About us

ARTICLE I – POLICY

Sec. 1

It is the purpose of this organization to contribute to the growth and influence of the Democratic Party, to have a voice in the creating of its policy, to develop leadership, and to promote Party accountability.

Sec. 2

Democrats of Pasadena Foothills, hereinafter called The Club, shall seek in all of its operations to be in accord with principles of the County, State and National platforms of the Democratic Party.

Sec. 3

The Club of shall seek ways to urge and enable qualified persons to run for office. The Club shall support election of qualified nominees of the for elective office who are Democrats, with vigorous and aggressive action.

ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP

Sec. 1

All members of The Club must be registered Democrats, except that a person who indicates an intention to register as a Democrat upon becoming eligible to register may be a member. Minimum age for membership shall be 14 years.

Sec. 2

A member in good standing is one who has paid dues for the current calendar year. A grace period of 60 days following expiration of membership shall be granted, during which a person may exercise all privileges of membership, provided dues are paid before exercising the right to vote.

Sec. 3

Regular annual dues shall be $25.00 for the period January 1st to the following January 1st. Dues for any new membership added after October 1st will continue through the following year. A portion of dues may be applied to affiliation of the Club with California Democratic Council. The Executive Board may propose special classes of annual dues to the membership for approval.

ARTICLE III – OFFICERS

Sec. 1

Officers of The Club shall be (a) President, (b) Vice-President(s), (c) Recording Secretary, (d) Corresponding Secretary, (c) Controller, and (f) Parliamentarian. A Treasurer shall be appointed by the Executive Board.

Par A) The number of Vice-Presidents to be elected shall be determined by the Executive Board prior to meeting of the Nominating Committee.

Par B) Officers shall be elected at a February meeting and installed at a March meeting of the Club.

Sec. 2

Duties of Officers

Par A) The President shall preside over meetings and be responsible for overall direction of club activities.

Par B) Vice-Presidents shall assist the President by serving as Chairpersons of committees, such as (a) Program, (b) Membership, (c) Legislative and Issues, (d) Fundraising, (e) Campaign, and (f) Communications

Par C) The Corresponding Secretary shall be responsible for handling all correspondence of the Club.

Par D) The Recording Secretary shall keep minutes of all meetings of the organization, including copies of formal reports by its officers and committee chairs. If the Recording Secretary is not present at a meeting, a Secretary pro tem shall be appointed by the presiding officer.

Par E) The Controller shall act as liaison with the appointed Treasurer.

Par F) The Treasurer shall receive and disburse the funds of the Club and shall maintain all financial records. The Treasurer shall comply with all legal and reporting requirements of the Federal Election Commission, California Fair Political Practices Commission, Internal Revenue Service, Franchise Tax Board, or other appropriate government or Democratic Party agency.

Par G) The Parliamentarian shall advise the President or presiding officer on rules or procedures as required or requested.

Sec. 3

In case of a vacancy occurring in an office of the Club, a replacement shall be nominated and elected at a regular or specially called membership meeting. An officer of the Club may be removed for cause by a two-thirds vote of the members present at a meeting.

Sec. 4

The Executive Board shall consist of elected officers of the Club and the Immediate Past President.

Sec. 5

The President may appoint Chairs of such temporary committees as are deemed necessary.

Sec. 6

The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee of at least five Club members no less than six weeks prior to the meeting at which the slate of nominees is to be presented.

ARTICLE IV – MEETINGS

Sec. 1

There shall be regularly scheduled meetings of The Club All meetings of The Club shall be open to the public, but only members may vote.

Sec. 2

Special meetings of the Club may be called by the President, the Executive Board, or at the request of 10% of the membership, provided 10 days prior notice is given to members.

Sec. 3

Executive Board meetings are open to all Club members, but voting privileges are restricted to Executive Board members at such meetings.

Sec. 4

A quorum shall be declared to exist at any regularly called meeting of The Club of or any special meeting of which all members have been notified in writing 10 days in advance, at which 5% of the membership, or nine members in good standing, whichever number is greater, are present.

Sec. 5

A quorum of the Executive Board shall be five members.

Sec. 6

Proxies shall not be valid at either membership or Executive Board meetings.

Sec. 7

Ten days written notice of all regular or special meetings shall be given to the Organization Chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party and the Region Chair.

ARTICLE V – ENDORSEMENT

Sec. 1

The Club may make endorsements of positions on issues or candidates. Only a registered Democrat may be endorsed.

Par A) The Club may endorse in any election a candidate who indicates a preference for the Democratic Party.

Par B) A Democrat running unopposed in a primary, or the sole Democrat in a general or special election, or the candidate in a county-wide race endorsed by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, may be endorsed by a majority vote of those members present and voting at a regular or special meeting after notice of the intention to consider endorsement in that race.

Par C) In the case of more than one Democrat running, endorsements may be made only at a regular or special meeting of the Club, for which at least a 10-day notification of intention to endorse in that race has been given. Endorsements require a sixty-per cent vote of members voting. Voting may take place electronically over a 48 hour window from the endorsement meeting, wherein any registered Club member is eligible to vote. At the request of any member, voting on an endorsement shall be limited to those who have been members of the Club for the preceding two months. Voting at a meeting shall be by secret ballot, if requested by a member.

Par D) All known Democratic candidates in a multi-Democratic race in which there is to be consideration of endorsement must be notified of the procedures to be used.

Par E) A candidate endorsement given by the Club may be removed for cause at a regular meeting of the Club by a sixty per cent vote.

Par F) An issue may be endorsed by a majority vote at any regular meeting if 10 days notice of intent to vote on the issue has been given, or by a sixty per cent vote of members present if specific notice of intent to consider that issue has not been given. At the request of any member, voting on an endorsement shall be limited to those who have been members of the Club for two months. Voting at a meeting 4 shall be by secret ballot, if requested by a member.

Par G) Should no candidate receive the majority required for endorsement, the default position of the Club shall be “no consensus,” unless a majority has voted specifically for “no endorsement.”

Par H) “No endorsement” shall always be an option included on a candidate or issue ballot.

ARTICLE VI – REPRESENTATIVES TO CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY (CDP) PRE-ENDORSING CONFERENCES

Sec. 1

Club representatives shall be allocated as follows: one representative, resident in the Assembly District and duly registered as a member of the Democratic Party of California, for each full (not a fraction thereof) 20 members in good standing registered to vote in the Assembly District who were listed on the roster submitted to Los Angeles County Democratic Party and to the appropriate Regional Director of the CDP no later than July 1 of the year immediately prior to the endorsing process.

Sec. 2

For purposes of this Section, (a) only members in good standing as of the July 1 deadline shall be included on the roster; (b) “Member in Good Standing” shall mean a member whose dues are current, or have been waived due to economic hardship; (c) The status of such members shall be certified by the Club's President, and Secretary or Treasurer; and (d) The Club's representatives to any particular pre-endorsing conference shall be from the roster described above and the overall list of representatives to all conferences be equally apportioned between men and women to the extent possible.

Sec. 3

Said representatives shall be selected by majority vote of a Selection Committee comprised of the President and two Vice-Presidents, a quorum being present, from among those club members willing to serve as representatives.

Sec. 4

No later than October 1 of each odd numbered year, The Club shall inform its membership of the process for selection as a Representative to the California Democratic Party (CDP) Pre- Endorsing Conferences, via both WEB Posting on its site and email to those members who have provided email addresses for notice purposes.

ARTICLE VII – RULES OF ORDER

In matters not covered by this Constitution and By-Laws, appropriate procedures of the most recently revised edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern, except that two-thirds vote of members present shall be required to table a motion.

ARTICLE VIII – AMENDMENT

Proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws must be submitted at a regular meeting of The Club, presented thereat, and at the next regular meeting may be adopted by two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of those members present and voting, a quorum being present. A notice in writing shall be sent at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting at which the vote will be taken to all members of The Club. Amendments will take effect at the next meeting subsequent to their adoption. A writing with a link or 5 instruction on how to access an electronic link to the text of the amendment shall meet this requirement so long as any member may request a copy of the text be mailed to him/her via U.S. Postal Service mail.

The Club's Constitution was first Approved February 21, 1985
it was approved as amended October 22, 1987 & November 19, 1987;
and approved as amended November 16, 2000 & February 17, 2003.

The Club's By-Laws were first Approved March 29, 1985
They were approved as amended October 22, 1987;
and approved as amended March 19, 1992;
and approved as amended November 18, 1993;
and approved as amended November 16, 2000;
and approved as amended August 18, 2011.

The Club's Constitution and By-Laws was Approved as consolidated and amended May 21, 2015 & June 18, 2015