Cdny New Constitution

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 the State of New York. Our mission as a student organization is to help elect Democrats from the grassroots level up, train and engage new generations of democratic student activists, shape the Democratic Party with voices from America's youth, and to become a potent political voice on the issues that impact the student population. In this mission, we call for full participation of all New York students, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, physical handicap, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation or gender identity. 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 College Democrats of New York. The College Democrats of New York is the official student outreach arm of the New York State Democratic Committee and is part of the College Democrats of America, the official student outreach arm of the Democratic National Committee. Article 1: Name, Purpose, and Structure. Section I. Name. The name of this organization shall be the "College Democrats of New York," hereinafter referred to in the document as CDNY. Section II. Purpose. CDNY, as the collegiate arm of the Democratic Party, pledge to support the philosophy and purpose of the Democratic Party. Furthermore, CDNY declares their intention to support efforts to increase the participation of college students in Democratic Party affairs. To these ends, CDNY shall educate and train their members so that they may be better able to: A. Educate students about the philosophy of the Democratic Party; B. Assist in the election of local, state, and national Democratic candidates and; C. Work to bring more people into the political process. D. Overall, to achieve the goals of CDNY and the Democratic Party Section III. State Regions. For the purposes of assuring that colleges in all areas of New York are represented, the state shall be divided into seven state regions: the Capital Region, the Central New York Region, the Finger Lakes Region, the Hudson Valley Region, the New York City/ Long Island Region, the North Country Region, the and the Western New York Region A. The New York City/Long Island Region shall include all colleges in the Bronx, New York, Richmond, Kings, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties; B. The Hudson Valley Region shall include all colleges in Greene, Columbia, Dutchess,

Ulster, Sullivan, Orange, Putnam, Westchester, and Rockland counties; C. The Capital Region shall include all colleges in Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady,

Saratoga, Fulton, Montgomery, Schoharie, Fulton, Montgomery, and Washington counties; D. The Central New York Region shall include all colleges in Oneida, Oswego, Madison, Onondaga, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Chenango, Broome, and Tioga counties;

E. The Finger Lakes Region shall include all colleges in Cayuga, Seneca, Yates, Ontario, Wayne, Monroe, Livingston, Schuyler and Tompkins counties; F. The North Country Region shall include all colleges in the Warren, Essex, Clinton,

Franklin, Hamilton, St. Lawrence, Herkimer, Lewis and Jefferson counties; and G. The Western New York Region shall include all colleges in the Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua counties Chemung, Steuben and Allegany counties; Starting in 2011 and following once every two years, the CDNY executive board shall reevaluate the makeup of chapters in individual regions, and vote on any changes necessary to keep regions balanced and viable. A majority of the Executive Board members are needed to make any changes. Section IV. Members. Members of CDNY organization shall consist of the following entities: A. B. C. D.

The Executive Board; The State Council; The chartered Campus Chapters; and Membership at large

Section V. Structure. CDNY shall serve as an umbrella organization for chartered Campus Chapters. While CDNY will coordinate with each organization, they remain separate entities under the CDNY. The overall structure of the CDNY shall be as follows: A. The Executive Board, which shall define and carry out the direction of goals of CDNY. B. The State Council shall be the official voice of chapters within CDNY.

C. The chartered Campus Chapters shall be the most basic and fundamental unit within CDNY. D. The membership at large shall be composed of all the members of the chartered chapters

as well as college students wishing to be known as College Democrats at institutions in New York that lack a chartered chapter. These individuals must have the best interests of the Democratic Party, College Democrats of America, and CDNY at heart, regardless of sex, race, ethnic origin, religion, physical handicap, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation. Article 2: Executive Board. Section I. Authority and Responsibility. The responsibilities of the Executive Board shall be as follows: A. B. C. D.

Determine the agenda and policy of CDNY Coordinate all statewide activities and events Formulate a state platform, to be approved and adopted at each year’s Convention. Hold the right to independently endorse candidates engaged in Democratic primaries that reflect the values and goals of CDNY. i. CDNY shall endorse a candidate with a 2/3rds vote of the executive board.

Section II. Executive Board Composition. The Executive Board shall consist of: The President, the Vice-President, the Legislative Director, the Communications Director, the Finance Director, the Development Director, the Membership Director, the Secretary, as well as the Chairs of the seven regions. **The positions of Vice President, Membership Director, and Development Director were created as of the 2009 CDNY Convention. These changes are reflected in Amendment III. All positions will be elected once yearly at the General Elections at the CDNY convention for terms beginning on May 15th of the year in which they were elected until May 14th of the following year. The procedure for Executive Board elections is stated in Article 7. Section III. Duties of the President. The President shall: A. Attend and preside over meetings of the Executive Board, and provide seasonal

reports to the Executive Board; B. With the assistance of the Vice President, will be responsible for the implementation of the goals of the CDNY as set by the Executive Board; C. Reaching out to and maintaining ties with Democratic elected officials, Democratic campaigns, and Democratic-leaning organizations in the State; D. Appoint ex-officio members of the Executive Board with the advice and consent of the Executive Board; E. Establish committees to facilitate CDNY’s goals as needed and appoint members to

them with the advice and consent of the Executive Board; and F. The President, with the advice and consent of the Executive Board, shall have the ability to create additional non-voting positions, and appoint individuals to fill those positions. Section IV. Duties of the Vice President. The Vice President shall: A. Assist the President in the performance of his or her duties; B. Act as President when the President is unavailable or unable to perform his or her duties; C. Assume the office, powers and duties of the President upon the President’s death, resignation, removal, or inability to perform duties; D. Oversee current projects of the Executive Board in CDNY in consult with the

President; E. Have the authority to deal directly with leaders of other State Federations and College

Democrats of America with consent of the President; F. Oversee and direct the activities and goals of the regional chairs; and

G. Perform such duties as the President may assign and take on projects of his or her

choosing with consent of the President. Section V. Duties of the Political Director. The Political Director shall: A. Attend Executive Board meetings, assist in determining the goals of the CDNY, and provide monthly reports to the President on the first Sunday of every month; B. Along with the President, be responsible for the implementation of the Legislative

goals of CDNY, as set by the Executive Board; C. Identify political issues on the state and local levels that affect college students and

organize CDNY lobbying efforts; D. Act as the liaison between CDNY and the political campaigns and elected officials

that CDNY supports, and also orchestrate and execute all CDNY campaign invasions; E. Act as the liaison between CDNY and other organizations – including but not limited

to – College Democrats of America, the New York State Young Democrats, The Democratic Lawyers Council, Unions, and other Progressive organizations; and F. Perform such duties as the President may assign and take on projects of his or her

choosing with consent of the President. Section VI. Duties of the Communications Director. The Director of Communications Shall: A. Attend Executive Board meetings, assist in determining the direction and goals of the CDNY, and provide monthly reports to the President on the first Sunday of every month; B. Along with the President, be responsible for the implementation of the

communications goals of the CDNY as set by the Executive Board; including, but not limited to, developing and implementing a coherent message strategy; C. Maintain the CDNY press list and public relations;

D. Notify media of all events of the College Democrats in an attempt to ensure media coverage; E. Organize and execute all of CDNY’s communications, electronic and otherwise, both

within the CDNY membership and to outside organizations; and F. Perform such duties as the President may assign and take on projects of his or her choosing with consent of the President. Section VII. Duties of the Finance Director. The Finance Director shall: A. Attend Executive Board meetings, assist in determining the directions and goals of CDNY and provide monthly reports to the Chair on the first Sunday of every month;

B. Along with the President and Development Director, be responsible for the implementation of the financial goals of the CDNY as set by the Executive Board; C. Along with the Development Director, report to the President on the financial outlook

of the organization; D. Maintain CDNY's financial records; E. Have the power to approve all expenditures up to $50. Any expenditure in excess of

$50 must be approved by a majority Executive Board vote; F. Set fundraising goals for CDNY and work with the President and Development

Director to reach those goals; G. Maintain organizational compliancy with the Federal Election Commission (FEC);

and H. Perform such duties as the President may assign and take on projects of his or her

choosing with consent of the President. Section VIII. Duties of the Development Director. The Development Director shall: A. Attend Executive Board meetings, assist in determining the directions and goals of CDNY and provide monthly reports to the Chair on the first Sunday of every month; B. Along with the Finance Director, report to the President on the financial outlook of

the organization; C. Organize and execute all fundraising activities of CDNY – this includes but is not

limited to – fundraising events and/or physical and electronic solicitations; D. Perform such duties as the President may assign and take on projects of his or her choosing with consent of the President. Section IX. Duties of the Membership Director. The Membership Director shall: A. Attend Executive Board meetings, assist in determining the directions and goals of CDNY and provide monthly reports to the Chair on the first Sunday of every month; B. Along with the President, be responsible for the implementation of the membership goals of the CDNY as set by the Executive Board; C. Coordinate activities between other College Democrats chapters with consent from

the President; D. Assist regional directors in cultivating new college chapters, as well as helping

support current chapters ; E. be responsible for chapter certification; and F. Perform such duties as the President may assign and take on projects of his or her

choosing with consent of the President.

Section X. Duties of the Secretary. The Secretary shall: A. Attend Executive Board meetings, assist in determining the directions and goals of CDNY and provide monthly reports to the President on the first Sunday of every month; B. Supervise elections of CDNY positions and tabulate results C. Set up CDNY Executive Board meetings (including, but not limited to conference calls), and record the minutes of each Executive Board meeting; and D. Perform such duties as the President may assign and take on projects of his or her

choosing with consent of the President.

Section XI. Duties of the New Media Director. The position of New Media director shall be an appointed position, and hold a non-voting seat on the Executive Board. The New Media Director shall: A. Attend Executive Board meetings, assist in determining the directions and goals of CDNY and provide monthly reports to the Chair on the first Sunday of every month; B. Update and ensure the maintenance of the College Democrats online presence; C. Along with the Communications Director, develop a coherent online communications

strategy; and D. Perform such duties as the President may assign and take on projects of his or her

choosing with consent of the President. Section XII. Duties of the Regional Chairs: Each Regional Chair shall: A. Attend Executive Board meetings to assist in determining the directions and goals of CDNY and provide bi-monthly reports to the President; B. Along with the President, Political Director, and Membership Director, be responsible for the implementation of the political and membership goals of the CDNY as set by the Executive Board; C. Act as a representative of all the Region’s chapters; D. Assist in reaching out to and maintaining ties with Democratic elected officials,

Democratic campaigns, and Democratic-leaning organizations in the Region; E. Reach out to people interested in starting new Regional chapters and assist them in forming a new chapter; F. Preside over monthly meetings with their respective chapter Presidents and then submit a report of the condition of the region to the Vice-President. These meetings may be in person or on conference call;

G. Perform such duties as the President may assign and take on projects of his or her

choosing with consent of the President. Section XIII. Meetings: The Executive Board shall meet on a regular basis determined by the President or the majority of the Executive Board. Three (3) days notice of said meeting must be given to all Executive Board members. Section XIV. 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. All officers will be required to submit written reports on the first Sunday of every month to the President detailing their pursuit of these objectives. Section XV. Quorum. A quorum of the Executive Board shall be a majority of the elected officers of the Executive Board members present, in person, by conference calls, or by electronic communication. Section XVI. Vacancies. A vacancy shall be declared when a member of the Executive Board dies, resigns, or is removed from office. If the vacancy is in any position other than the President, the President shall nominate a successor who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of the remaining Executive Board. If the Chair of any particular region is vacant, then the Vice-President shall serve as Chair of the Region lacking a Chair until a successor is nominated and confirmed. If position of the President becomes vacant, the CDNY Executive Board shall refer to the line of succession listed in Article 2, Section XVII, Part C. Section XVII. Removal. Executive Board members may be removed in the following manner: A. Cause for Removal: Cause for removal shall be defined as malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance of constitutionally-assigned duties, being convicted of a felony, or upon other grounds found by all of the other members of the Executive Board to constitute good and sufficient cause; B. Process for Removal: To begin the process for removal, a member of the Executive

Board must make a motion for removal. After the motion is seconded, it will automatically be layed on the table with no vote. The officer being removed must be contacted that a motion for removal has been made and that it will be voted on at the next meeting. Motion will come to a vote at the next schedule meeting. The motion for removal needs two-thirds majority of the Executive Board. C. Line of Succession: In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death

or resignation, the line of succession is as follows: the Vice President, the Political Director, the Secretary, the Communications Director, the Finance Director, the Development Director, the seven regions chairs in order of length of service to CDNY.

Section XVIII. National Representation and Procedure. A. National Council Representation: As specified in Article 3, Section III of the Constitution of the College Democrats of America, the CDNY President and the next highest-ranking member of the opposite gender shall represent CDNY on the CDA National Council. B. National Convention Voting Procedure: For the elections of College Democrats of

America National Officers, the members of the CDNY delegation shall determine by majority vote the method by which New York’s votes shall be allotted. No member of the Executive Board running for national office may participate in this vote. Article 3: State Council. Section I. Purpose. The purpose of the State Council shall be to provide a voice for state chapters and the grassroots organizing within the organization. Section II. Rights & Responsibilities. The State Council members shall make themselves available to the Executive Board for advice. The State Council shall meet at the state convention. Each NY State Council member shall be responsible for passing down relevant information to their chapter's membership. Section III. Membership. The membership of the State Council shall include one representative of each chartered state chapter. The State Council shall elect a chair who shall: A. Be a state chapter representative, and will be elected on an annual basis by the membership of the State Council at the State Convention. In the event that no chair is elected at the State Convention, a chair will be elected at the subsequent meeting, as determined by the Executive Board. B. Attend Executive Board meetings and advise in determining the goals of CDNY. Section IV. Quorum. A quorum of the State Council shall be a majority of the members present, in person, by conference calls, or by electronic communication of the State Council and a majority of the Executive Board to constitute a Quorum. Article 3: Campus Chapters Section I. Definition. Chartered Campus Chapters shall be the most basic and fundamental unit within CDNY. There may be only one Campus Chapter per college campus. Section II. Purpose. As member organizations of CDNY, chartered Campus Chapters shall be dedicated to educating members of their college community about the philosophy of the CDNY and organizing them to further the interests of the Democratic Party. Each CDNY Campus Chapter shall extend membership to all registered college students who wish to be known as College Democrats regardless of sex, race, ethnic origin, religion, physical handicap, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation. For these purposes, a "college student" shall mean an undergraduate or graduate student including those on approved temporary leave or absence from their college.

Section III. Chapter Certification. Campus chapters applying for a charter shall at a minimum provide the Membership Director with the names, permanent and school addresses, emails, and phone numbers of all officers, as well as a chapter Constitution, charter, or set or by-laws. A copy of the chapter constitution must be submitted. All CDNY chapters must also be certified by the College Democrats of America. Chapters must apply for certification annually; all materials must be submitted by May 21st of each year. Section IV. Chapter Decertification:. Chartered Campuses may be decertified in the following manner: A. Cause for Decertification: As specified in Article 5, Section V of the Constitution of the College Democrats of America, cause for revoking a chapter's charter shall be defined as "malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance of assigned duties, or upon other grounds by a member of the Executive Board" to constitute good and sufficient cause. B. Process for Decertification: As specified in Article 5, Section V of the Constitution of

the College Democrats of America, to begin the process for decertification, a member of the Executive Board must charge the officers of the Campus Chapter in question with the reasons for the decertification at least two weeks before the Executive Board meeting at which the Chapter's decertification will be voted upon. Officers of the Campus Chapter in question must be offered an opportunity at or before that meeting, either in person, by phone, by mail, or by email, to defend their actions directly to the Executive Board. A majority vote by the Executive Board shall rule on the Chapter in question's decertification. Article 5: The Membership at Large Section I. Definition. The membership at large shall be composed of all the members of the chartered chapters and college students wishing to be known as College Democrats at institutions in New York that lack a chartered chapter who have the best interests of the Democratic Party, College Democrats of America, and CDNY at heart, regardless of sex, race, ethnic origin, religion, physical handicap, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation. Article 6: State Convention Section I. Definition. A State Convention shall be held on an annual basis at a location set by the Executive Board. Section II. The purposes of the State Convention are: A. To train and educate CDNY members in political techniques B. To allow CDNY members to meet fellow College Democrats from across the state of New York C. To host Democratic political speakers. D. To hold elections for all CDNY Executive Board positions.

Section III: Location. A certified campus chapter that shall be selected by a majority of the Executive Board shall host The Annual Statewide Convention. Two consecutive Statewide Conventions cannot be held in the same region. Section IV: Membership. The State Convention shall be governed by the Temporary Rules of the Convention, as adopted by the Executive Board prior to the Convention. Candidates for the Executive Board must be enrolled as full-time or part-time student for at least one quarter or semester of undergraduate or graduate education during the academic year following the election. Section V: Executive Board Elections. A. Eligibility to be a Candidate: All candidates must be members in good standing at a certified CDNY chapter. Only regional members are eligible to run for and vote for regional positions. All candidates must be present at the CDNY convention. B. Eligibility to Vote: Each CDNY member in good standing of a certified chapter who attends and properly registers for convention, according to the procedure established by the Executive Board and host chapter or chapters shall be considered a voting delegate for his or her respective chapter C. Nominations: Candidates shall have the opportunity to declare their intention to run for

an Executive Board position by filing a statement of candidacy with the Secretary prior to the convention. Candidates may also be nominated by any two or more delegates from at least two different chapters directly before their election. D. Speeches & Questions: Each candidate shall be allowed the opportunity to give a speech prior to voting. The maximum time that a candidate may speak shall be 5 minutes for Presidential Candidates, 4 minutes for Vice Presidential Candidates, and 3 minutes for each other office. Following all the speeches for a given office, delegates shall be allowed to ask questions of all the candidates. E. Election Chair: The Secretary shall chair the elections, except when the Secretary is a

candidate; in this instance the highest-ranking Executive Board member who is not a candidate in the election in question shall chair the election. In the event that all Executive Board members are candidates, the State Council Chair shall chair the election. F. Voting: i. The Secretary shall preside over all election other than her own. The Legislative Director shall administer the election for Secretary. ii. Each certified chapter shall be allocated five votes, plus one vote per delegate. Each delegate from a non-certified chapter shall be given one vote per delegate. iii. Elections for each office shall take place directly following the speeches and questions of the candidates for that office. iv. The Host Chapter shall receive a maximum of one more vote than the largest

chapter in attendance. v. The order offices shall be elected in shall be: President, the Vice President, the

Political Director, the Secretary, the Communications Director, the Finance Director, the Development Director, and the seven regions chairs.

vi. In order to win, a candidate must receive more than half of all votes cast. If no

candidate receive this many votes, there shall be a runoff between the two candidates receiving the most votes. Article 7: Parliamentary Authority. Section I. The rules contained in the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the CDNY in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the CDNY may adopt. Article 8: Amendments Section I. Procedures. This constitution can be amended by: A. The Constitutional Committee shall advise the membership on revisions and amendments to the CDNY Constitution annually at the State Convention. A two-thirds (2/3) vote at the State Convention of those chartered Chapters present. For these purposes, each chartered Chapter shall have one vote; B. Unanimous vote in favor in two consecutive Executive Board meetings, provided that the

chartered chapters later vote by a majority in favor of the Amendment.

Amendment I All members of the executive board and of all chapters of CDNY are expected to act in a moral and ethical manner at all times when acting in their official capacity as members of CDNY. Acting in a blatantly unethical manner can result in removal from office under the rules provided in Article 2 Section VII. Amendment II An executive board member acting in an official capacity must share any and all information received from national candidates with the chapters of CDNY, 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 2 Section VII Amendment III As of the 2009 CDNY Convention, the positions of Vice-President, Development Director, and Membership Director, shall become elected positions. The duties of these offices are listed in Article 2, Sections IV, VIII, and IX respectively.