Final YDM Standing Committee on Bylaws Report

8/3/2019 Final YDM Standing Committee on Bylaws Report

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Rules &

BylawsCommittee

Report

2012

Over the last few months the Rules and Bylaws Committee has heldmeetings and discussions with chapter leaders and members todiscuss any changes to the current governing documents of the

Young Democrats of Maryland. Attached is our committee report forconsideration.

Joseph Kitchen, Chairman ~ Trey Evans, Co-ChairMembers

Barbara Henderson, Daniel Ewald, Durand Ford, John Gallagher,Hamaza Khan, Erin Schurmann, Manley Calhoun


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Add an additional item under section IV which states:

No person may hold more than one office elected by the general body on the ExecutiveBoard.

This amendment is straight forward, it writes into the bylaws a prohibition of any one member,holding more than one elected seat on the Executive/Board of Directors. This amendmenthowever will not prohibit a member elected to one of the seven statewide offices from also beinga caucus leader.

4. PROHIBITION OF ENDORSEMENT IN CHAPTER AND CAUCUS

ELECTIONS

Add an additional item under section IV which states:

Neither the YDM Executive Board, nor a member of the board, may endorse in contestedlocal chapter or state caucus election, unless they, themselves are members of that localchapter.

Members of the Executive Board will no longer be allowed to endorse candidates in contestedlocal chapter or state caucus elections. This amendment however provides the safe guard thatallows statewide officers to support candidates of their choice in their own local chapters.

5. REMOVAL OF REQUIREMENT FOR SUBMISSION OF CHAPTER

FINANCIAL DATAAlter section III. C. 4. as follows:4. Local chapters must report the state of their finances to the YDM Treasurer one times a year.Present re-chartering documentation to the Executive Board no later than thirty (30) days beforethe annual convention.

The current rule requiring chapters to submit financial documentation to the state annually hasnever been followed or enforced by the statewide organization. This amendment removes thatrequirement, but sets in stone a re-chartering process for local chapters, similar to that ofcaucuses, that will help the statewide leaders have an accurate view of the state of theorganization. By making this process annual, it allows the state board to gather the necessaryre-charting documentation they would need to re-charter with the Young Democrats of America.

6. ADDITION OF CAUCUSES TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARDAdd an additional item under section IV A. which states:

The chairmen of all established caucuses shall be considered members of the board andshall be entitled to vote. However, these members of the board will not count towards thequorum needed for the executive board to conduct meetings.

Alter section V. D. as follows:


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Quorum: At any meeting, a quorum shall consist of sixty percent (60%) fifty-one percent (51%)of the Executive Board members who are eligible to vote, present in person. Chairmen ofcaucuses shall not be counted, for or against, when determining quorum. A majority voteshall consist of 51 percent (51%) of those present and entitled to vote at the meeting, except asotherwise provided by law or in these Bylaws.

Add an additional item under section IV which states:No member of the board may cast more than one vote by virtue of holding multipleoffices on the board.

This amendment will bring our bylaws in line with the Young Democrats of America to ensurethat any person who may hold more than one seat on the Executive/Board of Directors (in thecase of a board member who is also a caucus chair) will not cast more than one vote. This isthe current process for our National Committeewoman who is also a YDA National CommitteeChair. Technically she has two votes on the national committee, but because of this rule she

can only cast one.

7. AT-LARGE MEMBER OFFICE RESTRICTIONS

Alter Section III. D. as follows:At-Large Members: If a person is unable to join a local club and are unable or unwilling to createa new club, they may be considered as an at-large member of YDM. Effort should be expendedby the Executive Board to ensure that anybody interested in joining or starting a local club isable to do so. To be recognized as an At-Large member, a person must send an email to theYDM President requesting to be recognized as an At-Large member. The YDM President shallnotify the Executive Board of the new At-Large member. At-Large members shall reserve allrights and responsibilities of regular members with the exception of holding the officesof President or Executive Vice President.

This amendment helps us ensure that members holding the two highest offices in ourorganization are tied to YDM by an established chapter. It also ensures that all at-largemembers understand aside from this exception, they have all other rights and responsibilities ofmembers of the organization.

8. REPRESENTATION OF YDM IN THE ABSENCE OF A PRESIDENTAlter section IV. A. 2. as follows:The Executive Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President if the President is unableto do so or is absent, and perform such other tasks as may be assigned by the Executive Board;shall be an ex-officio member of all committees; shall be the Chairperson of the BylawsCommittee; and shall be responsible for chapter-building duties around the State. In the eventthat the office of the President becomes vacant, the Vice-President shall automatically becomePresident. The Executive Vice-President may represent YDM to other organizationsincluding but not limited to the Maryland Democratic Party and Young Democrats ofAmerica in the event the President is absent.


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Our president is pulled in a lot of different directions all the time. This bylaw amendment spells

out the duties of the Executive Vice-President should the President be unable to attendmeetings on behalf of the organization.

9. VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMS SUCCESSIONAlter section IV. A. 5. as follows:The Vice-President of Programming shall plan and coordinate programs of an educational, civicor social nature for YDM members; shall serve as chair of the programming committee; shall sitas Vice-Chair of the Fundraising Committee; shall work with the Treasurer to coordinate allYDM fundraising efforts and create a fundraising plan to be approved by the Executive Board;and shall create a program calendar, to be approved by the Executive Board. In the event of avacancy in both the offices of President and Executive Vice President, the Vice Presidentof Programming shall serve as acting president until a successor is elected pursuant tothese bylaws.

The current bylaws outline the process the organization will undertake in the event both thePresident and Executive Vice President are unable to complete their terms in office. Thisamendment makes the Vice President of Programs an interim leader until such time as theorganization is able to meet and elect a new President under the current bylaws.

10. CHANGE OF AGE RESTRICTIONAlter section III A. as follows:Membership Requirements: Any registered Democrat who resides or works in the State ofMaryland and who has not reached his or her thirty-sixth (36th) fortieth (40th) birthday iseligible for full membership in YDM. A person must be member of a local club or must be an at-large member (as defined in this document) to be eligible for membership in YDM. Localbranches of YDM may offer associate or honorary membership to those above thirty-six (36)forty (40) years of age, but such members may not run for office or vote. Members over theage of thirty-six (36) may not represent YDM nationally or regionally, including, but not limited tothe role of delegate at the YDA national convention.

Add an additional item under IV. A. stating:No person may be elected to the executive board who is or will become thirty-six (36)before the completion of their term.

This amendment lifts the age limit of the Young Democrats of Maryland back to forty as it wasbefore we lowered two years ago. This amendment takes into account that almost all of ourolder chapters have an age limit higher than the current statewide level. Included in thisamendment are protections against these members from representing the organization on thenational level.

11. ABILITY OF BYLAWS COMMITTEE TO HEAR APPEALS

Alter section IV. A. as follows:


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Bylaws Committee: The Bylaws Committee shall be chaired by the Executive Vice-President

and shall consist of at least three (3) members. The Bylaws Committee shall be responsible forreviewing the Bylaws at least once per year and recommending any necessary changes to theExecutive Board. All amendments to the Bylaws must be reviewed before the Bylaws committeebefore going before the Executive Board. In the event an issue arises where the meaning ofthese bylaws or of YDM is in question, this committee shall meet to settle the dispute.

Under our current bylaws we have no body in place that hears disputes over the rules of ourorganization. This amendment takes the current Bylaws Committee and establishes it as thebody that not only regularly reviews the bylaws but will hear appeals and make decisions in theevent an appeal is made.

12. Creation of the Standing Committee on the ConventionAdd section E to VI as follows:Convention Committee:The Convention Committee shall be chaired by the ExecutiveVice President and consist of the Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President of Programs, andany other such member as maybe appointed by the President. The ConventionCommittee shall, in conjunction with the Board of Directors, select the host site for theannual convention. The committee shall also plan and organize the annual convention.The President shall reserve the right to appoint another member to chair this committeeat their discretion, after informing the Executive Vice President and Board of Directors oftheir decision to do so.

This amendment will help YDM continue to professionalize our annual convention that beganunder our previous president by adding a standing committee that will plan the event. Undercurrent procedures we establish and appoint a committee three to four months out from aconvention that has to identify a site, plan the convention and then execute it. This amendmentmakes the planning of that event a year round process with a body in place to carry it out andmakes the Executive Vice-President the chair. This amendment also adds the Secretary,

Treasurer and Vice President of Programs to the committee. It also allows other members toserve at the discretion of the president as we currently have in place. This amendment gives thepresident the right to appoint another chair of this committee at their discretion. Examples of thatdiscretion include but should not be limited to the case of an Executive Vice-President who doesnot wish to chair the committee or the incumbent is a candidate for President. This amendmentbasically puts into writing what has been the unofficial practice of the organization for the lasttwo years.

13. CHANGE NAME OF EXECUTIVE BOARDChange all instances of Executive Board to Board of Directors.

14. CHANGE NAME OF BYLAWSChange all instances of Bylaws to Rules and Bylaws.


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This amendment basically changes the name of the Bylaws Committee to the Rules and Bylaws

Committee. The current board has begun a process of not seeking to amend the bylaws everytime we see the need to outline a procedure we use to make the decisions but instead createStandard Operating Procedures, or rules. Adding this title to the committee will hopefully helpencourage the group to look at ways to not necessarily rewrite the bylaws every year or two butuse the outline framework to develop rules that will meet the same goals.

14. FIX UNCLEAR PRONOUNSChange all instances of chairman or chairmen to chair or chairs, respectively.


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BYLAWS

Of

Young Democrats of Maryland

I. Name, Affiliations and Purposes: The name of this organization shall be the YoungDemocrats of Maryland, hereafter referred to as YDM.

A. It shall maintain an affiliation with Young Democrats of America (YDA).B. It shall be the official youth representative of the Maryland Democratic Party.C. It shall:

1. Stimulate in young people an active interest in governmental affairs2. Develop members leadership skills3. Contribute to the growth and leadership of the Democratic Party

4. Promote youth involvement in the Democratic Party throughout the Stateof Maryland5. Facilitate the growth of local chapters of the organization.

II. Principal Office of the Organization: The principal office of the Organization shall bedesignated by the Board of Directors.

III. Membership:A. Membership Requirements: Any registered Democrat who resides or works in

the State of Maryland and who has not reached his or her fortieth (36th) fortieth(40th) birthday is eligible for full membership in YDM. A person must be memberof a local club or must be an at-large member (as defined in this document) to beeligible for membership in YDM. Local branches of YDM may offer associate orhonorary membership to those above thirty-six (36) forty (40) years of age, butsuch members may not run for office or vote.

B. Local Chapters: Local chapters shall be defined as a county chapter or a

educational chapter. Local chapters may create their own message and platformbut should attempt to use the coordinated message from the YDM1. A county chaptershall consist of the area covered by a county, city,

region or larger organizational district, and club members must beresidents of that area or attend school in that area. These chapters shallhave the right to set dues for their members and will be considered theparent chapter for chapters in local High Schools which fall in their area.

2. An educational chaptershall consist of a Young Democrats group at aCommunity College, College, University, or Professional school. Thereshall only be one YDM chartered group per campus. If two on-campusgroups both want to be chartered under YDM, the YDM Board ofDirectors shall evaluate and decide which group shall have the first rightto charter under YDM.

3. Local Chapter Endorsements: A county chapter may endorse acandidate for office solely in their county if the following steps are met:a. A local chapter must submit an endorsement process to the YDM

Board of Directors for approval before issuing any endorsement ofcandidates. The Board of Directors reserves the right to veto anendorsement process.

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C. Local Chapter Recognition: In order for a local club to be a recognized body in

YDM, it must:1. Submit a copy of its Bylaws to the Secretary of YDM2. Submit a list of all members including name, address, date of birth, phone

number and e-mail address to the Secretary of YDM. This list must beupdated every year.

3. Hold at least six meetings annually in different months4. Present re-chartering documentation to the Board of Directors no later

than thirty (30) days before the annual convention.

In Addition:

1. Chapter Bylaws may not contradict the YDM Bylaws.2. While Chapter President, a member may not be the President of YDM.

D. At-Large Members: If a person is unable to join a local club and are unable or unwilling

to create a new club, they may be considered as an at-large member of YDM. Effort shouldbe expended by the Board of Directors to ensure that anybody interested in joining orstarting a local club is able to do so. To be recognized as an At-Large member, a personmust send an email to the YDM President requesting to be recognized as an At-Largemember. The YDM President shall notify the Board of Directors of the new At-Largemember. At-Large members shall reserve all rights and responsibilities of regular memberswith the exception of holding the offices of President or Executive Vice President.

E. Voting: Each member in good standing of a local club shall be considered in goodstanding of YDM. All members in good standing shall have one vote at YDM AnnualMeetings. There shall be no proxy voting.

F. Termination of membership: A Member of YDM may terminate their membership if theMember sends written notice to the President of their local club, or the President ofYDM.

G. Release of Membership List: The membership list of YDM may not be divulged withouta 3/4 vote of the Board of Directors. For the purpose of this decision, the LocalCommitteeperson shall have a vote.

H. Membership Entitlements: Membership shall entitle Members to participate in YDMsprograms and to participate and vote in the election of Voting Members of the Board ofDirectors of YDM. Members of YDM shall also retain the right to inspect any record ofYDM under policies established by the Board of Directors.

I. Caucuses: Members may create caucuses that represent an area of diversity withinYDM. Members interested in a caucus shall create Bylaws for the proposed caucus,which must be approved by the Bylaws Committee. Caucuses must be approved by a

majority vote at the first annual meeting in which the caucus wishes to become active.Temporary recognition may be granted to a caucus by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of theBoard of Directors. This temporary recognition shall be considered valid until the nextannual meeting of YDM. Members shall only create caucuses which are in existence and

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active in the Young Democrats of America. Any Caucuses in existence as of the

effective date of these By-Laws do not need to undergo the aforementioned recognitionprocess. Caucuses shall submit re-chartering documentation under a policy developedby the Board of Directors no later than thirty (30) days before the convention in oddnumber years.

IV. Board of Directors and Officers:

A. Board of Directors: There shall be an Board of Directors, composed of theelected officers of the YDM, whose duties are as follows:

1. The President shall preside at and conduct all meetings of the Members,the Board of Directors and any general body meeting of YDM. ThePresident may sign all contracts and agreements in the name of theOrganization after the Board of Directors has approved them, serve asthe representative of the Organization in meetings, be the primary contactbetween YDM and other Statewide organizations including but not limited

to the Maryland Democratic Party and discussions with otherorganizations and agencies, and otherwise perform all of the duties thatare ordinarily the function of the office.

2. The Executive Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President ifthe President is unable to do so or is absent, and perform such othertasks as may be assigned by the Board of Directors; shall be an ex-officiomember of all committees; shall be the Chairperson of the BylawsCommittee; and shall be responsible for chapter-building duties aroundthe State. In the event that the off ice of the President becomes vacant,the Vice-President shall automatically become President. The ExecutiveVice-President may represent YDM to other organizations including butnot limited to the Maryland Democratic Party and Young Democrats ofAmerica in the event the President is absent.

3. The Secretary shall keep accurate records and minutes of all themeetings of the Organization; make available copies of the minutes to the

previous meeting and distribute them in advance of each meeting; causeto be delivered all notices of meetings to those persons entitled to vote atsuch meeting; shall maintain the YDM email list; be responsible forsending all emails to the members; be responsible for updating the YDMwebsite; and shall maintain a current listing, with phone numbers,addresses and email addresses, of all YDM officers, local club presidentsand members.

4. The Treasurer shall oversee: the deposit of YDM funds into the properaccounts of the organization; the recording of all receipts anddisbursements from such accounts; the preparation of the books andrecords of the finances of the organization; the preparation of financialreports for the Board meeting; and the preparation and filing of all end-of-year financial reports and federal and state tax reports. The Treasurershall serve as Chair of the Fundraising committee, and shall work with theVice-President of Programming to coordinate all YDM fundraising efforts

and to create a fundraising plan, to be approved by the Board ofDirectors.5. The Vice-President of Programming shall plan and coordinate programs

of an educational, civic or social nature for YDM members; shall serve aschair of the programming committee; shall sit as Vice-Chair of the

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Fundraising Committee; shall work with the Treasurer to coordinate all

YDM fundraising efforts and create a fundraising plan to be approved bythe Board of Directors; and shall create a program calendar, to beapproved by the Board of Directors. In the event of a vacancy in both theoffices of President and Executive Vice President, the Vice President ofProgramming shall serve as acting president until a successor is electedpursuant to these bylaws.

6. The National Committeewoman shall: be female; represent YDM at allYDA meetings; represent YDM at any other meeting which she isassigned to by the Board of Directors; shall report on her activities to theBoard of Directors; shall co-chair the Chapter Building Committee andshall work with the Executive Vice-President to develop new localchapters around the State.

7. The National Committeeman shall: be male; represent YDM at all YDAmeetings; represent YDM at any other meeting which he is assigned to bythe Board of Directors; shall report on his activities to the Board of

Directors; shall co-chair the Chapter Building Committee and shall workwith the Executive Vice-President to develop new local chapters aroundthe State.

8. The Chair of all established caucuses shall be considered members ofthe board and shall be entitled to vote. However, these members of theboard will not count towards the quorum needed for the Board ofDirectors to conduct meetings.

9. No person may hold more than one office elected by the general body onthe Board of Directors.

B. Appointed Officers: There shall be appointed officers who shall sit on the Board

of Directors but are not entitled to a vote and shall be henceforth referred to asnon-voting officers with the exception of the Local Committeeperson. Permanentappointed officer positions shall consist of the Local Committeeperson, whoseduties and conditions of placement are listed as follows:

C. Election/Vacancies: The Elected Officers shall consist of President, ExecutiveVice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, National Committeewoman, NationalCommitteeman, and Vice President of Programming. These off icers shall beelected bi-annually by the members at the YDM convention. These electionsshall be held during odd numbered years. When any vacancy occurs on theBoard of Directors the members of the Board of Directors shall be notified inwriting ten (10) days in advance of the next meeting of the vacancy and that aproposed member to fill the vacancy will be presented at that meeting by thePresident. If the office of President is vacated the Executive Vice-President shallfill the vacancy. The President shall appoint persons to fill any other vacant office

for the duration of the term by and with a majority vote of the Board of Directors.If the vacancy occurs with more than one year left on the term, the appointmentby the President shall be on an interim basis until a special election can be heldat the next convention. Should both the President and Executive Vice-President












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positions become vacant, the Board of Directors together with the Presidents of

the Local chapters of YDM shall appoint a President by a two-thirds vote.

D. Deposit of Funds: All funds must be deposited in an account named YoungDemocrats of Maryland within 10 business days of receipt. Any disbursement ofTwo thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) or more may not occur without amajority vote approval of the Board of Directors.

E. Qualifications: Candidates for state-wide office shall not age out from the YoungDemocrats of Maryland by the time their term in office ends.

F. Term: Officers shall serve a term of two (2) years and until their successors areelected, or until they are removed for cause. No officer may serve more than twoconsecutive terms as President.

G. Removal: Any officer may be removed, with cause, by a two-thirds vote of the

Board of Directors present at any meeting. Cause shall be defined asmalfeasance. For a vote of removal, the Local Committeeperson shall have theright to vote.

1. Resignation: An officer may resign only by submitting a writtenresignation to the President, unless the President is the resigning officer,in which case written resignation may be submitted to the Secretary. Anymember of the Board of Directors who has missed two consecutivemeeting of the Board without an excuse shall be presumed to haveresigned, and shall be notified in writing of this provision by the President,or by the Executive Vice-President if the President is the resigning officer.In the event the President, National Committeeman or NationalCommitteewoman relocate out of the state of Maryland for more than sixconsecutive months, in which case they no longer work nor live inMaryland, they also shall be presumed to have resigned their position as

well.

F. Other Restrictions:1. Neither the YDM Board of Directors, nor a member of the board, may

endorse in contested local chapter or state caucus election, unless they,themselves are members of that local chapter.

2. No member of the board may cast more than one vote by virtue of holdingmultiple offices on the board.

V. Meetings:A. Annual Meetings: The Annual Meeting of the Organization shall be held in the

month of January or February of each year. Notice of the meeting shall be sent atleast one (1) month in advance of the Annual Meeting to each local club

President and to all members of YDM. Each local club must have submitted theirBylaws before the Annual Meeting to enable its members the right to vote at theAnnual Meeting. Each local club shall be allowed one vote for each attendingmember at the Annual Meeting, not to exceed forty votes.



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B. Regular Board Meetings: Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be

held at least every other month and may be scheduled more often by thePresident. Notice of regularBoard of Directors meetings, shall be given at leastten (10) days before the day of the meeting

C. Special Meetings: Special Meetings of the Board of Directors may be held atany time and at any place in the State of Maryland, when called by the Presidentand two otherBoard of Directors Members or by at least fourBoard of DirectorsMembers. Business transacted at special meetings shall be confined to thepurposes of the meeting stated in the notice of the meeting. Notice of specialmeetings may be given verbally, via electronic mail or in writing at least 72 hoursprior to the meeting time.

D. Quorum: At any meeting, a quorum shall consist of sixty percent (60%) fifty-onepercent (51%) of the Board of Directors members who are eligible to vote,present in person. Chair of caucuses shall not be counted, for or against, whendetermining quorum. A majority vote shall consist of 51 percent (51%) of thosepresent and entitled to vote at the meeting, except as otherwise provided by law

or in these Bylaws.E.

VI. Committees: The Board of Directors may create such committees with such powers asit deems it wise to have. The President shall appoint persons to chair those committees,and the chairs shall appoint people to the committees with the advice and consent of theBoard of Directors. The following committees shall be considered Standing Committees:

A. Rules Bylaws Committee: The Rules Bylaws Committee shall be chaired by theExecutive Vice-President and shall consist of at least three (3) members. TheBylaws Committee shall be responsible for reviewing the Bylaws at least onceper year and recommending any necessary changes to the Board of Directors.All amendments to the Bylaws must be reviewed before the Bylaws committeebefore going before the Board of Directors. In the event an issue arises wherethe meaning of these bylaws or of YDM is in question, this committee shall meetto settle the dispute.

B. Fundraising Committee: The Fundraising Committee shall be chaired by theTreasurer, Vice-Chaired by the Vice President of Programming, and shall consistof at least three (3) members. The Fundraising Committee shall propose afundraising plan to the Board of Directors and coordinate at least one (1)fundraising event per year.

C. Programming Committee: The Programming Committee shall be chaired by theVice-President of Programming and shall include the Local Committeeperson aswell as at least three (3) other members. The Programming Committee shallpropose a programming calendar of events to the Board of Directors andcoordinate at least three (3) programming event a year. A programming eventshall be defined as an event that occurs for the membership of YDM whether it issocial, educational, or otherwise defined. The committee shall make every effortto ensure that every member of YDM has the opportunity to attend all events.

D. Chapter Building Committee: The Chapter Building committee shall be co-chaired by the National Committeeman and the National Committeewoman and

shall consist of at least three (3) other members. The Chapter BuildingCommittee shall work with the Executive Vice-President to strengthen activelocal chapters and help to grow new chapters across the State.

E. Convention Committee: The Convention Committee shall be chaired by theExecutive Vice President and consist of the Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President

















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of Programs, and any other such member as maybe appointed by the President.

The Convention Committee shall, in conjunction with the Board of Directors,select the host site for the annual convention. The committee shall also plan andorganize the annual convention. The President shall reserve the right to appointanother member to chair this committee at their discretion, after informing theExecutive Vice President and Board of Directors of their decision to do so.

F. Ad-hoc Committees: The Board of Directors may establish such specialcommittees as they shall determine are necessary for the functioning of theOrganization. Each such committee shall be given a specific charge and term.No special committee shall have a term extending beyond one (1) year unlessreappointed. The Board of Directors shall name the members of specialcommittees.

VII. Appointed Officers and Staff:A. The Board of Directors may appoint an Executive Director, with a title appropriate

to the functions of the officer. The Executive Director may appoint other staff.

B. The Board of Directors may delegate duties and customary authority to theExecutive Director and staff of the Organization. The duties and authoritydelegated shall be memorialized in written job descriptions.

C. The Executive Director shall be subject to hire and termination by the Board ofDirectors. Other appointed staff shall be subject to hire and termination by theExecutive Director.

D. The Executive Director shall attend and participate in meetings of the Membersand the Board of Directors and of committees as staff to the Board of Directorsand the committees, but shall not be entitled to vote.

VIII. Conflicts of Interest: Any Board of Directors member, officer, employee or committeemember having an interest in a contract or other transaction or determination presentedto the Board of Directors or a committee of the organization for recommendation,authorization, approval or ratification shall give prompt, full and frank disclosure of suchinterest to the Board of Directors or committee prior to its acting on such contract ortransaction. As a Democratic Party organization, neither YDM nor its local member

chapters shall endorse candidates in Democratic Party primary elections unless thecandidate is unopposed, or unless the Democratic Party of Maryland has endorsed saidcandidate or unless the abovementioned criteria have been met. Should any of theaforementioned members be employed by a candidate in a Democratic primary, thatemployment must be disclosed.

The body to which such disclosure is made shall thereupon determine, by majority vote,whether the disclosure shows that a conflict of interest exists or can be reasonably beconstrued to exist. If a conflict is found to exist, such person may not vote on, exertpersonal influence upon, or participate in discussion of (other than to present factualinformation or to respond to questions in the discussions or deliberations with respect tosuch contact, transaction, or determination) the issue. Such a person may not becounted in determining the existence of a quorum during the discussion of the disclosedissue at any meeting where the contract, transaction, or determination is underdiscussion or is being voted upon.

The minutes of the meeting shall reflect the disclosure made the vote thereon and,where applicable, the abstention from voting and participation.

IX. Fiscal Year: The fiscal year of the Organization shall be from July 1st to June 30th.








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X. Action without Meeting: Any action which may be properly taken by the Board of

Directors assembled in a meeting may also be taken without a meeting, if consent inwriting setting forth the action is given by all of the Board members entitled to vote onthe action. Such consent shall have the same force and effect as a vote of the Boardmembers assembled and shall be filed with the minutes.

XI. Amendments: These Bylaws may be temporarily amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote ofthe Board of Directors provided the proposed amendment(s) has been submitted to theBoard of Directors in writing with written notice of the meeting to decide on the proposedamendment(s) at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting date, if and only if it has beenreviewed by the Bylaws Committee. These bylaws shall be permanently amended by amajority vote of the General Body at the next Annual Meeting.

XII. Parliamentary Authority: The latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revisedshall be the parliamentary authority of YDM in its entirety, except when it conflicts withthese Bylaws.

XIII. Nondiscrimination: The organizations, officers, employees and persons served byYDM shall be selected in a non-discriminatory manner with respect to age, sex, race,color, national origin, sexual orientation, sexual identity, gender identity, veteran status,disability, and religious opinion or affiliation.

Adopted by the Young Democrats of Maryland this _____ day of__________________________, 20__

Signatures:

_____________________________________ ___________________________

President Dated

_____________________________________ ___________________________

Vice-President Dated

_____________________________________ ___________________________

Treasurer Dated

_____________________________________ ___________________________

Secretary Dated

_____________________________________ ___________________________





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National Committeeman Dated

_____________________________________ ___________________________

National Committeewoman Dated

_____________________________________ ___________________________

Vice-President of Programming Dated

I, the undersigned, being Secretary of the Organization, hereby certify that the above is a true,

complete and accurate copy of the Bylaws adopted by the Young Democrats of Maryland.

_____________________________________ ___________________________

Secretary Dated

Documents

Final YDM Standing Committee on Bylaws Report