Constitution

THIRD DISTRICT REPUBLICAN PARTY
Wisconsin

ARTICLE I ORGANIZATION

1.01 NAME

The name of this Organization shall be "THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF THE THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN" (sometimes hereinafter referred to as the "District").

1.02 PURPOSE

The purpose of this Organization shall be:

1. To correlate and unify under one central organization the activities of the County Republican Party organizations in the Third Congressional District, primarily for Congressional District campaigns; 
    
2. To advance in every honorable way the fundamental principles and policies of the Republican Party of Wisconsin;
    
3. To cooperate and assist, as a voluntary Organization, all State and National Republican Organizations;
    
4. To conduct such other Republican activities as shall from time to time be authorized by the District Executive Board.

1.03 AUTHORITY

This Organization shall also be subject to the Constitution of the Republican Party of Wisconsin and to all rules and policies adopted pursuant thereto by the State Party Convention or the State Party Executive Committee. In the event of any conflict between this Constitution and the State Party Constitution, the State Party Constitution shall prevail.

1.04 DEFINITIONS

Unless a different meaning is explicit from the context, in this Constitution

1. "Delegate" means an authorized Delegate or Voting Alternate.
    
2. "County" means the County Republican Party organization;
    
3. "District" means the Republican Party of the Third Congressional District of Wisconsin; and
    
4. "State Party" means the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

1.05 MEMBERSHIP

Membership in this Organization shall be open to any person who is qualified to vote in any National or State Election and is a member of the Republican party of a County in the District.

1.06 CAUCUS DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES

1. Qualifications for being a Delegate and/or Alternate are:
    
   1. Residency within the District and eligibility to vote in any National or State elections, and
       
   2. Membership in the Republican Party of a County within the District.
       
2. Representation of each County party at District Caucuses shall be as provided in the State Party Constitution.

ARTICLE II OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD

2.01 OFFICERS

The Officers of this Organization shall consist of a Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Finance Chairman, and such other Officers as shall be provided for by the Executive Board.

2.02 EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERSHIP

The Executive Board shall consist of the following:

1. The Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Finance Chairman.
    
2. The Chairman, First Vice Chairman, and Finance Chairman of each County Republican party in the District.
    
3. One Republican Youth Representative chosen by the College Republican Clubs within the District.
    
4. Any voting member of the State party Executive Committee that resides within the District.
    
5. The Chairman of the District Republican Women's Organization.

2.03 APPOINTED OFFICERS

The Chairman shall appoint, subject to confirmation by the District Executive Board, persons to serve as Secretary, Treasurer, and Finance Chairman.

2.04 EXECUTIVE BOARD POWERS

1. The Executive Board shall conduct the affairs of this organization in order to successfully accomplish the objectives of this Organization and the Republican Party of Wisconsin. The Board may adopt bylaws prescribing the rules and policies for the conduct of the affairs of the District, provided laws are not in conflict with this Constitution or the State Party Constitution.
    
2. Nothing herein shall be construed to empower the Executive Board to adopt any Platform, select any Delegate or endorse any Candidate, except as provided hereinafter. Should a vacancy in the position of the nominated Republican candidate for Congress from the District occur after the Primary and before the General Election, the District Chairman shall immediately call a meeting of the Executive Board to take such action as may be required under State Law to fill the vacancy. If the State Party Chairman is empowered to make the nomination, the Executive Board shall recommend a nominee to the State Chairman. Notice of such meeting shall be given at least 24 hours prior thereto to each member of the Executive Board by written notice, telegram, telephone or courier. Attendance at any such Meeting by any member shall constitute waiver of such notice. Any member of the Executive Board under 2.02(b) who resides outside the District may vote at such meeting.
    
3. Annually the Board may assess each County Party organization in the District an amount necessary to support District operational costs. The assessment shall be proportionate to County Party delegate votes at the District Caucus. The District Treasurer shall send written notification of any assessment to each County Chairman each year for which the assessment is levied.
    
4. Unless otherwise provided herein, all questions before the Board shall be put in the form of a resolution or motion and shall be decided by the majority vote of those present and voting. 

2.05 EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETINGS

The Executive Board shall meet at the call of the Chairman or upon written request of five Members of the Executive Board and upon due notice to each Member.

2.06 EXECUTIVE BOARD VOTING

Each member of the Executive Board shall have one vote. The Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Finance Chairman of each County may designate, in writing, an alternate from his/her County to act in his/her absence. In no event shall any person cast more than one vote.

2.07 VACANCIES

1. The District Executive Board shall nominate* an interim District Chairman or Vice Chairman who will serve, upon election by the State Party Executive Committee, until the next regular odd-numbered year District Caucus whenever those offices fall vacant.
    
2. Vacancies in all other offices shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term in the same manner as the initial selection.

2.08 DISTRICT COMMITTEES

The Executive Board may create any committee(s), other than Caucus Committees under 4.04, and provide for the appointment of the members deemed necessary. Each committee shall meet at the time and place set by the District Chairman or the Executive Board and shall report in accord with the rules established by the District Chairman or the Executive Board.

2.09 EXECUTIVE BOARD QUORUM

A majority of the Members of the Executive Board or representation from a majority of the Counties shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. In the absence of a quorum, a majority of those present may adjourn to another date and hour. In the event of such adjournment, the District Chairman or Secretary or a Member specified by the attending Board Members shall immediately give notice by mail to the absent Members of the new date and hour designated.

ARTICLE III DUTIES OF OFFICERS

3.01 CHAIRMAN

1. The Chairman shall preside at all District Caucuses and meetings of the Executive Board, and shall have general supervision of the work of the Organization, subject to the Board.
    
2. The Chairman shall call a County Caucus in any County where the County Chairman has not called such County Caucus at least 30 days before the date of the District Caucus, in the manner provided in Article VIII, Section 4(a) of the State party Constitution.

3.02 VICE CHAIRMAN

The Vice-Chairman, in the absence of the Chairman, shall perform the duties of the Chairman.

3.025 DISTRICT REPRESENTATION ON THE STATE PARTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall serve as the District's voting members on the State Party Executive Committee in accord with the State Party Constitution.

3.03 SECRETARY

The Secretary shall act as Secretary of all meetings and Caucuses of the Organization. The Secretary shall also keep minutes of all meetings or Caucuses and shall be the custodian of all records of the District. In the absence of the Secretary, the Chairman shall appoint an Acting Secretary.

3.04 TREASURER

The Treasurer shall keep an account of all monies received and disbursed and shall report in full as required by the Chairman. The Chairman and the Treasurer shall file all proper reports as required by law.

3.05 FINANCE CHAIRMAN

The District Finance Chairman shall be responsible for the recruitment of qualified County Finance Chairmen, with the consent of each County Chairman. The District Finance Chairman shall be responsible for developing and implementing District-wide fund raising programs, and for supervising State Finance Committee activities within the District.

3.06 REMOVAL FROM OFFICE

1. Any District Officer may be removed from office for cause by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the members of the Executive Board present and voting after giving not less than ten days notice to such Officer of the reasons for such removal action and providing such Officer an opportunity to be heard before the Board. There shall be no appeal from the decision of the Board.
    
2. In this section, "cause" means inefficiency, neglect of official duties, official misconduct or malfeasance in office.

ARTICLE IV DISTRICT CAUCUSES

4.01 CALL AND DUTIES

1. Annually the Executive Board shall call a District Caucus during the period of 60 days prior to the state convention (or if no convention is held, during the months of April or May) of duly elected or accredited Delegates and Alternates thereof to transact such business as may be necessary to gain the objectives of the Republican party of the Third Congressional District of Wisconsin. The Call shall be issued in writing to each County Chairman not later than January 1 prior to the Caucus, and shall specify therein the business to be considered at the Caucus. The Call to the District Caucus shall be presented at each County Caucus in the District.
    
2. In the odd numbered years, the District Caucus shall elect a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman for a term of two years commencing at the adjournment of the State Party Convention in that year.
    
3. In the even numbered years and at any Special District Caucus called for such purpose under 4.01(d), the Caucus may endorse a candidate Congress from the District in the manner provided in 4.02.
    
4. The Executive Board may call a Special Caucus upon the request of the State party Executive Committee or in the event of a Special Election to fill a vacancy in the office of the Representative in Congress for the District. The notice thereof shall be issued in writing to each Delegate and Alternate at least 10 days prior to said Caucus by First Class Mail.
    
5. Annually the Caucus shall elect two representatives and two alternates from the District to each State Convention Committee.
    
6. In the event of Congressional District Reapportionment, the District Caucus held subsequent to Reapportionment shall be constituted of Delegates and Alternates from the newly designated District. The first agenda item at such Caucus shall be the election of a District Chairman and Vice Chairman to serve until the next regularly scheduled District Caucus in the odd numbered year.
    
7. In the years that a candidate for President of the United States is nominated, the District Caucus shall ratify the Delegates and Alternates to the Republican National Convention in the manner provided by law and the rules of the Republican National Committee and the State Party.

4.015 DELEGATE/ALTERNATE LIST

Each County Chairman shall submit a list of accredited Delegates and Alternates from that County to the District Chairman not less than five (5) days before the District Caucus. At each duly constituted District Caucus only those accredited Delegates and Alternates that are members in good standing of their respective County Organizations shall be eligible to vote.

4.02 ENDORSEMENT

Immediately following adoption of the Rules of the Caucus, the District Chairman shall put the question of endorsement of a candidate for Congress to the Caucus. Approval shall require the affirmative vote of a majority of the Delegate-votes cast. If the Caucus chooses to conduct an endorsement vote for a Candidate for Congress, the following shall apply:

1. The Candidate must be endorsed by at least a 60% majority of the Delegate-votes cast at the Caucus.
    
2. If there are more than two (2) duly nominated candidates and none receives a 60% majority of the Delegate-votes cast on any ballot, the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes shall be dropped from each subsequent ballot until only the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes remain.
    
3. When there are two candidates and neither receives a 60% majority of the Delegate-votes cast, the Chairman shall direct that the balloting be repeated. If neither candidate receives a 60% majority of the Delegate-votes cast after the third such ballot, then the balloting shall cease and the Caucus shall not endorse unless one of the candidates withdraws and the Caucus acts in accordance with subsection (a) above.
    
4. Balloting shall take place after all Candidates have spoken.
    
5. The Caucus may by Rule prescribe the time, manner, number, and duration of nomination speeches.

4.03 VOTING

1. On all questions coming before a District Caucus, the Delegates present from any County are authorized to cast the entire vote of said County delegation which shall be divided in the same ratio as the votes cast on that question.
    
2. The "Unit Rule" of voting is forbidden and shall not be used.

4.04 CAUCUS COMMITTEES

1. The following Caucus Committees shall be appointed each year prior to the Annual District Caucus: Credentials, Rules, and Resolutions.
    
   1. Each Caucus Committee shall consist of two members from each County in the District.
       
   2. Each County Chairman shall appoint the members who are to serve from his/her respective County. If any County Chairman fails to do so in a timely manner, the County Vice Chairman may make the necessary appointments; and, if neither act, the District Chairman may make direct appointments.
       
   3. The District Chairman shall appoint a person to Chair each of the Caucus Committees.
       
2. If a Special District Caucus is called under 4.01 (d), the Caucus Committees appointed for the previous annual District Caucus shall be reconvened, as necessary, by the District Chairman.

4.05 DUTIES OF CAUCUS OFFICERS

1. The District Chairman shall act as Chairman of each Caucus and in the absence of the Chairman, the District Vice-Chairman shall act. In the absence of the Chairman and the Vice-Chairman, the Caucus shall elect an Acting-Chairman.
    
2. The District Secretary shall act as Secretary of each Caucus and in the absence thereof, the Chairman of the Caucus shall appoint an Acting-Secretary.
    
3. The Chairman shall appoint a Parliamentarian and a Recording Secretary and such other Caucus Officers as deemed necessary.

4.06 AGENDA

The Chairman, with the approval of the Executive Board, shall establish an agenda for each Caucus.

4.07 CAUCUS QUORUM

Representation from a majority of the Counties of the District shall constitute a quorum at any District Caucus.

4.08 CAUCUS RULES

Each Caucus shall adopt its own Rules of Order after consideration of the recommendations of the Caucus Rules Committee. All questions before the Caucus shall be decided by the majority of the Delegate-votes cast, unless otherwise provided herein or by the Rules of Order of the Caucus. On all other matters not provided for by the Rules of Order, Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern.

ARTICLE V AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

5.01 INITIATION

Amendments to this Constitution or the repeal thereof and adoption of a new constitution may be proposed in writing as follows:

1. By petition of three or more County Caucuses in the District initiating the same proposed Amendment(s). Such petitions shall be transmitted to the District Secretary who shall submit them to the Executive Board at its next meeting, or
    
2. By majority vote of the Executive Board at any duly called meeting thereof, provided that a written copy of the proposed Amendment(s) has been provided to each Board member not less than ten (10) days prior to consideration.

5.02 NOTIFICATION TO COUNTY CAUCUSES

1. Upon receipt of valid petitions under 5.01(a) or upon action by the Executive Board under 5.01(b) prior to the issuance of the Call of the District Caucus the Board shall order the consideration of the proposed amendment(s) at the next District Caucus. Amendment(s) initiated after the issuance of the Call of the District Caucus shall be ordered for consideration at the next following Caucus.
    
2. The District Secretary shall submit the proposed Amendment(s) to the Chairman of each County Party in the District not less than ten (10) days prior to the first of the County Caucuses called for the election of Delegates and Alternates to the District Caucus.
    
3. Following the reading of the Call of the District Caucus, the proposed Amendment(s) shall be considered by each County Caucus in order that it may advise its Delegates.

5.03 ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT(S)

1. Amendment(s) proposed in accord with 5.01 and 5.02 may be adopted by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Delegate-votes cast as provided in 4.03 at a District Caucus at which the Amendment has been ordered for consideration in the "Call."
    
2. No properly proposed amendment(s), per this Article, may be amended when considered by said District Caucus, except by unanimous consent of the Delegates present.

5.04 EFFECTIVE DATE

Amendment(s) to this Constitution shall take effect on the day following adoption unless another date is specified therein.

5.05 CERTIFICATION

The District Chairman and the Secretary shall certify each Amendment to the Constitution that is adopted as provided herein. Certification by said Officers shall be prima facie evidence of the validity thereof.

5.06 RESTATED CONSTITUTION

*2.07a FOOTNOTE: *"Nominate" for consideration and confirmation by the State party Executive Committee (State party Constitution: Article IV, Section 3).