Bylaws

ARTICLE I: MISSION STATEMENT

 

It shall be the purpose of the John F. Kennedy Democratic Club of Franklin Township, Somerset County, hereinafter referred to as the Club, to contribute to the growth, prestige, and influence of the Democratic Party in municipal, county, state, and national elections.

 

ARTICLE II: DEFINITION AND PURPOSE

 

Section 1. The Democratic Party of Franklin Township shall be defined as the Franklin Township elected Somerset County committee persons and the Franklin Township Democratic Municipal Committee.

 

Section 2. The Club shall, in all its activities, be guided by the decisions and policies of the Franklin Township and Somerset County Democratic Committees and shall support the platform of the Party.

 

The Club will not sponsor or advertise commercial or private entities or events.

 

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

 

Section 1. Membership in the Club is open to all persons adhering to the purpose of the Club as described in Article II.

 

Section 2. Dues, to be determined by the Executive Committee, shall be payable annually. To be a member in good standing, a person must have paid his or her dues by January 31st.

 

 

Section 3. Dues paid September 1st through December 31st will maintain a membership in good standing through the next year and the following January (i.e., if paid in September of 2023, membership will be valid through January 31, 2025.) 

 

Section 4. Only members in good standing (membership dues paid in full) may vote at meetings of the JFK Club.

 

ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS

 

Section 1. The officers of the Club shall consist of president, 1st, 2nd and 3rd vice-presidents, treasurer, assistant treasurer, corresponding secretary, assistant corresponding secretary and recording secretary.

 

Section 2. Officers for open positions shall be elected at the January meeting and hold office, effective immediately, until their successors are elected. 

 

Section 3. Midterm vacancies of offices shall be filled, effective immediately by action of the Executive Committee, until the next election.

 

ARTICLE V: OFFICERS’ RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Section 1. President – Shall preside and maintain order at General Membership Club and Executive Committee meetings, serve as the administrative officer and tend to the day-to-day business of the Club.  She/he shall also, in conjunction with the Executive Committee, develop and set the agendas, make committee recommendations and appointments and serve as an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.

 

Section 2. 1st Vice President – Shall assume the responsibilities of the president in his or her absence.

 

Section 3. 2nd Vice President – Shall assume the position of the 1st vice president in his or her absence.

 

Section 4. 3rd Vice President – Shall assume the position of the 2nd vice president in his or her absence. Shall also assume the responsibilities of the sergeant-at-arms, by assisting the president in maintaining order at official meetings and events.

 

Section 5. Treasurer – Shall maintain an electronic ledger for income that clearly indicates the sources of all income by amount, name of source and date of deposit. Similarly, a record of disbursements shall be maintained clearly indicating to whom a disbursement was made, amount, check number and date of the disbursement or debit card charge. At each monthly meeting, the treasurer shall report to the members the status of the Club’s account. The Treasurer maintains the Club’s financial accounts and provides an annual report for distribution to members.

 

Section 6. Assistant Treasurer – Shall assume the position of the Treasurer in his or her absence.  Shall also assume responsibilities designated by the Club President or Treasurer for a division of responsibilities that best suits the objectives of the Treasurer position and the Club.

 

Section 7. Corresponding Secretary – Shall correspond with members by sending (1) a save-the-date email at least one week before each general membership meeting and (2) a meeting notice email, attaching the meeting agenda, draft minutes of previous meeting, and treasurer’s report at least 48 hours before the general membership meeting. The annual financial report shall be emailed to all Club members at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled date of the January Club meeting. 

 

The Corresponding Secretary shall forward to the membership emails sent to the Club email address from state and municipal representatives, the Somerset County Democratic Committee Executive Director, the Franklin Township Democratic Committee Chair as well as other individuals and organizations wishing to invite Club members to special events.

 

Section 8. Assistant Corresponding Secretary – Shall write and send thank you notes to meeting speakers and panelists and expressions of sympathy and acknowledgements of special occasions to Club members or the immediate relative of a member. Said correspondence shall be sent on JFK Club letterhead or JFK Club stationery when appropriate.

 

The Assistant Corresponding Secretary may send a greeting card as an expression of sympathy/concern (for death or illness) as well as an acknowledgement of a special occasion (i.e., birth, wedding, or anniversary) of members or the immediate relative of a member when appropriate.  The Assistant Corresponding Secretary may also send flowers or suitable expression of sympathy or acknowledgement of special occasion when appropriate and upon a majority vote by the Executive Committee.

 

The Assistant Corresponding Secretary shall assume the position of the Corresponding Secretary in his or her absence and shall assist the Corresponding Secretary in the completion of his or her duties when necessary.

 

Section 9. Recording Secretary – Shall be responsible for recording the minutes of the Executive Committee and general membership meetings and submitting same to each respective group for approval; be responsible for keeping a permanent (electronic) file of all minutes and pass along the electronic file to the subsequent duly elected recording secretary.

 

ARTICLE VI: NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

 

Section 1. The term for each elected officer shall be two (2) years.

 

Section 2. At the October meeting prior to the January elections, after having conferred with the Executive Committee, the president shall appoint a Nominating Committee of 5 to 7 members of the Club. The Nominating Committee shall solicit applications to replace those officers whose terms are expiring.

 

Section 3. Any Club member wishing to run for an office must submit a resume with qualifications to the Nominating Committee by the first Monday in December.

 

Section 4. The Nominating Committee shall screen applicants and, by majority vote, determine a slate of candidates. The slate shall be emailed to the Club members at least one week before the scheduled January meeting. The Nominating Committee shall present the candidates to the members at the January general membership meeting. The candidates shall have an opportunity to speak for a maximum of three (3) minutes, if they wish, and then answer any questions from the members.

 

Section 5. Nominations, including self-nominations, shall also be accepted from the floor at the January meeting, and these nominees also shall have an opportunity to speak for a maximum of three (3) minutes, if they wish, and then answer any questions from the members.

 

Section 6. If there are nominations from the floor at the January meeting, a ballot that will include space for write-ins will be provided and a vote conducted. In the event of a tie, another vote will be taken until a winner is determined. If there are no nominations from the floor, the members can vote by a show of hands, voice vote or by other means deemed appropriate.

 

ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS

 

Section 1. Meetings of the Club shall be held monthly, unless otherwise noticed.  Times and locations of meetings shall be established by the Executive Committee.  Special meetings may be called by the president, a quorum of the Executive Committee, or upon petition of a quorum of the Club members.

 

Section 2. General membership, Executive Committee and all other committee meetings may be held electronically. The technology used to conduct meetings will provide all members with the opportunity to participate. Additional platforms may be used to conduct voting or to aid in the conducting of meetings and elections.

 

Section 3. The corresponding secretary shall notify the Club members of all general membership meetings at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting.

 

Section 4. A quorum is required when an official action is taken at any general membership meeting.  A quorum, consisting of at least ten (10) members, shall be determined by the recording secretary. Absentee or proxy votes shall not be permitted.

 

Section 5. All questions of procedure, except as specifically set forth in these bylaws, shall be governed by the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.

 

ARTICLE VIII: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

 

Section 1. The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the Club and the municipal chairperson of the Franklin Township Democratic Party. The previous president may serve in an advisory capacity.

 

Section 2. The Executive Committee will confer with the president to help develop and set meeting agendas, make recommendations for committees, and tend to the day-to-day business of the Club.

 

Section 3. The Executive Committee shall meet as necessary to the call of the president or upon petition of three of its members. 

 

ARTICLE IX: FINANCE

 

Section 1. The funds of the Club shall be kept in an account in a depository designated by the Executive Committee.  The account shall be in the name of the “John F. Kennedy Democratic Club of Franklin Township.”  This account shall include collected membership dues and income from fundraising activities and contributions.

 

Section 2. The Club account shall be maintained by the treasurer.  Either the treasurer or the president shall sign checks authorizing the disbursement of funds.  The disbursement of funds shall always be by check, or debit/credit card or electronic transaction.

 

Section 3. Any disbursement of funds in excess of $100.00 shall be approved by a majority of the members of the Executive Committee.

 

 

Section 4. Refreshments, approved by the executive committee, purchased for Club general membership meetings, shall be reimbursed in full to the purchaser.

 

Section 5. The fiscal year of the Club shall begin on January 1 and end on December 31.

 

ARTICLE X: APPOINTED COMMITTEES

 

Section 1. The Program Committee shall make recommendations to the Executive Committee about topics for Club meetings, and seek out and tentatively schedule speakers. The Committee shall ensure that required equipment is available for presentations.

 

Section 2.  The Membership Committee shall recruit new members for the Club and encourage previous members to rejoin. Committee members shall also make recommendations to the Executive Committee for the creation of outreach materials to help increase membership.  

 

Section 3. The Special Events Committee shall assist with planning events such as the Club Picnic and Franklin Day Festival.

 

Section 4. The Digital Media and Communications Committee manages the Club’s website and social media accounts, aiming to publicize through these media services the following: Club information, dates and descriptions of events, and messages related to Democratic issues and values. Members also assist with other Club communication needs.

 

Section 5. The Bylaws Committee (ad hoc) shall review and prepare proposed amendments to the bylaws at least every 2 years, or as necessary.

 

Section 6. The Elections Committee, in conjunction with the Franklin Township campaign chair and the JFK Club Executive Committee, helps maximize voter turnout for Democratic candidates by working on these objectives to get out the vote (GOTV): registering new voters, canvassing, phoning Democrats reminding them to vote, and preparing and mailing vote by mail applications.

                        

ARTICLE XI: AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS

 

Section 1. To amend these bylaws, any of the following processes may be followed:

 

a. Discussion and adoption of proposed amendment(s) may take place at any regular or special general membership meeting of the Club.  

 

b. The Bylaws Committee shall review and prepare proposed amendments to the bylaws (as stated in Article X Section 5 above) and submit them to the Executive Committee for review. 

 

c. Any Club member may submit a proposed amendment(s) to the bylaws and submit them to the Executive Committee for review.

 

d. Upon the Executive Committee’s approval, the bylaws with the proposed amendment(s) shall be electronically distributed to the full Club membership at least 14 days before the next full general membership meeting.  During that meeting the proposed amendments shall be discussed and, if appropriate, voted upon.

 

Section 2. Adoption of amendments shall require a 2/3 membership approval vote when a quorum is present.

 

These Bylaws were previously adopted by the Club on February 8, 2021.

 

These amended Bylaws, updated on December 13, 2023 for full Club membership review, were approved/adopted on January 8, 2024.