DPCA BYLAWS COMMITTEE FINAL RECOMMENDATION Bylaws/Charter Draft – Sept 2010
Submitted to DPCA Executive Committee September 6, 2010
Democrats Abroad Charter
[as adopted January 24, 1976] [Proposed Amendments for 2010-2011]
Article One General
Democrats Abroad is the organization which represents all United States citizens resident outside the United States who wish to adhere to the principles and further the aims of the Democratic Party of the United States of America.
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 Regions comprised of the members from within each such 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). Members of Democrats Abroad may also be members of a local Democratic Country Committee or organizing committee existing in the respective country or defined geographic area in which such member resides or works (subject to the terms of Section 5.8).
Neither Democrats Abroad nor any of its constituent units may participate in any manner in the political activities (understood in the broadest sense) of any country other than the United States of America.
Article Two Democratic Party Committee Abroad
Section 2.1 Duties and Responsibilities
The Democratic Party Committee Abroad ("DPCA") 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, 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, the resolutions and other actions of the Democratic National Committee ("DNC"), and this Charter and any Standing Resolutions of the DPCA.
In discharging its operating responsibilities, the DPCA
(a) shall act as a forum for the consideration of issues which relate to United States citizens resident abroad;
(b) shall supervise activities of the Regions, Country Committees (and any subdivision thereof) in such matters as:
1. 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;
3. 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;
4. cooperation with U.S. civic organizations and other U.S. political parties on nonpartisan and bipartisan programs;
5. the initiation of steps to organize new committees in countries or areas with a substantial number of resident United States citizens;
6. the day-to-day operations of the Regions.
Section 2.2 DPCA Membership
The DPCA shall be composed of:
(a) the Chair and the Vice Chair (or first Vice Chair if there are several Vice Chairs) of each Country Committee which has been admitted by Democrats Abroad;
(b) the members of the DNC representing Democrats Abroad;
(c) the International Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and Counsel and any other elected officers of the DPCA (including Regional Vice Chairs).
Section 2.3 Election Standards
(a) 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 which assure full, timely, and equal opportunity to participate. All elections shall be public and all ballots open to inspection.
(b) 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) A member may resign from the DPCA by written notice to the International Chair, and such resignation shall be effective immediately;
(b) A DPCA member who i) ceases to have his or her principal residence abroad or (ii) has failed to attend two of three 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 of a Country Committee shall for these purpose be considered as attended also by the Vice Chair, and vice versa;
(c) 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 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.