Harwinton Republican Town Committee Bylaws

PREAMBLE

The Harwinton Republican Town Committee member is, above all, an elected representative of the Republican Party. As such, he/ she puts the needs of the Republican Party above his/ her own personal likes and dislikes.

While free to formulate his/ her opinions on issues or candidates, a member of the Town Committee should make it a point to keep mindful of public dissension. Disagreements within the party should not be aired in public or in the press.

Town Committee members are free to support the candidates of their choice in caucus, Town Committee elections or primaries. However, after the decision has been made as to which candidate will be the endorsed Republican candidate, Town Committee members should support that person. If a Town Committee member feels he/ she cannot support that person, then the member keeps his/ her own counsel and does nothing to detract from the endorsed candidate and works actively for the rest of the slate of candidates.

If a Town Committee member chooses to support an opposition candidate verbally or in writing, it is his/ her duty to resign from the Town Committee because he/ she is longer representing the wishes of those who elected him/ her, nor is he/ she fulfilling the responsibilities of being an elected Republican official.

Finally, if a Town Committee member finds himself/ herself pressed for time because of other commitments, or is unable to contribute, he/ she should step aside to make room for new, more active members to be elected to the Town Committee.

PURPOSE

The purpose and functions of The Republican Town Committee of Harwinton are: 1) To encourage able Republicans to run for office; 2) To conduct Party caucuses (conventions); 3) To organize and direct general-election campaigns; 4) To elect Republicans to office; 5) To recommend qualified Republicans for local office; 6) To recommend qualified Republicans for appointive offices; 7) To study and recommend improvements in local government; 8) To study and support (or oppose) State legislations concerning Harwinton; 9) To sponsor and encourage constructive Party activities; and 10) To administer party funds in the the town.

The following abbreviations shall be used in the narrative.

HRTC Harwinton Republican Town Committee

CGS Connecticut State Statutes

SOTS Secretary of the State


TOWN COMMITTEE

  1. COMPOSITION

The HRTC shall have thirty (30) members that are elected from the Town of Harwinton. THe member must be an enrolled Republican elector of The Town of Harwinton and remain an enrolled elector throughout his/her membership.

  1. ENDORSEMENT

Candidates for the HRTC shall be endorsed by a caucus of enrolled Republicans Electors of the Town of Harwinton. The caucus shall be held in each even numbered year in accordance with CGS.

  1. CAUCUS

It shall be the duty of the HRTC Chair, or in the case of the Chair’s failure to act, the Vice Chair to call such a caucus. The notice of the caucus shall be published in a newspaper having circulation in Harwinton, at least five (5) FULL days before the caucus. If the HRTC Chair or Vice Chair fails to act, a member of the State Central Committee for the district shall call the caucus.

  1. TERM

HRTC members shall start their term on the first Monday following the date set for the primary in connection with their election (whether or not there is a primary) and they shall serve for two (2) years or until their successors have been chosen.

  1. VACANCIES

Vacancies shall be filled by a majority vote of the remaining members of the HRTC. A resignation should be submitted in writing to the HRTC Chair. Prospective new members shall attend three meetings prior to a vote on membership.

  1. MEETINGS

All HRTC meetings will be guided by Robert’s Rules of Order.

  1. Regular

The HRTC Chair will call regular meetings as required.

  1. Special

The HRTC Chair will call a special meeting as required, or within ten (10) days after receiving a written request signed by a majority of HRTC members.

  1. Notification

The HRTC Chair shall give five (5) day written or e-mail notice of special meetings to the HRTC members and associate members and to the State Central Members of the area. The notice must give the purpose of special meetings.

  1. Attendance

HRTC members must attend one fourth of the meetings during each year of their term to be eligible for endorsement for the next succeeding term.

  1. OPEN MEETINGS

All HRTC regularly scheduled meetings are open to Republicans unless a majority of endorsed members vote to declare an executive session.

  1. QUORUM

One third of the HRTC members shall be present at a meeting to constitute a quorum. An associate member will not be counted towards the required quorum.

  1. REGULAR MEETING

HRTC meetings shall include reports from appropriate committees (Working, Standing, State Central, Boards, and Commissions).

  1. VOTING

Voting shall be by roll call. Members not present at the start of roll call may not vote in that roll call.

  1. USE OF PROXIES AND ABSENTEE VOTING

The use of a proxy (someone other than yourself casting your vote) shall not be allowed. Absentee voting shall not be allowed.

  1. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

The HRTC may appoint enrolled Republican Electors of the Town of Harwinton as Associate Members. The Associate Member may take part in all HRTC functions, attend HRTC meetings but shall have no voting privileges.

  1. HARWINTON REPUBLICAN TOWN COMMITTEE CHAIR AND OTHER OFFICERS

    1. HRTC members shall meet within three weeks after the beginning of their term or as directed by the State Central Committee for selecting a Town Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and any other officers as deemed necessary. In the case that the HRTC Chair or Vice Chair fails to call such a meeting, a member of the State Central Committee for the district shall call the meeting.

    2. HRTC officers shall be chosen from within the membership of the HRTC. The Treasurer is not required to be a member of the HRTC.

    3. The HRTC CHair may vote to break a tie. This vote, if necessary, shall be in addition to any other voting rights.

  1. NOTICE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATION

In accordance with State Central Rules, the Chair shall, within one (1) week after organization of the HRTC, file with the SOTS, the State Central Committee and the Town Clerk of Harwinton, the name and addresses of the officers and members of the HRTC.

  1. DUTIES OF THE HARWINTON REPUBLICAN TOWN COMMITTEE OFFICERS

  1. CHAIR

  1. Attend and conduct HRTC meetings.

  2. Monitor Senatorial District meetings or provide an alternate.

  3. Monitor Congressional District meetings or provide an alternate.

  4. Present reports at HRTC meeting as to what transpired at the most recent State Central Committee meeting or sees to it that a State Central Committee person delivers such a report.

  5. Designate a Campaign Chair and/ or Campaign Treasurer for local campaigns.

  6. Conduct any other duties pertinent to the Office of the Chair, e.g., meetings with candidates and potential candidate for office.

  7. Discuss with, or assign a member to discuss with, prospective new members expectations of membership including attendance requirements, dues, committees, and explanation of primaries, caucuses and the like.

  8. Notify HRTC members of the time, place, and date of the Town Committee meetings.

  1. VICE CHAIR

  1. Attend the HRTC meetings

  2. Assist the HRTC CHair in his/ her duties

  3. Monitor Senatorial District Meetings or provide an alternate

  4. Monitor Congressional District Meetings or provide an alternate

  5. Upon the occurrence of a vacancy in the office of the HRTC Chir, set a time, date, and place for a meeting to select a new HRTC chair, fifteen (15) to thirty (30) days after the vacancy

  6. Perform any other duties pertinent to the Office of Vice Chair: i.e. coordinate publicity matters such as sign locations for campaigns, newspaper articles, and invitation letters to the annual dinner and other as appropriate

  7. In the absence of the Chair, notify HRTC members of the time, place, and date of Town Committee meetings

  8. Preside over HRTC meetings when the chair is not available.

  1. TREASURER

  1. Present a financial report at each HRTC meeting

  2. Ensure that all election finance laws are compiled with the HRTC members and instruct and help various campaign treasurers with compliance

  3. Conduct any other duties pertinent to the Office of the Treasuer

  1. SECRETARY

1. Notify the State Central Committee of the time, place, and date of HRTC meetings.

2. Record the minutes of meetings and make sure that corrections and amendments are acted upon

3. Maintain attendance records

4. Biannually furnish the State Central Committee a list of the current HRTC members and officers

  1. Conduct any other duties pertinent to the Office of the Secretary.

  1. STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE HRTC

The HRTC Chair shall, within sixty (60) days of election to office, establish working standing committees including, but not limited to:

  1. EXECUTIVE/ CANDIDATE RECRUITMENT COMMITTEE shall

  1. Meet regularly to discuss coordinated activities of the Standing Committees.

  2. Meet with the Finance Committee in November to set the Finance Goals.

  3. Gather names of interested individuals who would like to serve on local boards or commissions, or would like to run for local office; and shall discuss with candidates the responsibilities and expectations of said boards, commissions, or specific offices. The Executive/ Candidate Recruitment Committee may request the presence of others if additional input is deemed helpful.

  4. Make recommendations to the full HRTC membership.

B. FINANCE COMMITTEE shall

  1. Establish fundraising goals and objectives.

  2. Develop a plan of how the funds will be raised.

  3. Carry out the plan.

 C. VOTER REGISTRATION/ DISTRICT ORGANIZATION shall

Working with the Republican Registrar of Voters, this committee shall:

  1. Develop a plan for how to register new voters.

  2. Develop area districts and a plan as to the best use of these districts.

  3. Implement the plans

 D. PUBLICITY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE shall

Working with the Republican Registrar of Voters, this committee shall:

  1. Place news releases and articles in the local newspapers.

  2. Design promotional brochures.

  3. Organize and oversee the successful distribution of signage for campaigns.

E. HISTORIAN

The Historian shall collect and archive newspaper notices of the HRTC activities and photos, when available.

The HRTC Chair shall name the Chair of each standing committee. Each committee shall report regularly at regular monthly meetings of the HRTC.

  1. ENDORSEMENT OF MUNICIPAL CANDIDATES

  1. ENDORSEMENTS

Candidates for Town of Harwinton offices shall be endorsed at a caucus of enrolled Republican electors of the Town of Harwinton within the dates set in accordance with the CGS. The names of the party-endorsed candidates shall be certified to the Town Clerk of the Town of Harwinton in accordance with the CGS.

  1. CALL

The HRTC Chair or, in the event of his/ her failure to act, the Vice Chair, shall call a caucus, designating the time, place, and date by publishing the call in the newspaper having a circulation in the town of Harwinton at least five (5) FULL days before the date of such caucus. If the HRTC Chair or Vice Chair fails to act, a member of the State Central Committee for the district in which said Chair resides shall call the caucus.

  1. PRIMARY

A primary, if needed, shall be held in accordance with CGS.

  1. CONVENTION DELEGATIONS

  1. ENDORSEMENT

Delegates shall be selected by members of the HRTC in accordance with the State Central Committee Rules and with the CGS.

The HRTC Chair shall give notice of the election of delegates at the HRTC meeting one (1) month prior to the selection meeting.

  1. DELEGATIONS FOR STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE CONVENTION MEMBERS

A. SELECTION

Delegates for the State Central Committee conventions shall be selected by the HRTC in accordance with State Central Rules and with the CGS.

The HRTC Chair shall give a notice of the election of delegates to the State Central Committee one (1) month prior to the selection meeting.

  1. PARTY FUNDS ARE NOT TO BE SPENT IN PRIMARIES

No party funds shall be expended to support any one candidate in any pre-endorsement contest.

  1. DISPUTES

Any disputes that cannot be settled locally as to the endorsement of a candidate for office, or delegate, or HRTC membership, or State Central Committee member, including conflicting claims as to such endorsement, or any dispute with respect to any political problem of any nature, may be submitted in writing authored by both parties indicating a need to go to arbitration; and both parties shall state in the letter that they will abide with the decision.

  1. AMENDMENTS

The rules of the HRTC shall be amended in accordance with Section 9-375 of CGS. Bylaw amendments shall be made by a two-thirds vote of the full authorized membership and by the State Central Committee. A thirty-day (30) notice must be given ahead of time to the full membership of the HRTC. The amended rules shall not become effective until sixty (60) days after the filing of the same with the Secretary of the State of Connecticut. A copy must be given to the Town Clerk of Harwinton.

DEFINITIONS
The terms used in these rules shall have the same meaning as in Section 9-372 of the CGS.

The bylaws of the HRTC shall be in accordance with all CGS and the Rules of the State Central Committee.