Our Governing Document

 
 

YPDA – HAWAIʻI BYLAWS (CURRENT, OCTOBER 2020)

ARTICLE I. NAME.

Section 1.

  • The name of this organization is Young Progressives Demanding Action – Hawaiʻi, hereafter referred to as “YPDA – Hawaiʻi” or “the organization.”

ARTICLE II. MISSION.

Section 1.

  • YPDA – Hawaiʻi is committed to advancing economic, social and environmental justice in Hawaiʻi, and across the world.

  • YPDA – Hawaiʻi is committed to training community members to become effective organizers and advocates for policy that will move society toward a more just, equitable and sustainable future.

  • YPDA – Hawaiʻi is committed to building power for the working class of Hawaiʻi and in particular young people, whose political voice is routinely ignored and maligned despite the critical insight we have to offer and the outsized impact policy decisions will have on our future.

  • YPDA – Hawaiʻi is nonpartisan and committed to working with progressive elected officials and progressive community leaders to advance our mission, regardless of party affiliation.

  • YPDA – Hawaiʻi is committed to encouraging and facilitating the participation of the working class and young people in the political and democratic processes at the federal, state and county levels.

  • YPDA – Hawaiʻi is committed to encouraging elected and appointed officials to adopt more progressive positions and policies, working with elected officials to pass progressive legislation, and working to help elect progressive candidates to office.

  • YPDA – Hawaiʻi is committed to defending existing policies that facilitate justice, equity and sustainability.

  • YPDA – Hawaiʻi is committed to providing support to other progressive community organizations whose values align with ours.

Section 2.

  • The values of YPDA – Hawaiʻi include a belief that society is strengthened when its political, economic and social systems are accessible to all.

  • YPDA – Hawaiʻi believes government has a critical role to play in serving the needs of the people by:

    • Supporting sustainable economic policies, sustainable agricultural and energy policies and social equality for all people; and

    • Guaranteeing the right to public education, the right to universal healthcare, the right to a clean environment, the right to a livable wage, the rights of workers to organize, the rights of indigenous people to self-determination, open and democratic elections, and a U.S. foreign policy that conforms to international law and that seeks peace and justice for all people of the Earth.

  • YPDA – Hawaiʻi believes corporations and those with concentrated wealth have a dangerous level of control over our government and socioeconomic institutions and is committed to organizing the working class to reduce the dominance of these forces within Hawaiʻi and around the world.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP.

Section 1.

  • The general membership of YPDA – Hawaiʻi shall consist of residents, students and temporary workers living within the entity commonly known as the State of Hawaiʻi.

  • No proof of address shall be required for membership, as we are committed to including the houseless, undocumented immigrants, and other members of the community that may reside outside of Hawaiʻi or that may have no formal residency but who are, nonetheless, committed to improving our communities and society.

  • General members of YPDA – Hawaiʻi are people who participate in any aspect of the organization.  

  • Sustaining members of YPDA – Hawaiʻi are members who have either paid an annual due, or who pledge a minimum volunteer hours to YPDA – Hawaiʻi activities in a given year. Sustaining members are also general members.

  • Membership dues and volunteer requirements for sustaining membership shall be set by the Board.

ARTICLE IV. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE.

Section 1.

  • The Board.

    • The members of the Board shall be elected by the sustaining membership from a pool of candidates nominated from among the general membership.

    • The Board shall constitute up to twenty-one (21) members of equal standing.

    • The Board shall elect from its membership nine (9) officers to form the Executive Committee.

    • The Board shall elect from its 21 members one (1) member to act as President of the Board. The President shall be separate and distinct from the Co-Chairs of the Executive Committee.

    • The Board may appoint and remove a designated Communications Coordinator from among its membership to coordinate media requests with members of the Board and act as a point of contact on official materials.

    • The Board shall meet no less than four (4) times a year to carry out the business of the organization, with conference call software as necessary.

    • The Board is responsible for determining the priorities of the organization for a given year, including policy action areas as well as internal development and direction.

  • The Executive Committee.

    • The Executive Committee shall consist of nine (9) members: two (2) Co-Chairs, two (2) Co-Secretaries, two (2) Co-Treasurers, and three (3) Action Committee Chairs each heading one of the Economic, Social and Environmental Justice Action Committees.

    • The members of the Executive Committee shall be elected by the new Board at its first quarterly meeting. The Executive Committee shall meet no less than twelve (12) times a year, with phone-in software as necessary. These meetings may double as training workshops and organizing meetings for the general membership.

    • The Executive Committee is responsible for carrying out the directives of the larger board and is empowered to do so as it sees fit.

  • The Action Committees.

    • The three Action Committees are permanent committees that carry out the primary mission of YPDA – Hawaiʻi to build power and train members.

    • The chairs of the Economic, Social and Environmental Justice Action Committees shall build their committees from among the general membership based upon interest and skill sets exhibited by the general members. No elections are required for the members of these committees, and the committees may comprise as many general members as are interested.

    • Because the Action Committee chairs are part of the Executive Committee, they are also responsible for carrying out the board-determined priorities and empowered to do so as they see fit, in consultation with the Executive Committee.

  • Action Hubs

    • Any group of YPDA members may choose to apply to form an Action Hub in the community in which they reside. An Action Hub is designed to facilitate the advancement of YPDA’s overall mission in a localized context by giving YPDA members in a specific community the autonomy to organize around community-specific issues the Board may not be equipped or positioned to address, while accessing the resources and the YPDA platform.

    • YPDA members wishing to form an Action Hub must submit a letter of intent containing a clear outline of the issues the hub intends to address in a given year, a list of the YPDA members that intend to be a part of the Hub, and which YPDA member will act as Hub Coordinator (any YPDA member in good standing may act as Hub Coordinator). This “Action Plan” shall be considered by the Board at its next meeting via agenda item under business.

    • Should the application to form a hub be approved by the Board through simple majority vote, the hub may then organize regular meetings for its membership, use YPDA branding in materials, testify on the issues in the approved Action Plan on behalf of YPDA (this plan may be expanded at any time provided the Executive Committee signs off on changes to the Action Plan), participate in events as YPDA and recruit new YPDA members.

    • The Action Hub is required to submit any op-eds or official, public statements made on behalf of YPDA to the Executive Committee for review.

    • The Action Hub shall not be permitted to fundraise separately or open and maintain a separate bank account from the YPDA bank account. The hub shall, instead, submit requisition requests to the Executive Committee for resources needed to complete specific goals which shall be approved by the Executive Committee on a case by case basis.

    • Action Hubs are not standing committees, however a new Action Plan, including the name of the proposed Hub Coordinator, must be submitted to and approved by each new Board. The Board reserves the right to close any Action Hub that it feels is no longer serving the mission of YPDA.

    • Action Hubs shall adhere to all YPDA bylaws as well as all laws in its operating jurisdiction. If an Action Hub determines that an act of civil disobedience is required in service of YPDA’s mission and the Hub’s organizing goals, a formal request to act accounting for any planned arrests and relevant bail and legal needs, must be submitted to the Board which must approve the action by a 3/5 majority vote.

Section 2.

  • Term Lengths.

    • The Board, including its officers, shall serve one (1)-year terms. Regular elections shall be held in August/September, with the exact date to be determined by the Board.

  • Elections.

    • The general membership must be notified of upcoming Board elections no less than thirty (30) days prior to the election date. Candidates to the Board must officially nominate themselves no less than fourteen (14) days prior, and the membership must be notified of the candidates at that time.

  • Vacancies.

    • In the event of vacancies on the Board, the Board may call a special meeting at any time to vote to appoint interested members to fill the vacancies.

Section 3.

  • Standing Committees.

    • Standing Committees, or task forces, may be established as needed by the board and may include, but are not limited to:

      • Fundraising

      • Outreach

      • Education and Events

      • Communication and Public Relations

  • Standing Committee structure shall mimic the structure of the Action Committees, but with a Board-appointed chair, with participants chosen by the chair from among the general membership.

  • Standing Committee appointments shall extend as prescribed by the Board, or until the next Board election, whichever occurs first.

  • Standing Committees are not permanent and therefore must be re-established and re-authorized by each new board.

Section 4.

  • Duties.

    • The duties of each position shall be upheld by the member elected or appointed to the position by either general membership or the Board. Failure to uphold the duties as prescribed by the bylaws shall constitute grounds for removal from position by a 3/5 vote of the Board.

  • Co-Chairs.

    • The Co-Chairs shall be responsible for leading Executive Committee meetings and general membership meetings and creating and disseminating coherent and effective meeting agendas no less than three (3) days ahead of a meeting to the general membership via email newsletter, calendar posting, and social media post.

    • Shall be responsible for maintaining a bank account and credit card in the organization's name, signing and endorsing organization checks for reimbursement and authorizing the Treasurers to do the same.

    • Shall be responsible for ensuring the solvency of the organization both in terms of financial capacity and membership capacity.

    • Shall be responsible for holding Action Committee Chairs accountable for fulfilling their duties as committee chairs.

    • Shall be responsible for holding Secretaries and Treasurers accountable for fulfilling their duties as officers.

    • Shall be responsible for leading by example and modeling the way.

    • Shall be responsible for being good stewards and ambassadors of the organization and cultivating positive relationships with like-minded progressive organizations, elected officials and community leaders and organizers.

  • Co-Secretaries

    • Shall be responsible for recording coherent and effective meeting minutes and disseminating them no less than (3) days after a meeting to the general membership via email newsletter, calendar posting, and social media post.

    • Shall be responsible for moderating the organization's social media accounts, for updating the website calendar in a timely manner, for becoming proficient in Mailchimp or similar newsletter software and using this software to build newsletters to the general membership on a regular basis as determined by the Executive Committee.

    • Shall be responsible for drafting organization-wide memos, official positions, letters to Congress, and other official organizational documents as directed by the Executive Committee.

    • Shall be responsible for managing and updating the organization's mailing list.

  • Co-Treasurers

    • Shall be responsible for keeping accurate records of the organization's expenditures and income.

    • Shall be responsible for drafting an annual budget for the organization.

    • Shall be responsible for maintaining the organization's bank account and credit card as authorized by the Co-Chairs.

    • Shall be responsible for ensuring members are reimbursed in a timely fashion.

    • Shall be responsible for ensuring that fundraising meets organizational goals.

  • Action Committee Chairs

    • Shall be responsible for carrying out the policy priorities outlined by the Board that fall within their action area.

    • Shall be responsible for building a team of members dedicated to advancing those action priorities via a wide array of vehicles including, but not limited to, legislation at the state and local level.

    • Shall be responsible for being a champion for his or her designated action area (Economic, Social, Environmental Justice).

    • Shall be responsible for becoming competent on policy related to his or her action area and educating other members about relevant policy.

    • Shall be responsible for working with other like-minded progressive organizations that specialize in the same action area.

    • Shall be responsible for submitted committee reports to the Board at regularly scheduled Board meetings. These reports should be made available to general membership no less than fourteen (14) days after Board meetings.

  • President of the Board.

    • Shall be responsible for scheduling and convening four (4) quarterly Board meetings (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall).

    • Shall be responsible for circulating a draft agenda of each Board meeting to the Board Members no less than seven (7) days ahead of a board meeting to solicit feedback or agenda item requests from the Board.

    • Shall be responsible for conducting the board meeting according to Roberts Rules of Order and, as such, must be familiar with them.

    • Shall be responsible for ensuring that the Board, Executive Committee and organization complies with all laws and regulations relevant to the organization’s status as a politically active entity.

  • Board Members (All)

    • Shall be responsible for determining the policy priorities of the organization for a given year and outlining the related action areas (purviews) of the three Action Committees. This may include adoption of an organizational position on any controversial issues that are not immediately or obviously aligned with the values outlined above.

    • Shall be responsible for setting priorities for the organization's growth, solvency and policy priorities, with the understanding that the Action and Standing Committee chairs shall have discretion on how best to execute those priorities.

    • Shall be responsible for electing its own officers to the Executive Committee.

    • Shall be responsible for removing members of the Executive Committee or Board who are not fulfilling their duties.

    • Shall be responsible for acting as good steward and ambassadors of the organization within their communities.

    • Shall be responsible for attending all Board meetings and being active participants in general meetings, workshops and other YPDA activities as able.

    • Shall be responsible for ensuring the solvency of the organization's finances and membership by actively participating in recruitment and fundraising for the organization.

    • Shall be responsible for filling Board vacancies as needed.

    • Shall be responsible for creating Standing Committees and Task Forces as needed.

  • Communications Coordinator

    • Shall be responsible for coordinating media requests and public inquiries to the relevant YPDA member or committee, in consultation with the co-chairs.

    • Shall be act as a point of contact on official YPDA materials such as press releases.

    • Shall be responsible for acting as good steward and ambassadors of the organization within their communities. 

  • Action Hub Coordinator

    • The Action Hub Coordinator shall be responsible for leading regular Action Hub meetings in the community the Hub intends to serve. The format and amount of meetings shall be determined by the approved Action Plan for the Hub in question and shall be based on the reasonable capacity of the specific Hub.

    • Shall be responsible for leading the Hub in execution of its proposed Action Plan, and for coordinating with and regularly reporting back to the Executive Committee. A short, formal report shall be submitted to the Board at least seven (7) days before each of its quarterly meetings. This report shall summarize the Hub’s activity in the prior quarter, as well as make any formal requests the Board may need to address.

    • Shall be responsible for upholding YPDA values, leading by example and modeling the way for members participating in the Action Hub.

    • Shall be responsible for being good stewards and ambassadors of the organization and cultivating positive relationships with like-minded progressive organizations, elected officials and community leaders and organizers.

    • Shall be ultimately responsible for the actions of the Action Hub and its membership.

ARTICLE V. ELECTIONS.

Section 1.

  • Elections for the Board shall be conducted in August/September, annually, to coincide with the beginning of the Academic Year.

  • An election announcement and call for nominations shall be made to the general membership no later than thirty (30) days prior to the election date. This announcement shall include a nomination form and sustaining membership form.

  • Final deadlines for nominations and elections shall be presented in an election timeline to the Board for approval no later than seven (7) days prior to the announcement of the election. This timeline shall be disseminated to the general membership upon announcement of the election.

  • Any YPDA general member may nominate themselves for the board. Nominations must be received no later than fourteen (14) days prior to the election date.

  • Elections shall be conducted using electronic Ranked Choice ballots provided to sustaining members no less than fourteen (14) days prior to the election date.

  • Voting shall be conducted throughout that 14 day period up until midnight on the designated election day. The results of the election must be announced via email newsletter and social media post to the general membership the day after the election is concluded.

Section 2.

  • The annual Fall Board meeting shall act as a transition between the outgoing Board officers and President to the new Board officers and President.

  • Board members shall nominate themselves for officer positions at this meeting, and make short presentations to the Board on their candidacies.

  • The new Board shall vote to determine which of its members shall form the new Executive Committee. 

Section 3.

  • Nominees may run for multiple officer positions on the Executive Committee, but may only hold one position at a time, unless otherwise authorized by the Board.

Section 4.

  • Election to the Board shall be decided by Ranked Choice Voting using electronic ballots provided to Sustaining Members. Only the top 21 vote getters shall be seated on the Board.

  • Election to the Executive Committee shall be decided by a simple majority of Board members.

ARTICLE VI. OFFICER REMOVAL AND VACANCIES

Section 1.

  • Should an officer of the Executive Committee resign, or a position becomes vacant, the remaining Executive Committee members shall provide a list of potential replacement nominees to the Board no later than fourteen (14) days prior to the next meeting in which the Board can vote. The vacancy will be filled by a majority vote of the Board. The replacement officer will only serve until the next annual election.

Section 2.

  • Should a Board member resign, or a Board position becomes vacant, the Board must provide the general membership notification and solicit replacements by email newsletter and social media post no less thirty (30) days prior to the next meeting in which the Board may vote.

  • Candidates for the vacancy must attend the next meeting in which the Board may vote and officially nominate themselves at this meeting. Candidates shall give short presentations and the Board shall conduct a simple majority vote to fill the Board position.

  • The Co-Secretaries shall announce the results of this special election the day after the meeting is held.

  • A member of either the Executive Committee or Board may be removed by a 3/5 majority vote of the Board members for failing to uphold duties, as outlined in Article IV, Section 4. The board member must first be notified in writing that they are in breach of his or her duties, as outlined by the bylaws, and given an opportunity to reply with an explanation for absence or breach of duty, after which the board must meet to consider the complaint and its reply (or lack thereof). The board must then vote to uphold the complaint by a 3/5 majority vote, or the complaint shall be dismissed.

ARTICLE VII. MEETINGS.

Section 1.

  • YPDA – Hawaiʻi shall hold at least one meeting or workshop each month open to all YPDA members and the public. Notices of meetings will be sent to the general membership via email newsletter and social media post no less than seven (7) days prior to the meeting.

Section 2.

  • A quorum shall consist of a simple majority—half plus (+) one (1)—of current Board members.

  • A quorum is required in order to conduct any official business requiring a vote by the Board.

Section 3.

  • Executive Committee meetings shall be conducted as needed, but not less than twelve (12) times per year, and shall be convened by the Co-Chairs. Executive Committee meetings can double as general meetings and workshops when appropriate.

  • Board meetings will be conducted as needed, but not less than one (1) time per quarter, and shall be convened by the President of the Board.

  • Board meetings are open to the general membership and notification must be made via email newsletter and social media post no less than seven (7) days prior to the meeting.

Section 4.

  • Committee meetings shall be convened by Committee Chairs as needed.

ARTICLE VIII. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

Section 1.

  • These Bylaws may only be amended by the Board with the agreement of 3/5 of the votes cast.

  • Proposed amendments must be disseminated to the Board in a tracked-change document format no less than seven (7) days before the Board meeting at which the proposed changes shall be taken up.

  • A vote on Bylaw amendments can only take place if the above requirement is satisfied and if the vote is placed on the agenda within seven (7) days of the Board meeting.

Section 2.

  • Sustaining members shall cast their votes via online, ranked choice ballot, unless otherwise specified by the Board.

  • Ballots must be sent to sustaining members no less than fourteen (14) days prior to the designated election date, and voting shall remain open for the duration of that two-week period.

  • Votes must be received before midnight on the designated election day. No proxies are allowed.

  • Sustaining members who cast more than one ballot will have their votes voided.

Section 3.  

  • YPDA – Hawaiʻi does not allow proxies in any of its elections or Board votes.

Section 4.

  • YPDA – Hawaiʻi may have an official Communications Coordinator. This Communications Coordinator shall be appointed by a simple majority vote of the Board and may be dismissed the same way. YPDA members shall direct public and media inquiries to the designated Communications Coordinator. If no Communications Coordinator is designated, the Co-Chair(s) shall act as pints-of-contact for the media and the public.

Section 6.

  • Any procedure which is not prescribed in or governed by these Bylaws, shall be governed by the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.