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AMENDED BYLAWS
Approved April
14, 2007
ARTICLE I. NAME
The Name of the organization shall be: “The Democracy
Defense League.”
ARTICLE II. PURPOSE
The purpose of The Democracy Defense League is the
elimination of voter fraud through legal means.
To this end, DDL efforts will include:
(1)
vigorously encouraging the appropriate legal authorities to investigate
and prosecute voting
related crimes;
(2) working with the appropriate legislative
representatives for the enhancement of all voting
related crimes to the status of “Class-A”
felony;
(3) promoting changes and
additions to voting related laws, rules and regulations for the purposeof
making voter fraud crimes more difficult to commit and easier to detect
and prosecute; and
(4)
promoting public awareness of the consequences that voter fraud imposes upon
communities and all levels of government, as well as upon Democracy
itself.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
Membership is open to any U.S. Citizen who is a legal
resident and registered voter in Alabama.
Membership is closed to any persons who have been convicted
of a felony crime anywhere in the United States.
The DDL is a non-partisan organization.
The DDL shall impose no membership dues.
The DDL maintains the right to deny membership to any
membership applicant.
Individual membership may be revoked by a 2/3 majority vote
of the League Board.
The DDL authorizes the establishment of a Non-Alabama
residency membership to be categorized as a Non-Voting Chapter, which will be
called “The Advocates and Sponsors Chapter.” The purpose of this Chapter is to
organize individuals who are Non-Alabama residents that are interested in and
sympathetic to the mission of the DDL.
DDL members may only vote if selected or elected to serve
on any standing committee.
Committee members may only vote on matters involving their
respective committee.
Any member shall have the privilege of requesting placement
of any item of relative interest on the agenda of the appropriate committee or
of the DDL Board for the purpose of discussion and/or resolution. Placing an
agenda item with a standing committee requires the approval of the committee
chair and vice-chair or a majority vote within the committee.
Placement of an item on the DDL Board agenda requires
approval of one co-chair or majority of vote within the DDL Board.
ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS (Democracy
Defense League Board)
The DDL Executive Board shall consist of the
League co-chairs and the secretary/treasurer.
The DDL Board shall consist of the Executive Board,
the chairperson of each standing committee and the members of the Steering
Committee. Immediate past League chair/co-chairs will be ex-officio members of
the Board.
The Executive Board shall be nominated and elected by the
DDL Board members. The first election shall occur at such time as the DDL Board
determines to expand League activities outside the area commonly known as the
Blackbelt. From that time forward, each committee shall elect a chairperson
annually, and the Board shall then elect the Executive Board annually.
The Executive Board was elected March 10, 2007.
ARTICLE V. MEETINGS
Committee meetings shall occur at the discretion of the
committee chair or by majority vote of the committee members, or by direction of
one Board co-chair. DDL Board meetings shall occur at the direction of one
co-chair or by majority vote of the DDL Board.
Each standing committee chair shall have one vote on the
DDL Board. Each Executive Board member and Steering Committee member shall also
have one vote.
Board meetings agenda items must have the approval of one
co-chair or majority vote of Board members, and must have approval no later than
five (5) business (Monday-Friday) days prior to a scheduled meeting. Emergency
Board meetings may be called at the discretion of one co-chair and the five-day
agenda notification requirement/agenda approval requirement is waived for this
purpose only.
In the absence of a committee chair (DDL Board member), the
committee vice-chair will replace him/her for the purpose, and with voting
privileges, for any DDL Board meeting.
In the absence of a committee chair for a committee
meeting, the vice-chair shall convene such meetings.
The veto of any agenda item may be done by one Board
co-chair or by vote of the Board. A veto by a Board co-chair may be overridden
by a 2/3 Board vote.
If both co-chairs veto any item, the Board may override
said veto with a unanimous vote.
ARTICLE VI. COMMITTEES
Committees shall be established at the discretion of the
DDL Executive Board. Each committee will select a committee chair, a vice-chair
and a recorder. The committee chair will serve as a DDL Board member having one
vote. In the absence of a committee chair at a DDL Board meeting, the committee
vice-chair will substitute for the chair.
Standing committees shall meet at the direction of the
committee chair and/or one DDL co-chair and/or by majority vote of the
committee.
In the event a committee chair or DDL Executive Board
member has two (2) consecutive unexcused absences at either a committee or Board
meeting, said member’s absences shall be placed on the next DDL Board meeting
agenda for replacement consideration.
STANDING COMMITTEES shall include, but not necessarily be
limited to:
1.
Membership Committee
Responsibilities
include:
a.
Organizing the recruitment of members, both within the county and in other
counties.
b.
Encouraging all members to recruit new membership.
c.
Setting goals within the committee.
d.
Reporting to the Board by county any/all additional members. New
membership applications will be sent to the Board secretary. The secretary will
send to the appropriate persons.
2.
Legislative Committee
Responsibilities include:
a. Writing and
promoting passage of any legislation meeting the
criteria of the DDL Mission Statement.
b.
Becoming knowledgeable of the DDL Board’s current proposed legislation.
c.
Contacting membership of the Constitution and Election (House
and Senate) with a cover letter
and the DDL proposed legislation.
d.
Following-up initial contacts with telephone calls.
e.
Staying informed of current legislation pertaining to/addressing Honest
Elections and reporting to the Board.
3.
Fund Raising Committee
A. General Public Participation Chairman
Responsibilities
include:
a.
Organizing fund raising activities for the general public’s
participation.
b.
Collecting the money from said activities.
c.
Depositing all monies into the DDL account at a local bank in Greensboro,
Alabama.
d.
Informing the Secretary/Treasurer on a weekly basis of all deposits and
sending the receipts of deposits to the Secretary/Treasurer.
B. Private
Individual and Business Donations Chairman
Responsibilities include:
a.
Soliciting/securing monetary donations from individual and business
establishments.
b.
Disclosing information concerning collections will only be to the
Executive Board.
c.
Submitting collected monies to the Secretary/Treasurer in a timely
manner.
4.
Telephone Committee
Responsibilities include:
a. Providing
communication with the general membership as authorized by one co-chair.
b.
Communicating outside the county as needed and directed.
c.
Encouraging each new Chapter to select a contact person for the purpose
of their Chapter communication with League chapter.
d.
Assisting with mass communication as needed, i.e. newsletter, mail-outs,
etc.
5.
Media Relations Person
Responsibilities include:
a. Establishing and maintaining a positive working
relationship with all media.
b.
Distributing any/all authorized press releases.
c.
Coordinating editorial distribution as submitted by League membership.
d.
Submitting to a League co-chair for approval any editorial submitted as
reflective of the DDL as an
organization.
e.
Forwarding approved editorials to the appropriate publications.
f.
Establishing contacts with all media Newspapers, T.V., Radio, etc. and
responding appropriately.
g.
Soliciting speaking engagements for DDL presenters/speakers.
h.
Scheduling and securing speakers (from approved/identified pool) of DDL.
i.
Maintaining an organized record of publications, speaking engagements,
and/or other publicity
pertaining to DDL.
j.
Keeping co-chairs informed of all media activity in a timely manner.
k.
Submitting to appropriate entity all advertisement of DDL.
l.
Copying and filing all non-published editorials.
m.
Reminding members that any editorial expressing a personal view must
contain a disclaimer, i.e. “I am a member of DDL, however, this is my personal
comment.”
ARTICLE VII. SOURCE OF FUNDS
Source of funds shall be by individual, group or business
donations and by organized activities conducted by the Fund Raising
Committee.All funds shall be deposited into the DDL account at a bank in
Greensboro, Alabama.
ARTICLE VIII. ALLOCATION OF FUNDS
Spending of any DDL funds must be in accordance with the
following:
a.
Expenditures up to $1500.00 with approval of the Executive Board
b.
Expenditures of over $1500.00 must have the approval of the DDL Board
c.
Each check written against the DDL account must bear the signatures of
the Secretary/Treasurer and one Co-Chair.
ARTICLE IX. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
Roberts Rules of Order (Revised) shall be used in the
general DDL Board meetings.
A Parliamentarian shall be appointed by the Executive Board
of the DDL.
ARTICLE X. STEERING COMMITTEE
A Steering Committee shall serve at the discretion of the
League Co-Chairs and shall be appointed by said Chairs. This committee shall
consist of one Chairperson (who will be appointed by both LeagueCo-Chairs) and
other such appointed members. Each member of the Steering Committee shall have
one (1) vote on all DDL Board matters.
ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
Amendment of DDL Bylaws must occur during a DDL Board
meeting.
Approval must be made by a 2/3 vote of the DDL Board.
Any DDL Chapter may be dissolved by a 2/3 majority vote of
the League Board.
Upon attainment of a minimum membership total of two
hundred (200) members, a DDL Chapter may be formed in any Alabama County at the
discretion of the DDL Executive Board. County Chapters shall adopt the DDL
Bylaws and shall comply with any and all directives established by the League
Board.
Any elected or appointed County Chapter Board member shall
be dismissed from their Chapter Board position by simple majority vote of the
League Board.
County Chapter Board members shall be elected by same
county membership and the County Chapter Chairman shall be given one (1)
authorized vote on the League Board. County Chapter Officers and Committees
shall follow the same organizational pattern as the League Organization. The
Secretary of a County Chapter shall provide pertinent information to the
Secretary of the League Chapter in a timely manner, preferably immediately
following each Board meeting of said Chapter.
ARTICLE XII. DISSOLUTION
Motion to dissolve the DDL must be made by one co-chair
and seconded either by one co-chair or the secretary/treasurer. Dissolution
requires a 2/3 vote of the DDL Board. At the time of dissolution, all DDL
assets, including money, equipment, supplies, etc., shall be donated to a
legally recognized charity as identified and approved by the DDL Board by a
majority vote. This action shall occur after all DDL outstanding debts have
been paid in full.
ARTICLE XIII. QUORUM
Committee Meeting quorum shall consist of committee chair
or vice-chair and at least 1/3 of the committee membership.
Democracy Defense League Board meeting quorum shall consist
of one co-chair and 1/3 of the Board membership.
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