CHAPTER INFORMATION

The Hamilton County Young Democrats are a chartered chapter of the parent organization the Indiana Young Democrats.

The Indiana Young Democrats are a chartered chapter of the parent organization Young Democrats of America.

Official filings for the chapter can be found on the Indiana Election Division website.

BYLAWS OF THE HAMILTON COUNTY YOUNG DEMOCRATS

Last Amended: 08.21.18

Preamble

We, the Young Democrats of Hamilton County, in order to promote and further the ideals and principles of the Democratic Party, to promote the election of the party’s candidates for public office at all levels, to encourage the involvement of young people in civic and political affairs, and to promote harmony and fellowship with one another, establish this Constitution of the Hamilton County Young Democrats.

 

Article I: Name and Objectives

Section 1: The name of this organization shall be “Hamilton County Young Democrats” (HCYD). 

Section 2: The objectives of Hamilton County Young Democrats (HCYD) shall be:

1. To support and elect Democratic candidates for public office;
2. To widen and increase the interest, knowledge, and participation of young people in   government, the political process, and civic involvement;
3. To train and develop young people for positions of leadership;
4. To serve those in need in our community;
5. To increase awareness and activism on issues of importance to young people;
6. To increase the role of under-represented people in the Democratic Party, government, and society; and
7. To provide opportunities for young people to network and socialize. 

 

Article II: Policy

Section 1: Hamilton County Young Democrats (HCYD) shall contribute to the activities, growth, and influence of the Democratic Party.

 

Section 2: Hamilton County Young Democrats (HCYD) shall support and endorse only those candidates for public office who have been nominated or endorsed by the Hamilton County Democratic Party. 

 

Section 3: Hamilton County Young Democrats (HCYD) shall not endorse candidates in any contest for the nomination or endorsement of the Democratic Party, and shall maintain its neutrality until after such contests are settled. Hamilton County Young Democrats (HCYD) shall provide an equitable forum in a manner determined by the Executive Committee for all candidates seeking the nomination or endorsement of the Democratic Party to solicit its member’s support. Nothing in this article shall be interpreted to preclude individual members of Hamilton County Young Democrats from endorsing candidates seeking the nomination or endorsement of the Democratic Party in his or her individual capacity, provided that no Officer of Hamilton County Young Democrats shall cause his or her affiliation or title with Hamilton County Young Democrats to be used in connection with such an endorsement.

 

Section 4: Hamilton County Young Democrats (HCYD) shall actively support the candidates and the platform of the Democratic Party at all levels; although nothing in this Constitution shall be interpreted to preclude HCYD or its members from advocating for amendments to, or the inclusion of particular views or issues in, the platform of the Democratic Party at any level.

 

Section 5: HCYD shall recruit members from the entire community.

 

Section 6: HCYD shall not act in any manner not consistent with this Constitution. HCYD should act with consideration of, and to the best of its ability in a manner consistent with the Hamilton County Democratic Committee, the Democratic Party of Indiana, and the Democratic National Committee. 

 

Article III: Membership and Dues

Section 1: Membership in HCYD is open to anyone between the ages of fourteen and thirty-five years, inclusive, who believes in the principles of the Democratic Party. No person will be denied membership on the basis of race, gender, religion, economic status, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

 

Section 2: No person will be considered a member in good standing of the HCYD until a membership form, as approved by the Executive Committee, has been completed and dues have been paid. Membership renewal and collection of appropriate dues will occur as established in the Bylaws.

 

Section 3: HCYD members who were in good standing for at least one year and who have attained the age of thirty-seven years, may, unless such membership be disapproved by a majority of the active membership, become affiliated with the organization as non-voting members and will hereafter be referred to as “associate members.”

 

Section 4: Any member or officer of HCYD may be absolved of membership and or duties when any two members of the organization bring good reason, including failure to perform duties, affiliation with another political party or acting against the Democratic Party or the government, with proof to the Executive Committee and the Executive Committee votes to forward the action to the general membership for a majority vote to expel the member or relieve the officer of his/her duties. A majority vote is greater than 50 percent of members in good standing and present. A plurality vote is the greatest share of votes cast.

 

Article IV: Officers

Section 1: The officers of the HCYD shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Communications Director. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed by this Constitution and the Bylaws adopted by HCYD. No person may hold more than one office at a time. The collective of officers is known as the “Executive Committee.”

 

Section 2: The duties of the officers of the HCYD are as follows:

 

President: Presides over meetings of the Executive Committee and the general membership; exercises general managerial tasks with respect to the operation of the organization; establishes and terminates special committees as needed and appoints a chair to such special committees; shall be notified of each committee meeting; and shall exercise such other powers and duties as may be assigned to the office of President by other provisions of the Constitution and under the Bylaws.

 

Vice President: Presides over the organization in the absence of the President; oversees the schedule and the presentations of meetings of the general membership and programs outside of regular general membership meetings; shall be notified of each committee meeting; shall become President in case of the removal of the President from office or of his or her death or resignation; and shall exercise such other powers and duties as may be assigned to the office of Vice President by other provisions of the Constitution, under the Bylaws, and as delegated by the President.

 

Secretary: Transcribes minutes of the meetings; provides a written report of meetings of the Executive Committee and the general membership; shall maintain and set agenda for all HCYD meetings and Executive Board meetings; shall exercise such other powers and duties as may be assigned to the office of Secretary by other provisions of the Constitution, under the Bylaws, and as delegated by the President. 

 

Treasurer: Establishes procedures to handle disbursements and expenditures; tracks and reports all receipts and disbursements; maintains all financial records; should the need arise, prepares filing reports to the State Board of Elections; ensures financial records are open to inspection by any member of the HCYD at any reasonable time; and shall exercise such other powers and duties as may be assigned to the office of Treasurer by other provisions of the Constitution, under the Bylaws, and as delegated by the President. 

 

Communications Director: Maintains and updates all social media platforms, as well as the web page and email, of the Hamilton County Young Democrats, and updates each platform at a minimum of once weekly when applicable; uses said platforms to keep members engaged and informed on IYD and HCYD events and meetings (if/when applicable). The Communications Director shall endeavor to attend every officially convened meeting of the Executive Committee or designate a qualified proxy to serve instead.

 

Section 3: Unless the method of selection is otherwise identified under this Article, each officer will be elected by a plurality vote of present HCYD members in good standing, present, and voting. Each officer shall serve until his or her successor is elected and each officer’s term shall begin upon the adjournment of the meeting at which he or she was elected. 

 

Section 4: Only members in good standing at the time of the election shall be eligible to vote in elections. Members in good standing consist of those members who have completed their membership form fully and who have paid their dues to any member of the Executive Committee at least seven days prior to the election and those members who have paid their dues for the year prior to the election and who pay their current dues by the time of the election.

 

Section 5: Only members in good standing may run for office. No member may run for more than one office during a given election cycle.

 

Section 6: Elections must be held annually. Elections will be conducted over two meetings. Nominations will be held at the first of the two meetings. Nominees for office will be accepted from among members in good standing. The Secretary will record who is running for what office and create ballots for all members in good standing by the next meeting. At the meeting immediately following the nomination meeting, members in good standing will vote via secret ballot. The Secretary will tabulate the results with the Treasurer and will announce the winners by the end of the meeting. The meeting will stand in recess for the tabulation of ballots.

 

Section 7: In the event of a vacancy of an officer, HCYD may elect a replacement in accordance with the Bylaws. 

 

Section 8: Upon vacancy of an office provided for in Article IV, the following procedure should be enacted:

1. The President shall nominate a candidate to fill the vacancy within thirty (30) days following the vacancy.
2. The Executive Committee shall confirm the nomination within thirty (30) days of the nomination.
3. In the case of a vacancy in the position of the President, the Vice President shall take responsibility for nominating a candidate for replacement to be voted on by the Executive Committee
4. All nominees shall be confirmed by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. Once confirmed, replacement officers shall serve the remainder of the current term until elections are held again

 

Article V: Meetings

Section 1: Notice must be given to the Executive Committee and the general membership of each regular and special meeting.

 

Section 2: Regular HCYD meetings are conducted once per month, as decided by the Executive Committee. If more meetings are deemed necessary by the Executive Committee, membership must be notified one week (7 days) prior to the date of the new meeting.

 

Section 3: Regular and special meetings of the general membership may be canceled, postponed, or adjourned by the President with approval of a majority of the Executive Committee. 

 

Section 4: Thirty percent of HCYD’s members in good standing shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting business. A quorum shall be assumed unless challenged by a member in attendance. 

 

Article VI: Committees and Caucuses

Section 1: There will be an Executive Committee, the voting members of which shall be the officers of HCYD as defined in Article IV, Section 1. The Executive Committee meets at the call of the President or of any three members of the Executive Committee. Notice of the meeting shall be given to each member of the Executive Committee. Two of the five officers shall constitute a quorum for the purposes of conducting business. A quorum shall be assumed unless challenged by an Executive Committee member in attendance.

 

Article VII: Grievance and Disciplinary Proceedings

The Bylaws shall govern all disciplinary and grievance proceedings. (See Art. III, Sec. 4)

 

Article VIII: Amendments

This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of members in good standing, present, and voting provided, however, that all proposed changes have been provided to the general membership in writing at least twenty days in advance of the vote. Any proposed amendments not adopted at one of the three meetings following the meeting at which the proposed amendment was submitted to the general membership shall be considered rejected. 

 

Article IX: Bylaws

Bylaws further governing HCYD shall be passed as needed. Bylaws may be added, deleted, or amended by a majority vote of members in good standing, present, and voting provided, however, that all proposed changes have been provided to the general membership in writing at least twenty days in advance of the vote. 

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS & BYLAWS CHANGES

RESOLUTIONS