Preamble

We, the members of the Republican electors in the County of McHenry, in the state of Illinois, in order to more effectively give expression to the principles, purpose and function of the Republican Party, do hereby ordain, declare and establish these Bylaws for the McHenry County Young Republicans in McHenry County, Illinois.

Article I – Name

The name of this organization shall be the McHENRY COUNTY YOUNG REPUBLICANS hereinafter referred to as MCYR in this constitution.

Article II – Affiliation

MCYR is affiliated with the Federation of Illinois Young Republicans.

Article III – Purpose and Policy

Section 1

The general purpose of the MCYR shall be to aid in the organizing and conduction of general elections; promote good government; instill a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation; and to support the constitutional government of the State of Illinois and the United States of America.

Section 2

The MCYR shall contribute to the growth and welfare of the McHenry County Republican Party; cooperate with the precinct, township, county, state and national organizations of the Republican Party; assist the election of the duly nominated Republican candidates.

Section 3

MCYR shall not endorse any candidates in a primary election. MCYR officers and members shall not endorse any candidates in a primary election using their official capacity as a MCYR member. Officers and members may individually endorse and support candidates in a primary election. MCYR may actively endorse and support duly nominated Republican candidates in any general election or special election. MCYR shall not endorse any particular issue or policy position in any election.

Article IV – Membership and Voting

Section 1

Members, or voting members, of MCYR shall be citizens of the United States of America domiciling or residing in the County of McHenry, State of Illinois between the ages of 18 years and 40 years who are registered voters and are affiliated with the Republican Party, or intend to affiliate with the Republican Party. Membership shall not be denied to any person by reason of race, creed, color, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation.

Section 2

Associate Members, or non-voting members of MCYR, shall be those persons who wish to contribute to the growth and welfare of the McHenry County Republican Party but who do not qualify as members under Section 1. Associate Membership shall not be denied to any person by reason of race, creed, color, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation.

Section 3

Upon application to the Secretary, the Officers shall determine each applicant’s eligibility for membership. Membership shall be defined to include both Members and Associate Members. The officers shall grant membership to each qualified applicant.

Section 4

The Executive Board may set membership dues at any time by a majority vote of the members of the Board. However, once the Executive Board votes to set an amount for dues, the Executive Board must make available a report of their decision to the Membership at the next Regular Meeting. If the Executive Board votes to increase membership dues more than $20.00, the decision of the Executive Board must be ratified by a majority of the present and voting Members in good standing.

Section 5

Any officer or member may be removed for cause upon recommendation of any officer of the Executive Board. The Secretary must provide written notice five (5) days prior to a vote for removal. A quorum of Members in good standing must be present to vote for removal. A 2/3 vote of the Members present, voting and in good standing is required for removal. An officer or member whose removal is sought shall be disqualified from voting.

Section 6

Any MCYR member in good standing pursuant to this Article present at a meeting may vote. To be in good standing, the member must meet the requirements set forth in Article IV, Section 1, must be current on all required membership dues, have been a member of the MCYR for 45 days and the member shall not have missed three consecutive Regular Meetings. Good standing shall be regained 30 days following the meeting of all good standing requirements.

Section 7

For any official business to be conducted at a Regular or Special Meeting of the MCYR, a quorum of a majority of the Members in good standing must be present.

Article V – Meeting

Section 1

Regular meetings shall be held monthly as determined by the Chairperson at each monthly meeting. Notice to the Membership shall be given at least five(5) days prior to any regular meeting via e-mail or other written means.

Section 2

Special Meetings may be called at any time by the Chairperson or by written petition of a majority of Members in good standing. The Secretary shall provide two (2) days notice to the Membership.

Section 3

Committees shall meet as directed by the Committee Chairperson.

Section 4

All MCYR Regular and Special Meetings shall be governed in accordance with Roberts “Rules of Order” latest available edition. The Chairperson may appoint an Official Parliamentarian to ensure proper conduct of meetings.

Article VI – Election of Officers

Section 1

Upon adoption of these Bylaws, the members of MCYR shall elect a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer at the next general election. Current officers shall retain their positions until such an election.

Section 2

Annual elections shall be held at the Regular Meeting in June of each year. The terms of these officers shall run for one calendar year extending from July 1 until June 30 of the following year.

Section 3

In the event of a vacancy, the chairperson shall appoint a qualified person to the position. If the Chairperson position is vacant, the following line of succession shall determine who advances to the position of Chairperson: Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary. If no qualified person is available to fill the position of Chairperson, a Special Meeting shall be called by the Chairperson of the McHenry County Republican Central Committee, or their designee, to hold a special election for the vacant positions.

Section 4

An officer must be a Member in good standing pursuant to Article IV. Any Member in good standing may nominate any other Member in good standing and the nominee may accept or reject such nomination. Nominations will be opened at the Regular Meeting in May and nominations shall be accepted at the Regular Meeting in June.

Section 5

A member must receive a majority of votes cast for election. In the event that no candidate for a particular office receives a majority, the candidate with the lowest vote total will be eliminated from the second and succeeding ballots. In the event of a tie for the candidate with the lowest vote total, a revote shall be taken to break such a tie. In this subsequent vote, all candidates for said position shall not vote. A contested election shall be determined by secret written ballot. A non-contested election may be determined by oral affirmation. In the event of a tie, the Chairperson of the McHenry County Republican Central Committee, or their designee, shall cast the deciding vote.

Section 6

In order to protect the integrity of the voting, the Chairperson shall appoint an election judge to oversee the count of the ballots, and the Chairperson of McHenry County Republican Central Committee shall also serve as an election judge.

Article VII – Duties of Officers

Section 1 – Chairperson

The Chairperson shall preside at all Regular and Special Meetings. The Chairperson shall implement the provisions of these bylaws. The Chairperson shall establish committees by appointing the chairperson of each committee. Standing committees for 1) Membership, 2) Fundraising, 3) Social, 4) Technology, and 5) Education shall be established by the Chairperson. The Chairperson may create such other committees deemed necessary. The rolls and responsibilities of each standing committee shall be defined as such:

1. Membership – Shall be responsible for recruitment of new members, retention of current members, and maintenance of recruitment records. The chairperson of this committee shall be a Member in good standing.
2. Fundraising – Shall be responsible for planning fundraising and fundraising events and will work in coordination with the Treasurer for all expenses and funds raised. The chairperson of this committee shall be a Member in good standing.
3. Social – Shall be responsible for planning monthly social events and any special events as direct by the Executive Board. The chairperson of this committee shall be a Member in good standing.
4. Technology – Shall be responsible for the creation, implementation, and maintenance of all electronic technologies and communication methods. The chairperson of this committee shall be a Member in good standing.
5. Education – Shall be responsible for planning and implementation of educational events such as, but not limited to: forums, town hall meetings, outreach, and etcetera.

The Chairperson shall conduct Executive Board meetings as deemed necessary by them.

Section 2 – Vice-Chairperson

The Vice-Chairperson shall perform the duties of the Chairperson in their absence and any other duties prescribed by the Chairperson. The Vice-Chairperson shall exercise general supervision over each committee.

Section 3 – Secretary

The Secretary shall maintain all records of the organization except financial records maintained by the Treasurer. The Secretary shall record and keep minutes of all Regular, Special Meetings, and Executive Board Meetings. The Secretary shall provide notification of meetings as required by these bylaws. The Secretary shall keep membership records and shall provide agendas to the membership prior to each meeting. The Secretary shall be in charge of all correspondence between the Executive Board and the membership and all MCYR public relations communications.

Section 4 – Treasurer

The Treasurer shall be custodian of all MCYR funds and keep financial records of all contributions, expenditures and receipts. The Treasurer shall maintain all funds in FDIC insured account(s). The Treasurer shall make a monthly report of all expenditures, receipts and balance of funds as each Regular Meeting. The Treasurer shall provide the monthly report of all expenditures, receipts and balance of funds to the McHenry County Republican Central Committee. The Treasurer must coordinate with the McHenry County Republican Central Committee during reporting/filing periods. The Treasurer must create an annual budget which shall be submitted to the Secretary for circulation fourteen (14) days prior to the annual meeting.

Section 5 – Executive Board

The Executive Board shall comprise of the MCYR Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer, and the McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairperson or their designee. The Chairperson of the McHenry County Republican Central Committee or their designee shall be a non-voting member of the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall meet as directed by the MCYR Chairperson. The Executive Board shall coordinate and plan the MCYR activities.

Article VIII – Acceptance

These Bylaws shall be accepted upon meeting the requirements of the amendment procedure of the Provisional Constitution and Bylaws of the MCYR and shall succeed the Provisional Constitution and Bylaws immediately following passage.

Article IX – Amendment

Section 1 – Proposal

Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed, in writing, by any Member in good standing.

Section 2 – Notification and Ratification

The Membership of the MCYR shall be notified of the proposed amendment by e-mail at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting the proposed amendment is to be voted on. Ratification shall require an affirmative vote of votes cast as described in Section 6 of Article 4 of these Bylaws.

Article X – Miscellaneous

Section 1

Pursuant to these Bylaws, the MCYR shall operate under the supervision of the McHenry County Republican Central Committee, seeking the advice of the McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairperson or their designee.

Section 2

The MCYR Chairperson or their designee shall serve as MCYR liaison to the McHenry County Republican Central Committee. A MCYR Liaison shall attend all meetings of the McHenry County Republican Central Committee.

Section 3

The McHenry County Republican Central Committee Chairperson may appoint mentors from the McHenry County Republican Central Committee to assist and facilitate MCYR activities, planning and operations.

Section 4

The McHenry County Republican Central Committee Executive Director shall assist the MCYR Treasurer in federal, state and local election law mandated reporting requirements.

Section 5

No expenditure shall be made without the approval of the MCYR Chairperson. Any single non-refundable, non-budgetary expenditure exceeding $500.00 shall be approved by a vote of the Members in good standing present and voting.

Section 6

The Secretary may audio-record any meeting to facilitate the preparation of minutes. After preparation and acceptance of minutes, the Secretary shall destroy the audio-recording of each meeting. The Secretary shall give notice to all meeting participants of audio-recording.