2008-09-29T01:44:00.000-07:00

Updated 6/4/08

Article I. Name

The name of this organization shall be the Davis College Democrats, hereinafter referred to as the “DCD” or the “club.”

Article II. Purpose

The Davis College Democrats, upon chartering with the Yolo County Democratic Central Committee (YCDCC), the College Democrats of America (CDA), and the California Young Democrats (CYD), shall become a member organization in each of the above groups, and therefore pledges itself to support the platform and candidates off the Democratic Party. Furthermore, the Davis College Democrats declares its intention to support efforts to increase the participation of college students in Democratic Party affairs. To these ends, the Davis College Democrats shall work to:

Educate students about the platform of the Democratic Party.
Encourage active political participation in the UC Davis community.
Provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, debate, and discussion of current events and political issues.
Sponsor activities that promote the Democratic platform and/or encourage interaction and participation among students, faculty and staff on the UC Davis campus.
Provide an outlet for creating relationships between DCD members and Democratic representatives and groups.
Register voters on campus.
Assist in the election of local, state, and national Democrats.
Represent the interests of Democratic UC Davis students, faculty, and staff at local government committees, boards, and councils, and actively support (or oppose) issues, initiatives, and candidates that help (or hurt) student interests.
Accept contributions in the form of gifts, bequests, and membership dues to carry out our purposes and activities.
Maintain an up-to-date roster of the DCD membership and keep the members informed of activities relating to the club and to the Democratic Party.

Article III. Membership

Section A. Eligibility

Only currently registered students, faculty, and staff may be active members in a registered student organization as specified by the Student Programs and Activities Center, or SPAC. ~~Only active members may vote or hold office.~~ According to California State law, we will not haze; we will not restrict membership based upon race, color, national origin, religion, sex, physical and mental disability, medical condition, ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or status as a covered veteran.

Neither shall any hold membership in any organization that advocates the violent overthrow of the United States government.

Section B. Active Members

Active Members shall be defined as any member, as defined above, who has attended ~~the~~ two of the last five general ~~consecutive~~ meetings or events in lieu of general meetings prior to any vote in which they want to participate. Additionally, to be considered an Active Member, dues must be paid for the current quarter (if applicable). Only Active Members are eligible to vote or hold office.

Section C. Membership Lists

The club shall keep in written and electronic form a membership list containing the name, phone number, email address and birth dates of each member. Email addresses shall be used to compile an electronic mailing list that shall be maintained by the Vice President of Internal Affairs or whomever he/she appoints with the approval of a majority of the Executive Board. Non-members can be added to the mailing list at the discretion of the Executive Board. This membership information shall be subject to the rights of inspection required by law. The club shall also keep an ongoing recruitment “sign-up” list for those who have shown interest in the club. This list is private and is not subject to inspection laws. Only the Executive Board may have a full copy of this list without the approval of the Executive Board by a 2/3 super-majority vote. Release and usage of both the membership and recruitment lists is subject to the discretion of the Executive Board.

Section D. Transferability of Membership

Neither the membership of the Davis College Democrats nor any rights in the membership thereof may be transferred or assigned for value or otherwise.

Article IV. Executive Board

Section A. Authority and Responsibility

The Executive Board shall have general authority and responsibility for the ongoing affairs of the Davis College Democrats. Executive Board decisions may only be overruled if three members of the Board vote to bring the issue in front of the Active Members who then must vote by a 2/3 super-majority to overrule the decision in question.

Section B. Composition

The Executive Board shall be composed of the President, Vice President of Membership, Vice President of Internal Affairs, Vice President of Finance, and Vice President of Special Events whose duties shall be defined below. The following appointed positions (as defined in Article VII. Appointed Positions) will serve as Ex-Officio members of the Executive Board:

Campaign Coordinator
Freshman Outreach Coordinator
Gender and Sexuality Rights Advocate
Lobby Corps Liasion
Solidarity Coordinator
Ethnic and Cultural Advocate
Social Director
Greek Community Liaison
Religious and Spiritual Advocate
Democratic Issue Group Co-Chair

The composition of the group which consists of both the Executive Board and the appointed positions shall contain within it such diversity of class standing such that one third (1/3rd) of the members are either Freshmen or Sophomores. Members of the club cannot serve in both elected and appointed positions concurrently.

The immediate past President shall serve as an Ex-Officio member of the Executive Board for the year following his departure from office. Note: If the President is currently holding a different elected office within the club, this clause does not apply.

Section C. Quorum

A quorum of the Executive Board shall be noted when 4/5 of the Executive Board members are present.

Section D. Elections

Elections for the Executive Board shall take place in the following manner:

When: The Executive Officers shall be elected in the month of May in the Spring Quarter at a meeting of the Active Members.
Eligibility of Candidacy and Voting: Only those members who have been to two of the five past formal meetings shall be able to vote or run for office in the election.
Procedure: After each candidate for an office has spoken for not more than five minutes, the eligible members present will elect a winner by a simple majority vote.

Should no candidate receive a majority, a runoff will be held between the two top vote getters. If after two runoff elections for a single office there continues to be a tie, that office will be filled by special election the following week. The process will be repeated for the election for each office.

Section E. Terms of Office

All elected officers' terms will commence on June 1st, and terminate on May 31st of the following year. Appointed officers' terms will begin immediately after acceptance of the post, and will expire at the end of the quarter the appointment was made. No person may hold the same office for more than one academic year. However, a person may run for an office again if they were completing a former officers term previously.

Section F. Removal

Executive Board members may be removed in the following manner:

Cause for Removal: Cause for removal shall be defined as malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance of assigned duties, being convicted of a felony, or upon other grounds found by all of the other members of the Board to constitute good and sufficient cause;
Process for Removal: To begin the process of removal, any Member in Good Standing may charge the officer with the reasons for his/her removal during a meeting of the Executive Board. The officer in question must be offered an opportunity at that meeting to defend his/herself. If the charge stands, after a period of two weeks, the issue will be put up for a membership vote. Then, if a quorum exists, the Members in Good Standing must vote for removal by a majority vote.

Section G. Vacancies

A vacancy shall be declared when a member of the Executive Board dies, resigns, is removed from office, or misses more than 3 consecutive meetings without an approved excuse (as defined by the Board). If there is a vacancy of any other position than the President, the President shall appoint a successor with the majority consent of the remaining officers. If the vacancy is the President, then the V.P. of Internal Affairs will assume that office when there is a vacancy, for a period of two weeks, following which point a new election shall be held for the office of the President. If, however, the vacancy occurs because of the lack of a victor in two consecutive runoff elections, a special election for that office will be held the following week.

Article V. Duties of the Officers

Section A. The President shall:

Be the Chief Executive of the Davis College Democrats;
Act as the official representative to other groups and the media.
Define the agenda of the organization for her/his tenure.
Carry out the mandates, policies, and directives of the Executive Board.
Act as the primary liaison/signatory with Student Programs and Activities Center, ensuring the club is re-registered every quarter, that all our activities are in accordance with University policy, and that rooms have been reserved for our meetings, etc. These tasks can be delegated to the Vice President of Internal Affairs if necessary, as long as the President's signature is on the forms.
Appoint, in consultation with the Executive Board, standing and ad-hoc committees and coordinators of such committees.
Preside over all official meetings.
Direct the following appointed positions: Campaign Coordinator, Lobby Corps Liaison, Solidarity Coordinator.
Serve as advisor to the club regarding non-campus related functions of the Democratic Party.
Be responsible for maintaining relations between elected Democrats on the local, state, and national levels and the Davis College Democrats. This includes:

serving as the DCD representative to the YCDCC, 8^th A.D., 5^th S.D., 1st C.D., CCD, CYD, and CDA;
ensuring that we are always chartered with all of the above organizations.

Section B. The Vice President of Internal Affairs shall:

Assume the office of the President when there is a vacancy of that office for a period of two weeks, following which point a new election shall be held for the office of the President.
Assist the President in planning for General Meetings.
Act as a liaison between all members of the Executive Board and the Committees of DCD.
Make all necessary preparation for organizational meetings and record and distribute by email (with paper copies by request) all minutes of general meetings ~~in a timely fashion~~ prior to the following meeting.
Coordinate all record keeping related to DCD such as clippings, photos, etc.
Maintain a DCD sign-up list and regular membership lists.
Maintain an updated list of e-mail addresses of all interested students (members and non) and be responsible for posting important notices.
Draft and send weekly emails to the membership of DCD including within them the upcoming weeks agenda, events of relevance to the community, and internship or job opportunities for members.
Maintain committee lists and contact information
Solicit progress reports from committee chairs as requested/needed.
Maintain oversight over the Democratic Issue Group Co-Chairs.
Propose any agenda amendments or additions to general meetings at his or her discretion.
Gather emergency information (contacts, medical conditions, insurance, etc.) prior to any DCD trips.
Perform such duties as the Executive Board or President may assign or are customarily performed by a Secretary.
This position shall be considered vacated after missing two (2) consecutive General Meetings without prior 24-hour notification of the absence.

Section C. The Vice President of Membership shall:

Actively organize for the recruitment of new members.
Maintain contact on both a club and a personal level with new members.
Chair the Membership Committee and guide and direct its activities.
~~Act as official representative of Davis College Democrats at all campus functions and events (along with the President), specifically ASUCD and other liberal campus organizations.~~
Coordinate membership drives and member outreach efforts. This includes tabling, active recruitment activities, etc.
Organize a DCD Mentors program if possible, whereby senior members of the organization build upon the strength of the organization through interaction, outreach, and promotion with new recruits.
Direct the following appointed positions: Freshman Outreach Coordinator, Gender and Sexuality Rights Advocate, Ethnic and Cultural Advocate, Greek Community Liaison, Religious and Spiritual Advocate, Social Director.
Perform such duties as the Executive Board or President may assign.

Section D. The Vice President of Finance shall:

Direct all fundraising activities and review all fiscal decisions.
The Vice President of Finance will pursue an active role in fundraising for the club and making contracts with outside funding sources~~, including but not limited to the Mondavi Center~~.
Maintain complete records of all expenditures and receipts.
Coordinate Club reimbursement procedure.
Act as DCD official liaison to the Federal Elections Commission, the California Fair Political Practices Commission, the Davis City Clerk (concerning campaign finance laws), and with all financial institutions that we maintain funds with.
Process applications for ASUCD funding and grant applications, and maintain the accounts for each.
Meet with the Executive Board prior to every quarter to plan and review the financial status of the forthcoming quarter’s activities.
Perform such duties as the Executive Board or President may assign or are customarily performed by a Treasurer.

Section E. The Vice President of Special Events shall:

Oversee the coordination of all other club activities and events do not fall under the jurisdiction of other members of the Executive Board as directed by the President.
~~Chair the Social Committee, and use it to implement their goals.~~
Attend committee meetings and act as a secondary committee chair for all events in an effort to help in the planning and execution of events
Help to assure that committees accomplish tasks – i.e. publicity, budgets, logistics, have meetings as needed, etc.
Propose new events to club during meetings – including social activities for club members (i.e. movie nights), as well as campus activities that will help DCD further Democratic causes.
Organize regularly occurring special events, movie nights, and meetings with local elected officials.

Article VI. Standing Committees

Section A. The Democratic Issue Group (DIG) shall:

Be Chaired by three (3) Co-Chairs, of equal stature.
Report to the Vice President of Internal Affairs
Promote Active Discussions of Democratic Issues, Policy, and Values.
Inform members as to the most effective ways to communicate the above messages.

~~Section A. The Social Committee shall:~~

~~Be Chaired by the VP of Special Events.~~
~~Vice-Chaired by the VP of Membership.~~
~~Hold one Party per Quarter minimum.~~
~~Work towards monthly movie nights.~~
~~Work towards monthly meetings with local Elected Officials.~~
~~Recommend to the Executive Board other possible social events and implement these ideas.~~
~~Exercise these duties as it sees fit for the benefit of the club.~~

Section B. The Fund Raising Committee shall:

Be chaired by the VP of Finance.
Organize regular fundraisers, including but not limited to the following types,

Food/Dinners
~~Mondavi~~ ~~Center~~
Political Memorabilia Re-Sale
Local Political Fundraising

Recommend to the Executive Board other possible fundraising events and implement these ideas.
Exercise these duties as it sees fit for the benefit of the club.

Section C. The Membership Committee shall:

Be Chaired by the VP of Membership.
Hold membership drives during on and off election seasons.
Organize visits to Political Science/Humanities classes in order to pitch the club.
Train members in recruitment and tabling tactics.
Table on the Quad, the Farmers Market, and other public spaces in order to promote the club and register voters.
Table in or around the Dining Commons in order to promote the club and register voters.
Recommend to the Executive Board other possible membership boosting ideas and implement these ideas.
Exercise these duties as it sees fit for the benefit of the club.

Section D. The Campaign Committee shall:

Be Chaired by the Campaign Coordinator ~~President~~.
Research Campaign and Internship Opportunities available to club members,
Organize ~~Work Days~~ GOTV, Voter Registration, Precinct Walking, and Phone Banking for specific campaigns supported by the club to enable club members to participate in the political process (e.g. No on 85 Action Days).
Locate and Organize volunteer opportunities with local organizations committed to Democratic values (e.g. Yolo ~~CASA~~ Food Bank).
Recommend to the Executive Board other possible campaign opportunities and take an active role in pursuing these opportunities.
Exercise these duties as it sees fit for the benefit of the club.

Section E. Meetings

These Committee’s shall meet during DCD meetings as is necessary. It is recommended that the Membership Committee, Campaign Committee, and DIG meet ~~and~~ every week or every other week outside of DCD meetings at the discretion of the Chair. The meetings of the Finance Committee shall be held solely at the discretion of the Chair. Additional meetings of Committees will require members to be given 24 hours prior notice, or written and/or verbal confirmation of the new time by a majority of the Committee. Membership in a Committee is not mandatory, except for the Chair, but it is recommended as a good way to become involved in the organization ~~and a Committee’s makeup and duration of voluntary commitment will be determined at the discretion of the Chair, with appeals being directed towards the President~~.

Article VII. Appointed Positions

Section A. Call for Applicants

The Executive Board shall call for applicants to the appointed positions during the first and second weeks of Fall Quarter, and conduct interviews with the goal of member appointments occurring by the third week of Fall Quarter at the latest. If, at the end of Spring Quarter, there are vacancies in any or all of these positions, and that position is determined to be vital to needs of the club for the following quarter (i.e. Campaign Coordinator during an Election Year or Freshman Outreach Coordinator) these vacancies may be filled by the process listed in Article IV, Section G. Note that though the process for filling vacancies is the same between elected and appointed positions, appointed positions do not receive voting rights as given to elected positions.

Section B. The Campaign Coordinator shall:

Report to the President.
Chair the Campaign Committee.
Organize Voter Registration drives.
Organize and Implement GOTV drives.
Recruit members to the Campaign Committee
Search out Campaign Opportunities for members of the club.
Relay internship information to members of the club.
Search for and Organize Community Service and Volunteer Opportunities to be taken by the club as a whole.

Section C. The Freshman Outreach Coordinator shall:

Report to the Vice President of Membership.
Actively recruit freshmen to the Davis College Democrats.
Work to provide incentives for retention of members, and to discover the wants and interests of members.
Work to create a healthy community of freshmen within the Davis College Democrats
Act as the official DCD liaison to the Dorms.

Section D. The Gender and Sexuality Rights Advocate shall:

Undertake Two Roles:

Outreach to Communities related to Gender and Sexuality, and politically active groups whose issues or membership falls within the sphere of Gender and Sexuality Rights.
Organize events and actions within these areas in order to promote Gender and Sexual Rights. This will involve working with the Campaign Coordinator.

Organize Voter Registration Drives within these communities and groups.
Report to the Vice President of Membership in the role of outreach.
Report to the Vice President of Special Events for the role of events and actions.

Section E. The Lobby Corps Liaison shall:

Report to the President.
Work within ASUCD Lobby Corps to create a healthy faction of members who also belong to the club.

This shall be accomplished by both recruiting existing Lobby Corps members to DCD and introducing new members of DCD to Lobby Corps and the opportunities provided.

Inform DCD as to pertinent Legislation in the Capitol to Democratic Interests, especially that in which Lobby Corps is participating.

Section F. The Solidarity Coordinator shall:

Report to the President.
Outreach to other liberal organizations with the goal of bringing our groups together for common actions.
Work with Campaign Coordinator to plan "On-Campus" campaigns which may be more issue based or local action oriented, with these outside groups.

Section G. The Ethnic and Cultural Advocate shall:

Undertake Two Roles:

Outreach to Ethnic and Cultural Communities, and politically active groups whose issues or membership falls within the sphere of Ethnicity and Culture. These may range from Gamma Zeta Alpha (Latino Fraternity) to MeCHA or Hillel.
Organize events and actions within these areas focusing on Ethnic and Cultural themes or issues. This will involve working with the Campaign Coordinator.

Outreach to the Ethnic and Cultural Fraternities and Sororities, and their governing coalitions, such as the African American Greek Letters Council (AAGLC), and organize Voter Registration Drives within these organizations.
Report to the Vice President of Membership in the role of outreach.
Report to the Vice President of Special Events for the role of events.
Work with the Campaign Coordinator on voter registration and campaign actions.

Section H. The Social Director shall:

Report to the Vice President of Membership.
Put on social events for the club in order to assist with recruitment and retention of members. Examples:

Bowling Nights
Barbeques
Themed Events
Any other opportunities for club members to be social outside the confines of the standard meeting.

Section I. The Greek Community Liaison shall:

Report to the Vice President of Membership.
Report to the Campaign Coordinator.
The purpose of this position will be to outreach to the Greek Community, focusing on members of Pan-Hellenic and Inter Fraternity Council (IFC), those groups themselves, and Pre-Professional Fraternities and Sororities such as Phi Alpha Delta Co-Ed Pre-Law Fraternity (PAD).
The Greek Community Liaison is focusing on bringing those groups to DCD and organizing Voter Registration Drives within themselves.

Section J. The Religious and Spiritual Advocate shall:

Report to the Vice President of Membership for Outreach purposes.
Report to the Campaign Coordinator for Voter Registration and GOTV purposes.
Report to the Vice President of Special Events for events.
The purpose of this position is to outreach and recruit within the religious and spiritual communities at UC Davis, and to encourage voter registration and political involvement within those communities through DCD. Additionally, the Religious and Spiritual Advocate shall strive to put on events through DCD in order to represent these communities.

Section K. The Democratic Issue Group Co-Chairs shall:

Be three members of equal rank to each other.
Co-Chair DIG.
Report to the Vice President of Internal Affairs.
Develop topics for DIG and work on the administrative side of planning and preparing the discussions.
Promote increased understanding of Democratic issues and increased ability to convey those issue positions.
Institute a quarterly book project with the consent of the Executive Board, if DIG is interested, where the given book relates to the idea of DIG. IE, "Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate" by George Lakoff.

Article VIII. Regular Meetings

Section A. Frequency of Meetings

A schedule of regular meetings that includes at least one general meeting every other week of the academic year shall be set by the President. All general meetings shall be well publicized and shall be conducted at reasonable hours and locations. The club shall strive for consistency in time and location of general meetings in order to ensure regularity and raise efficiency.

Section B. Quorum

A quorum at a Davis College Democrats meeting shall consist of at least three Executive Board members and the number of Executive Board members present, plus one, Active Members. A quorum shall be required at all general meetings before any official action can be taken.

Article VIIX. Endorsement Procedure

Section A. Overview

The platform of Davis College Democrats shall consist of any and all endorsements made by the Club. DCD may endorse:

The Democratic Party candidate in partisan political office;
Democratic primary candidates for major political office;
any Democrat for non-partisan political office;
any initiative, measure, advisory petition, or action;
members running in other campus elections, where eligible.

The Davis College Democrats may not endorse:

anyone who is a member of the KKK or any other racist organization;
anyone who supports the violent overthrow of the United States government;
non-Democrats for any position;
non-members running in any other campus organization election.

Section B. Endorsement Procedure

1. For major candidate endorsements, a standing Endorsement Committee shall be created consisting of no more than six Active Members including the President and Vice President of Internal Affairs. This committee will be responsible for doing minimal research on candidates and supplying the Club with pertinent information about their background and positions. For initiatives and the like or local elections, the Endorsement Committee is not necessary. No member of the endorsement committee shall be actively employed by or involved with any major campaign seeking the endorsement of the Davis College Democrats. If one of the constitutionally mandated members is actively employed or involved with a major campaign, they shall recuse themselves from the committee and the Executive Board shall choose a replacement with a simple majority vote.

2. The Endorsement Committee shall inform each eligible candidate, in writing and/or by telephone, of endorsement procedure. The candidate will be invite to either speak at the endorsement meeting or fill out a questionnaire created by the Endorsement Committee and approved by the membership. Once all candidates have been given an equal opportunity to participate, the Active Members must vote in the affirmative by at least a 2/3 supermajority for the endorsement to become official.

Article X~~VIII~~. Constitutional Amendments

Any Active Member may propose an amendment to this constitution with at least two other signatories. All amendments will be read into record at the meeting at which they are proposed and then voted upon at the subsequent meeting. All amendments must be approved by a 2/3 majority.

Article IXI. Resolutions

Section A. Resolutions of Principle

Any resolution concerning the philosophy of the club or its platform must be made by an Active Member with at least one cosigning Active Member. Resolutions will be read into the record at the meeting at which it is proposed and then voted upon at the subsequent formal meeting and approved by a simple majority vote. Any resolution can be deemed controversial by a 25% voice vote.

Section B. Resolutions of Business

Any resolution regarding club business or activities must be proposed by an Active Member with at least one co-signing Active Member. Resolutions will be read into the ~~notes~~ minutes at the meeting at which it is proposed and then voted upon at the subsequent formal meeting and approved by a simple majority vote. Resolutions can be tabled by a 51% vote of the Active Members. Any resolution can be deemed controversial by a 25% voice vote. Any endorsement resolution (save the national general election Democratic presidential nominee) is automatically deemed controversial and must be approved by a 2/3 majority vote.

Section C. Allocations of Funds

Any resolution concerning the allocation of funds for club purposes and activities must be presented by an Active Member and can be voted upon at the meeting at which it is proposed. Any of these resolutions concerning funds under $30 can be approved by a simple majority voice vote. Those resolutions concerning funds over $30 must be approved by a 2/3 supermajority vote of the Active Members. Objections to resolutions can be passed with a 51% vote.

Any and all account spending must either be approved by the Executive Board or Active Membership respectively.

The Executive Board must approve by a simple majority the decision for the spending of any club money for a specific project for the amounts consisting of $.01-$200.00
The Active Membership must approve by a 2/3rds majority the decision for the spending of any club money for a specific project for the amounts consisting of $200.01 or greater at a general meeting.

All account spending by the executive board shall be ratified at the conclusion of the next general meeting. Spending may be overruled by a 2/3rds majority vote of active members at a general meeting.

Article XII. Parliamentary Procedure

The authority used for points not covered in this constitution in regards to the Davis College Democrats is Roberts Rules of Order.

Article XIII. Dissolution

Dissolution requires unanimous approval of the Executive Board and approval of three-fourths of the members in good standing at two consecutive general meeting of Davis College Democrats. Upon dissolution, all unspent funds (after expenses/liabilities are accounted for) will be donated to CYD or CDA ~~All unspent ASUCD funds shall remain the property of ASUCD.~~ ~~Remaining privately-obtained funds may be donated to another non-profit organization with prior approval of the ASUCD Senate Finance Committee.~~ It is hoped that ~~the organization who receives~~ these funds will be returned it to any new Democratic organization that comes into existence at UC Davis in the future.

Davis College Democrats Constitution