFFILIATES to represent them who become County
Delegates when they attend the LPT Convention.
- Precinct
Delegates: Any
AFFILIATE who attends the LPDeT Convention that was elected to be
a delegate by their Precinct Convention or by the LPDeT
Convention.
- District
Delegates: Any
AFFILIATE who attends their District Convention that was elected
to be a delegate by their Precinct Convention or by their District
Convention.
- County
Delegates: Any
AFFILIATE who attends the LPT Convention that was elected to be a
delegate by the LPDeT County Convention or by the LPT Convention.
- OFFICERS:
LPDeT has three Organizations, each with their own OFFICERS:
Precinct, District and County.
AFFILIATES at their Precinct Convention elect Precinct
OFFICERS. District
Delegates at their District Convention elect District OFFICERS.
Precinct Delegates at the LPDeT County Convention elect
County OFFICERS.
ARTICLE
IV: Meetings
Robert's Rules of Order shall
be used for matters of procedure not covered by these Bylaws.
The elections for county officials, terms of office, voter
eligibility, and convention dates and times are set by the Texas
Election Code.
- Precinct
Conventions: Affiliates
in each Precinct elect a Chair, any other Officers they deem
appropriate, and Representatives to be Delegates at the LPDeT County
Convention and at their District Convention.
They can also adopt resolutions for their Precinct Delegates
to present at the LPDeT County Convention and carry out other
business allowed by LPT rules.
In the event a Precinct has no Chair the County Chair can
appoint one.
- County
Convention:
- Precinct
Delegates elect, by majority vote against None of the Above (NOTA).
i.
Affiliates who are attending the convention to also be Precinct
Delegates.
ii.
County Officers.
iii.
Candidates they want to run for public office.
iv.
Representatives to be Delegates at the LPT Convention.
- Precinct
Delegates can carry out any other business allowed by LPT rules.
Thye can vote to adopt resolutions, including resolutions
for their County Delegates to present at the LPT Convention.
They can also vote to change these Bylaws with a 2/3s vote.
- District
Conventions: District
Conventions occur to elect those candidates whose district covers
more than one county. Precinct
Delegates elect, by majority vote against NOTA, the Officers they
want to run the Convention and the Candidate they want to run for
public office.
- Officer
Meetings: LPDeT
Officer Meetings can be called by the Chair or two officers with a
10 day notice to the other officers.
A majority of the Officers have to be present to conduct
official business. An
Officer who misses three meetings in a row ceases to be an Officer
at the beginning of the third meeting, but may be voted back in
later. Each officer has
one vote, except the Chair shall vote only to resolve a tie.
Meetings can also be held by telephone, email or letter,
provided no one objects. Officers,
with a majority vote, may appoint, title or remove officers and
carry out any other business they deem appropriate.
All meetings are open to the public.
Meetings usually occur monthly with notice published in the
LPDeT Newsletter.
- Emergency
Meetings: Emergency
meetings are for Precinct Delegates.
The meeting can be called by the Chair, or two Officers or 10
percent of the Delegates with a 20 day notice (by letter, email or
the LPDeT Newsletter) stating clearly why the meeting is being
called and what will be voted on.
Twenty percent of the Delegates have to be present to conduct
official business. The
meeting can be called to solicit the Delegates consensus on
important issues, or for the Delegates to give more explicit
direction to the policies and specific actions of the Officers, or
to appoint, title or remove Officers.
Secret ballot is required if requested by any Delegate.
ARTICLE V:
Officers
- Function:
The function of the Officers is to manage the affairs of the
LPDeT and implement its goals within the limits of its resources.
- Positions:
The elected Officers of the LPDeT shall be Chair, Vice Chair,
Secretary, Treasurer and Other Officers.
The last Chair automatically becomes an Officer (called Past
Chair) without an election.
- Elections:
Election of Officers shall occur at the LPDeT County
Convention. Precinct
Delegates will elect officers by majority vote against NOTA.
Their terms will begin immediately upon winning the election.
Outgoing officers will have one week to turn over LPDeT
records to new Officers.
- Duties:
- Chair:
Chair shall preside over meetings, oversee all activities
of the LPDeT, perform duties necessary to maintain LPDeT legal
status as a political party, and perform other duties assigned by
LPT.
- Vice
Chair: Vice Chair
shall assist the Chair and perform the Chair's duties in his/her
absence.
- Secretary:
Secretary shall keep accurate record (minutes) of the
proceedings of all official meetings of the LPDeT, and shall keep
those records up to date and in order in a master file.
Secretary shall also keep a list of members, especially the
official list of Affiliates with dates of their affiliation as
required by law and perform other duties assigned by Chair.
- Treasurer:
Treasurer, or Treasurer's designated agent, shall
receive, hold, disburse and account for the LPDeT funds under the
direction of majority vote of Officers.
Treasurer shall keep these records up to date and in order
in a master file on a monthly basis and perform other duties
assigned by Chair. Checks
can be signed by the Treasurer or Chair, in the event the
Treasurer is not available, to pay necessary bills.
- Past
Chair: Past Chair
has no duties except to attend Meetings and advise Chair.
- Other
Officers: There
can be as many Other Officers as there are tasks that need to be
done and people willing to do them.
But the title of the position, like "Newsletter Editor"
or "Candidate Coordinator" or "Communications Director",
has to be stated along with their duties before voting can take
place.
|