Constitution and By-Laws of the
Wichita Democratic Socialists of America

ARTICLE I NAME, TERRITORY, OFFICE
Section 1 Name The Name of this organization is the Wichita Democratic Socialists of America (WDSA), a local of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Section 2 Territory The WDSA shall conduct activities in the greater Wichita area. Members in the nearby towns may also join the local (Hutchinson, Newton, El Dorado, Derby etc.). A network to inform other Kansas DSA members about the activity of the WDSA may be formed.
Section 3 Office The principal office of the WDSA shall be in Wichita, Kansas. This office shall be the repository for all WDSA records.

ARTICLE II PURPOSE
The purpose of the WDSA shall be to organize the activities of the members of the Democratic Socialists of America. Its activities shall include activism, member education, community education and advocacy. We share a vision of a humane social order based on popular control of resources and production, economic planning, equitable distribution, feminism, racial equality and non-oppressive relationships.

ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 Definition All members in good standing of the national Democratic Socialists of America who reside in the greater Wichita area within the territory defined by the charter granted by the national Democratic Socialists of America shall be members of WDSA.
Section 2 Rights and Privileges All members in good standing of the Democratic Socialists of America in the greater Wichita area shall have a vote on the election of WDSA delegates to national DSA bodies, WDSA officers and questions, and may stand for WDSA office.
Section 3 Local Dues WDSA may establish local dues by a vote of the membership of WDSA called together for the purpose of establishing such dues. Such dues are for financial support only and confer no rights or privileges.

ARTICLE IV LOCAL MEETINGS
Section 1 Membership Convention WDSA shall hold its membership convention annually in the month of September. Written notice and an agenda of the membership convention shall be mailed to all members fourteen (14) days in advance of the convention. The membership convention shall elect officers, adopt an annual budget and set priorities through resolution(s).
Section 2 Membership Meetings WDSA shall hold membership meetings at least three times annually, normally once a month, the time and place of which shall be set in a schedule published and distributed by the Executive Committee. Membership meetings will set WDSA policy and work priorities within the guidelines set by the membership convention and will include political education sessions. The Executive Committee shall set the agenda for membership meetings.

ARTICLE V LOCAL OFFICERS: POWERS AND DUTIES
Section 1 Definition The officers of WDSA shall be the Chair, the Vice-Chair, the Secretary the Treasurer, and a youth representative. A gender balance in the committee should be sought. All members of the Executive Committee will have a shared responsibility for programming, political education, such as the WDSA formal political discussions, study groups and reading groups within WDSA.
Section 2 Chair The Chair shall be the chief executive officer of WDSA. The Chair shall preside over membership and Executive Committee meetings, and shall assume the powers and duties of the presiding officer as specified in Robert's Rules of Order. The Chair shall be the official public spokesperson for WDSA and shall initiate such actions and policies as the membership may demand. The Chair may delegate responsibilities to other members of the Executive Committee.
Section 3 Vice-Chair The Vice-Chair shall be the deputy of the Chair. The Vice-Chair shall also be an official public spokesperson for WDSA.
Section 4 Secretary The Secretary shall be responsible for the taking of minutes of the membership conventions and meetings and the Executive Committee meetings, and shall maintain supervision over these minutes, resolutions, reports, other official records and seal. The Secretary is responsible for ensuring that adequate notice is given to the membership prior to membership meetings and the membership convention.
Section 5 Treasurer The Treasurer is responsible for maintaining the funds and financial records of WDSA. All funds collected shall be turned over to the Secretary/Treasurer who shall deposit them in a bank account under the name of Wichita Democratic Socialists of America. The Treasurer prepares an annual fiscal-year budget for approval by the membership convention and delivers the annual financial report to the Membership Convention. The Treasurer prepares and submits financial statements to the Executive Committee for their review at least quarterly.
Section 6 Youth representative The YDS membership category group will elect one representative for the Executive Committee of the WDSA.

Term of Office Officers shall be elected to two-year terms which are staggered according to odd and even years. The Youth representative shall be elected for a one year term. In 2009, the two members will be elected for a one year term. The term of office runs from Oct 1 through Sept 30.

 

ARTICLE VI EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1 Composition The Executive Committee shall consist of the elected officers of WDSA as defined in Articles V above.

Section 2 Function, Powers and Duties The Executive Committee is the executive body of WDSA. The Executive Committee administers the affairs of WDSA and oversees the implementation of the decisions of the membership convention and membership meetings. It proposes policies and activities to the membership; receives reports from committees; advises committees on policy issues; assigns temporary duties to Executive Committee members or ad hoc committees; calls emergency meetings of the membership; and acts on any matter requiring immediate attention by WDSA. All actions taken by the Executive Committee are subject to ratification or amendment by the membership at the next membership meeting or the next membership convention.
Section 3 Meetings The Executive Committee shall meet at least once each month or more frequently as determined by a prior Executive Committee meeting or the call of the Chair upon consultation with any three (3) other members of the Executive Committee. All members of the Executive Committee must be given four (4) days oral or written notice of regular Executive Committee meetings. Under extraordinary circumstances, a twenty-four (24) hour notice may be given.
Section 4 Quorum Fifty percent (50%) of the members of the Executive Committee constitutes a quorum and is required for the transaction of business by the Executive Committee.
Section 5 Meeting Minutes Minutes of all Executive meetings, membership meetings and the membership convention are mailed automatically to all members of the Executive Committee. Copies of meeting minutes are available to any member upon request and are available for inspection at any regularly scheduled Executive Committee of membership meeting of WDSA.
Section 6 Vacancies Any officer may be removed by the Executive Committee for violation of the articles or by-laws of the corporation or for conduct prejudicial to the best interest of WDSA. Should any member of the Executive Committee miss three of more consecutive meetings, the Executive Committee may declare that position vacant. It must notify said member of its intention to vacate his or her position prior to the meeting at which such action will be voted on. In the event of a vacancy, the vacancy shall be filled by a special election. If the vacancy is an officer of WDSA, an acting successor may be appointed by the Chair until a new officer is elected at the next regularly scheduled membership meeting or a membership meeting specially called for that purpose.

ARTICLE VII AMENDMENTS
Section 1 Notice of Proposed Amendments Any member wishing to amend these must submit such draft amendments to the WDSA office twenty-one (21) days in advance of regularly scheduled membership meeting or the membership convention. The Executive Committee or an ad-hoc body appointed by the Executive Committee shall review any such amendments and notify the membership that by-laws amendments have been submitted for consideration. Discussion and a vote upon such amendments shall be listed on the membership meeting or membership convention agenda which is mailed to the membership fourteen (14) days in advance of the meeting.
Section 2 Vote These by-laws may be amended, repealed or altered in whole or in part by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of any membership meeting.
Section 3 Notification of Changes in By-Laws WDSA members must be notified within twenty-one (21) days of any changes to these by-laws. This may be done by mailing of meeting minutes or by mailing of revised by-laws.

ARTICLE VIII HOUSEKEEPING
Section 1 Construction If there is any conflict between the provisions of Kansas State law and the by-laws, provisions of Kansas State law shall govern.
Section 2 Fiscal Year The Fiscal Year of the WDSA shall be from July 1 to June 30.
Section 3 Conflict of Interest A conflict of interest exists when a matter to be acted upon by the Executive Committee confers a direct, substantial benefit to any Executive Committee member, business or agency from which a member of the Executive Committee shall abstain from voting on any matter before the Executive Committee which places her or him in a conflict of interest.
Section 4 Dissolution This organization may be dissolved at a special meeting of the Executive Committee by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. Upon dissolution of the organization, any residual assets shall be become the property of the national Democratic Socialists of America.
Section 5 Robert's Rules The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern WDSA meetings in cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these by-laws. Consensus decision-making is desirable where feasible, but meetings must submit to Robert's Rules upon the request of a member.

Proposed at the April 1, 2009 Member Gathering to Found the Wichita DSA

Adopted  at the September 22, 2009 General Membership Convention of Wichita DSA