Charter Res. 10 (various riders)
Resolution on amendment of the Charter of Democrats Abroad
Proposed by Joseph Smallhoover (France)
WHEREAS, the Charter of Democrats Abroad requires a number of housekeeping amendments;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Charter of Democrats Abroad be amended as per the attached marked copy of the current Charter and the Riders attached thereto;
Proposed: March 23, 2017
RIDER 1
When acting in their official capacities, or in the event of the appearance thereof, the officers and members of the DPCA and its constituent bodies shall refrain from commenting in the media or otherwise publicly on the politics or policies of a host country or on the foreign policy of the United States with respect to a host country except for compelling reasons, and in any event shall preface any such comment as being their own opinion and not that of the Democratic Party or of the DPCA, unless either of the latter shall have adopted an official position on the question commented upon.
RIDER 2.4
In the event of the removal of the Chair, Vice Chair or Voting Representative of a Country Committee, such removal shall only result in removal from membership in the DPCA and shall not effect the member's position within the Country Committee in question; based on the removal, under the guidance of the Regional Vice Chair and International Counsel, the Country Committee should take whatever action it deems appropriate and in conformity with its charter and bylaws to remedy the issues that resulted in such removal, including the removal and replacement of the DPCA member in question.
RIDER 3.7
No proxy may be transferred or subdelegated by a proxyholder to another member for whatsoever reason unless the initial proxy specifically permits such transfer or subdelegation.
RIDER 6.2
In order to promote the development of Democrats Abroad within the Regions, the position of Regional Vice Chair shall rotate among the Country Committees such that it shall not be held by a member of Democrats Abroad from the same Country Committee for more than two consecutive terms, unless there is no candidate for the position from a different Country Committee.
Democrats Abroad Charter
Article One: Name; Purpose
Democrats Abroad, also known as the Democratic Party Committee Abroad ("DPCA"), is the organization that represents all United States citizens residing outside the United States who wish to adhere to the principles and wish to further the aims of the Democratic Party of the United States of America. The organization is recognized by the Democratic National Committee ("DNC") as the equivalent of a U.S. State Democratic Party Committee.
Democrats Abroad is a non-profit association organized and operating under the Uniform Unincorporated Nonprofit Association Act of 2000, D.C. Code §§ 29-971.01, et seq. Democrats Abroad's principal place of business is and will remain the District of Columbia.
For administrative purposes, Democrats Abroad is divided into Country Committees and Regions comprised of the members from within each such country and Region.
Membership in Democrats Abroad is open to all citizens of the United States of voting age (or who will be such before the next Federal election) who have declared themselves to be Democrats. Members of Democrats Abroad may also be members of a local DemocraticDemocrats Abroad Country Committee or organizing committee existing in the respective country or defined geographic area in which such member resides or works.
Neither Democrats Abroad nor any of its constituent units may participate in the political activities of any country other than the United States of America.
When acting in their official capacities, or in the event of the appearance thereof, the officers and members of the DPCA and its constituent bodies shall refrain from commenting in the media or otherwise publicly on the politics or policies of a host country or on the foreign policy of the United States with respect to a host country except for compelling reasons, and in any event shall preface any such comment as being their own opinion and not that of the Democratic Party or of the DPCA, unless either of the latter shall have adopted an official position on the question commented upon.
Article Two: Democratic Party Committee Abroad Section 2.1 (Duties and Responsibilities)
The Democratic Party Committee AbroadDPCA is the highest authority of Democrats Abroad and shall have general responsibility for the coordination and furtherance of the work and purposes of Democrats Abroad, including the Regional Committees and the Country Committees provided for below, and shall perform generally the functions of a State Democratic Party Committee, subject to the provisions of the Charter and Bylaws of the Democratic Party of the United States of America, the resolutions and other actions of the DNC, this Charter, and any Standing Resolutions of the DPCA.
In discharging its operating responsibilities, the DPCA shall:
act as a forum for the consideration of issues that relate to United States citizens residing abroad;
supervise activities of the Regions and Country Committees (and any subdivision thereof) in such matters as:
the nomination and election of Delegates to Democratic Party Conferences and Conventions;
2. the transmission of the views of Democrats Abroad to the DNC and vice versa, both on party affairs and policy;
especially in campaign years, the organization of voter registration campaigns and encouragement of Get Out the Vote activities, the handling of joint publicity and advertising, the acquisition and distribution of campaign literature and materials, the coordination of visits, and related matters;
cooperation with U.S. civic organizations and other U.S. political parties on nonpartisan and bipartisan programs;
the initiation of steps to organize new committees in countries or areas with a substantial number of resident United States citizens; and
the day-to-day operations of the Regions.
Section 2.2 (DPCA Membership)
The DPCA shall be composed of:
the Chair, the Vice Chair (or first Vice Chair if there are several Vice Chairs), and Voting Representatives of each Country Committee that has been admitted by Democrats Abroad;
the members of the DNC representing Democrats Abroad; and
the International Chair, International Vice Chair, International Treasurer, International Secretary, International Counsel, the Regional Vice Chairs and any other elected officers of the DPCA.
Section 2.3 (Election Standards)
Members of the DPCA shall be elected in accordance with the standards set forth in the Charter and Bylaws of the Democratic Party through processes that assure full, timely, and equal opportunity to participate. All elections shall be public and all ballots open to inspection.
The DPCA Executive Committee may adopt such rules for elections as it deems necessary from time to time. Such rules shall also apply to elections conducted by the Regions and the Country Committees.
Section 2.4 (Cessation of Membership)
A member may resign from the DPCA by written notice to the International Chair, and such resignation shall be effective immediately;
A DPCA member who ceases to have his or her principal residence abroad or (ii) has missed three (3) consecutive meetings of the DPCA shall be deemed to have resigned from the DPCA, including from any DPCA office under Section 2.2 above; provided, however, that a meeting attended in person by the Chair, Vice Chair, or Voting Representative of the Country Committee, or proxy holder from the same Country Committee, shall for these purposes also be considered as attended by the Chair, Vice Chair, or Voting Representative as the case may be;
After notice and opportunity for hearing and upon grounds found by the DPCA to constitute good and sufficient cause, it may remove a member by a two-thirds (2/3rds) vote. The Executive Committee shall adopt such rules of procedure as it deems necessary to ensure that the removal hearing is conducted in a fair manner. In the event of the removal of the Chair, Vice Chair or Voting Representative of a Country Committee, such removal shall only result in removal from membership in the DPCA and shall not effect the member's position within the Country Committee in question; based on the removal, under the guidance of the Regional Vice Chair and International Counsel, the Country Committee should take whatever action it deems appropriate and in conformity with its charter and bylaws to remedy the issues that resulted in such removal, including the removal and replacement of the DPCA member in question.
Article Three: Meetings
Section 3.1 (Calling of Meetings, including Electronic Meetings)
Meetings of the DPCA may be called by the International Chair, or by at least one-fourth (1/4th) of its members, or by a simple majority of the Executive Committee. In any event, a meeting shall be called in the first half of each year to approve the accounts of the previous year and take any such other action as may be appropriate and, in odd-numbered years, to elect officers. If, for whatever reason, the International Chair or International Vice Chair fails to call a meeting when required to do so, then the International Secretary shall call such meeting within thirty (30) days of the date required.
Section 3.2 (Date and Place)
Upon proposal of the International Chair at a duly constituted DPCA meeting, and after having invited all Country Committees at least forty-five (45) days in advance to submit non-binding bids, the date, time, and place of the annual DPCA meeting required under the previous Section shall be determined by majority vote of the Country Committees, DPCA officers, and DNC members present or represented at the meeting or participating by electronic vote (see Section 3.7). The Executive Committee may vote to change the date, time, or place for reasons it deems important.
Section 3.3 (Notice and Agenda)
Notice of each meeting, containing the place and time of the meeting and the agenda, shall be sent or given by the International Chair to each member of the DPCA not less than forty-five (45) days before the date of the meeting. Any member may request the International Chair in writing, not less than thirty (30) days before the meeting, to place additional items on the agenda, and shall simultaneously furnish the text of any resolutions proposed for adoption. The International Chair shall circulate such additional items and proposed resolutions, as well as other resolutions, to the members of the DPCA not less than fifteen (15) days before the meeting. Items may be added to the agenda at the meeting by majority vote of the members present or represented. To the extent not otherwise provided for herein, procedural questions shall be settled in accordance with the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order.
The International Chair may name a Resolutions Committee for the meeting to review any resolutions presented to the Chair as additional items for the agenda. The duty of the Resolutions Committee shall be to refine the language of proposed resolutions and obtain approval of the refined language from the person(s)/committee(s) submitting the proposed resolutions and to advise and make recommendations to the DPCA concerning the substance of the resolutions.