Bylaws for the Keene City Republican Committee (KCRC) -Approved 6/16/2021
Article I
A. Composition: The Keene City Republican Committee (hereinafter KCRC) shall be composed of the Chairperson and such other Republicans registered in the city as the committee shall, by the adoption of these bylaws, determine. In order to qualify for membership, a potential member must be a registered Republican, reside in the city, and must attend a meeting. The city committee shall keep a list of all its members and any registered Republican may join the committee at any time.
B. Duties: In cooperation with the State and County Committees, the city committee shall have the duty to manage the Republican Party in the city, to direct the general policy and campaign activities of the party, and to perform all duties by law or custom required of it.
C. Meetings: At least one regular meeting of the town committee shall be held each calendar year. The meeting following each biennial election year shall be held prior to February 1st for the purpose of holding officer elections. If the meeting is not held by the said date, it shall be the duty of the county chairperson to set the date and place for the said meeting. Meetings may be called by the chairperson of the committee on his/her own initiative or upon the written request of twentyfive percent of the members of the committee. Notice of all meetings shall be communicated (electronically or via mail to each member at his last known address), at least five days before the dates of the meetings. In addition, at regular meetings where officers are to be elected, notice of this meeting and its purpose shall be communicated to the members (electronically or via mail) and posted at city hall at least five days prior to the meeting.
Any member may participate in a meeting of KCRC by means of telephone conference, virtual meetings, online or similar communication equipment, which enable all members of KCRC participating in the meeting to hear one another. Participation in a meeting pursuant to this section shall constitute presence in person at such meeting. In addition to in-person, voting at a KCRC meeting is also permitted via telephone conference, virtual meetings, online or similar communication equipment.
D. Where not otherwise stated, all meetings shall be governed by the most recent revision of Robert’s Rules of Order. The committee bylaws shall always take precedence over Robert’s Rules of Order.
Article II
A. Officers: The officers shall consist of a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary, and other positions as the members see fit.
B. Chairperson: A Chairperson shall be the Chief Executive Officer. He/she will see that each district/ward under his/her control is organized in accordance with the time schedule set forth in these bylaws and that the committee maintains complete records and up-to-date roster of all KCRC members. The Chairperson will preside at each meeting of the committee, and shall have the duty to manage the affairs of the Republican Party within the city, to direct general policy and campaign activities of the party organization, including but not limited to those functions described in Article I. The Chairperson will have the ability to authorize up to $150 of purchases without a vote of the Executive Committee. The Chairperson will file an annual activity report with the State Chairperson.
C. Vice-Chairperson: A Vice-Chairperson, under the direction of the Chairperson, shall assist the Chairperson in the above-mentioned duties, and in his/her absence, shall preside over meetings.
D. Treasurer: A treasurer shall receive all funds belonging to his/her committee, shall keep proper books of accounts of all funds received and paid out, and shall pay out funds only with a check with the approval of the Executive Committee or Chairperson (as dictated by the amount specified in paragraph B within Chairperson authority).
E. Secretary: A secretary shall keep minutes of all the committee meetings and be custodian of the permanent books and records of the committee.
F. Executive Committee: An Executive Committee shall consist of the Chairperson and the other officers of the city committee. It shall have the authority to act for its full committee when necessary. The Executive Committee shall forward to the Republican State Committee a complete list of members by the end of the February following the biennial election. An executive committee shall establish sub-committees to assist it, as it deems necessary.
G. Vacancies: The KCRC Chairperson shall fill any vacancies on a temporary basis within 30 days of said vacancy. Such temporary officers shall serve until the next regular meeting of the committee, when the vacancy shall be filled by election. If a vacancy is not filled within 30 days of its occurrence, the State or County Chairperson shall have the authority to fill the vacancy until an election takes place.
Article III
A. General: The following provisions shall govern the conduct and operations of committees created by these bylaws:
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Twenty percent of the total membership of a committee shall be necessary to constitute a quorum;
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Each member shall have one vote;
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A majority of those present and voting shall decide any question in the case of a vote with more than two candidates, in which case a majority of the vote is sufficient to elect.
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B. Primary: The KCRC shall maintain strict neutrality and shall not endorse any candidate during a primary election. This shall not prevent any member, with the exception of the Chairperson, from working on behalf of the candidate of their choice.
C. Election: No one can serve as an officer of the KCRC who openly and publicly supports a candidate from another party over a Republican in a partisan election.
D. Bylaw Amendments: Proposed amendments to these bylaws may be submitted by any members in good standing. Any proposed changes shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee within the first quarter of the year following the biennial election. The Executive Committee shall form an ad-hoc bylaws committee to review the proposed changes. The bylaw committee’s report shall be submitted to the full committee no later than September, and voted on during the October meeting; written or electronic copies of the proposed changes shall be provided to the members of the committee a month prior to the meeting. These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of members present at a regular meeting.
E. Bylaw Conflicts: In the event that there is a conflict between the KCRC bylaws and the county or NHRSC Bylaws, the county/NHRSC bylaws shall prevail.