The purpose of this Club is to elect Democrats, strengthen the party, and improve it from within.

ARTICLE III

Membership

Membership is available to anyone regardless of race, color, creed, gender, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, economic status, or any other reason unrelated to discriminatory practices.

Section 1. 

There are four types of membership into the Democratic Club of Claremont: Individual, Family, Contributing, and Patron (the latter three enabling one to add or “bundle” other people as members with one payment). Hardship waivers are also available upon request. Memberships will be renewed annually, with membership lapsing after 30 days of nonrenewal. Everyone renews January 1-15^th of each year. Notice sent to members who join midyear.

Section 2. Voting Rights

Only members possess the right to vote on club business. Members possess the right to vote on club business provided that their membership has not lapsed, that they are registered Democrats, and that they meet any other eligibility requirements specified in these bylaws (for instance, in some cases, they must have been club members for at least 30 days, as in articles IV(2g), X(g), and XI(1b))

Section 3. Lifetime Memberships

Lifetime memberships were discontinued as of 6/19/2021. Members who already paid for them are grandfathered in.

ARTICLE IV

Officers

Section 1. Officers and Duties. Elected Officers shall consist of the President, Vice President Program and Issues, Vice President Membership, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed in these By Laws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Club.

• a.  The President shall:
• 1.  implement the policies of the Club, the Executive Board, and the General Membership;
• 2.  be the liaison to the community;
• 3.  preside at the Executive Board and General Membership meetings;
• 4.  handle day-to-day operations of the club;
• 5.  appoint club members to fill unexpired terms of Executive Board officers within 30 days of the vacancy, subject to General Membership approval no more than 30 days after the appointment.
• 6.  appoint a political strategy committee chair, subject to General Membership approval no more than 30 days after appointment.
• b.  The Vice President for Programs and Issues shall:
• 1.  serve in the absence of the President and serve as President when the office is vacated until a replacement is elected;
• 2.  chair the Program and Issues Committee; and
• 3.  select, publicize, and introduce speakers at meetings.
• c.  The Vice President for Membership shall:
• 1.  serve as president in the absence of the president and vice president for programs and issues
• 2.  chair the Membership Committee;
• 3.  credential voters at meetings, count votes, and ensure compliance with special rules of order established for voting
• 4.  report on membership and introduce new members at club meetings.
• d.  The Recording Secretary shall:
• 1.  take the Minutes of the Executive Board and the General Membership meetings;
• 2.  provide copies (emailed or printed) of Minutes prior to the next Executive Board and General Membership meetings;
• 3.  provide copies of all approved Minutes to the web master to post on the Club's website and;
• 4.  maintain records of the Club.

e. The Treasurer shall:

• 1.  serve as the Chair of the Finance Committee;
• 2.  collect dues, make payments and issue receipts;
• 3.  maintain and archive all financial records;
• 4.  have custody of all funds and disburse funds as authorized;
• 5.  prepare and present reports at the Executive Board and General Membership meetings; and 6. prepare and submit the Club's Federal and State financial reports as required by law; and ensure that club activities and payments comply with campaign finance laws.
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• Section 2. Nomination of Officers

• a.   The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of three to five active members for approval at the October Executive Board meeting in even numbered years;
• b.  Nominating Committee members are ineligible for elected Executive Board positions in the upcoming January elections or for appointment to the Executive Board for six months;
• c.  The Nominating Committee shall develop a slate of candidates for each elected office, all of whom must be active members;;
• d.  Self-nominations from the floor shall be permitted only at the November General Membership meeting; once the period for self- nominations closes at that meeting, the nominations for each elected office are fixed;
• e.  The General Membership shall be notified of the elections by email, and other means at least 30 days prior to the January Election meeting (Article VII, section 3); and
• f.  Each candidate shall be allowed a one-page statement in the notification of the Election.
• g.  Voting eligibility is the same as it is for endorsements (see Article X, g).

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  Section 3. Election of Officers, Eligible Voters, Term of Office and Removal from Office

• a.  The Chair of the Nominating Committee shall conduct the election of Club officers.
• b.  Elections shall:
• 1.  be conducted at the January Election meeting in odd numbered years; and
• 2.  be conducted by secret ballot,

• c.  Winning candidates will be determined by a plurality of the votes cast by eligible members present at the meeting;
• d.  Newly elected officers will begin their terms immediately;
• e.  Eligible voters must be present and have paid their dues 30 days prior to the vote;
• f.  Term of office shall be two consecutive years; and
• g.  Removal of an officer requires a majority vote by secret ballot of the General Membership.

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  Section 4. Limitations on Holding Office

• a.  No member shall hold more than one office at a time; and
• b.  Club officers elected to two-year terms shall be eligible to continue serving in those positions as long as elected with the exception of the elected president who shall serve no more than two consecutive terms

ARTICLE V

• The Executive Board

  Section 1. The Executive Board consists of the five elected officers (president, vice-president for programs and issues, vice-president for membership, recording secretary and treasurer) plus the political strategy committee chair who is appointed by the president, subject to General Membership approval no more than 30 days after the appointment. The political strategy committee chair votes and is counted in the quorum for the Executive Board.

  Section 2. The Executive Board shall handle the club’s day-to-day operations, fix the hours and places of the meetings, make recommendations to the General Membership, and perform other duties as specified in these bylaws.

  Section 3. Board Meetings. Regular meetings of the Executive Board shall be held monthly except in July, August and December. Special meetings of  the Executive Board may be called by the president or the Executive Board. Section 4. A quorum for the Executive Committee is defined as a minimum of three members being present.

  ARTICLE VI

  Committees

  Since committees are the training ground for our club’s future leaders, it is the collective responsibility of the Executive Board to make good faith efforts to fully staff them.

  Section 1. Finance Committee. The treasurer shall chair the committee and help recruit two other members for it. Those members shall be appointed by the president, subject to Executive Board approval. The committee will prepare an annual budget each January and submit it for Executive Board approval in February. It will prepare and submit all campaign finance reports. It will handle banking and financial transactions. It will ensure compliance with campaign finance laws.

  Section 2. Program and Issues Committee. The vice president for programs and issues shall chair the committee and help recruit two other members for it. Those members shall be appointed by the president, subject to Executive Board approval. The committee will plan club programs and evaluate issues for discussion and potential further action.

  Section 3. Membership Committee. The vice president for membership shall chair the committee and help recruit two other members for it. Those members shall be appointed by the president, subject to Executive Board approval. The committee will oversee membership renewals and try to gain new club members. It will credential voters at meetings, count votes, and ensure compliance with special rules of order established for voting. It will maintain club lists and member data.

  Section 4. Political Strategy Committee. The political strategy chair is appointed by the president to the Executive Board, subject to General Membership approval no more than 30 days after appointment. The chair shall help recruit four other members for the committee. Those members shall be appointed by the president, subject to Executive Board approval. The committee shall oversee endorsements, legislative lobbying, and field operations in support of our endorsed candidates and ballot measures.

  ARTICLE VII

  Meetings

  Section 1. Regular Meetings. The regular meetings of the club and of the club's Executive Board shall be held monthly except in July, August, and December. All or part of the Executive Board meeting maybe conducted in closed session in order to conduct sensitive and confidential Club business.

  Section 2. Election Meeting. A regular meeting shall be scheduled in January of odd-numbered years for the purpose of electing club officers and other business. This meeting shall be known as the Election Meeting and is subject to the Article IV, section 2 notice requirement.

  Section 3. Special Meetings may be called by the president or at the request of a majority of the Executive Board or ten members of the club. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the written request, which will be sent to all members at least five days prior to the meeting.

  Section 4. Endorsement Meetings. The club shall hold special endorsement meetings to issue candidate endorsements or support for ballot initiatives pursuant to Article X. The Executive Board may establish special rules of order for these meetings, subject to the notice requirements of Article X. Section 5. Electronic Means. Club meetings may be conducted in the more traditional in-person mode or electronically. An electronic meeting may be conducted by email, telephone, or web. Club members who cannot participate in person have the right to participate electronically. All electronic meetings shall be conducted in full accordance with Robert's Rules of Order.

  Section 6. The time and place for all public meetings shall be publicized five (5) days in advance.

  ARTICLE VIII

  Parliamentary Authority

  The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Club unless superseded by these bylaws or any special rules of order the club may adopt.

  ARTICLE IX

  Amending of By-Laws

  Bylaws may be amended by this procedure: Upon due notice, a 60% vote of the Executive Board, and then, upon due notice, a majority vote at the next General Membership meeting. Due notice shall be defined as the submission of the proposed amendment not less than five days prior to a vote. The amended Bylaws shall be effective immediately at the completion of the above procedure.

  ARTICLE X

  Endorsements

  The Club may endorse a candidate for public office or a ballot measure position on an issue, provided that:

• a.     The candidate or sponsor of the ballot measure is a registered Democrat. Candidates must represent Claremont. Ballot measures must cover Claremont.
• b.    The political strategy chair shall invite Democratic candidates for local public offices to seek the club’s endorsement.
• c.     The political strategy committee  may conduct additional special meetings for candidate (interviews and issue recommendations to the Executive Board; the Executive Board will conduct additional special meetings to issue recommendations to the General Membership, and an Endorsement meeting (Article VII, section 4) of the General Membership will be held no earlier than 90 days prior to, and no later than 30 days following, the filing date. These meetings and the discussions leading to recommendations and decisions are open to club members.
• d.    If approved by the Executive Board, the candidate or sponsor of the ballot measure shall seek the General Membership’s approval at an Endorsement meeting (Article VII, section 4).
• e.     The Executive Board’s recommendation can be overturned by a sixty percent (60%) vote of eligible voters (see item f below). If the Board’s recommendation is overturned, then another candidate may win the Club’s endorsement with a sixty percent (60%) vote of the membership. Otherwise, the Club will make no endorsement in that race.
• f.     An eligible voter is one who has joined the Club and paid dues, with dues received or postmarked at least thirty (30) days prior to the endorsement vote and is in attendance electronically or in person.
• g.     If an endorsement is uncontested, it will be decided by a show of hands; otherwise, it will be decided by a secret ballot.
• h.     The vote choices shall be to endorse, not to endorse (no candidate is acceptable), or no position(neutral)
• i.    At least two persons shall be appointed to count votes.

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  ARTICLE XI

  Section 1: Structure. Resolutions must be no more than 500 words and no more than two directive (“Resolved”) clauses. They must also name a sponsor, who must be an eligible voting member of the club, as defined in Article X section f.

  Section 2: Timeline.

• a.  Resolutions must be submitted to the president at least seven calendar days prior to the next political strategy committee meeting for consideration at that meeting.
• b.  The political strategy committee will then issue recommendations to the Executive Board, which decides whether to include them on the agenda for the next General Membership meeting.
• c.  Resolutions not evaluated by the political strategy committee may not advance to the Executive Board or the General Membership.
• d.  Resolutions not evaluated by the Executive Board may not advance to the General Membership.

• Section 3 Late submissions.

• a.  The political strategy committee may review late submissions at its discretion and recommend them to the Executive Board provided that its recommendation is unanimous and made prior to the five-day notice requirement specified in Article VII, section 6, for Executive Board meetings.
• b.  If the political strategy committee recommendation is not unanimous but still supported by a majority, then the submissions may still advance to the Executive Board provided that fifteen (15) eligible voting members of the club, as defined in Article X (f), sign as co-sponsors prior to the five-day notice requirement specified in Article VII, section 6, for Executive Board meetings.

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  ARTICLE XII

  (including the title) with no more than three introductory (“Whereas”) clauses

  Effective Date

  These By-Laws shall become effective immediately upon their adoption by the General Membership of the Club.

  ARTICLE XIII

  Conflict of Interest

  Whenever a Club officer or member has a financial interest coming before the Executive Board or General Membership the Board shall ensure that:

• a.  The financial interest of such officer or member is fully disclosed to the Executive Board and General Membership.
• b.  Such officer or member with a financial interest shall be allowed to speak to the matter, but shall not be allowed to make or second any motion concerning the matter and shall not be allowed to vote on any motion concerning the matter.

ARTICLE XIV

Non-Discrimination Policy

All DCC public activities shall be open to all persons regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, gender, age, religion, ethnic identity, sexual orientation or economic status. Such activities shall be held in places accessible to the membership, including the disabled, and large enough to accommodate all interested persons. This article is enforceable through the appended club Grievance Procedures and Anti-Harassment Policy.

Certified by Anne K. Turner, Club President as adopted and amended, 08/18/2025

                                    , Club President 08/18/2025