Article I: Name
The name of this organization shall be the Republican Liberty Caucus of Northeast Florida, hereinafter referred to as “RLCNEF”, a Chartered Regional Chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida, hereinafter referred to as “RLCFL”.

Article II: Purpose
The RLCNEF is a political action organization, operating within the counties of Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau, Putnam, Baker and Flagler, dedicated to promoting the ideals of liberty, individual rights, limited government and free enterprise within the Republican Party by:
A. Promoting these ideals among Party officials and its various organizations;
B. Identifying and supporting candidates sympathetic with these ideals;
C. Promoting membership in the RLC among Party registrants, officials, officeholders and voters.

Article III: Language Definitions
Section 1: Vote. The term “vote” denotes a privilege only available to Regular members. To qualify for a “vote” an individual must have been a Regular member of the RLCNEF for at least one month, and verified as current with their membership dues. Any member who is behind with their dues may qualify by paying the balance owed during the credentialing process prior to the vote. At a Regular meeting of the RLCNEF, no qualified member physically present may be denied from participating in a “vote.” At Board meetings, only Officers, At-Large members, County Directors, and in the case of absences, any Alternate or County Alternate that has been designated a voting member by the Chairman as outlined in Article VII Section 1 may participate in a “vote.”
Section 2: Written Correspondence. Sending either an electronic or postal mailing to the most recently confirmed address of a member shall satisfy the term “written correspondence.”
Section 3: Notice. For an issue concerning an individual member that is not on the Board of Directors of the RLCNEF, the term “notice” shall be satisfactorily met when that individual member has been sent written correspondence. For all other issues concerning the RLCNEF, the term “notice” shall be satisfactorily met when all Regular members of the RLCNEF have been sent written correspondence; additionally, no vote may occur until 14 days have passed after “notice” has been conspicuously provided to Regular members during a regular meeting. In all cases, where “notice” is required, “notice” shall contain both the reason for notification, and the date in which the vote is scheduled to occur. To allow time to draft and send written correspondence to the Regular members that must be notified, “notice” shall be met if sent within the first 3 days of a notification period when “notice” is required for an official action to occur.

Article IV: Membership
Section 1: There shall be three categories of membership: Regular, Associate, and Honorary.
A. Regular membership shall be limited to individuals who are affiliated with the Republican Party, as determined by the RLCNEF Secretary, who have paid current minimum dues and who support the purposes of the RLCNEF. Regular members are qualified to serve in any official capacity in the RLCNEF, to act as delegates at any Convention and to enjoy all the privileges extended in these Bylaws;
B. Associate membership shall be open to any individual, no matter their political affiliation, who has affirmatively indicated their support for the purposes of the RLCNEF. Associate members shall receive such services and privileges as the RLCNEF may specify;
C. Honorary membership in RLCNEF may be extended to any person designated by the Board of Directors of the RLCNEF. Honorary members shall enjoy such rights, privileges or honors as may be explicitly conferred thereby, either individually or as a group by the RLCNEF.
Section 2: The RLCNEF shall set the minimum annual dues requirement for Regular membership in the RLCNEF, within the extent allowed, delegated, or otherwise approved by the RLCFL. The RLCNEF shall set the anniversary dates for membership dues in conjunction with National and State RLC guidelines.
Section 3: Dues payments received by the RLCNEF shall be shared with the state RLCFL in a fixed amount, and disbursed to the RLCFL on an agreed schedule, at least quarterly and at least thirty days before a RLCFL Convention. Dues payments received by the RLCFL shall be shared in the same fixed amount and disbursed to the RLCNEF on the same agreed schedule. The RLCNEF may offer premium membership rates or services, which shall be subject to the same fixed dues sharing amounts as Regular membership. No Regular membership shall be offered for a period in excess of two years. Section 4: The RLCNEF may waive its portion of dues for any special circumstance or condition approved by the RLCNEF, but shall pay the fixed shared amount of dues to the RLCFL, either from the exceptional membership dues payment or from general revenues. Either entity may offer periodic payments smaller than the Regular minimum dues, but shall disburse the shared portion before any other allocation of receipts.
Section 5: All contributions or donations may be expended as specified by the Board of Directors of the RLCNEF, but shall not be donated to any electoral campaign.
Section 6: Any membership may be suspended or revoked by a ¾ vote of the Board of Directors of the RLCNEF for just cause after providing one month notice to the member. However, a person who has had their membership suspended or revoked shall have the right to petition, via written correspondence, the Secretary of the RLCNEF requesting that a vote be scheduled for the Regular members to consider an appeal of the suspension or revocation during the next regular meeting of the RLCNEF. If the RLCNEF approves the appeal by majority vote of the Regular members, then that person shall be invited to the following regular meeting to state their grievance. After that person has been provided an opportunity to speak, they shall be asked to leave so that the RLCNEF may debate prior to moving to vote in consideration of that person’s suspension or revocation. Should an appeal be denied by a majority vote of the Regular members at a regular meeting, or the suspension or revocation is upheld by a majority vote of the Regular members at a regular meeting, then that person may appeal to the Board of Directors of the RLCFL.
Article V: Officers
Section 1. The Officers of the RLCNEF shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, who shall all be voting members of the Board and subject to the provisions of the preceding Article. Candidates for Officer shall have been Regular members of the RLCNEF for at least six months prior to their nomination. Candidates for Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall have been Regular members of the RLCNEF for at least one year.
Section 2. Elected Officers shall assume office at the close of the annual meeting at which they are elected. Any Officer may be dismissed for misconduct or malfeasance upon one month notice by a 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors of the RLCNEF, or by a majority vote of Regular members at a regular meeting upon one month notice. Any Officer vacancy may be filled pro tem by a majority vote of the Board of Directors of the RLCNEF for a period not to exceed 90 days from appointment. After providing at least one month notice of the vacancy and the date of the election, the position shall be filled for the reminder of the current term by a majority vote of Regular members at a regular meeting. New Officers must qualify under the provisions of the previous Section and shall assume office immediately upon election. If Officer vacancies occur between meetings of the Board of Directors of the RLCNEF, the seceding Officer listed in the preceding section, followed by Chairman designated At-Large members who were previously elected by a majority vote of the Regular members at a regular meeting, shall serve as the acting Officer until the next meeting of the Board of Directors of the RLCNEF.
Section 3. The Officers shall perform such duties as are prescribed in these Bylaws.
A. The Chairman shall be the primary spokesman of the RLCNEF; shall execute the resolutions of the Board of Directors of the RLCNEF; shall preside at meetings of the Board of Directors of the RLCNEF and official sessions of any annual meeting, unless absent or replaced by an Acting Chairman, and shall ensure the administration of all provisions of these Bylaws. The Chairman may appoint any Regular members as special project or liaison directors of such standing or special executive committees or projects as he deems appropriate for the performance of these duties;
B. The Vice-Chairman shall assume the duties and obligations of Chairman in his absence and assist the Chairman in his duties;
C. The Secretary shall record and distribute the minutes of all meetings, certify members, and conduct such ballots as the Board of Directors of the RLCNEF may direct. The Secretary shall also ensure that members are provided the opportunity to update their contact information at least once a quarter, credential members for voting, and provide notification to members in all cases in which a rule or bylaw requires notification prior to conducting an action;
D. The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all RLCNEF funds, shall propose annual and quarterly budgets, safeguard the financial resources of the RLCNEF and make such periodic reports of finances as the Board of Directors of the RLCNEF may require. The Treasurer shall receive and disburse dues sharing payments in cooperation with the Treasurer of the RLCFL.

Article VI: Meetings
Section 1. Regular Meetings. The regular meetings of the RLCNEF shall be held on a recurring date to be set by the RLCNEF.
Section 2. Board Meetings. Defined by Article VII Section 4.
Section 3. Annual Meetings. The regular meeting held in May shall be the annual meeting and shall be for such purposes as electing officers, receiving reports of officers and committees, and for any other business that may arise.
Section 4. Special Meetings. Special Meetings may be called by the Chairman or by the Board of Directors, and shall be called upon the written request of fifteen members.
Section 5. Quorum. Twenty percent of the Regular members of the RLCNEF shall constitute a quorum.

Article VII: Board of Directors
Section 1. The Board of Directors of the RLCNEF, hereinafter “RLCNEF Board”, shall consist of at least three Officers of the RLCNEF. Additionally, there shall be an additional five voting At-Large members and at least three non-voting Alternate members. A maximum of seven County Directors shall have a vote on the RLCNEF Board; one from each certified and approved county within the RLCNEF region. Each County Director and their Alternate County Director shall be elected or appointed by that corresponding county’s chapter after the RLCNEF Board, within the extent allowed, delegated, or otherwise approved by the RLCFL has certified and approved the charter for that county. Board members shall be Regular members of the RLCNEF, elected for two-year terms by delegates at an annual meeting of the RLCNEF occurring on an odd-numbered year with the exception of County Directors and Alternative County Directors which shall be elected as stipulated in the bylaws and rules of that county. The Chairman may designate Alternate members as voting members of the RLCNEF Board whenever voting RLCNEF Board members are absent from any meeting or fail to participate in any electronic ballot. Only the Alternate County Director from the same county as an absent County Director may vote in their absence. Any member of the RLCNEF Board electable by the RLCNEF, with the exception of Officers as described in Article IV, may be removed for just cause upon one month notice by a 2/3 vote of the RLCNEF Board, or by a majority vote of Regular members at a regular meeting upon one month notice. Vacancies of any member of the RLCNEF Board, electable by the RLCNEF, with the exception of Officers as described in Article IV, may be filled for the remainder of the current term by a 2/3 vote of the RLCNEF Board upon one month notice, or by a majority vote of Regular members at a regular meeting upon one month notice. In the event that a member of the RLCNEF Board is elected into a position that would provide them with more than one vote, they shall be limited to only one vote, and that members remaining vote made available to the Chairman to assign to an alternate as previously prescribed during situations involving absences.

Section 2. The RLCNEF Board shall ensure the effective implementation of these Bylaws, adopt an annual or quarterly budget, provide for effective communications among members, the RLCNEF and the general public, and make arrangements for all meetings of the RLCNEF.
Section 3. The RLCNEF Board shall have full power and authority to govern all the affairs of the RLCNEF between meetings and shall have the sole, ultimate, final and exclusive control over all property, assets, liabilities and other resources of the RLCNEF. The RLCNEF Board shall have the authority to hire, fire, contract, and take such legal actions as will effect the will of the RLCNEF Board.
Section 4. The RLCNEF Board shall conduct its meetings in conformance with the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised in the absence of standard or special rules it may adopt that conform to these Bylaws and Rules. The RLCNEF Board may conduct meetings or ballots by telephone, email, or any other means it deems appropriate. Regular meetings of the RLCNEF Board shall occur at least quarterly, with at least one week’s notice. A special meeting of the RLCNEF Board shall occur immediately following the annual meeting. Other special, emergency, or informal meetings of the RLCNEF Board may be called at the written request of any three RLCNEF Board members, on three days notice to all RLCNEF Board members. Any Regular member may attend or obtain the minutes of any RLCNEF Board meeting, unless two-thirds of the RLCNEF Board members agree to an executive session, at which the RLCNEF Board may deliberate, but not adopt, exceptional motions.
Section 5. In any dispute between the RLCFL and RLCNEF, the decision of the RLCFL Board of Directors shall be final.

Article VIII: Statements of Position
Section 1. Statements of Position may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the Regular members at any regular meeting, or the official sessions of any special meeting that may be authorized by the RLCNEF Board under these Bylaws.
Section 2. Statements proposed by a majority vote of the RLCNEF Board or in a Petition signed by no less than twenty-five Regular members at least forty-five days prior to the regular meeting date may be submitted to the members for adoption.
Section 3. All proposed Statements shall conform to the RLCFL Statement of Positions and state and regional applications of the RLCNEF Purpose. Prior to meeting consideration, copies of the proposed Statements shall be submitted in writing to the RLCNEF Board at least ten days before the meeting for review, advice and consent.
Section 4. Notice of all proposed Statements shall be distributed to Regular members with the notice of meeting.

Article IX: Local and County Chapters
Section 1. The RLCNEF Board shall encourage and assist in the certification and chartering of such local, and county chapters in the RLCNEF region that qualify under the provisions of RLCFL Bylaws and Rules.
Section 2. The RLCNEF Board shall assist the RLCFL to set such minimum criteria for local and county chapter bylaws and require such verification of Regular membership, as it deems appropriate for certification.
Section 3. Local and County chapters which engage in public outreach or communications shall use standard authorized RLC, RLCFL, or RLCNEF materials, including but not limited to printed and online publications; unless they submit any new materials or representations of the RLC to the RLCNEF Board for advance approval.
Section 5. In any dispute between the RLCNEF and any local or county chapter, the decision of the RLCNEF Board shall be final.

Article X: Parliamentary Authority
Section 1: The rules contained in the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the RLCNEF in all cases to which they are applicable and which are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the RLCNEF may adopt.

Article XI: Amendment
Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Regular members at any regular meeting. Amendments proposed by a majority vote of the RLCNEF Board or in a Petition signed by no less than twenty-five Regular members may be submitted to the members for adoption. No less than one month notice shall be provided to all Regular members for consideration of proposed amendments, and that notice shall contain both the proposed amendments and the date in which the vote is scheduled to occur.
Section 2. Amendments shall go into effect immediately, unless otherwise stated in the proposed Amendment.
Section 3. RLCNEF Rules may be amended by a majority of the members at a regular meeting without notice, or by a two-thirds vote of the RLCNEF Board, after at least one month notice. Should RLCNEF Rules be amended, notice shall be provided to all Regular members, along with the approved rule changes, within 3 business days.

Bylaws and Rules adopted May 5, 2009, and amended April 6, 2010.

RLCNEF Rules
Rule 1. Special Directors
Special Directors may be nominated by the Chairman and appointed by the RLCNEF Board to facilitate RLCNEF activities.

Rule 2. Candidate Endorsements
Any candidate endorsement by the RLCNEF shall comply with the National RLC, RLCFL, and RLCNEF bylaws, rules and guidelines for candidate endorsement.

Rule 3. Public Policy Statements
The RLCNEF Board may adopt and issue public policy statements, which do not conflict with the Statements of Positions specified in these Bylaws and the Bylaws of the National RLC and RLCFL.
A. Public positions related to state and federal legislation may only be adopted by a majority vote of the RLCNEF Board, but shall not conflict with any prior policy position adopted by the National RLC or RLCFL;
B. No resources of the RLCNEF shall be used to promote any commercial enterprise without the advance contractual approval of the RLCNEF Board.

Rule 4. Electronic Voting
Votes of the Board may be taken by electronic ballot via either eMail or eGroup tabulations conducted by the Secretary under the following rules:
A. Electronic ballots shall be issued to all RLCNEF Board members on any resolution submitted by at least three RLCNEF Board members to the Secretary;
B. The Secretary shall issue an electronic ballot within seven days and shall receive and tabulate all ballots received within seven days of issue;
C. If any Board member permanently eligible to vote fails to cast a ballot, the Secretary shall record them as absent and substitute the ballots of Alternate members in the chronological sequence in which they were received;
D. The Secretary shall inform RLCNEF Board members of ballots cast and provide RLCNEF Board members who have not cast a ballot with a two-day reminder of the ballot deadline;
E. In the event that fewer than five ballots are cast prior to the deadline, the resolution will fail for lack of a quorum.
F. The results of the balloting shall be reported to RLCNEF Board members immediately after the deadline and also be recorded in the minutes of the next RLCNEF Board meeting.

Rule 5. Committees
The RLCNEF shall have committees to perform its duties, defined by the RLCNEF Board, with committee chairs appointed by a majority vote of the RLCNEF Board.

Rule 6. Local and County Chapter Certification
RLC Chapter Certification may be granted to County or Local organizations at the discretion of the RLCNEF Board, within the extent allowed, delegated or otherwise approved by the RLCFL, when the following conditions have been met:
A. At least ten current dues paid RLC members residing in the county or locality have signed, or at least given verifiable assent to, a petition requesting Chapter Recognition;
B. The petition shall include a slate of initial Chapter Officers, including at least a Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer, and a set of Chapter rules which specify Officer terms, the frequency of elections and formal membership meetings, as well as an acknowledgement that the Chapter will comply with all RLCNEF Bylaws and that the RLCNEF Board shall be the final arbiter in any disputers;
C. Provide such additional documents as may be specified by the Chapter Certification Committee of the RLCNEF;
D. Upon successful certification of a County Chapter by the Chapter Certification Committee the County Chapter Chairman shall become their county’s representative on the RLCNEF Board unless otherwise specified by the bylaws and rules of that County’s Chapter. The Alternate County Director may be selected as specified by Bylaws or Rules of that County’s Chapter and will have full voting rights in the absence of the County Director.

Rule 7. Pledge to the Constitution
To impress upon our members the importance of the principles this country was founded upon, the Republican Liberty Caucus of Northeast Florida has chosen to begin its meetings with a pledge to the Constitution. This is not meant as a sign of disrespect for the American Flag. But rather we feel that just as all military personnel and elected representatives take an oath to the Constitution, we as Patriotic Americans fighting for liberty should pledge our commitment to the contract that gave birth to the nation our flag represents.

The Constitution Pledge

I Pledge Allegiance to The Constitution of the United States of America;
and to the Voluntary Union for which it Creates;
One Republic of Sovereign States;
with Liberty and Justice for All.

Introduced: May 5, 2009
Revised: April 6, 2010
Revised: April 2, 2011