San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club

Bylaws

ARTICLE I:
NAME

Section 1.  The name of this club shall be the San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club, hereinafter called LDC.

ARTICLE II:
PURPOSE AND VALUES

Section 1. LDC shall organize the San Francisco Latinx Community’s engagement in the political process. Only registered Democratic Party candidates and measures shall be endorsed in partisan and nonpartisan elections. 

Section 2. LDC shall work within the Democratic Party and the community at large to bring Latinx issues to the forefront of political campaigns. 

Section 3. LDC seeks to represent the interests of Latinxs living in and owning businesses in the City and County of San Francisco. LDC’s mission is to help the poor and disadvantaged, protect the most vulnerable among us, and ensure that all Latinxs are given meaningful opportunities in our city. LDC’s political engagement shall seek (1) the reduction in the rates of poverty; (2) increased access to education; (3) a level playing field for Latinxs and Latinx businesses; (4) a sustainable local economy; (5) access to health care; (6) fair treatment of immigrants; and (7) the retention of Latinx families in San Francisco. 

Section 4. LDC shall implement a pragmatic leadership model and hands-on political campaigning characterized by effective fundraising, precinct operations, voter registration, voter turn out, and media use. 

Section 5. LDC shall engage in legislative, political, educational, civic, and other activities that further the interests of its membership, advance ethical standards in the political system, and promote participation in the political process. 

Section 6. All activities of the LDC shall conform with California state law, the requirements for Charter Democratic Clubs under the purview of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (“SFDCCC”), and the basic principles of the Democratic Party. 

ARTICLE III:
MEMBERSHIP, DUES, VOTING

Section 1. ELIGIBILITY: 

  1. San Francisco residents, business owners, or employees working in San Francisco are eligible for membership. 

  2. Members shall pay dues according to the requirements of Section 2.

  3. Dues paying members must be registered as a Democrat, or must intend to register as a Democrat.

Section 2. DUES: 

  1. The Board shall set the rates for membership dues.
  2. The Board shall cause the membership dues to be collected annually. 
  3. Unless modified by the Board, the membership dues shall be: 
  • General Membership: $30 
  • Youth (18 and under): $20 
  • Student: $20
  • Senior (65+): $20 

Section 3. VOTING. 

  1. Voting privileges shall be extended to members in good standing.
  2.  Good standing means compliance with Article III Section 2 and attendance at a minimum of three (3) General Membership meetings, Committee meetings or Qualifying Events in the immediately preceding twelve (12) months.
  3. A vote of the membership shall mean a vote of the members eligible to vote and present at a meeting. 
  4. Volunteered 15 hours to the club, including committee meetings, campaign events, fundraisers, and any other event or meeting sponsored by or organized by SFLDC. 

ARTICLE IV:
CLUB ELECTIONS

Section 1. The Membership shall elect the officers of LDC. 

Section 2. A Member may be a candidate for any elective office. 

Section 3. A Member may nominate another Member or themselves for elective office. 

Section 4. The election shall be held at the membership meeting held in January of each year. 

Section 5. Contested elections shall be conducted by secret ballot. Non-contested elections may be conducted by voice vote. 

Section 6. Newly elected officers shall assume their duties immediately following the election. 

Section 7. Removal of Officers. 

  1. An office shall be deemed vacated and its officer removed upon the officer’s third absence without an excused absence from general membership meetings and/or executive board meetings.
  2. The President or Executive Board may remove an officer upon determining that the officer failed to perform the duties of the office, subject to confirmation by a majority of the Executive Board excluding the vote of that officer. The executive board is subject to a quorum of sixty percent.
  3. A member in good standing may move to dismiss an officer, provided that the present membership confirms the motion by two votes of the membership in the following manner: A motion to dismiss shall be effective if it is seconded and immediately followed by an affirmative vote of a majority of the membership. The result shall be recorded in the minutes and added to the agenda of the following meeting for a vote under secret ballot by members in good standing. The motion must be confirmed with a second affirmative vote of a majority of the membership at the following membership meeting.
  4. The removal of an officer, under this Article IV section 7 shall create a vacancy in office under Section 8.b. 

Section 8. Vacancy in Office. 

  1. If an office becomes vacant, the President or presiding officer shall appoint the successor subject to confirmation by a majority of the membership at the next membership meeting. If the membership does not confirm the President’s appointment, the members may nominate and elect the successor at the same membership meeting. 
  2. If the office of the President becomes vacant, an election shall be called and held within 30 days. 

ARTICLE V: SELECTING CLUB DELEGATE

  1. The Board shall nominate delegates to the Democratic state party pre-caucus endorsement meeting. Only members in good standing as outlined in Article III, Section 3 shall be considered. 
  2. Selection for representatives at California Democratic Party Pre-Endorsement Conferences shall be done by the membership at a legally called membership meeting. The Treasurer shall provide a roster of only “members in good standing” to the Chartering Authority and the Regional Director.
  3. One Delegate to the Democratic County Central endorsing conference shall be appointed by the Board of Directors (Executive Board) for every 20 members of the Club.
  4. One Delegate to the Democratic County Central endorsing conference shall be appointed by the Board of Directors for every 20 members of the Club.
  5. All LDC delegates must adhere to the CADEM code of conduct

 

ARTICLE VI: DUTIES OF OFFICERS 

Section 1. The President shall 

  1. Preside at all membership and special meetings of LDC and Executive Board.
  2. Preserve order and enforce the by-laws of LDC. 
  3. Serve as a non-voting ex-officio member of all committees with the power to break a tie.
  4. Report to the general membership at all membership meetings on the state of LDC.
  5. Account to the Executive Board for his or her actions. 
  6. Serve as an LDC delegate, or appoint delegates, to attend meetings or conventions as official representatives of LDC except for pre-caucus meetings as established in Article V. 
  7. Represent or appoint representatives to attend functions on behalf of LDC. 
  8. Shall have other duties as described in Robert’s Rules of Order to the extent not inconsistent with these bylaws.
  9. If the office of the President becomes vacant, the Vice President(s) of Political Affairs shall assume the duties of the office of the President as set forth in this Section 1, until a special election is held.
  10. Appointments by the acting President shall be effective until the result of the special election is determined. 

Section 2. The Vice President of Political Affairs shall 

  1. Assist the President in the performance of all duties and act as presiding officer in his or her absence. 
  2. Become the Acting President on the death or resignation of the President until a special election can be held at the second membership meeting after the vacancy in the office of the President. 
  3. Chair the Political Action Committee.
  4. Develop LDC policies as they pertain to Latinx community and the Democratic Party issues. 

Section 3. The Vice President of Cultural / External Affairs shall 

  1. Chair of the Latinx Cultural Issues Committee.
  2.  Develop LDC policies as they pertain to public policy and legislative issues.
  3. Make reports on current cultural issues impacting Latinx communities and provide one at each executive board and general membership meeting.
  4. Coordinate with the board for intentional community outreach.

Section 4: The Vice President of Membership shall 

  1. Chair the Membership Committee. 
  2. Recruit, retain, and organize members. 
  3. Maintain an accurate membership list. 
  4. Serve as LDC public relations officer.

Section 5. The Vice President of Communications shall

  1. Chair the Communications Committee. 
  2. Develop and implement the communication plan to promote and inform the  membership. 
  3. Assist in the logistics of all communications. 
  4. Notice meetings of the membership. 
  5. Post and distribute meeting agendas five (5) days in advance of any meeting. 

Section 6. The Treasurer shall 

  1. Collect dues, donations, or other funds and keep and maintain an accurate record of all financial transactions of LDC.
  2. Use Membership dues for the regular operations of LDC. 
  3. Pay bills. 
  4. Not incur deficit encumbrances or deficit expenditures by LDC. 
  5. Prepare monthly a report of the financial status of LDC and maintain a file
  6. Shall provide a roster of only “members in good standing” to the Chartering Authority and the Regional Director.
  7. Shall provide a treasurer report to the President quarterly to coincide with the SFDCCC’s filing period containing all treasurer duties that were accomplished and that need to be accomplished. Accessible to the membership for at least seven (7) years. 
  8. Report the financial status and transactions of LDC at membership meetings on a quarterly basis
  9. Serve as a member of the fundraising committee. 
  10. File financial reports required by law or regulation. 

Section 7. The Secretary shall 

  1. Take, maintain, and distribute minutes of meetings. 
  2. Ensure that members sign an attendance sheet at each membership meeting. 
  3. Maintain attendance records and a record of members eligible to vote.
  4. Make records available for inspection upon request by a member. 
  5. Correspond as directed by the President, Executive Board, or by a majority of the membership. 
  6. Read all correspondence or a summary thereof at membership meetings. 
  7. Perform any other duties with the approval of the Executive Board as may be necessary for the proper and effective administration of the affairs of LDC. 
  8. Take, maintain, and distribute minutes of meetings. 
  9. Ensure that members sign an attendance sheet at each membership meeting Serve as a non-voting ex-officio member of the Membership Committee.

Section 8. Parliamentarian shall 

  1. Be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Executive Board.
  2. Respond to inquiries concerning the interpretation of the by-laws or Robert’s Rules of Order.
  3. Uphold,Robert’s Rules of Order during all of LDC’s meetings. 
  4. Chair of the Parliamentary Committee.
  5. Provide a bylaw report which provides any bylaw amendments to the parliamentary committee during the annual bylaw renewal process in compliance to the bylaws article IX Section 5g and XI.

Section 9. Latinx Caucus Club Delegate shall

  1. Be appointed, then confirmed by the membership and serve at the pleasure of the Executive Board.

ARTICLE VII: EXECUTIVE BOARD 

Section 1. Officers. Elected officers of LDC shall be President, Vice President of Political Affairs, Vice President of External Affairs, Vice President of Membership, Vice President of Communications, Treasurer, Secretary, Parliamentarian and Latinx Caucus Club Delegate. 

Section 2. Composition of Executive Board. The Executive Board shall consist of the seven officers of Article VI, Sec. 1., the chairs of all the standing committees in Article VIII, Sec. 6., and as provided in Article VIII, Section 3. 

Section 3. Duties of Executive Board 

  1.  Between membership meetings, the Executive Board shall perform all duties necessary to the proper administration of the affairs of LDC consistent with these by-laws. 
  2. All decisions of the Executive Board shall be by a majority vote of the members present
  3. Quorum for a meeting of the Executive Board shall be a majority of the Board Members Present.
  4. The Executive Board may require an officer to provide a full and detailed account of any action or business done in the name of LDC. 
  5. The Executive Board shall ensure that membership meetings are held on a regular basis, as required in Article VII. 
  6. The Executive Board shall announce at membership meetings the date, time and place of all Executive Board meetings at the request of general membership. It shall notify all members of the date, time and place of any emergency meetings upon request. Members in good standing may attend all meetings.
  7. The Executive Board shall have the power to establish ad hoc committees, as well as vote in interim positions for any vacancies on the board.

ARTICLE VIII
MEETINGS

Section 1. Membership meetings shall be held monthly on a Wednesday virtually or in person at a place determined by the Executive Board. The President may change the day, time, or location of a membership meeting, provided at least five (5) days’ notice is given to the members of the change.

Section 2. Special meetings may be called by the President, the Executive Board, or a majority of the members. The special meeting shall be noticed to the membership.

Section 3. A quorum shall be at least (10) members in good standing or twenty-five percent (25%) of the membership, one of whom shall be an officer. No official business of the LDC shall be taken in the absence of a quorum.

Section 4. Proxy voting shall not be allowed.

Section 5. Notice of a meeting shall mean a communication to the membership at least five (5) days before a meeting. Notice of a meeting shall include the date, time, and location of the meeting.If a meeting is not properly noticed, the meeting will turn into a work group meeting which will count towards the volunteer hours of members present. The Executive Board must approve any decisions made.

Section 6. The following motions for a membership vote shall be in order if the motion and subject matter of the vote have been announced at the meeting prior or have been noticed to the membership at least five (5) days before the meeting at which the vote will occur:

  • Election of Officers
  • Endorsements

Section 7. In the absence of notice, a motion for a membership vote shall be in order if the motion is seconded and unanimously approved by the membership; provided however that any motion for endorsement under Article IX must be noticed pursuant to Article VII, Section 6.

Section 8. Members shall treat one another with respect and maintain civility during LDC meetings. Every member shall have the right to expect that club meetings and functions shall be safe environments.

Section 9. Roberts Rules of Order shall govern the conduct of all meetings to the extent not inconsistent with these bylaws.

ARTICLE IX
COMMITTEES

Section 1. The committees are established to ensure effective operation and open lines of communication between the membership and the Executive Board. The Executive Board or the membership shall have the power to establish ad hoc committees by majority vote at a properly noticed membership meeting.

Section 2. Committee membership shall be limited to members who have paid their annual dues.

Section 3. Each committee shall have a chair. The chair shall keep attendance of each meeting and report attendance to the Secretary. The chair shall report the activities of the committee at membership meetings and serve as non-voting, ex officio members of the Executive Board.

Section 4. The members of an ad hoc committee shall be determined at the time it is created.

Section 5. Chairs of committees shall have no vote in committee meetings, except to break a tie.

Section 6. Standing Committees

a. Political Action Committee

  1. Vice-President of Political Affairs shall be the chair of the Political Action Committee.
  2. All members in good standing are eligible to participate and vote at all Political Action Committee meetings.
  3. The Political Action Committee shall monitor political trends, organize the endorsement process, initiate LDC actions on issues, and coordinate voter registration and engagement efforts.
  4. Paid officials of any election or campaign must recuse themselves from voting and discussion on their candidate or issue.

b.Membership Committee

  1. Vice-President of Membership is the Chair of the Membership Committee.
  2. All members in good standing are eligible to participate and vote at all Membership Committee meetings.
  3. The Membership Committee shall keep membership records, notify members when dues are payable, and recruit new members.

c. Fundraising Committee

  1. The Chair of the Fundraising Committee shall be appointed by the President, subject to the approval of the Executive Board.
  2. All members in good standing are eligible to participate and vote at all Fundraising Committee meetings.
  3. The Treasurer shall serve on the Fundraising Committee.
  4. The Fundraising Committee shall plan and coordinate fundraising activities to ensure the club is self-sufficient and able to financially contribute to the campaigns of endorsed candidates and issues.

d. Communications Committee

  1. The Vice President of Communications shall be the chair of the Communications Committee.
  2. All members in good standing are eligible to participate and vote at all Communications Committee meetings.
  3. The Communications Committee shall maintain the LDC website and social media accounts.
  4. The Communications Committee shall timely publish on the LDC website and social media accounts any notice upon request of the President, Secretary or Executive Board.

e. Latinx Cultural Issues /External Affairs Committee

  1. The Vice-President of Cultural / External Affairs shall be the chair of the Cultural & External Affairs Committee.
  2. All members in good standing are eligible to participate and vote at all Issues Committee meetings.
  3. The Issues Committee shall monitor local, state and federal policies affecting the Latino community and educate the membership on those issues, as well as organize policy and advocacy action.
  4. Latinx Cultural Committee reports and makes recommendations on cultural issues to the board and general membership.

 f. Parliamentary Committee

  1. Parliamentarian is chair of the committee.
  2.  All members in good standing are eligible to participate and vote.
  3. The Parliamentary committee shall review, amend, and/or confirm/reject review analysis and any recommendations made by the parliamentarian report. 
  4. The Parliamentary committee shall jointly resolve any disputes including: motion legitimacy, process disputes, minute discrepancies that cannot be solved in a general body meeting, voting procedure, election, and any other disputes within 30 days after a motion of parliamentary committee review of a dispute is made, seconded and passed.
  5. Disputes will be solved via a 60% threshold vote via ballot approving or rejecting claims.
  6. Shall uphold Article XIII Section 1 in compliance with Article XIII Section 2.
  7. Membership may reject a Parliamentary Committee verdict with a 60% vote by members in attendance.
  8. Should the Chair fail to perform their duties, Members in Good Standing may appoint an Independent Chair to the Committee with a 60% vote of members in attendance and remove chair or vice-chair through a vote of no confidence.

Section 7: Special Investigation Committee

Per Article VII Section 3, subsection 7 - The San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club established a special investigation committee for public allegations made against its president. The special investigation committee (SIC) was comprised of subject experts from a reputable sexual violence prevention organization, SFLDC general members, and select SFLDC executive board members. The committee developed a scope of investigation and code of conduct agreement - which included confidentiality and conflict of interest policies to protect the privacy of those voluntarily participating in and facilitating this sensitive process.

Scope of Investigation

Code of Conduct

 

ARTICLE X
ENDORSEMENTS

Section 1. LDC may endorse any nominee or candidate for public office who is a registered Democrat, and may endorse positions on issues provided the endorsement is consistent with LDC’s goals and does not conflict with the California Democratic Party’s rules governing endorsements.

Section 2. A vote to endorse shall require approval by sixty percent (60%) of the members in good standing who are in attendance at a membership or special meeting.

Section 3. An Officer of LDC who receives monetary compensation from a campaign must disclose their role in the campaign and the fact of compensation prior to endorsement deliberations and membership votes.The officer must recuse themselves from any executive board decision or membership discussion on that candidate or campaign.

Section 4. Process for selecting pre-caucus endorsement delegates

    • The Board shall nominate delegates to the Democratic state party pre-caucus endorsement meeting. Only members in good standing as outlined in Article III, Section 3 shall be considered.
    • The General Body shall vote on confirmation of the delegates.

Section 5. Proper process includes a questionnaire and a presentation at the PAC committee meeting to be considered for endorsement.

Section 6: The San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club may consider an early endorsement of a candidate or ballot measure if the candidate or campaign aligns with the Mission and vision of the SFLDC, advancing the needs of the Latino community. An early endorsement process is considered before the campaign's filing deadline. Early endorsements cannot be conducted if another race is upcoming before the set election or the vacancy does not exist.

 

ARTICLE XI
SUSPENSIONS AND AMENDMENTS

Section 1. These by-laws may be suspended or amended by a vote of the members in good standing in attendance at a regular meeting.

Section 2. A vote to suspend these by-laws shall require approval by sixty-six percent (66%).

Section 3. The by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote.

ARTICLE XII
RECORDS REQUEST

Section 1. Records defined include: attendance, minutes, agenda, correspondence and financial reports.

Section 2. Member contact information shall be redacted from all attendance records provided.

Section 3. Records requests must be submitted in writing.

Section 4. Inspection and verification will be conducted by the Executive Board.

Section 4. Bylaws are to be reviewed and amended as needed annually by the Parliamentary Committee, revised by E-Board, and approved by the General membership. Failure by the parliamentarian to do so may be sanctioned and removed as chair of the parliamentary committee at a general membership meeting or E-Board.

 

ARTICLE XIII SFLDC Code of Conduct and Remediation

Section 1: The Club is committed to providing a welcoming, respectful, friendly, safe, supportive, and harassment-free environment for club members and all others associated with the Club and expects all such individuals to act professionally, respecting the personal rights and dignities of all so as to create a productive, inclusive environment. All individuals should feel welcome and safe within the Club regardless of their sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, body size, domestic violence victim status, employment status, type of employment, or any other legally protected classifications. All club members and all others associated with the Club shall comply with the applicable Code of Conduct of the Democratic Party of the State of California (which can be found at the Party’s website), as may be in place from time to time.

Section 2 Ethics. Ethics of how the club shall conduct itself accordingly,

  1. Members commit to elevating, uplifting, and advancing the Latinx community and club,
    1. Community is defined as a member or board member of SFLDC,
  2. No member or executive board member, regardless of status, shall create a harmful or unsafe environment 
    1. A harmful and/or unsafe environment is defined as verbal, physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or behavior that leads to harm e,g., insults, discrimination as per the code of conduct, assault of any kind,
  3. Any disputes that lead to a conflict will  be initially mediated by the parliamentary committee,
  4. Actions that are retaliatory will be subject to an automatic motion of parliamentary review and be addressed.
    1. Members found to be retaliating will risk removal and censorship if found guilty in the same meeting by 60% of members present,
    2. Retaliatory behavior is defined as any action or abuse towards a member, such as emotional, or physical attacks that lead to psychological and physical harm, as a form of revenge for differentiating points of view that aims to harm, or intimidate them into being compliant with the person who is retaliating against them,

Section 3 Code of Conduct, Ethics, and Bylaw Restorative Justice Values and Procedures. By-laws, Ethics, and Code of Conduct Violations Will be Handled Accordingly

  1. Members in Good Standing and Executive Officers may motion for a parliamentary review of a person's behavior/actions that have violated the code of conduct, ethics or the by-laws after 2 written warnings to the person about their misconduct,
    1. A warning is any Robert’s rule of order that warns the person of misconduct, violating the by-laws, code of conduct, or ethics,
    2. A warning must be reflected in the minutes and approved by the Parliamentary Committee at the next meeting by a 60% vote when a warning has been issued
    3. Members in Good Standing and Executive Officers may write a grievance letter to the Parliamentary Committee for a review and possible recommendation of issuing a written warning,
      1. An investigation will be conducted by the Parliamentarian. If the grievance is found to have merit, then a parliamentary subcommittee will be formed that includes the president(s) (unless the presidents are the offending parties) to conduct the investigation.
      2. A result of the investigation will be provided to the grieving party and the offending party. 
        1. If possible, the process should lead to a reconciliation and remediation process first, defined by the Parliamentary committee and sub-section HERE.  
        2. If the grievance is a result of violations that are directly unsafe, a special meeting may be called by the executive board to remove the offender and presented to the next general membership meeting to either be ratified or revoked.
  2. Once a motion of parliamentary review is completed, Parliamentarians must be notified 48 hours in advance if they were not present in the meeting by the executive board or member in good standing via written means. 
  3. The Parliamentary Committee will review a Code of Conduct, ethics, and By-law violation allegations through restorative means and provide a final verdict by confirming, amending, or rejecting the Parliamentarian’s findings and verdict.
  4. Officers and Members in Good Standing can uphold the Code of Conduct, ethics, and By-laws through Robert's rules of order.
  5. A verdict must have a 60% vote to be rejected by Members in Good Standing present.
  6. Parliamentarians must provide a remediation verdict recommendation to the Parliamentary Committee within 30 days of a motion of Parliamentary review of violation being made, which can be amended, approved, or rejected by members of the Parliamentary Committee.
  7. A motion for Parliamentary review of a Code of Conduct, ethics, and by-law violation of an Officer/Member needs a 60% vote to be approved.

Section 4: San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (SFDCCC) Code of Conduct

1. On January 15th, 2024 - The San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club voted to adopt the SF DCCC Code of Conduct and Policies for Sexual Assault and Harassment.  

2. The SFLDC will follow its own internal parliamentary and investigative processes as a first step for any reports brought forth to the Executive Board or Parliamentary Committee. Scope of Investigation and Code of Conduct of Agreements will be signed by investigating parties prior to any investigation as described in the SFLDC Special Investigation Committee (Section 7), and conflict resolution or removal of individuals will fall will under the processes laid out in the SFLDC Code of Conduct and Remediation (Article 13), while staying in compliance with the SFDCCC mandated reporting timelines for 5 days to Ombudsmen for any reports brought forth.

Reports of Sexual Assault, Harassment, and Misconduct can be made anonymously here

3. SFLDC will complete an insight building training, in addition to annual sexual harassment training by DCCC.

 

ADOPTED THIS 27th DAY OF May, 2015.

AMENDED on February 17, 2016.

AMENDED on May 18, 2016.

AMENDED on September 16, 2020.

Amended on May 17th 2023.

Amended on February 15th 2023.

SFLDC

Paid for by the San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club · 60 29th St #619, San Francisco, CA 94110.

FPPC #1342652 / FEC ID: C00840322

This was not authorized or paid for by a candidate for any office or a committee controlled by a candidate for any office.
Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org and at fec.gov.

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