The governing document of the Miami-Dade Young Democrats
PREAMBLE
In order to stimulate interest in governmental affairs in young people; to perpetuate quality in elective office, to preserve the progressive and constructive traditions of the Democratic Party; to adopt 21st century approaches to deliberative bodies; to actively insure improvements to our environment; to provide progressive social reforms; to fight injustice wherever examined; to bequeath to our prosperity a better world than we inherited; we, the Miami-Dade Young Democrats, do associate ourselves and establish this Constitution.
Article I - Name and Definitions
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Miami-Dade Young Democrats, and it may hereinafter be referred to as MDYD.
Section 2. “Executive Board” or “Officers” or “Executive Officers” shall be defined by the elected members that constitute the Executive Board.
Section 3. “Leadership” shall refer to both the Executive Board and the appointed Directors. “Directorship” shall refer only to the appointed Directors.
Section 4. “General Meeting” and “Regular Meeting”, used interchangeably, shall refer to the monthly MDYD meetings consisting of active members, general members, the leadership team and other guests. “Leadership meeting” shall refer to a meeting of only the elected Executive board and the appointed Directors. “Executive Board meetings” shall refer to a meeting where only the Executive officers must be present.
Section 5. Digital voting shall be defined as any voting that takes place within a digital application, e-ballot software, chat-based polling, or any other such application that registers votes and where the tallies can be seen by all voting members.
Section 6. “Rolling” is defined as a continuous time frame. “Business hours” shall refer to9am-5pm, Monday through Friday. “Calendar days” shall refer to every day of the week including weekends.
Section 7. “Publicly” in reference to statements, remarks, opinions, comments or announcements will refer to the utilization of public websites, press releases, open letters, and/or social media posts. “Internally” shall refer to statements, remarks, opinions, comments or announcements made only in digital spaces where at a minimum, the leadership can access and comment, including but not limited to messaging software, such as chats, email and social media.
Section 8. “NPA races” shall mean non-partisan races, where candidates will not have their party registration present in electoral ballots.
Section 9. Vote tallies may be expressed in both fraction form or their decimal equivalents. Where three-fourths (3/4s) equals 75%, and two-thirds (2/3s) equals 66%. Simple majority is defined as 51%. Unanimous refers to 100%. “Supermajority” refers to 66%.
Article II - State Affiliation & Duties
Section 1. The Miami-Dade Young Democrats (MDYD) shall affiliate with and become a part of the Florida Young Democrats, which may hereinafter be referred to as the State Organization or FYD.
Section 2. It shall be mandatory that MDYD Officers participate in FYD elections. All other members are expected to participate in such elections.
Section 3. MDYD shall recharter with FYD on an annual basis.
Section 4. Communications between MDYD and FYD are conducted by the FYD South Florida Regional Officer.
Article III - Policy
Section 1. This organization shall support the nominees of the Democratic Party in national, state, and local campaigns. It should strive to conduct an aggressive local campaign in support of the nominees and the platform of the Democratic Party.
Section 2. This organization shall strive to represent the interests of young people, students, and curate a culture of civic engagement. It shall everywhere promote policies that are popular with the younger base of the Democratic Party, and advocate on behalf of their social, economic and cultural interests.
Section 3. This organization shall function continuously in order to develop leadership among young people and contribute continuously to their growth and influence within the Democratic Party.
Section 4. It shall be the policy of this organization to foster and encourage political activity among young people and to acquaint them with the programs of the Democratic Party.
Section 5. This organization shall maintain permanent records including credentials, financial records, reports of officers and committees, official correspondence, and other pertinent materials. Executive officers and directors shall retain all the above materials generated during their respective terms of office until the completion of their terms. Upon completion of the term of office, each executive officer and director shall deposit accumulated records with the incoming President, who shall maintain such files for the information of succeeding officers and directors. All records shall be open to review by any member of the Miami-Dade Young Democrats upon request at any time. All records are expected to be prepared and stored on a quarterly basis.
Section 6. The permanent records aforementioned in Section 5 shall be maintained and uploaded digitally, with easy access from incumbent Officers and Directors.1
Section 7. MDYD may publish a policy platform for County, State, and National politics proposed by any Leadership member, upon approval by 2/3s of the Leadership during a Leadership meeting or a simple majority at a General Body meeting.
Section 8. Digital voting, wherever it takes place, must constitute a minimum of 24 rolling hours before the poll closes. The leadership may propose an extension of the poll by up to 5 calendar days per resolution, following a majority vote (51%+) of the total leadership on the extension proposal.
Sub-Section 8.1 Upon receiving a request for extension, the poll in question shall be extended for an hour for the purpose of voting on the time allotted for the extension request. If less than two-thirds (2/3s) of the respective leadership votes for an extension proposal by the time the poll closes, then it must garner at least 66% of the vote in favor to pass.
Article IV - Endorsements
Section 1. Pursuant to FYD bylaws, MDYD shall not officially endorse candidates for office at any level of government until after the Democratic nominee has been selected in partisan races, except where Section 2 applies.. After the final result of a Democratic primary, the Miami-Dade Young Democrats may officially endorse candidates by an affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of membership present at any regular meeting. In NPA races, MDYD may endorse candidates by an affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of membership present at any regular meeting.
Section 2. MDYD may endorse candidates endorsed by the Miami-Dade Democratic Executive Committee (DEC), or in NPA races where there is only one registered Democrat, or in cases where there are no registered Democrats but at least one registered third party or NPA by simple majority (51%) of the leadership.
Section 3. An endorsement may be recalled and annulled by either a resolution proposed by an active member during any General Body meeting, or by any Director at any leadership meeting, or by any Officer over a digital vote.
Section 4. If an Officer or Director chooses to publicly endorse a Democratic Candidate during a PRIMARY election, they must issue at least one disclaimer, publicly, that it does not represent the views of MDYD as a whole and is expressly their opinion and theirs alone. If said Officer or Director does not issue a public disclaimer within one week (7 calendar days) of a public endorsement, regardless of method, it will result in automatic dismissal from their position and a public statement by MDYD announcing such removal. Volunteering for any campaigns is not grounds for automatic dismissal. Any Leadership person receiving MONETARY COMPENSATION, or participating in an (PAID or UNPAID) internship of any form, with a candidate or campaign must publicly disclose at a regular meeting and recuse themselves from any endorsement vote.
Section 5. Social Media activity such as retweeting, sharing or reposting from a declared candidate’s campaign activities or other digital activity does not necessarily constitute an endorsement, and is thus not subject to Section 3 without further investigation.
Section 6. Any candidate for public office not officially endorsed by MDYD shall refrain from using MDYD-sanctioned platforms to solicit members for donations or support unless exempted by unanimous vote of the Executive Board.
Article V - Membership
Section 1. Pursuant to FYD Bylaws, any person 18-36 years of age, and is a registered Democratic Party member, shall be fully eligible for active MDYD membership. Any other membership status may be contingent and limited.
Section 2. Membership shall be divided into two (2) categories:
Active Membership: Shall consist of persons who have reached the age of eighteen (18) and under the age of thirty-six (36); and who have paid their annual assessment. If said person is a student residing or attending a school in Miami-Dade County they are not required to be a registered voter of Miami-Dade-County to be an active member. Active members shall have the privilege to vote in General Body meetings and run for elected office, as well as eligible for appointment in a director position. Volunteers are welcomed and encouraged to participate no matter their status.
Honorary Membership: Shall consist of those appointed by the President and shall be conferred on any person who has rendered service of an outstanding character in the advancement of the ideals and principles of the Democratic Party or of this organization, by unanimous vote of the Executive Board at any Executive meeting or digital vote. Honorary membership may carry the privileges of voting and advising, but not hold elected office, they may be appointed only to non-Director administrative positions.
Article VI – Annual Assessment
The annual assessments for MDYD, due by the end of January of each calendar year, are as follows:
Active members shall pay the annual assessment in the amount of twenty dollars ($20). Student members, with valid student ID, shall pay the annual assessment in the amount of ten dollars ($10).
Military/Active Duty members, with valid ID, shall pay the annual assessment in the amount of ten dollars ($10).
The Leadership is suggested to provide recurring funding for the organization’s monthly operations through the following suggested scale:
Twenty-five dollars ($25) per month by the President, Twenty dollars ($20) per month by the remaining Officers, Fifteen dollars ($15) per month by the Directorship. This amount is not mandatory.
Honorary members shall pay the annual assessment in the amount of thirty dollars ($20) if they wish to hold voting privileges.
Article VII - Officers and Appointed Directors
Section 1. The Officers of this organization shall be as follows;
Elected Officers (voting members):
President
Executive Vice President
Vice-President of Finance
Vice-President of Communications
Vice-President of Government and Political Affairs
The Immediate Past President shall serve as a non-voting advisory member of the Executive Board. Any FYD or YDA elected officer from Miami-Dade County shall serve as non-voting advisory members of the Executive Board. Non-voting members shall not be counted for quorum or quorum-requirement purposes.
Section 2. No person shall be elected or appointed to office who would reach the age of thirty-six prior to the expiration of their term.
Section 3. Only persons identified as active members, in accordance with Article 5, Section 2, and who have paid their annual assessment at least six months prior to running, shall be eligible to run for an Executive Officer position.
Section 4. In each election, the following officers shall be elected to a term of two years (2), with said elections to be held at a special election General body meeting on the fourth Thursday of November. President, Executive Vice President, Vice-President of Finance, Vice-President of Communications and Vice-President of Government and Political Affairs shall be subject to an election. Terms begin on the first Thursday of December after the election of the new board of each election year.
Section 5. In the event that a vacancy exists in an Executive position during the two (2) year term after an election, the President will have the power to appoint any Active Member to fill the position with the unanimous consent of the remaining Officers.
Section 6. In the event that MDYD elections result in less than five Executive members being elected, the newly-elected President shall have the power to appoint remaining Executive positions and Directorship to fill vacancies. In the event of incapacitation of the incumbent MDYD President, the Executive Vice-President shall become acting President until the President resumes their post. In the event that the President resigns or the office is vacant, then the Executive Vice-President shall serve as acting President and determine a date for a special election within three months to fill the vacancy.
Section 7. The following directors shall be nominated by a member(s) of the Executive Board and confirmed by unanimous vote by the Executive Board:
Social Media Director
Public Relations Director
General Counsel
Credentials Director
Fundraising Director
Outreach Director
Events Director
Social Affairs Director
Community Service Director
Political Affairs Director
Government Affairs Director
Policy Communications Director
Programs Director
GOTV Director
Section 8. Non-director administrative positions shall be defined as Secretaries, and may include a General Secretary, a Press Secretary, and any other such Secretary positions to assist in administrative matters. These positions are optional and designed for assistance purposes only.
Section 9. The only requirement to be able to hold appointed office is a nomination by a member of the Executive Board and confirmation by unanimous vote of the Executive Board.
Section 10. The duties of any vacant Director position may be assumed by any other current Director or Executive by filling the position in an “acting” role until filled by nomination and confirmation of the Executive Board, or by the temporary allocation of specific responsibilities, assigned by the President and confirmed by a majority vote of the incumbent Leadership.
Section 11. The MDYD Organizational structure shall adopt the “Snowflake” model. As such The Executive Officer and Directorship structure is as follows:
MDYD Executive Board:
President
Executive Vice-President
VP of Communications
VP of Finance
VP of Government and Political Affairs
Administrative Committee:
President
Executive Vice-President
VP of Communications
VP of Finance
General Counsel
General Secretary
Credentials Director
Fundraising Committee:
VP of Finance
Fundraising Director
Finance Secretary (where appointed)
Outreach Committee:
Executive Vice-President
Outreach Director
Community Service Director
Social Affairs Director
Events Director
Fundraising Director
Communications Committee:
VP of Communications
Social Media Director
Public Relations Director
Policy Communications Director
Government and Political Affairs Committee:
VP of Government and Political Affairs
Political Affairs Director
Government Affairs Director
Political Development Director
Programs Director
GOTV Director
FYD Delegation:
State Committeeman
State Committeewoman
Section 12. All officers shall have the following responsibilities and duties:
I) Shall only hold one vote, even if they may hold more than one leadership position.
II) Shall be responsible for maintaining accurate records and transferring all records to newly elected officers.
III) Shall establish a Budget for the organization by the end of January each calendar year.
IV) Shall serve for a term of two (2) years or until their respective successors are elected.
V) Shall have the authority to make decisions on behalf of the Miami-Dade Young Democrats.
VI) between Leadership Team and General Meetings that are consistent with these Bylaws.
VII) Shall attend all Executive Board, Leadership Team, and General Meetings.
IX) Shall make every effort to recruit new members, including general volunteers, for active membership and participation in any committee and subcommittee.
X) Adhere to MDYD general and executive handbooks and executive expectations.
President:
I) Shall act as the chief ambassador of the Miami-Dade Young Democrats.
II) Shall preside over all regular Miami-Dade Young Democrats General, Executive Board, and Leadership Meetings.
III) Shall vote, along with the Executive Board, on confirmation of all nominated Directors.
IV) Shall coordinate the activities of the Executive Board and the respective Committees. And set mandates and issue memorandums.
V) Shall oversee all functions of the organization and shall maintain and update the MDYD Constitution and By-Laws.
VI) Shall have the power to appoint a General Secretary for the overseeing of Administrative activities.
VII) Shall assist the Executive Board and leaders of Subcommittees to the degree necessary.
VIII) Shall have all other responsibilities as seen fit.
Executive Vice-President:
I) Shall preside over all meetings in the absence of the President, except where they choose to delegate presiding to another Executive Board member.
II) Shall coordinate the activities of the following appointed positions: Community Service Director and Outreach Director.
III) Shall vote, along with the Executive Board, on confirmation of all nominated Directors.
IV) Shall recommend Outreach Committee-wide goals and mandates to the Executive Board and implement all plans decided upon by the Executive Board in coordination with the Outreach Director, Community Service Director, Social Affairs Director, Events Director and any appointed Outreach Coordinators.
V) Shall handle administrative duties in relation to community service and social affairs and appoint or assign an Outreach Secretary to assist in administrative duties.
VI) Shall have all duties as designated by the President or Outreach Handbook.
Vice-President of Finance:
I) Shall handle all finances for the organization.
II) Shall collect and deposit member dues on a monthly basis.
III) Shall keep and maintain financial records of the organization.
IV) Shall oversee all fundraising activities and appoint a Finance Secretary where needed.
V) Shall report all financial matters to the organization at each General and Executive Board meeting.VI) Shall coordinate the activities of the following appointed positions: Fundraising Director and Finance Secretary.
VII) Shall vote, along with the Executive Board, on the confirmation of all nominated Directors.
VIII) Shall turn over all MDYD financial records to the newly elected VP of Finance at the completion of term in office.
IX) Shall ensure all financial obligations are met with FYD, and other entities pursuant to contractual obligations.
X) Shall establish quarterly and annual fundraising goals with the Executive Board and make explicit recommendations.
XI) Shall head and organize a Fundraising Subcommittee to maintain cross-organizational financial reporting and coordination in order to maintain coherent, efficient, and disciplined action by the entire leadership.
XII) Shall have all duties as designated by the President or Finance Handbook.
Vice-President of Communications:
I) Shall serve as the external liaison and manager of all MDYD-related communications policy and strategy.
II) Shall appoint or assign a Communications Secretary position for administrative matters.
III) Shall take and maintain minutes and records of Executive Board, Leadership and General Meetings.
IV) Shall coordinate the activities of the following appointed position(s): Public Relations Director, and Social Media Director.
V) Shall vote, along with the Executive Board, on the confirmation of all nominated Directors.
VI) Shall set organizational goals for Social Media, Website, Content Creation, and all other matters relating to the Digital Sphere by heading a Communications Team organized alongside the President.
VII) Shall have all duties as designated by the President of Communications handbook.
VP of Government and Political Affairs
I) Shall serve as the executive chief of the Government and Political Affairs committee.
II) Shall coordinate and oversee all GOTV, Voter Outreach, State, County and Municipal legislative initiatives, in an effort to keep MDYD integrated with the Miami-Dade political community.
III) Shall oversee the design of MDYD policy platforms and recommended policy endorsements.
IV) Shall oversee the Endorsements process.
V) Shall have all other duties designated by the President.
Immediate Past President:
I) May serve as a member of the Executive Board.
II) May vote, along with the Executive Board, on all appointed Directors.
III) May have all duties as designated by the current President.
Section 13. The duties of any vacant Director position may be assumed by any other current Director or Executive by filling the position in an “acting” role until filled by nomination and confirmation of the Executive Board, or by the temporary allocation of specific responsibilities, assigned by the President and confirmed by a majority vote of the incumbent Executive Board.
Section 14. The duties of State Commiteeman and State Commiteewoman may be permanently granted to an existing Leadership Member following a nomination by an Executive and confirmed by majority vote from the current Executive Board.
Article VIII - Duties of Appointed Directors
Section 1. All directors shall submit biweekly reports in writing to the designated executive officer detailing all activities conducted in the previous two weeks, or provide relevant excuse for any lack of communication and/or reporting. All Directors are required to attend Leadership Team and General Meetings. Every Director is expected to adhere to the mandates of their respective subcommittee and implement plans, resolutions and activity in accordance to those mandates. They are expected to recruit volunteers for their subcommittee wherever necessary and relevant. All Directors are expected to participate in no less than one community service event per month.
State Committeeman and State Committeewoman
I) Shall represent the MDYD at all Florida Young Democrats (FYD) and Young Democrats of America (YDA) or other national Democrat organization functions.
II) Shall report to the MDYD regarding all FYD and YDA national and regional matters.
III) Shall be responsible for preparing chartering materials and for organizing and mobilizing the MDYD membership in participating at FYD and YDA national and regional meetings and conventions.
IV) Shall serve as members of the Leadership.
V) Shall serve as a member of the FYD (Florida Young Democrats) South Florida Regional Director’s Team.
VI) Shall have all other duties as designated by the President.
Government Affairs Director:
I) Shall act as the liaison between MDYD and elected officials on the local, state and national level.
II) Shall coordinate participation at commission, town hall, and advocacy meetings.
III) Shall formally invite elected officials for all meetings and events.
IV) Shall report to MDYD County and municipal-level governmental matters, such as resolutions and ordinances.
V) Shall organize all lobbying efforts for the organization.
VI) Shall have all duties as designated by the President.
VII) Shall maintain contact list of democratic elected officials in Miami-Dade County during executive board term (city, county, school board, state, federal).
VIII) Shall have all other duties designated by VP of Government and Political Affairs.
Political Affairs Director:
I) Shall act as the liaison between MDYD and candidates and/or political organizations by organizing and heading an Endorsements Subcommittee.
II) Shall coordinate candidate forums and political meet and greets in coordination with the Events Director wherever fit.
III) Shall formally invite candidates and political speakers for all meetings and events.
IV) Shall report to MDYD regarding all political campaign matters.
V) Shall organize all political campaign and/or endorsement efforts for the organization.
VI) Shall maintain a list of all County, State, and Federally filed or registered democratic candidates with point of contact during executive board term.
VII) Shall coordinate political training sessions.
VIII) Shall report on legislative activities at the State-level.
IX) Shall have all other duties designated by VP of Government and Political Affairs.
General Counsel:
I) Shall advise the executive board on a variety of issues based on compliance with club bylaws.
II) Shall have all other duties designated by the President.
General Secretary:
I) Shall coordinate with all other secretary positions to adhere towards administrative integrity.
II) Shall keep records and minutes of all Executive and Leadership meetings.
III) Shall report to the Executive Board the general administrative mishaps and recommend improvements.
IV) Shall have all other duties as designated by the President.
Community Service Director:
I) Shall act as the liaison between MDYD and community service and charitable organizations.
II) Shall coordinate community service opportunities for the MDYD.
III) Shall report to the MDYD regarding all community service-oriented activities.
IV) Shall maintain a 3-month calendar of all community service activities (list of activities and point of contact shall be made available to executive board).
V) Shall have all duties as designated by the Executive Vice-President.
VI) Shall actively recruit volunteers for each community service event and assemble consistent communication of such events to the rest of the Outreach committee.
Outreach Director:
I) Shall manage MDYD recruitment and coordinate outreach efforts.
II) Shall organize activities of the appointed Coordinators: Black American, Hispanic, LGBTQ+, College Dems, Teen Dems, Faith, Haitian, Women’s and other groups as part of an Constituents subcommittee.
III) Shall report to the Executive Vice-President regarding all outreach activities.
IV) Shall maintain a calendar of weekly outreach events and confirm MDYD attendees.
V) Shall actively participate in recruitment efforts and strategy of additional volunteers.
VI) Shall have all duties as designated by the President and Executive Vice-President.
GOTV Director:
I) Shall act as the liaison between MDYD and the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections.
II) Shall coordinate all voter registration activities for the organization, including organizing volunteers.
III) Shall maintain and update spreadsheets on all voter registration activities.
IV) Shall report to the MDYD all GOTV activities and events.
V) Shall have all duties as designated by the President.
VI) Shall maintain a calendar of all key dates provided by the Supervisor of Elections.
VII) Shall appoint the VR training team.
VIII) Shall be the primary manager of VAN access for turf allocation.
Social Affairs Director:
I) Shall act as the liaison between MDYD and professional, business, and social organizations, and keep steady contacts and networking of all sympathetic business owners.
II) Shall coordinate social and professional networking opportunities for the organization.
III) Shall coordinate annual awards events for the organization.
IV) Shall report to MDYD regarding all social activities.
V) Shall have all duties as designated by the President and Executive Vice-President.
Fundraising Director:
I) Shall coordinate all fundraising activities for the organization.
II) Shall report to the MDYD regarding all fundraising activities.
III) Shall have all duties as designated by the President and Vice-President of Finance.
Public Relations Director:
I) Shall serve as the contact and liaison between MDYD and print, radio, television, and other media outlets.
II) Shall be responsible for the creation and distribution of press releases, newsletters, and event flyers for the organization, after they are approved by the Executive Board.
III) Shall be responsible for creating, ordering and, storing all marketing materials and paraphernalia for the organization.
IV) Shall report to the MDYD regarding all marketing activities.
V) Shall form a Public Relations Subcommittee to include Press response and other activities.
VI) Shall appoint a Press Secretary.
VII) Shall maintain all media releases, newspaper articles, and TV appearances of the organization.
VIII) Shall be responsible for taking pictures at all MDYD meetings, events, and related activities.
IX) Shall have all duties as designated by the President and Vice-President of Communications.
Social Media Director:
I) Shall be responsible for the development and maintenance of the MDYD website, Facebook, Twitter, or any electronic social media as created and maintained by the MDYD.
II) Shall acquire approval of social media announcements, prior to posting, from President and Vice-President of Communications/Administration.
III) Shall report to the MDYD regarding all social media activities.
IV) Shall be responsible for taking pictures at all MDYD meetings, events, and related activities.
V) Shall have all duties as designated by the President and Vice-President of Communications.
Credentials Director:
I) Shall be responsible for maintaining and updating the General and Executive Board membership database.
II) Shall report to the MDYD all recruitment activities and events.
III) Shall be responsible for informing members of their membership status, eligibility for elected office and sending formal correspondences to members.
IV) Shall have other administrative duties, such as taking minutes during Leadership or General meetings.
V) Shall work with the General Counsel, under the leadership of the President, to organize and retain internal documentation and databases as well as perform reviews of membership and all other contacts as well as perform all other administrative duties.
VI) Shall have all duties as designated by the President.
Programs Director:
I) Shall coordinate all recruitment efforts for the organization.
II) Shall be responsible for creating a political strategy and program, in coordination with the GOTV Director, for the purpose of short-term political activities and electoral participation.
III) Shall develop a county-wide strategy, in coordination with the GOTV Director, for campaign strategy.
IV) Shall coordinate with the Outreach subcommittee for the recruitment of volunteers.
V) Shall have all duties as designated by the President.
Political Development Director:
I) Shall be responsible for MDYD strategy in coordination with the Political Affairs Director, for all matters pertaining to the development of political candidates.
II) Shall be responsible for MDYD strategy in coordination with the Program Director, for all matters pertaining to the development of local community leaders.
III) Shall be responsible for the implementation of an incubation program for candidates and political engagement.
IV) Shall have all duties as designated by the President.
Event Director:
I) Shall be responsible for coordinating any events, in coordination with the Outreach team, the Communications team, and the President to ensure the success of the given event.
II) Shall be responsible for MDYD strategy in and suggestion of a variety of events, including ideas for fundraising, community outreach, and all others as determined by the Outreach Team. Shall coordinate the resources of MDYD, in conjunction with the Finance Team to ensure the successful allocation of funds and resources for any event planning.
III) Shall be responsible for listing all guests invited to any event.
IV) Shall have all other duties delegated by the President.
Policy Communications Director:
I) Shall assemble consistent flow of content for use in Digital Execution.
II) Shall be final authority on wording on policy matters.
III) Shall be the primary liaison between Government and Political Affairs and Communications.
IV) Shall have all other duties delegated by the President or VP of Communications.
Section 2. Officers shall assume office upon the adjournment of the meeting at which they were elected or upon the effective date of their appointment. Appointed Directors shall be nominated by an Executive Officer and confirmed by the full Executive Board. Appointed directors shall nominate active members to serve as a Deputy or appoint Coordinators with consent from the Executive Board.
Section 3. In the event that there is a vacancy in the office of President, the Executive Vice President shall serve as the Interim President. The remainder of the President’s term shall be filled by way of a majority vote of all Active Members present at the next MDYD regular meeting.
Section 4. In the event of a vacancy of an elected office, the said officer shall notify the President in writing, or electronic mail. The President may appoint a member to carry out the duties of the office on an interim basis. The unexpired term shall be filled by a majority vote of all membership present at the next MDYD regular meeting.
Section 5. The duties of the Executive Officers and Directors shall be assigned by the By-Laws. Section 19. All officers and directors shall be active members of this organization. Section 20. An unexcused absence from three (3) consecutive executive board, leadership team, or regular meetings between elections by any Executive Officer shall automatically create a vacancy in that office. The President shall have the authority to grant or deny excused absences, subject to review by the executive board.
Article IX - Removal of Officers or Directors
Section 1. Any officer of this organization may be removed from office for misfeasance, malfeasance, or nonfeasance of assigned duties. Any Director, which serve at the pleasure of the Executive Board, may be removed or reassigned following a motion by an Executive Board member and majority vote by the Executive Board members.
Section 2. Any officer, including Executive board members of this organization may be removed from office due to incitement of hate speech as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as "public speech that expresses hate or encourages violence towards a person or group based on something such as race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation". In addition, any officer will have grounds for removal and public denouncement if they are accused of sexual harassment or assault.
Section 3. A signed petition of three-fourths (3/4) of the members of the Executive Board specifying the charges, shall be necessary to initiate removal proceedings. A Judicial Committee shall be appointed by the President (or Executive Vice President in case of charged President) of non-Executive team Active Members. The Judicial Committee will determine if the charges are valid.
Section 4. Upon receipt of the Judicial Committee’s recommendation, the President (or Executive Vice President in the case of an impeached President) shall call for a special meeting of the active membership to consider the charges. A notice of the meeting shall include a copy of the impeachment petition. Said officer shall be notified of the charges against him/her by certified mail at least 10 days prior to said special meeting.
Section 5. After a hearing at which both sides shall have the right to be heard, a special meeting of the active membership called by the president (or Executive Vice President in the Case of an impeached President) may, by a majority of those present, recommend removal of the officer in question from office.
Section 6. The officer being considered for removal shall report to the Executive Board for proceedings. Their decision shall be presented at the next general body meeting following the proceedings for final vote by a 2/3-majority of all active members present.
Section 7. Refer to Article IV, Section 4 on Endorsements. Any member caught engaging in undermining MDYD collective efforts will be subject to temporary or permanent expulsion from the organization. Membership may be permanently or temporarily revoked by the executive board following credible accusations of misconduct, harassment, hate speech, collusion with Republicans or any other obstruction to the goals and mandates of MDYD.
Section 8. If an elected Executive Board member or Appointed Director does not communicate with fellow board members and does not attend Leadership or General meetings, it shall be assumed that the member has abandoned their role and therefore leads to an automatic removal of office.
Section 9. Any Officer or Director can resign from their position by providing written notice to the President or, in the case of resignation by a President, by providing written notice to a majority of the Executive Board. Such resignation would take immediate effect unless a specific date for resignation is provided in which case the resignation shall take effect on the provided date. Resignations may be rejected by the Executive Board in some cases.
Section 10. Any Officer may be removed following unanimous vote by the rest of the Executive Board.
Article X - Proxies
Section 1. The use of proxies shall be prohibited in all MDYD proceedings except as stated in Article XII, Section 2.
Article XI – Finance Policies
Section 1. General Financial Policies:
The finances of the MDYD shall be maintained by the Vice-President of Finance. The MDYD Treasury shall be subject to a quality review audit at the end of the fiscal year by a person chosen by the President. This person shall not be a current MDYD active member and shall report the results of the audit in writing to the Executive Board within 30 days of the end of the current year. This report shall become a part of the permanent financial record of the organization. Any member may receive MDYD information upon formal request.
Section 2. Accounts Policy:
All MDYD accounts shall be maintained under the supervision of the Vice-President of Finance. Unless determined otherwise by the President or VP of Finance, these accounts shall be limited to a single checking and single savings account, with each account being maintained at the same financial institution. Withdrawals from any MDYD account shall be by check and require two signatures, one of which will be that of Vice-President of Finance and other will be the President.
Section 3. Reimbursement Policy:
The Vice-President of Finance is authorized to reimburse members of the MDYD for expenses incurred in the conduct of MDYD business providing the expense is a budgeted expense. Reimbursement for non-budgeted expenses or for expenses in excess of those allocated for that purpose shall require the approval of the Vice-President of Finance. The Vice-President of Finance shall maintain records documenting all reimbursements. Documenting records shall include receipts, description and purpose of expenditure, and the signatures of both the Vice-President of Finance and the party seeking reimbursement. Reimbursement expenses are those that further the interest of the MDYD. Reimbursements in excess of $200.00 shall also require the signature of the President. Upon request by any member, reimbursements exceeding $200.00 shall require the majority approval of the Executive Board.
Article XII - Quorum
Section 1. The quorum for Executive Board Meetings is four-fifths (4/5) of the Executive Board. Leadership Team Meetings is two-thirds of the Leadership (2/3).
Section 2. Exceptions to Quorum:
If any member of the Executive Board or Leadership is unable to attend a Leadership Team meeting, they may assign their vote to another member of the Executive Board or Leadership Team, but they must announce their intention to do so at least one calendar day in advance of the meeting and explicitly state their irrevocable intent to transfer their vote to a specific member in writing and provide this written notice to all other leadership members. The member to whom the vote is being transferred must then explicitly agree to the vote transfer in writing and provide this written notice to all other leadership members. In this case, the member transferring their vote shall be counted as present for quorum purposes.
Article XIII - Amendments
Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended by the affirmative vote of of the majority active Leadership. Quorum will be reached by presence of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the Leadership in regular Leadership meetings and may obtained by participation of at least two-thirds ( In the case of Digital Voting, the digital vote will be announced to the leadership by email at least 72 hours in advance of the opening of the vote and the vote shall be open for a minimum of 48 hours. A member of the active Leadership may formally request up to three (3) days to review proposed amendments after proposed amendments are presented in detail for a meeting to take place.
Section 2. Bylaws amendments may be formally proposed by the President in advance of a meeting at any time.
Section 3. No article, section or portion of these Bylaws may be waived or set aside except by amendment as provided in this article.
Section 4. An amendment shall become effective upon adoption.
Section 5. Where interpretation of a section, phrase, or word of the Bylaws is in dispute, the Executive Board shall obtain an advisory opinion from the General Counsel as to the disputed item. Upon review of the advisory opinion, a majority vote by the Executive Board shall constitute final authority on interpretation
Article XIV - Parliamentary Authority
The most recent version of Roberts Rules of Order shall govern all proceedings of this organization, except where its provisions are in conflict with the By-Laws or standing rules of the national, state or local organization.
Article XV - Effective Date
These bylaws shall take effect immediately upon its adoption and ratification by the MDYD Leadership. Any previous Constitution, Charter, or By-Laws shall be considered repealed upon the ratification hereof.