As amended 10/13/2021
Article 1 – Name
The name of this organization shall be: Grand Street Democrats (herein referred to as the “Club”).
Article 2 – Mission
The mission of the Club shall be to:
- provide a progressive, inclusive, active and transparent Democratic organization on Manhattan’s Lower East Side;
- advocate for pro-immigrant; pro-LGBTQ; pro-choice, and pro-public school causes and candidates;
- participate actively in the community affairs of the Lower East Side and to attempt to further the concerns of all its residents;
- communicate with, and connect our community to, elected officials on the Federal, State, and local levels;
- encourage the participation of all Democrats in the affairs of their Party and to encourage the enrollment in the Democratic Party of persons who subscribe to its principles.
Article 3 – Membership
Section 1 – Qualifications
Any person 18 years of age or older who subscribes to and desires to further the purposes of this Club shall be eligible for Membership.
Section 2 – Dues
Dues for each member shall be $60 biannually and shall include the cost of a Club tee shirt. No refund of dues shall be made, nor shall dues be prorated. All dues become payable biannually on October 1st. Need-based discounts may be given on a case-by-case basis on the approval of the Executive Committee.
Section 3 – Membership
Any person eligible for membership shall become a member after:
- completing a membership application;
- payment of Dues.
Section 4 – Voting Privileges
A member has voting privileges if they meet the following conditions:
- is a registered Democrat;
- has been a member for at least 90 days;
- has completed a participation requirement as defined by the Executive Committee.
Attendees of the Club’s inaugural meeting on October 23, 2017 will have voting privileges as soon as these Bylaws are approved; these Inaugural Members will still be required to pay dues by the Club’s next meeting to retain membership and voting privileges.
Section 5 – Student Members
Student Members, between the ages of 11 and 18, shall be entitled to membership upon completed participation requirement as defined by the Executive Committee, and payment of the cost of a Club tee shirt. Student members shall be entitled to participate in all club activities, except to hold office and to vote.
Article 4 – Meetings
Section 1 – Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting of the Club shall be held during the month of October or November each year. The Annual Meeting shall be for the purpose of the election of officers, and to transact such other business as is properly brought before it.
Section 2 – Regular Meetings
Regular Meetings of the Club shall be held at least three times a year, not including the Annual Meeting, on dates fixed by the President.
Section 3 – Special Meetings
Special meetings may be called at any time by: the President; a majority of the Executive Committee; written request of fifteen percent of the membership or ten members, whichever is the lesser number.
Section 4 – Notice
Each member shall be given at least twenty-one days written or electronic notice and an agenda of all annual and regular meetings, and at least ten days written or electronic notice and an agenda of all special meetings.
Section 5 – Quorum
Fifteen percent of the membership or ten members, whichever is the lesser number, shall constitute a quorum.
Section 6 – Agenda
The President shall prepare an agenda for each club meeting which shall include all business to be discussed and transacted. Additional items maybe be placed on the agenda at the opening of the meeting by members.
Section 7 – Voting
Every member with voting privileges shall be entitled to one vote, which must be cast in person or by proxy. Any member may carry no more than one proxy for a member with voting privileges with said member’s written authorization. All questions shall be decided by a majority of those voting. No member shall vote in this club if said member has voted in another political club that year. This provision shall not apply to new members who affirm that they will not vote in another political club for the remaining year.
Article 5 – Officers
Section 1 – Officer Positions
The officers of the Club shall consist of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary and a Treasurer. If nominated and elected as such, the Club may have up to three Vice Presidents with separate responsibilities. They shall each serve for one year. Officer elections shall be held at the Annual Meeting, and officers shall serve until the announcement of the results of the subsequent election.
Section 2 – Eligibility for Office
Any member with voting privileges shall be eligible for election to any office, provided that no member shall hold more than one office simultaneously. No person shall be eligible to hold the office of President for more than four full consecutive terms, and will be eligible again for that office after a period of two years. No officer of the Club shall receive any compensation, direct or indirect, for acting in such capacity. District Leaders may not serve as an officer of the Club during their elected term.
Section 3 – Duties
The duties of the officers shall be, in addition to those enumerated elsewhere in these Bylaws, as:
- President. The President shall be the Chief Administrative Officer of the Club and an ex-officio member of all standing and special committees and shall preside at all meetings of the Club and the Executive Committee. The President shall submit a report to the membership at each meeting of the Club on the status and activities of the Club and shall perform such other duties as the Executive Committee may direct. The President shall have discretionary spending authority to pay club expenses not in excess of a limited sum to be determined from time to time by the Executive Committee.
- Vice President. The Vice President(s) shall perform such duties as the President or the Executive Committee may direct. If the President is temporarily absent, the Executive Committee will select one Vice President to serve as Acting President.
- Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible for the preparation and safekeeping of the minutes and correspondence of all proceedings of the Club and the Executive Committee, including the Bylaws, and such other additional records as the President or the Executive Committee may direct. Upon request from a member, the Secretary shall make available for review in a timely manner any meeting minutes of a meeting that has occurred in the previous 12 months. The Secretary shall process all new member applications, in coordination with the Treasurer regarding dues payment, and shall maintain all records in connection with members’ voting privileges. The Secretary shall ensure that required notices for meetings are properly disseminated.
- Treasurer. The Treasurer shall have custody of all funds of the Club, which shall be deposited into the Club’s account. The Treasurer shall maintain books of account showing all receipts and disbursements. The Treasurer shall prepare and submit financial documents and shall report on the financial condition of the Club at meetings when such an item is placed on the agenda and at the Annual Meeting. The Treasurer shall sign all checks and other negotiable instruments, and make all payments, on behalf of the Club (although Treasurer may assign such duties to a member of the Executive Committee on an as needed basis). In no case shall the Treasurer make any expenditure in excess of a limited sum to be determined from time to time by the Executive Committee; for such amounts above that sum a second authorization is required by an Executive Committee member who is not from the same household as the Treasurer. All records may be inspected by any member with voting privileges upon reasonable notice to the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be responsible for filing all financial disclosure forms with the New York State Board of Elections as required by law.
Section 4 – Election of Officers and Filling of Vacancies
Officers shall be elected by secret ballot at the annual meeting by a plurality of those voting. A vacancy in the office of President shall be filled immediately by the Vice President. When there is more than one Vice President, the Executive Committee will select which one will succeed the President by majority vote. All other vacancies of officers shall be filled by a majority vote of the Executive Committee.
Section 5 – Removal of Members and Officers
A motion to expel a member or remove an officer from their position may be brought by a vote of no less than 15% of members with voting privileges.
Reasons for removal shall be specified in writing and the member or officer who is the object of these allegations shall have no fewer than fourteen days to respond in writing or in person.
Subsequently, any officer or member may be removed from such office or membership for good cause shown by a two-thirds vote by secret ballot of members with voting privileges at any annual or regular meeting or special meeting called for such purpose.
Article 6 – Executive Committee
Section 1 – Composition
Membership in the Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers and the current District Leaders who are members of this Club with voting privileges.
Section 2 – Duties
The Executive Committee shall be the managing body of the Club. It shall direct and supervise the policies of the Club and have the power to make policy and procedures consistent with law and these Bylaws.
Section 3 – Meetings
The Executive Committee shall meet at least quarterly, in addition to regular Club meetings. Notice of all quarterly Executive Committee meetings shall be given in writing or electronically to all members of the Club at least fourteen days prior to such meeting. However, when in the opinion of the Executive Committee it becomes necessary to take immediate action and it is not feasible to await a quarterly meeting before taking such action, the Executive Committee shall have the power to call special meetings as needed with reasonable notice of Executive Committee members, and notice will be given to members as practicable.
Section 4 – Quorum
Two-thirds of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
Section 5 – Voting
Each member of the Executive Committee shall have one vote. Executive Committee votes must be cast in person, except by unanimous consent of the Executive Committee. Action shall be taken by a majority of those voting.
Article 7 – Candidates For Public and Party Office
Section 1 – Nomination of District Leader candidates, County Committee candidates and Judicial Delegates
At a regular or special meeting in every year that is an odd number, members shall nominate:
- two candidates, one male and one female, for the party positions of District Leader (Male), and District Leader (Female) for the Assembly District and part represented by the Club;
- two candidates for the party position of County Committee Member for each election district within the Assembly District and part represented by the Club;
- one candidate and three alternate candidates for the party position of Judicial Delegate.
No person shall be eligible for nomination by virtue of this section unless he or she shall have been a member of this club with voting privileges for at least one year before the nomination.
Section 2 – Endorsement of other candidates
All endorsements of candidates for public or party office shall be voted on by secret ballot after the candidates for public or party office have been given an opportunity to be heard (in that all candidates shall be given equal notice and opportunity to attend the meeting at which the endorsement vote will take place), and members of the Club with voting privileges have been given an opportunity to voice their opinions.
Article 8 – Parliamentary Procedure
Robert’s Rules of Order Revised, latest edition, shall govern parliamentary procedure in the absence of any contrary provision in these bylaws. The President may appoint a member in good standing as parliamentarian at the onset of all meetings.
Article 9 – Amendments
Amendments or revisions to these bylaws may be proposed by the Executive Committee or by written petition signed by fifteen (15) members or fifteen percent (15%) of the membership, whichever is the smaller number, and submitted to the President. To become effective, any amendment so proposed must be approved by two-thirds (2/3) of the members voting at an annual or regular meeting or a special meeting called for such purpose. The change to be effected by such proposed amendment must be included in the notice of such meeting.
Article 10 – Ratification
These Bylaws shall go into effect at the Club’s organizing meeting on October 23, 2017 upon its adoption by a vote of two-thirds of the Founding Members of the Club. Founding Members shall be defined as all candidates for District Leader and County Committee put forth for office by Grand Street Democrats volunteers for the primary election of September 12, 2017.
Ratified on: 10/23/17
Ratified by:
Lisa Arbisser
Lee Berman
Moira Brennan
Allison Gordon
Peter Herb
Martha Hornthal
Caroline Laskow
Tommy Loeb
Mark Lynch
David Pass
William Rockwell
Daria Segalini
Hariette Skidelsky
Wei-Li Tjong
Kenny Wind