FORT BEND COUNTY LIBERTARIAN PARTY (FBCLP)

RULES AND BYLAWS

Revision 0.1a March 11, 2008

ARTICLE I Name of the Organization

The name of this organization shall be the Fort Bend County Libertarian Party, hereinafter referred to as the FBCLP. The FBCLP is an affiliate of the Libertarian Party of Texas (referred to herein as the TexasLP).

ARTICLE II Purpose of the Organization

The purpose of the FBCLP is to implement and give voice to the principles of the TexasLP.

ARTICLE III Participants

The requirements for participation in the FBCLP are as follows:

• Adhere to the membership requirements of TexasLP
• Be a resident of:
  • Fort Bend County
  • or Resident in county which adjoins Fort Bend and does not have a county affiliate with TexasLP
  • By appointment of the ExComm

Participants in the FBCLP are:

• Able to cast votes at FBCLP Executive Committee meetings
• Eligible to serve on the FBCLP Executive Committee
• Enjoy all other benefits of participation in the FBCLP

ARTICLE IV Organization

The elected officers of the FBCLP shall be:

• Chair
• Secretary
• Treasurer.

These shall form the initial Executive Committee (ExComm). Up to four additional Directors may be appointed by a majority of the current ExComm to serve as full members of the ExComm. The Chair shall be the principal and presiding officer of the ExComm and the chief executive officer of the FBCLP. All Officers shall be elected by a majority vote, in a secret ballot, at a regular County Convention. The new Officers shall assume their duties immediately upon the adjournment of the Convention which elected them and shall serve at the pleasure of the FBCLP Participants for a term of two years or until the election of their successors. A Director shall take office upon appointment and shall serve until the next regular Convention or until removal.

Removal of any member of the ExComm can occur in the following ways:

• Requires a majority vote of the ExComm with the restriction that the officer who is being voted upon for possible removal is required to abstain from the vote.
• The participants can move to take a vote of “no confidence” in an officer. Such a motion shall supersede all other motions in priority other than points of order, points of inquiry, and adjournment. The officer will continue to serve in the ExComm unless removed or replaced by vote.
• Resignation.
• No longer qualifies as a participant as in Article III.

A vacancy or vote of “no confidence” in the Chair, Secretary, or Treasurer will be filled by a special convention, scheduled no earlier than 14 days and no later than 30 days after the vacancy or vote of “no confidence”. The Secretary shall issue a notice to FBCLP participants at least seven days prior to such convention of the agenda, location and schedule of such convention. If the FBCLP chair is one of the vacant offices, or has received a vote of “no-confidence”, a special convention chair will be elected from the participants present.

The Chair may appoint one of the other ExComm members to serve as Vice Chair for the FBCLP. The Vice Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair on a temporary basis upon request of the Chair or when the Chair is unable to attend a regularly scheduled function of the FBCLP.

No person shall hold multiple ExComm positions with the exception of the Vice Chair who may also serve as Secretary or Treasurer. In no event shall an ExComm member be allowed to cast more than one vote on matters before the ExComm. There shall be no vote by proxy.

It will be the duty of the chair to issue an annual report of the progress of the FBCLP at the completion of the year. This report will be issued no later than the February monthly business meeting of the FBCLP.

The ExComm shall perform the duties prescribed by these bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the FBCLP, exercising full authority over the affairs of the FBCLP between the regular Conventions.

ARTICLE V Executive Committee Business Meetings

Unless otherwise ordered by the ExComm, regularly scheduled quarterly business meetings of the ExComm shall be held. Special business meetings of the ExComm may be called by the Chair or by the written request of two-thirds of the members of the ExComm. All regular and special business meetings of the ExComm will be held between 6 and 11 PM on normal business days or between 10 AM and 9 PM on all other days. A majority of the ExComm shall constitute a quorum at all business meetings of the ExComm. All ExComm meetings shall be open to the public.

Each FBCLP participant is entitled to cast a single vote for each issue at these business meetings. There shall be no voting by proxy. On matters regarding spending of FBCLP funds, or proclamations / resolutions, the ExComm will be the final authority, by majority vote if required.

ARTICLE VI Conventions

A regular County Convention meeting of the FBCLP shall be held in each general election voting year. Delegates allowed to participate in the activities of such a Convention shall consist of those persons present who reside within the geographic boundaries of Fort Bend County who have affiliated with the Party for the current voting year. A roster of these participants’ names and addresses shall be maintained by the Secretary for two years. Subsequent additions to this list are not permitted. Address changes and deletions as a result of events that would invalidate an affiliation are required to be performed.

ARTICLE VII Parliamentary Authority

These bylaws constitute the official rules of the FBCLP, and all other matters are governed by rules of the TexasLP.

For any rules not specifically covered in these bylaws or the rules of TexasLP, the rules contained in the Tenth Edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Fort Bend County Libertarian Party and its Executive committee in official business meetings.

ARTICLE VIII Amendment of Bylaws

These bylaws may be amended, at a regular Convention or at a special meeting of the FBCLP participants, by a two-thirds vote of those participants present. To amend at a special meeting shall require that the Secretary send a notice of such a meeting, with the text of the proposed amendment, to all participants at least seven days before such a meeting.

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FOOTNOTES:

CCA (TX Code of Conduct Act) 311.016 says:

"May" creates discretionary authority;

"Shall" imposes a duty; "Must" creates a condition precedent;

"Is entitled to" recognizes a right.