Nassau County Young Republicans
Charter (w/ Proposed Amendments)
Article I – Name
The name of the organization shall be the Nassau County Young Republicans, hereafter referred
to as NCYR.
Article II – Objectives
§1. The Objectives of the NCYR shall be:
A. To develop and maintain a county-wide Young Republican organization in the county of
Nassau.
B. To bring young people into the Republican Party, to provide an opportunity to them for
political expression and recognition, to train them as political workers, and to provide a practical
means by which they may contribute in the development and betterment of the Republican Party
as a service to the United States of America, the State of New York, Nassau County, and its
political subdivisions.
C. To assist the people of our region by participating in and raising money for local charities.
D. To support the principles, objectives and platform of the Republican Party, and to work for
the election of all duly nominated Republican Party candidates. The NCYR shall not, as an
organization, seek to influence the nomination of any Republican Primary candidates by
endorsing a candidate that is not the nominee of the Republican Party, unless by a unanimous
vote by the Executive Board to the contrary.
Article III - Membership
§1. There shall be three (3) classes of membership in the NCYR.
A. Active Membership: Any registered Republican (if of age to register) who is not more than
forty (40) years of age and is a resident of Nassau County is eligible for active membership in the
NCYR.
B. Associate Membership Any registered Republican who is not more than forty (40) years of
age and is a non-resident of Nassau County is eligible for associate membership in the NCYR.
C. Honorary Membership: Honorary members shall be those people, designated for honorary
membership by two-thirds of the Executive Board and three-fourths of those members present at
any regular meeting of the NCYR. There are no residence or age limitations for this category of
membership.
E. The term “members” where used shall mean only active and youth members of the NCYR.
§2. Dues. Annual dues for active members and associate members will be $20 for single
membership, $30 for couples. Other future fundraising and sponsorship programs will be
developed by the finance committee and be presented to the executive board for approval by
majority vote. All dues will be for the calendar year and must be paid to keep a member in good
standing. Dues may be raised or lowered by a unanimous vote of the Executive Board upon the
recommendation of the Finance Committee.
§3. New Members. Any person who applies for active or associate membership shall be
considered a member of the NCYR upon the close of the second meeting at which said member
is present and the joining of at least one committee of the NCYR.
§4 Good Standing. A member or associate member is in “good standing” when he or she is a
member of at least one committee or campaign and has no dues outstanding.
§5. Expulsion. The membership may submit a petition containing the signatures of two-thirds of
the members stating that a member has committed an act or conduct deemed unfriendly or
hostile to the best interests of the NCYR. The Executive Board must then review the matter.
That member shall then be notified by certified mail of the recommendation of the Executive
Board at least one (1) week prior to the next meeting and shall have the right to appear in person
or by a representative. Notice of the charges against the member and the recommendation of the
Executive Board must be included in the call of the meeting, and must be received by the
membership at least seventy-two (72) hours prior to the beginning of the next meeting. At this
meeting, the member may then be expelled upon a three-fourths vote of those members present.
§6. Rights and Privileges.
A. All members and associate members must serve on at least one committee or one campaign
of their choice, except as provided in Article IX, §1(A). Only active members may chair the
standing committees of the NCYR.
B. All members shall have the right to vote. Associate members may only vote on whatever
committee they are members of.
Article IV - Officers
§1. Number and Term. The officers of this NCYR shall be President, Executive Vice-President,
First Vice-President of Campaigns, Second Vice-President of Membership and Recruitment,
Third Vice-President of Social Coordination, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Recording
Secretary, and Corresponding Secretary Chairman, Vice Chairman, Chairman of the Campaign
Committee, Chairman of the Membership & Recruitment Committee, Chairman of the Social
Coordination Committee, Chairman of the Fundraising & Public Relations Committee,
Treasurer, and Secretary. All officers shall hold office from the January meeting following the
October meeting in which they were elected until their duly elected successors take office the
following January. Officers shall serve without compensation and must be active members of the
NCYR. Officers shall be eighteen (18) years of age or older and be registered in the Republican
Party.
§2. Vacancies.
A. A vacancy in the office of President Chairman shall be filled by the Executive Vice-President
Vice Chairman.
B. All other vacancies shall be filled by the appointment of the President Chairman subject to
ratification by the membership.
§3. Powers and Duties.
A. President Chairman.
1. The President Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the NCYR and the Executive Board.
2. The President Chairman shall recognize members who are entitled to the floor.
3. The President Chairman shall enforce and follow the rules relating to debate, order and
decorum within the assembly.
4. The President Chairman shall expedite business in every way compatible with the rights of
members.
5. The President Chairman shall appoint the chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of the standing
committees, except where noted otherwise, pursuant to Article IX, §3, within 30 days of taking
office.
6. The President Chairman shall appoint a Parliamentarian and a Special Advisor within 30 days
of taking office.
7. The President Chairman shall supervise the activities of the NCYR, and perform all other
duties incidental to his or her office.
8. The President Chairman shall have the authority to introduce matters for the consideration of
the Board.
9. The President Chairman shall inform the Chair of the County Committee of Nassau County of
the planned activities of the NCYR.
B. Executive Vice-President Vice Chairman. The Executive Vice-President Vice Chairman
shall assume the duties of the President Chairman for the remainder of his or her term in the
event the President Chairman can no longer fulfill the duties of the office and resigns, is removed
from office, or is deceased. Upon entering the Presidency Chairmanship, the new President
Chairman shall appoint an Executive Vice-President Vice Chairman with the approval of two-
thirds of the executive board and a majority of the membership. The Executive Vice-President
Vice Chairman shall become acting president Chairman if the president Chairman cannot be
contacted, out of the county, or otherwise cannot serve as president Chairman for more than 24
hours.
C. First Vice-President of Campaigns Chairman of the Campaign Committee.
1. The First Vice-President Chairman of the Campaign Committee shall nominate liaisons to
campaigns, which must be confirmed by a majority of the members of the NCYR.
2. The First Vice-President Chairman of the Campaign Committee must be made aware of all
relevant campaign activities which concern the NCYR, and report those activities to the
members.
3. The First Vice-President Chairman of the Campaign Committee shall present a report to the
president Chairman, if necessary, of campaign activities of concern to the NCYR.
4. In the First Vice-President’s Vice Chairman’s absence, the First Vice-President Chairman of
the Campaign Committee shall perform the duties of the Executive Vice-President Vice
Chairman.
5. In the absence of the President Chairman and the Executive Vice-President Vice Chairman,
the First Vice-President Chairman of the Campaign Committee shall perform the duties of the
President Chairman and Executive Vice-President Vice Chairman.
D. Second Vice-President of Membership and Recruitment Chairman of the Membership &
Recruitment Committee.
1. The Second Vice-President Chairman of the Membership & Recruitment Committee shall
coordinate activities to increase membership and recruitment into the NCYR and the Republican
Party.
2. The Second Vice-President Chairman of the Membership & Recruitment Committee shall
present a report of all activities to the president Chairman and members.
E. Third Vice-President of Social Coordination Chairman of the Social Coordination
Committee.
1. The Third Vice-President Chairman of the Social Coordination Committee shall coordinate
all social events of the NCYR.
2. The Third Vice-President Chairman of the Social Coordination Committee shall present a
report to the president Chairman and members of activities and events.
3. The Third Vice-President Chairman of the Social Coordination Committee shall have all
social events approved by a unanimous vote of the Executive Board.
4. The Third Vice-President Chairman of the Social Coordination Committee shall chair the
Social Coordination Committee.
F. Treasurer.
1. The Treasurer shall pay out all NCYR funds as directed by the Executive Board.
2. The Treasurer shall keep accounts thereof open at all times to inspection by the members.
3. The Treasurer shall render accounts of his or her transactions and of the financial condition of
the NCYR at each regular meeting and shall submit an annual written report at the beginning of
the January meeting.
4. All financial records shall be maintained by the Treasurer.
5. The Treasurer shall perform such duties as assigned by the Executive Board.
6. The Treasurer shall chair the Finance Committee.
G. Financial Secretary Chairman of the Fundraising & Public Relations Committee.
1. The Financial Secretary shall collect all NCYR funds as directed by the Executive Board. The
Chairman of the Fundraising & Public Relations Committee shall be responsible for raising
monies for the NCYR through donations and events.
2. The Financial Secretary shall deposit such funds in a depository designated by the Executive
Board. The Chairman of the Fundraising & Public Relations Committee shall turn over any
money collected to the Treasurer immediately for deposit.
3. The Chairman of the Fundraising & Public Relations Committee shall oversee the
Communications Director position and fulfill its duties if a member has not been appointed as
Communications Director.
H. Recording Secretary.
1. The Secretary shall be responsible for taking the minutes of all NCYR meetings and meetings
of the Executive Board and shall submit a copy of the minutes to the Board at/or before the
beginning of the next meeting.
2. The Secretary shall keep the roll of the members, associate members and honorary members
of the NCYR. A copy of the membership list must be distributed to the Officers of the NCYR in
January, June and October.
3. The Secretary shall be responsible for the mailing of all announcements and/or notices, and
the handling of all other secretarial work as assigned by the President Chairman or Executive
Board.
I. Corresponding Secretary Reserved.
1. The Secretary shall be responsible for the mailing of all announcements and/or notices, and
the handling of all other secretarial work as assigned by the President or Executive Board.
§4. Impeachment Procedures
A. Any officer can be censured or impeached if found to be incompetent, failing to perform his
or her duties, or engaging in activities detrimental to the NCYR or displaying behavior
unbecoming of a Young Republican.
B. Proceedings must be initiated by the Executive Committee or two-thirds of all NCYR
members in writing.
C. The Executive Committee must then appoint a three-person panel to investigate the matter.
The General Counsel will preside over the Impeachment Panel. However, the General Counsel
will not have a vote in the panel’s findings.
D. Within ten (10) days of the panel’s formation, the panel must meet. Within two (2) weeks of
the panel’s formation, the panel must issue at least one report to the Executive Board. Minority
and concurring reports are permitted.
1. Each report must contain a finding of fact and a conclusion as to whether the accused shall be
censured or removed from office, or whether no action should be taken.
E. The Executive Board within five (5) days must adopt one of the reports by a majority vote.
The adopted report is then presented to the membership. The membership can adopt the report
based upon a vote of majority of those present.
F. If the Executive Board fails to adopt a report then all the reports shall be presented to the
membership. The membership can adopt a report with a two-thirds vote of those present.
Article V - Executive Board
§1. Duties. The Executive Board shall consist of the nine (9) officers of the NCYR and the
Immediate Past President/Chairman. The Executive Board shall be responsible for the
management of all NCYR activities subject to the approval of the membership. The Executive
Board shall have the power to appoint additional leadership positions to members who are
sixteen (16) years of age or older.
§2. Meetings. Executive Board meetings shall be held at such times and places as the President
Chairman shall decide, and each Board member shall receive at least five (5) days forty-eight
(48) hours’ notice from the President Chairman. Two-thirds of the Board members may submit a
petition to the president Chairman and corresponding secretary for the purpose of calling a
meeting. A majority of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum.
§3. Attendance. Any member of the Executive Board who misses three (3) consecutive
meetings of the Board, and does not show due cause within a period of fifteen (15) days from the
third meeting shall be considered to have resigned his or her office.
§4. Spending Powers. Only the Executive Board can authorize the spending of any NCYR
funds in excess of $50. Officers may spend up to $50 for NCYR expenses without the prior
consent of the Board. However, reimbursement of said expenses shall be at the discretion of the
Executive Board after receipts are presented to the Treasurer.
§5 The Executive Board shall have the authority to introduce matters for the consideration of the
NCYR.
§6. Any person with more than one position on the Executive Board shall still only have one (1)
vote on the Executive Board.
§7. The Executive Board is authorized to develop a proxy form and rules for proxy acceptance
which will allow members of the Executive Board to cast their vote by proxy at meetings of the
Executive Board. However, no Executive Board member can cast a vote by proxy at two
consecutive Executive Board meetings.
§8. The Executive Board shall have the power to appoint a General Counsel.
Article VI – Advisory Positions
§1. Qualifications. The Advisory positions can be held by a member or an associate member.
An Honorary member may serve as General Counsel or as the Special Advisor to the President
Chairman, but will then not have a vote on the Executive Board.
§2. General Counsel:
A. The General Counsel shall be the legal counsel of the NCYR and shall be responsible for
giving the Executive Board and its members legal advice pertaining to NCYR business. The
General Counsel shall be vested with the power of resolving disputes involving the NCYR.
B. All opinions are advisory only and the Executive Board is the final judge of the propriety of
its actions.
C. No person shall hold the position of General Counsel unless he or she is an attorney in good
standing admitted to practice law in the State of New York.
D. The General Counsel shall preside over any proceeding for removal or censure, and shall have
the power to issue a notice of warning to any member of the NCYR.
E. The General Counsel shall be appointed by a majority of the Executive Board and can only
be removed by a two-thirds majority of the Executive Board.
§3. Special Advisor to the President Chairman. The Special Advisor shall be a confidential
advisor to the President Chairman. He or she shall only report to the President Chairman and
serves at the President’s Chairman’s pleasure.
§4. Parliamentarian. The Parliamentarian shall rule on issues of procedure as may be referred
to him or her by a member of the NCYR or Board. All rulings of the Parliamentarian shall be
pursuant to Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.
§5. Communications Director. The Communications Director shall have the duty of
publicizing all NCYR events and the organization as a whole. The Communications Director
shall be the intermediary between the NCYR and the media.
§6. Special Advisors to the Executive Board. Members of the Executive Board of the
Association of New York State Young Republican Clubs, Inc., and The Young Republican
National Federation, Inc., shall be Special Advisors to the Executive Board.
§7 The Board of Directors
A. The Board of Directors shall be an advisory board to the Executive Board to speak on behalf
of the membership. It shall also be granted further powers upon the direction of the President
Chairman and the Executive Board.
B. The President Chairman shall appoint trustees to the Board of Directors, subject to the
approval of the Executive Board and a majority vote of the general membership at the January
meeting.
C. This board shall consist of nor more than seven (7) people and no less than three (3) people.
All Active members, Associate members and Honorary members are eligible to serve as
trustees. Executive Board members are not permitted to serve on the Board of Directors.
D. The term of office shall be for one (1) year except in the case to fill a vacancy, which shall
then be for the remainder of that term. There shall be no limits on terms served.
E. The President Chairman shall have the full authority to fill vacancies on this board, with the
exception of the Chair.
F. The trustees shall decide upon the Chair of the Board of Directors. No person shall serve as
Chair for more than one (1) year consecutively.
§8 All Advisory positions shall be ex officio members of the Executive Board.
Article VII – Meetings
§1. Regular. Regular meetings shall be called by the President Chairman or two-thirds of the
Executive Board of the NCYR. They shall be held at least eight (8) times per year, but not more
than one meeting shall occur per month. Meetings must be held in the months of November,
December and January. Written notice shall be sent to the members by mail at least seventy-two
(72) hours prior to the meeting.
§2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the NCYR shall be called by the President Chairman
upon receiving a petition of at least ten (10) members of the NCYR. Said petition shall state the
purpose of this special meeting and the requested date of said meeting. The President Chairman
must call said meeting within one (1) week of the date designated in the petition.
§3. Quorum. A quorum shall consist of five (5) percent of the membership.
Article VIII- Elections
§1. The election of officers of the NCYR shall be held at each October meeting. The newly
elected officers shall take office on January 1, serve a term of one year two (2) years, and be
sworn in by a current or former Republican elected official at the January meeting. The President
Chairman and Executive Vice President Vice Chairman shall be elected on a joint ticket.
§2. Election Committee. At the regular meeting in August, the President Chairman shall appoint
two (2) Executive Board members and the members shall elect two (2) non-Executive Board
members to serve with the President Chairman as the Election Committee.
A. Any member interested in running for an office must submit a one page (8 ½ x 11) document
listing his or her qualifications for the office being sought and why he or she should be elected to
that position, postmarked, e-mailed or hand-delivered to a member of the Election Committee no
later than September 1, or delivered by hand to a member of the Election Committee. This paper
will be mailed to members pursuant to subsection D of this section, infra available upon request.
B. The Election Committee shall review the qualifications of those interested to serve as an
officer and shall “approve” all members who are in good standing pursuant to Article III, section
4 to run for that office. These candidates shall be made public at the September meeting.
C. All “approved” candidates will be placed on the ballot for the October meeting.
D. Copies of the document prepared in subsection A of this section, supra, will be mailed to all
members at least 10 days before the election.
E. Any member found by the Election Committee to have violated any of the Election Rules will
have their names removed from the ballot and cannot hold office for a period of two (2) years.
F. Nominations from the floor at the September meeting will be allowed and are in order.
G. The Election Committee may set Rules of Procedure for the election meeting.
H. In a special election to fill a vacancy, the Election Committee shall set the rules and
procedures for said election which will incorporate the rules provided for in subsections A
through H, supra, into the time-frame for the special.
I. Candidates for the office of president Chairman must serve for one (1) term on the Executive
Board immediately preceding the October election.
J. A member must be in good standing for one (1) year prior to an election in order to run for a
position on the Executive Board.
§3. Voting.
A. Voting in all contested races shall be by secret ballot.
B. Members must be in good standing as of the September meeting prior to the October election
in order to vote in an October election.
C. Proxy ballots may be requested in writing or via e-mail thirty (30) days prior to the October
election. The Election Committee shall be responsible for the creation and disbursement of proxy
ballots. Completed proxy ballots must be received by the date immediately prior to the October
meeting.
D. Fifty percent plus one of the votes cast shall constitute a majority for that office. If a
majority is not obtained on the first ballot, the two (2) candidates receiving the most votes will be
the candidates in a run-off election.
§4. The President Chairman shall appoint at least three (3) tellers who shall dispense, collect and
tabulate the vote.
Article IX- Committees
§1. Standing Committees. The Standing Committees and their function are as follows:
A. By-Laws: The By-Law Committee shall be charged with keeping the by-laws of the NCYR
up to date, and with suggesting possible changes and amendments to the By-laws. It shall also
submit a report to the Executive Board upon the request of any member for an interpretation of a
section of the By-laws. The decision of the By-Laws committee can only be overridden by a
two-thirds vote of the Executive Board and a majority of the NCYR members. The General
Counsel shall serve as Vice-Chair of this committee. Members of this committee are appointed
by the Executive Board and the maximum size of the committee is five (5) including the Chair
and Vice-Chair.
B. Finance: The Finance Committee is charged with examining the books of the NCYR and with
making sure the NCYR is solvent. The Finance Committee shall run any fundraising venture of
the NCYR and shall be responsible for monitoring any trust or scholarship funds held by the
NCYR or any of its subsidiaries.
C. Membership: The Membership Committee is charged with seeking new members for the
NCYR, acting as a liaison with established College Young Republican Groups, and assisting in
the establishment of new College Young Republican Groups. The Second Vice-President
Chairman of Membership & Recruitment is chair of this committee.
D. Political Activities Campaign Committee: The Political Activities Campaign Committee is
charged with overseeing any and all campaign work done by members of this organization and
for developing new ideas on how to best utilize the NCYR for political activities. The First Vice-
President Chairman of the Campaign Committee is chair of this committee. This committee’s
members include all campaign liaisons and town chairs.
E. Publicity and Community Activities Fundraising & Public Relations Committee: The
Publicity and Community Activities Committee is charged with developing and publishing a
newsletter, handling public relation ventures concerning the NCYR, making the NCYR’s
activities known to the people of Nassau County, and developing community projects that the
NCYR can get involved in. The Corresponding Secretary Chairman of Fundraising & Public
Relations is chair of this committee.
F. Youth Committee. The Youth Committee shall work with the Membership Committee in
seeking out new members, shall act as a liaison with the High-School or TAR Republican
NCYRs in existence, shall assist in developing new High-School Young Republican NCYRs,
and shall sponsor youth-related topics or ideas which would help the younger members of the
NCYR.
G. Social Coordination Committee. The Social Coordination Committee shall work to
coordinate all social events, in an effort to encourage increasing active membership. The Third
Vice-President Chairman of Social Coordination is chair of this committee.
§2. The President Chairman may establish temporary committees as he or she sees fit. The term
of said temporary committees will expire after three (3) months unless a majority of the members
extend their duration by a fixed time period.
§3. The President shall appoint the chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of all committees with
two-thirds of the Executive Board having the power to VETO the choice.
§4. The chair of a committee appointed by the President Chairman can be removed by the
President Chairman with a majority of the Executive Board or two-thirds of the membership.
The chair of a committee may be a member or an associate member.
§5. The President Chairman and Executive Vice President Vice Chairman will be ex officio
members of all committees.
Article X – State Affiliation
§1. This NCYR will become a member of the Association of New York State Young Republican
Clubs, Inc., and shall be subject to the Constitution and By-Laws of said association.
§2. The President Chairman shall nominate, with the consent of a majority of the Executive
Board, the delegates and alternates to the Association of New York State Young Republican
Clubs, Inc.
Article XI – Procedures and By-Laws
§1. The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern all proceedings,
except when inconsistent with the By-laws of this NCYR.
Article XII – Amendments
§1. Submission. Any proposed amendment to these By-laws shall be submitted in writing to the
Secretary at any regular meeting. Said Amendment shall then be read to the members.
§2. Announcement. The meeting notice for the next regular meeting shall then contain the text
of the proposed amendment to be voted on.
§3. Voting. Any amendments will be adopted upon a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board and
a majority vote of the membership.
Article XIII – Empowering Clause
§1. This NCYR shall become effective upon the vote of two thirds of the present Executive
Board and two thirds of the membership.
§2. All officers under the old constitution of the NCYR will retain their prior office.
§3. This charter shall supersede all previous charter(s) of the NCYR. All previous NCYR
constitution(s), charter(s), By-law(s) and/or amendment(s) of any type are hereby deemed
irrelevant. This charter shall be passed from President Chairman to President Chairman.
Adopted on June 13, 2002 by:
NINA PETRARO JENNIFER LECHLEITNER CHRISTOPHER L. BASTARDI
ANNE PETRARO STEVEN DELVECCHIO, JR. ANDREW MASTROMARINO
ALEX VASSALLO DONNA BUTLER
Amended – October 13, 2002
Amended – May 7, 2003
Amended – February 18, 2004
Amended – March 25, 2005
Amended – September 25, 2008
Amended – November 21, 2008
Amended -