Bylaws
.jpg)
BYLAWS OF THE KENT COUNTY REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE PREAMBLE
The purpose of the Kent County Republican Committee is to elect Republican candidates to public office who support the Republican ideals of smaller government, lower taxes, less regulation, and morality in government. We adopt these bylaws to assist us in working together for the benefit of all.
ARTICLE I. ELECTION DISTRICT COMMITTEES
Section 1. Definition: Election District means a Kent County, Delaware Election District.
Section 2. Organization: An Election District Republican Committee shall consist of at least
three (3) members, at least one (1) of whom shall be a resident of that particular
district, and others who are members of the same Representative District. There
shall be no officers of an Election District Republican Committee. All committee
members must be registered Republicans.
Section 3. Membership: Members of an Election District Republican Committee may gain membership by the invitation of
** the Chairperson of the Representative District Republican Committee,
** the Chairperson of the Kent County Region Republican Committee,
** another member of that Election District Republican Committee, or
** by volunteering for an open position.
Each Election District Republican Committee Member is a member of the respective Representative District Republican Committee and the Kent County Region Republican Committee.
New members may be added to the rolls after attending one Representative District or one Kent County meeting.
ARTICLE II. REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT COMMITTEES
Section 1. Definition: Representative District means a Delaware House of Representative District.
Section 2. Organization: Each Representative District shall form a Republican
Committee consisting of all of the Election District Republican Committee Members residing in that district.
Section 3. Officers: In February, every two years, beginning in 2011, the Representative
District Republican Committee shall elect a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and an Information Officer.
All candidates for these offices shall be registered Republicans and shall have resided in that Representative District for at least six months prior to the month of the election.
Election shall be held in a convenient place with at least four weeks notice given by email, telephone, U.S. mail, print media, or personal contact to all members of the Representative District Republican Committee.
Section 4. Quorum: Ten percent of the members of the Representative District Committee, but not less
than 5 Members present at the election meeting shall constitute a quorum.
Election as an officer of a Representative District Republican Committee requires a majority of the votes of the quorum.
Each officer shall serve a two-year term.
Section 5. Officer Vacancies: Officers may be removed from office for just cause by a vote of 75 percent
of the total members of the committee.
(a) Officers shall be removed from office
** if they fail to maintain membership in the committee,
** if they move out of the Representative District,
** by resigning in writing to the County Chairperson, or
** by death of the incumbent.
** if they fail to maintain membership in the committee,
** if they move out of the Representative District,
** by resigning in writing to the County Chairperson, or
** by death of the incumbent.
The Kent County Executive Committee may declare an office vacant due to lack of participation by an incumbent. An election will be called to fill the vacant position as soon as proper notice can be given.
(b) Removal from Office or Membership: The Representative District Committee may remove any member or officer of the Representative District Committee for just cause when it shall be established to the satisfaction of the Representative District Committee, at a meeting thereof, that the conduct, actions, or public expressions of the member or officers are detrimental to the best interests of the Republican Party.
Any member of the Representative District Committee may initiate such proceedings by serving the offending person by certified mail or in person with a written notice of the proposed action and reasons therefore.
Any member of the Representative District Committee may initiate such proceedings by serving the offending person by certified mail or in person with a written notice of the proposed action and reasons therefore.
A copy of the notice shall be filed with the Representative District Committee Chairperson and the County Chairperson.
Such notice shall be given at least seven days prior to the meeting of the Representative District Committee at which the question of removal shall be presented for consideration.
Such notice shall contain a reasonable summary of the charges to be presented against the person.
A majority vote of the quorum present shall decide such removal.
ARTICLE III. KENT COUNTY REGION REPUBLICAN COMMITTEES
Section 1. Organization: The Kent County Region shall form a committee consisting of all Election
District Republican Committee Members residing in the Kent County Region.
In March, every two years, beginning in 2011, the Kent County Republican
Committee Members shall meet to elect officers.
The meeting shall be held at a convenient time and place in Kent County
with at least four weeks prior notice of such meeting.
Section 2. Quorum: At any meeting of the Kent County Region Republican Committee a
quorum shall consist of 10 percent of membership of the committee.
Section 3. Officers:
A. Elected Officers: Majority votes of a Kent County Region Republican Committee in quorum met shall elect the following officers for two-year terms: a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, a Treasurer, and a Secretary.
Anyone nominated to be an officer must have been registered as a Republican and a resident
of the Kent County Region for at least one year prior to election.
of the Kent County Region for at least one year prior to election.
B. Appointed Officers: The Chairperson shall appoint a Parliamentarian who shall be an attorney accredited as a member of the Delaware Bar. The Chairperson may also appoint an Information Officer and a Member-at Large, both of whom shall be committee members. Appointed officers serve at the pleasure of the Chairperson.
C. One Office per Person: An Elected or Appointed Officer of the County Committee shall not be an Officer of a Representative District Committee nor an Officer of the State Committee.
D. Terms of Office: The term of all Officers shall be two years.
The Chairperson shall not serve more than two consecutive terms as Chair. Any person who serves two consecutive two-year terms as Chairperson shall be eligible to serve in that same capacity after two years have elapsed from the end of the prior term in that capacity. (Amendment approved Regional meeting March 16, 2017)
The First of March shall be the date used in this calculation.
E. Voting: At County Committee Meetings, the Chairperson shall only vote in the case of a tie vote. All other officers shall have the right to vote except for the Vice-Chairperson acting in place of the Chairperson, who then may only vote in the case of a tie vote.
Only members who have attended at least one County Committee Meeting in the last six months may vote in a County Committee Meeting.
F. Officer Vacancies: Officers of the County Committee may be removed from office for just cause by a vote of 75 percent of the total members of the committee.
Officers shall be removed from office
** if they fail to maintain membership in the committee,
** if they move out of the Kent County region by resigning in writing to the County Chairperson,
** or by death of the incumbent.
** The Kent County Executive Committee may declare an office vacant due to lack of participation by an incumbent.
An election will be called to fill the vacant position as soon as proper notice can be given.
Section 4. Duties of Officers of the Kent County Region Republican Committee:
Chairperson: The Chairperson shall
** preside at all meetings of the County Committee and the County Executive Committee,
** appoint the Appointed Officers,
** appoint all working committees, and
**perform all duties of the office of County Chairperson.
Vice-Chairperson: The Vice-Chairperson shall perform the duties of the County Chairperson in the absence or incapacity of the Chairperson and all duties assigned by the County Chairperson.
Treasurer: The Treasurer shall
** keep an account of all monies of the County Committee, and
** shall make payments from the account only upon the order of the County Chairperson.
Any expenditure of more than $500.00 must be approved in advance by the County Executive Committee.
The accounts of the Treasurer shall be audited once per year in the month of May by a committee appointed by the Chairperson for that purpose.
At the end of the Treasurer's term, all books shall be handed over to the incoming Treasurer.
The Treasurer shall prepare and may sign all finance reports required by the Delaware Election Commissioner.
Secretary: The Secretary shall keep a correct roll of the County Committee Members as supplied from time to time by the Representative Committee Chairmen and the County Chairperson.
This roll shall be kept in list from and shall include mailing addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses as available.
The Secretary shall keep minutes of all meetings of the Executive Committee and the County Committee.
The Secretary may be assigned other duties by the Chairperson. At the end of the term, the Secretary shall hand over all books and records to the incoming Secretary.
Parliamentarian: The Parliamentarian shall perform all duties pertinent to that office including advising the Chairperson and the Executive Committee of an laws and changes to laws affecting their operations, and what is legal and illegal according to the Bylaws of the County and State Republican Committees. The Parliamentarian shall be the Ethics Officer of County Committee.
Information Officer: The Information Officer shall perform all media-related and historical duties and other duties assigned by the Chairperson.
Member-at-Large: The Member-at-Large shall have such duties as the Chairperson may assign.
Section 4. Power: The management and direction of the affairs of the Republican Party of Kent County, Delaware shall be vested in the Kent County Republican Committee subject to the laws of the State of Delaware and the Constitution and Bylaws of the Republican Party of the State of Delaware.
Section 5: Meetings: The Chairperson shall call a meeting at least monthly each year in which a general election is held, and at least quarterly in each year in which there is no general election.
A Special Meeting may be called by petition of at least 50 members of the County Committee. Notice of any Special Meeting must be provided in writing to the Secretary and published in a local newspaper at least ten days in advance of the meeting.
ARTICLE IV. COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1: Organization: There shall be a Kent County Region Executive Committee whose members shall be the County Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson, the Treasurer, the Secretary, the Parliamentarian, the Member-at-Large, the last previous County Chairperson, and the Chairperson of the Representative District Committees. The Information Officer shall be a non-voting member.
Section 2. Affiliated Groups: One member of each Republican Club or Republican Organization, selected by their respective organizations in accordance with their bylaws, shall be a member of the Executive Committee after approval of the Kent County Region Republican Committee.
Such approval may be requested subject to the following rules:
A. The club or organization must be a member in good standing of its state affiliate.
B. The club or organization must submit a written request for recognition to the Executive Committee which will recommend approval or disapproval in writing to the County Committee within 30 days.
C. Kent County Region Republican Committee may then vote to approve the request for recognition.
D. The Kent County Republican Women’s Club shall be entitled to one full vote on the Executive Committee and count as one full vote for determination of a quorum. All other recognized Republican Clubs and Organizations, collectively, shall be entitled to one vote on the Executive Committee and count as one for determination of a quorum. *(Approved 4-6-2023).
E. A recognized club or organization may lose its representation on the Executive Committee if it ceases to have affiliation or good standing with its state organization or its membership in Kent County drops below twelve.
F. The Kent County Republican Women's Club and the Kent County Young Republicans are recognized for representation on the Executive Committee.
Section 3. Quorum: A Quorum of the Executive Committee shall be fifty percent (50%)
of the voting members.
Section 4. Power: The Executive Committee shall be empowered and directed to perform any duties and meet any responsibilities which it shall deem to be in the best interest of the Republican Party when such powers, duties, or responsibilities are not specifically assigned or reserved to/for an officer or group under these Bylaws.
Section 5. Meetings: The Executive Committee shall meet at least six times per calendar
year.
ARTICLE V. DELAWARE STATE REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE
Section 1. Representation: Each Representative District Republican Committee shall elect two of their members to be members of the Delaware State Republican Committee.
Section 2. State Convention Delegates: The number of delegates allocated to the Kent County Region shall be divided among the Representative District Committees by the County-Chairperson with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee. Delegates and Alternates selected by the Representative District Committees must be registered Republicans and members in good standing
of their respective Representative District Committee.
Section 3. Vacancies: The Kent County Executive Committee has the authority to fill
any State Committee Member or Delegate vacancy that occurs subsequent to the selections of such Members or Delegates caused by death, resignation, moving out of the district, or failure of a Representative District to designate their Members or Delegates by the deadline.
ARTICLE VI. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1. No Proxy Voting: There shall be NO voting by Proxy at any meeting of any committee
constituted under these Bylaws.
Section 2. Removal from Office or Membership: The County Committee may remove any member or
officer of any committee for just cause when it shall be established to the satisfaction of the County Committee, in general session met, that the conduct, actions, or public expressions of said person are detrimental to the best interests of the Republican Party.
Any member of the County Committee or Executive Committee may initiate such proceedings by serving the offending person by certified mail or in person with a written notice of the proposed action.
A copy of the notice shall be filed with the County Secretary or Chairperson and the appropriate Representative District Chairperson.
Such notice shall be given at least seven days prior to the meeting of the County Committee at which time the question of removal shall be presented for consideration.
Such notice shall contain a reasonable summary of the charges to be presented against the offending person.
A majority vote of the quorum present shall decide such removal.
Section 3. Rules of Order: The most recent edition of Roberts Rules of Order shall govern the conduct
of all meetings of all committees so far as they are not in conflict with these Bylaws.
Section 4. Amendments: Any proposed change or amendment to these Bylaws shall be presented in
writing at a meeting of the County Committee.
The County Chairperson shall refer such change or amendment to a committee, which shall report at the next County Committee Meeting.
The said change or amendment may then be adopted by a three-fifths (60%) affirmative vote of the quorum present.
Approved October 12, 2011
*Approved April 6, 2023
