Bradley County Republican Party Bylaws

 Article I

Name and Purpose

Section 1. This organization is the Bradley County Republican Party and will be referred to as the BCRP throughout this document.

Section 2. The purposes of the BCRP include, but are not limited to, the following:

A. Electing Republican candidates to office on the national, state, and local levels.

B. Recruiting Republican candidates to run for office.

C. Assisting the Tennessee Republican Party (hereinafter, the TRP) and the Republican National Committee (hereinafter, the RNC).

D. Recruiting membership in the Republican Party at all levels.

E. Promoting public awareness of the Republican position on public issues and fostering good citizenship in general.

F. Increasing the effectiveness of our members in the cause of good government through active political participation.

G. Raising funds for Republican election campaigns and for promoting Republican ideals.

 

Article II

County Executive Committee

Section 1. The affairs of the BCRP shall be governed by the County Executive Committee (hereinafter, the CEC) in accordance with the by-laws of the TRP and the by-laws contained herein.

Section 2. The CEC shall consist of Chair, Vice Chair (opposite sex as Chair), Secretary, Vice Secretary, Treasurer, Vice Treasurer, immediate two past County Chairs, all State Executive Committee members representing the county, Chairs of any Federated Republican Women’s Club in Bradley County, and the Chair of the Bradley County Young Republicans (or in their absence, a representative of those constituencies appointed by the State Chair). 

Section 2a. The Vice-Chair will automatically assume the duties of the Chair or Treasurer in his/her absence.  The Vice Secretary will automatically assume the duties of the Secretary in his/her absence.  The Vice Treasurer will automatically assume the duties of the Treasurer in his/her absence.

Section 3. Neither the CEC as a body, nor the County Chair, shall endorse any Republican candidate in a contested primary election.

Section 3a. Section 3 above shall not apply to a Chair in a primary election in which the Chair, his/her spouse, or his/her immediate family member is a candidate.

Section 4. Members of the CEC are expected to attend every meeting.  Missing three (3) regularly scheduled Executive Board meetings and three (3) regularly scheduled monthly meetings in one calendar year are grounds for removal from the CEC.  Members of the CEC Executive Committee may excuse members from absences in the cases of illness, emergencies, and work-related travel.  Members will be allowed to attend Executive Board Meetings by phone or web conference, if such technology is readily available.

Section 5. Any member of the CEC can be removed by a simple majority of those on the executive committee. The County Party Chairman shall contact the TRP prior to the resignation or removal of a CEC member. The County Chairman shall ensure that all procedural requirements have been met according the TRP Bylaws.

 

Article III

Election of Officers

Section 1. Election of officers to the CEC shall be made in accordance with TRP Bylaws and Rules.  (Copies available from the County Chair or State Executive Committee members.)  Generally, officers are elected at county reorganizations held between January 15th and April 15th of each odd numbered year by means of a Precinct Delegated County Convention.  The CEC shall determine the place, time, and date of the Precinct Conventions and the Precinct Delegated County Convention. .

Section 2. In the event of the death, resignation, or moving out of the county by an officer, the CEC shall proceed to elect a new officer to fulfill the remainder of the term. The vacancy shall be filled at either a regularly called or special called meeting of the CEC within thirty (30) days after such vacancy occurs.  If the office to fill is the Chairman or Treasurer, the Vice-Chairman or Vice-Treasurer, respectively, shall automatically assume the duties of the office until the CEC elects a replacement. Should the CEC select another officer to fill a vacancy, they shall, at the same meeting, select an individual to fill the resulting vacancy.

Section 3. No County Chairman or other officer of the CEC shall serve more than two (2) full consecutive terms.

 

Article IV

Precinct Chairman

Section 1.  Election of Precinct Chairman shall be made in accordance with the TRP Bylaws.  (Copies available from the County Chair or State Executive Committee members.)  Generally, Precinct Chairman are elected at Precinct Conventions held between January 1 and March 31 of each odd numbered year.  The CEC shall determine the place, time, and date of the Precinct Convention.

Section 2.  A Precinct Chairman and Precinct Vice-Chairman shall be elected from each precinct at the Precinct Convention. 

 

Section 3. The duties of the Precinct Chairman shall be to:

A. Chair all precinct meetings;

B. Serve as the BCRP year-round liaison in the precinct;

C. Recruit and train quality volunteers;

D. Organize the precinct volunteers into a team capable of identifying favorable voters;

E. Recommend election workers for the precinct;

F. Arrange and supervise “door-to-door” canvasses and other voter identification efforts in the       

      precinct;

G. Conduct voter registration drives in the precinct;

H. Plan, arrange, and supervise phone calls of voter lists;

I. As requested by candidates and the County Party, set up meetings between candidates,  

      the BCRP leadership, and precinct constituents;

J. Attend all BCRP training or planning sessions and other party events when possible.

 

Section 4. The duties of the Precinct Vice Chairman shall be to:

A.   Chair all precinct meetings in the absence of the Chairman;

B.   Assist the Precinct Chairman with other duties as assigned;

C.   Assume the position of Precinct Chairman if said position becomes vacant.

 

Article V

Meetings

Section 1. The CEC shall set its schedule at the beginning of each year prior to January 31st. This will enhance the committee’s ability to plan effective strategies and meetings. Generally, the BCRP meets the 4th Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM at the Bradley County Courthouse. CEC meetings are generally held the 4th Tuesday of each month at 5:30 at the Bradley County Courthouse. 

Section 2. The CEC shall meet at least quarterly and shall meet monthly during election years.

Section 3. Special meetings of the BCGOP or the CEC may be called by the Chair or by any two members of the CEC in the absence of the Chair, with five (5) days written notice to the membership of the CEC committee.

Section 4.   A quorum for the transaction of business at an Executive Board meeting shall consist of a simple majority of the members of the CEC.  No proxy voting is allowed.  

Section 5.  Except as otherwise provided herein, whenever the CEC is required or permitted to take any action by vote, such action may be taken without a meeting, on written consent, by a majority of the full voting membership of the Executive Committee.  Members shall be given at least 48 hours to vote after the question has been presented to the full voting membership of the CEC in writing, setting forth the action for which consent is sought.  After such time period, if a quorum has been met, voting will cease.  It is the responsibility of each member of the CEC to supply the Secretary with correct contact information.  Actions shall not be taken without meeting on written consent on the following: Election of officers, amendment of the Bylaws, and removal of CEC members or Officers. 

 

Article VI

Officers’ Duties

Section 1. The County Chair shall be the chief executive of the BCRP and of the CEC.  He/She shall be responsible for the management and administration of the affairs of the CEC and shall coordinate the political activities of the BCRP.  He/She shall preserve order and decorum at all meetings.

Section 1a. The County Chair shall have the right to approve all special committee chairs.

Section 2. The Vice Chair shall perform the duties of the County Chair in his/her absence.  If both the County Chair and the Vice Chair are absent from a CEC, the County Executive Committee shall elect a temporary County Chair to preside at the meeting.

Section 3. The Secretary shall take the minutes of each meeting of the CEC.  If the Secretary must be absent from such a meeting, the Vice Secretary shall be responsible for these duties.  The Secretary shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the County Chair of the CEC.  All records of the Secretary shall be and remain the property of the CEC.

Section 4. The Treasurer shall be responsible for implementing an internal system of financial controls.  He/She shall be responsible for the bank statement and shall be responsible for counting and depositing moneys received by the BCRP.  The Treasurer shall report at each regular or special meeting of the CEC all receipts and disbursements since the previous meeting.  In the absence of the Treasurer, the Vice Treasurer shall be responsible for these duties.  All records of the Treasurer shall be and remain the property of the CEC.

 

Article VII

Membership

Section 1. The following shall be BCRP membership requirements for candidacy to public office, and appointment to positions such as Election Commissions. The TRP hereby defines the term "bona fide Republican," or the like, as:

 

  1. Any individual who is actively involved in the TRP, his County Republican Party, or any recognized auxiliary organization of either; and resides and is registered to vote in said county; and either

  2. Any individual who has voted in at least three (3) of the four (4) most recent Statewide Republican primary elections; or

  3. Any individual who is vouched for in writing to the satisfaction of the State Chairman as a bona fide Republican, such as by an officer of the TRP, a member of the SEC, CEC of the County where the individual resides, or a Republican elected official. The State Chairman may require additional verification that the individual in question is indeed a bona fide Republican, and shall have final authority to make the determination.

 The TRP and the BCRP shall maintain a list of all recognized auxiliary organizations for the application of the foregoing standards.

a.       The BCRP shall submit an updated list of recognized auxiliary organizations prior to their biennial reorganization. The State Chairman has final authority on all approved auxiliary organizations. 

“Actively involved in” in the foregoing section shall be defined as a quantifiable contribution including, but not limited to, time or money to the TRP, his County Republican Party, or any recognized auxiliary organization of either during the time period since the most recent County Republican Party reorganization.

 

 Article VIII

Requirements to Seek County Party Office

 

Section 1. A person shall be required to meet all rules and regulations to run for party leadership as is prescribed in the TRP Bylaws and Rules.

 

Section 2. The BCRP defers to the TRP Bylaws and Rules for all issues concerning the rights of members to vote in County Party meetings.

 

Article IX

Amendment of By-Laws

 

Section 1. These by-laws may be amended by a majority of the full voting membership of the CEC at any meeting, provided that notice of the meeting at which the vote is to be taken includes a copy of the proposed amendment.  Any changes or amendments are subject to approval by the Bylaws Subcommittee of the SEC and the Chair of the TRP.

 

Article X

Conformity

These by-laws are intended to be in conformity with all by-laws, rules, and regulations of the Tennessee Republican Party including the Republican National Committee, governing federal and Tennessee statutes, rules and regulations.

 

Article XI

Robert’s Rules

The most recent revised edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern all proceedings on matters not specifically covered by these By-Laws.

 

(Revised September, 2021)