Constitution
About US Executive Director Executive Board Constitution
- Article 1: Name and Purpose
- Article 2: Membership
- Article 3: The Executive Board
- Article 4: Duties of the Executive Board
Positions - Article 5: State Council of the Pennsylvania
Federation of College Democrats - Article 6: Elections
- Article 7: Removal
- Article 8: Vacancies and
Appointments - Article 9: Committees
- Article 10: Amendments
- Article 11: National Convention
- Article 12: Endorsement Policy
- Article 13: State Convention
- Article 14: Fundraising
Organizations
Preamble
In order to promote a better America, with equality,
opportunity, and freedom within a just and strong society, we
dedicate ourselves to organizing the participation of Democratic
college students in Pennsylvania. In this mission, we call for
full involvement of all Pennsylvania students, regardless of
gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, physical
handicap, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation.
Understanding the importance of participation in the Democratic
Party to the preservation of our values and principles, we,
Democratic college students, do hereby associate ourselves and
adopt this Constitution as the Pennsylvania Federation of College
Democrats.
Article 1: Name and Purpose
A. Name: The name of this organization shall be the College
Democrats of Pennsylvania.
B. Purpose: Pennsylvania Federation of College Democrats
pledges itself to support the philosophy and candidates of the
Democratic Party. Furthermore, Pennsylvania Federation of College
Democrats declares its intention to support all efforts to increase
the participation of college students in Democratic affairs.
To these ends, Pennsylvania Federation of College Democrats shall
educate and train its members so that they may be better able to:
- Educate students about the philosophy of the Democratic Party
and encourage participation in all political affairs; - Assist in the election of local, state, and national
Democratic candidates; - Affect political change on the local, state, and national
level.
Article 2: Membership
Membership in the Pennsylvania Federation of College Democrats
shall be open to any college or university student in Pennsylvania
who wishes to be known as a Pennsylvania College Democrat and who has
the best interests of the Pennsylvania State Federation of College
Democrats and the Democratic Party at heart, regardless of gender,
race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, physical handicap,
socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation. In order to become a
member, the student must be a member of a chapter chartered with the
College Democrats of America on CDA Student Corps.
A. Members: Members of the Pennsylvania Federation of
College Democrats shall consist of the following entities:
- The Executive Board;
- The State Council;
- The chartered Campus Chapter;
- Membership at large
B. Structure: Pennsylvania Federation of College Democrats
shall be structured as follows:
- The Executive Board shall consist of the offices described in
Article 3, Section A and shall determine the
direction and goals of the Pennsylvania Federation of College
Democrats. - The State Council shall be the voice of Pennsylvania
Federation of College Democrats and shall advise the Executive
Board on the direction and goals of Pennsylvania Federation of
College Democrats. - The individual Chapters shall be the most basic and
fundamental unit within the Pennsylvania Federation of College
Democrats. - The membership at large will consist of the members of both
the chartered Chapters and students at schools wishing to be a
Pennsylvania College Democrat but have not yet registered as
prescribed in Article 2.
Article 3: The Executive Board
A: Composition: The Executive Board shall be
composed of:
- President
- Vice President, Western Region
- Vice President, Central Region
- Vice President, Eastern Region
- Finance Director
- Communications Director
- Political Affairs Director
- Membership Director
- Webmaster (Ex-Officio Member)
- State Council Chair (Ex-Officio Member)
B. All voting positions shall be elected at the annual
Pennsylvania State Federation of College Democrats Convention. The
Webmaster shall be appointed by the new Executive Board in a method
concordant with the Constitution. The State Council Chair shall be
elected by the general body along with the rest of the Executive
Board.
C. Other Ex-Officio members of the Executive Board may be
appointed at any time should the need arise. These members will be
appointed in concordance with the methods prescribed in the
Constitution.
D. The Executive Board shall determine the agenda and policy of
the Pennsylvania State Federation of College Democrats and coordinate
all activities and events.
E. No current Executive Board may release the contact information
of any chapter leader or chapter member, under any circumstances,
unless prior permission is given by that chapter leader or member.
Failure to comply with this rule will be grounds for the Executive
Board member’s termination.
F. After an Executive Board member’s term has ended, his or
her access to statewide chapter leader contact information will also
be terminated.
G. A chapter may have no more than two voting members on the
Executive Board. There will be no more than three members from any
one chapter on the Executive Board, including Ex-Officio members.
Article 4: Duties of the Executive Board
Positions
All Executive Board members must maintain active involvement in
all of the College Democrats activities and endeavors. In the case of
any official Executive Board vote, all voting members of the
Executive Board shall have one vote. In the event of a tie, the
President’s vote shall break the tie.
Official Reports of the Executive Board.
A. Bi-weekly, the President, in accordance with the other members
of the Executive Board, shall prepare a statement on the actions of
the Executive Board, along with long term goals and upcoming events,
to be distributed to all chapters and posted on the State
Federation’s website.
B. Every month the State Council Chair, in accordance with the
other members of the Executive Board, will hold a conference call of
the State Council to discuss current and ongoing activities of the
federation.
Each month, the Finance Director, working with the President,
shall be required to submit to the chapters a fundraising report,
including a statement on monies raised during the last month, current
fundraising activities, and fundraising goals for the future.
Annual Strategic Plan: No later than one month following
the State Convention, the Executive Board shall establish a set of
goals for the year in which every officer will be assigned official
duties.
C. Duties of the President: The President shall: Attend and
preside over meetings of the Executive Board as well as general
meetings and be responsible for determining the goals and direction
of the Pennsylvania State Federation of College Democrats. The
President shall serve as the main liaison between the state and the
National Executive Board when coordinating events and for general
communication. The President shall also serve as the main liaison
between the state government, the national government, and the State
Federation. When given a task by the National Executive Board, the
President may delegate responsibilities to the State Federation
Executive Board at his or her discretion. Additionally, due to
legality of non-profit bank accounts, the President, along with the
Treasurer, shall have access to the bank account of the Federation.
The President shall be responsible for appointing members of the
Executive Board in the event of the removal or resignation of a
member in accordance with the provisions described within the
Constitution. In the event that a President decides to resign, that
President must remain active until a successor is clearly designated.
D. Duties of the Vice Presidents of the Western, Central, and
Eastern Regions: The Vice Presidents shall attend Executive Board
meetings, assist in determining the goals and direction of the
organization and be responsible for the implementation of the goals
of the Pennsylvania State Federation of College Democrats as set by
the Executive Board. One Vice President is to be elected by the
Western Region of the state; one Vice President is to be elected by
the Central Region of the state; and the other Vice President by the
Eastern Region of the state. The Vice Presidents will, in addition to
assisting the President, be the spokespeople for their regions and
primary liaisons between the local and regional elected officials and
the State Federation.
E. Duties of the Membership Director: The Membership
Director shall: attend Executive Board meetings, assist in
determining the goals and direction of the organization, and be
responsible for the implementation of the membership goals of the
Pennsylvania State Federation of College Democrats as set by the
Executive Board. He or she is responsible for contacting new members
of the Federation, ensuring they have the necessary materials to
contact other chapters, and maintaining open lines of communication
between chapters and the Executive Board. He or she must be
responsible for handling, maintaining, and updating the CDA Student
Corps website and reminding chapters to re-charter whenever changes
in contact information or Executive positions occur. He or she must
submit a monthly statement which outlines any growth the Federation
has.
F. Duties of the Communications Director: The
Communications Director shall: attend Executive Board meetings,
assist in determining the goals and direction of the organization,
and be responsible for the implementation of the communications goals
of the Pennsylvania State Federation of College Democrats as set by
the Executive Board. He or she is responsible for arranging press
releases if the Federation holds a statewide meeting or event so all
chapters can submit a release to a local newspaper. The
Communications Director shall also be responsible for making any
announcements set forth by another Executive Board member and also
assisting in any media attention the Federation or any chapter may
need. He or she shall help each chapter in the Federation in
contacting local newspapers, whether the need be an individual
session or a group meeting. He or she must ensure that the chapters
are getting active media attention. He or she must submit a monthly
statement to the President and Executive Board outlining any media
attention the Federation or chapters have received.
G. Duties of the Political Affairs Director: The Political
Affairs Director shall: attend Executive Board meetings, assist in
determining the goals and direction of the organization, and be
responsible for the implementation of the political goals of the
Pennsylvania State Federation of College Democrats as set by the
Executive Board. He or she is also responsible for contacting
politicians for statewide and regional events and assisting chapters
in bringing politicians or political speakers to campuses. The
Political Affairs Director ensures the Executive Board and all
chapters within the Federation have an updated list of all PA
National Representatives and Senators as well as State
Representatives and Senators. He or she is responsible for formatting
a standard letter, which is to be approved by the executive board,
that any chapter can send to an elected official to either make
themselves known to the politician, volunteer any help, request a
visit to campus or simply thank him or her for any attendance to an
event or appearance on campus. He or she must submit monthly
statements to the President and Executive Board outlining statewide
political activity and events chapters have held. He or she will work
with the Communications Director with press releases in the event an
elected official makes an appearance at a campus or at an event
sponsored by the Federation.
H. Duties of the Finance Director: The Finance Director
shall: attend Executive Board meetings, assist in determining the
goals and direction of the organization, and be responsible for the
implementation of the goals for the Pennsylvania State Federation of
College Democrats as set by the Executive Board. The Finance Director
shall also be responsible for the financial accounts held by the
Federation. He or she has access to the account and is responsible
for making transactions. He or she is also responsible for arranging
and receiving sponsorships and donations from political groups and
organizations and also organizing and executing fundraising.
Additionally, the Finance Director is responsible for keeping records
of financial dealings and maintaining an up to date report of the
funds of the Pennsylvania State Federation of College Democrats. Any
financial expenditure not included in the budget must be approved by
the current Executive Board.
I. Duties of the Webmaster: The Webmaster shall: attend
Executive Board meetings, assist in determining the goals and
direction of the organization, and be responsible for the
implementation of the goals for the Pennsylvania State Federation of
College Democrats as set by the Executive Board. The webmaster is an
ex-officio member of the Executive Board. The Webmaster shall update
the Pennsylvania College Democrat Website, handle any technological
issues that arise, and strive to achieve the technological goals set
forth by the Executive Board.
J. Duties of the State Council Chair: The State Council
Chair shall: attend Executive Board meetings, assist in determining
the goals and direction of the organization, and be responsible for
the implementation of the goals for the Pennsylvania State Federation
of College Democrats as set by the Executive Board. The State Council
shall call State Council meetings at least monthly, preside over
these meetings, and be the chief liaison between the State Council
and the Executive Board. The State Council Chair shall also assist
the Executive Board in initiation of new state chapters and assist
communication between and amongst existing state chapters. The State
Council Chair shall be elected at the State Convention each spring
and is an ex-officio member of the Executive Board.
K. National Council Members: The College Democrats of
America (CDA) requires two people from each state federation sit on
the National Council, a group which oversees direction of the CDA and
holds periodic meetings. The highest ranking male and female on the
executive board shall hold these positions. If no member of the
opposite sex holds a position on the executive board then the
executive board shall appoint one non-voting (ex-officio) member to
represent the federation in the national council.
L. Honorary Chairs of the Federation: At each convention,
the keynote speaker shall be named Honorary Chair of the Pennsylvania
Federation of College Democrats.
Article 5: State Council of the Pennsylvania
Federation of College Democrats
The State Council of the Pennsylvania Federation of College
Democrats will be composed of two members from each chapter of the
federation, to be appointed by each chapter. The State Council shall
be presided over by the State Council Chair.
A. Duties of the State Council: the duties shall consist of
all references explicitly prescribed herein, in addition to
supplemental duties as prescribed by the Executive Board. The State
Council shall guide the Executive Board’s agenda and serve as a
forum for public debate and discussion between the Pennsylvania
College Democrats Chapters and the Executive Board. The State Council
shall meet at the state convention and at regular intervals
determined by the Chair and approved by the Executive Board. A
three-fourth (3/4) majority of PA State Council members can override
any Executive Board decision.
B. Quorum: When a vote is necessary, a
quorum of chapter representation must be present. A quorum will be
defined as 25 percent of current chapters officially registered on
CDA Student Corps with at least one chapter leader registered.
Article 6: Elections
A. Elections shall be held near the end of every spring semester
at the annual convention. The Executive Board shall set the date and
time of the elections and appoint an Elections Chair who is not
seeking any office.
B. Every member of the Federation is welcome and encouraged to run
for a position. To be eligible to run, each candidate must attend a
college or university in Pennsylvania and be a Federation member for
at least one semester, and will be attending a college or university
in Pennsylvania in the following year. To declare candidacy, the
member must submit a 300 word platform proposal to the appointed
Elections Chair no later than two weeks before the elections. At the
state convention, each candidate will deliver a speech with a time
limit to be determined by the Elections Chair. The Elections Chair
will then open the floor to general questions to the candidates as he
or she sees fit.
C. All elected officers’ terms shall take effect immediately upon
the adjournment of the general membership meeting at which they are
elected and the term shall last for one year.
D. The candidate shall be removed if he or she includes derogatory
statements directed at his or her opponent or at another candidate.
Executive Board members shall ultimately vote as to whether or not
the candidate shall be removed from the ballot.
E. Elections will take place as a secretive role
call vote. The Elections Chair will select a witness, who is not
running for a position, who will sit with the Elections Chair during
the vote. When a school is called, a representative from the school
approaches the Elections Chair and witness and informs them of their
school’s vote. The votes of individual chapters shall not be
made public, but the overall vote total shall be publicly available
after the election.
F. Each chapter will have three votes, no more, no less, to
distribute amongst the candidates for each position as it sees fit.
The Executive Board shall also have three votes to apportion in the
same manner.
G. In the event of a vacancy prior to convention, either through a
failure of submission of a candidacy statement or a withdrawal prior
to the convention, the Elections Chair, in consultation with the
Executive Board, shall determine the most expedient method of
election at convention in concurrence with the Constitution and
bylaws of the Pennsylvania Federation of College Democrats. If this
consists of an extension of the deadline in which candidacy
statements may be submitted, then candidacy statements must be
submitted not later than three days before the start of the state
convention. Additionally, if all positions are not filled prior to
the expiration of the final deadline, then there will be open floor
nominations with ample time allotted by the Elections Chair at the
state convention.
H. In the event that a statewide convention is not held, the
Elections Chair will be responsible for organizing an online
elections process. This process must be approved by the Executive
Board.
Article 7: Removal
A. Cause for removal: Cause for removal shall be defined as
malfeasance or nonfeasance of duties assigned by the Executive Board
or delineated within this document, or as ineligibility for Executive
Board membership pursuant to Article 2. Cause for
removal shall also include grounds found by 3/4 members of the
Executive Board to constitute good and sufficient cause.
B. Process for removal: To begin the process for removal,
another member of the Executive Board must charge the officer with
the reasons for his or her removal publicly at a meeting of the
Executive Board. The officer in question must be offered an
opportunity to defend himself or herself at that meeting. After a
period of two weeks the issue shall be put to a vote. Three-fourths
members of the Executive Board must vote for removal for an officer
to be removed.
Article 8: Vacancies and Appointments
A. Declaration of vacancy: If a member of the Executive
Board wishes to resign, he or she shall submit to the Executive Board
a statement of resignation, which will then be distributed
immediately to all chapters.
B. Vacancies within 60 Days: If a member of the Executive
Board (other than the President) resigns within 60 Days of his or her
election at the State Convention, the elections chair from the
convention, and the witness appointed to record votes, shall be
called upon to witness a special election for that position. If these
individuals are not available, a Special Elections Chair and witness
will be appointed by the President in accordance with the rules of
appointment of an elections chair. This election will occur within
two weeks of the announcement of resignation. Candidates wishing to
declare for the vacancy will have one week within this period to
declare, in accordance with the provisions in accordance with
Article 5, Section B. Voting shall be open for the
second week, and each chapter shall submit their votes, either
electronically or through other means, to the elections chair and
witness, who will record the balloting in secret, in accordance with
Article 6, Section E. If a quorum of chapters are
unable to vote during that period, the President shall appoint a
replacement to fill the vacancy. At the expiration of the two week
period, the new member of the Executive Board will be declared.
C. Vacancies after 60 Days: If a member of the Executive
Board (other than the President) resigns after 60 Days following
their election at the State Convention, the President shall appoint
his or her successor in accordance with appointment provisions.
D. Appointments Provisions: If the President wishes to make
an appointment, either Officio or Ex-Officio, to the Executive Board,
then they must declare an opening in the position to all chapters.
The President shall then take applications to the position, which
will be made public to all chapters, either distributed or posted
onto the College Democrats website. After one week, the President
will announce his or her choice to the State Council of the
Pennsylvania Federation of College Democrats and that person will
begin serving in a temporary capacity. The State Council, with a
quorum of chapters present, will vote on confirmation. A majority
vote is needed in the affirmative for confirmation. If a State
Council quorum cannot be obtained within two weeks of the vacancy
opening, the President’s temporary appointment shall become
permanent.
E. Presidential Vacancies: If the office of the President
becomes vacant, the Vice-President with the longest service on the
Executive Board shall become President. If multiple Vice-Presidents
have served an equal amount of time, the State Council will decide
which of those Vice-Presidents shall become President.
Article 9: Committees
A. The President, with the consent of the Executive Board, may,
from time to time, establish either standing or temporary committees
within the Pennsylvania Federation of College Democrats.
B. Composition: Each committee shall be composed of:
- One (1) chair or two (2) co-chairs
- A minimum of four (4) committee members if only one chair
presides or five (5) committee members if two co-chairs
preside
C. Requirements and Duties of the Chair or Co-chairs: the
Chair or Co-chairs shall be appointed by the President with the
consent of the Executive Board. The Chair or Co-chairs shall
announce, plan, and preside over meetings of the Committee, implement
its goals and agenda, and serve as the main liaison between the
Committee and the Executive Board. The Chair or Co-Chairs shall
submit regular progress reports as decided by the Executive Board
D. Requirements and Duties of the Committee Members:
Committees shall be composed of an odd number of members. They shall
be appointed by the Chair or Co-chairs with the consent of the
Executive Board.
E. Committee Protocol: Each member, in addition to the
Chair or Co-chairs, shall have one (1) vote when necessary. Following
a successful vote, the Committee shall submit their work to the
Executive Board via the Chair or Co-Chairs. The Chair or Co-Chairs,
when attending this joint session of Committee and Executive Board,
shall present and defend their work to the Executive Board. The
Executive Board shall then vote on the passage, acceptance, or
acknowledgement of the Committee’s work. In the event of a
stalemate, defined as an inability for the Committee and Executive
Board to reach an equitable agreement, a state council meeting must
be called, and the Chair or Co-Chairs shall present and defend their
work to the State Council. Voting shall be governed by current State
Council rules.
Article 10: Amendments
If an amendment to the Constitution is proposed, the Executive
Board must hold an immediate meeting on that proposal. If 2/3 of the
Executive Board approves the amendment, it is brought before the
State Council. With a 2/3 vote of the State Council, the amendment to
the constitution shall be adopted. An amendment can only be
considered for a vote when quorum (more than 50 percent) of the
delegates on the floor is present.
Article 11: National Convention
A. At the annual national convention of the College Democrats of
America, each chapter may individually decide how to apportion its
votes amongst various provisions or candidates on any given ballot.
B. An Executive Board member acting in an official capacity must
share any and all information received from national candidates with
the chapters of the Pennsylvania Federation of College Democrats,
regardless of individual or other preferences without expressing any
bias or the exertion of undue influence. Any Executive Board member
found to have purposely withheld information on any candidates to aid
one candidate over another, can be removed from office under the
rules provided in Article 7.
Article 12: Endorsement Policy
The Pennsylvania State Federation of College Democrats, as an
organization, shall not officially endorse candidates in contested
Democratic primaries.
Article 13: State Convention
A. Definition: A State Convention shall be held on an
annual basis at a set by the Executive Board and majority consent of
the State Council.
B. Purpose: The purposes of the State Convention are:
- To train and educate Pennsylvania Federation of College
Democrats members in political techniques
- To allow Pennsylvania Federation of College Democrats members
to meet fellow College Democrats from across the commonwealth of
Pennsylvania - To host Democratic political speakers.
- To hold elections for all Executive Board positions.
B. Location: A certified campus chapter, or other practical
venue, that shall be selected by a majority of the Executive Board
shall host The Annual Statewide Convention.
Article 14: Fundraising Organizations
Upon a three-fourths vote of the Executive Board and a two-thirds
vote by the State Council, in accordance with the provisions outlined
in the Constitution, the State Federation may authorize the
establishment of affiliated organizations to include, but not limited
to: 527’s, PACs and other independent entities under U.S. Federal Tax
law and Pennsylvania state tax law.