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Board Members · Mission Statement & Bylaws ·

Board Members

The following is a listing of the four Board Members elected by the Town Committee annually. Contact information for each officer is listed below. We welcome your comments, and are always eager to discuss the committee with all residents of the town of Salem.


Laurel Redden - Chairman

Frank Gruber - Vice Chair

Dick

Richard O'Shaughnessy - Treasurer

Melissa Sorcinelli - Secretary

Mission Statement & Bylaws

We are the Democratic Town Committee of Salem, New Hampshire. Our mission is to promote Democratic ideals among the voters of our town. The Salem Democratic Town Committee is comprised of working men and women trying to make the Town of Salem, the State of New Hampshire, and America a better place for all of us.

  • We believe that every American is entitled to live in a safe and secure nation.
  • We believe that every American should have access to a good job at a decent, living wage.
  • We believe that every American deserves a choice of affordable healthcare options.
  • We believe in reproductive rights.
  • We believe in equality and liberty for all people regardless of the race, gender, religious affiliation or sexual orientation.
  • We believe America should be a shining beacon of freedom for the entire world
  • We believe the American government should not trample upon the rights and civil liberties of its law abiding citizens.
  • We believe that America has the best fighting forces in the world, but they should be used for ending wars, not for starting them.
  • We believe that our military forces should be honored and respected and that they deserve to earn a decent, living wage.
  • We believe that our military forces should have adequate healthcare throughout their lifetimes.
  • We believe that all American children have the right to a decent and affordable education.
  • We believe that teachers and healthcare professionals deserve our admiration and respect for caring for our most vulnerable citizens - our children and our seniors. They also deserve fair and adequate compensation.

  • Revised March 2005
    (proposed amendments June 2007)


    Article 1:         NAME – The name of this committee chartered by the following BYLAWS shall be the  SALEM DEMOCRATIC TOWN COMMITTEE.  (Hereinafter also known as: “SDTC” and “the Committee”).
     
    Article 2:             PURPOSE – The purpose of the Salem Democratic Town Committee is to Advance the ideals and aims of the Democratic Party and the State Democratic Platforms, support the State Committee and Rockingham County Committee and to conduct the business of the Democratic Party within the town of Salem in compliance with the State and County Democratic Committee By-Laws concerning local organizations
     
    Article 3:            POWERS AND DUTIES - It is the intent of this Committee to provide a central organization within Salem to:

    A.      Promote the ideals of the Democratic Party
    B.      Conduct the business of the Democratic Party within the Town of Salem
    C.      Elect Officers
    D.      Elect Convention Delegates
    E.      Adopt Bylaws consistent with the NHDP Constitution
    F.       Support the activities of the State and County Committees
    G.      Recruit Democratic Candidates for Public Office
    H.      Fill vacancies on the Democratic Ballot according to New Hampshire law
    I.        Appoint Inspectors of Election according to Law
    J.        Remain neutral in Democratic Primary Elections
    K.      Remain neutral in nonpartisan municipal elections where two or more registered Democrats compete for the same office            and/or seat
    L.       Adopt a plan to increase public participation, voting and membership in the Democratic Party

    Article 4:             MEMBERSHIP – Membership in this committee shall consist of all registered Democrats in the town of Salem and members of the New Hampshire Young Democrats as organized at Salem, NH High School.

    Article 5:            OFFICERS  -- The officers of this Committee shall be a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer and collectively they will make up the Executive Committee. They shall be elected by a majority vote of the members present and voting at a duly called meeting of the general members. All officers shall be elected on or before March 31 of any even numbered year and will be certified by the State Chair of the NH Democratic Party. All officers shall be elected for a two- year term. 

    A.     The Chairperson shall be the chief executive officer of the Committee and shall perform all duties ordinarily incidental to this office. The Chairperson shall preside over all meetings of this Committee and provide leadership consistent with the interests of the Democratic Party and Democratic Candidates for public office in general elections. The Chair (or designee) will attend all meetings of the County Committee and cooperate with the reasonable requests of the State Democratic Party acting through the State Committee or the County Committee. The Chairperson shall be the only person empowered to incur liabilities with the approval of the Executive Committee or a majority vote of the members present at a regular business meeting that shall be binding on the committee.

    The Chairperson shall also assist the County Chairperson in filling vacancies on the Democratic ballots as provided by RSA: 27.The Chairperson shall also appoint inspectors of election as provided by RSA 59:30. The Chairperson may appoint special committees to further the objectives of this Committee. The Chairperson shall provide general leadership in insuring that a Party interest in Salem is advanced at all levels.

    B.     The Vice-Chairperson shall undertake all the duties of the Chair when the Chair is unavailable. The Vice-Chair shall possess all of the rights, powers, duties and obligations of the Chairperson, by virtue of incapacity or absence if the Chairperson cannot carry on the duties of the office. The Vice-Chair is responsible for maintaining a list of active members of this committee and to increase the membership of the committee and the number of active members. The Vice-Chair may call on the assistance of the Membership Chair to fulfill this duty.

    C.     The Secretary shall record minutes of all Committee & Board of Directors meetings and cause them to be distributed to the members within a reasonable time and shall have leadership on the creation and maintenance of any presence of the committee on the World Wide Web. The Secretary may call on the assistance of the chairpersons of the various special committees to fulfill this duty. The Secretary shall perform all other duties that are ordinarily incidental to the office. The Secretary shall deliver all books, papers and property of the committee that are in the Secretary’s possession, to the successor when this office is assumed by the newly elected Secretary.

    D.     The Treasurer shall maintain the books of account for the committee consistent with the obligation imposed by the laws of the State of New Hampshire and the directives from the Democratic Party acting through the State Committee or the County Committee. The Treasurer shall keep accurate books accounting all financial transactions, which shall, at all times be subject to the inspection of the officers of this committee. The Treasurer should comply with Secretary of State Regulations; filing financial reports by designated due dates, recording all donations in excess of Twenty-five Dollars. The Treasurer will maintain separate accounts when funds are collected with specified allotment. The Treasurer shall open an account in a local bank and deposit all monies and checks received in said account. The Treasurer is authorized to expend up to the amount of one- hundred ($100.00) dollars for any purpose benefiting this Committee and at the will of the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall deliver to the successor of this office, all money and property of the committee immediately upon the election of the successor.

    Article 6:            ELECTIONS - Officers of this Committee will be elected to serve a two year term on or before March 31 of any even numbered year at a regularly scheduled meeting of its general membership.  The committee Chairperson shall cause notice to be published in a newspaper of general circulation stating the time and date of said election at least seven (7) days prior to said meeting.

  • A.  The Nominating Committee shall secure a slate of nominees for each office to be presented at the January general meeting of this Committee in the even numbered (election) years.
    B.  Additional names may be placed in nomination by a motion from the floor with a second at said January meeting.
    C.  Elections shall be held by secret ballot at the February or March general meeting
    D.  A current town checklist shall be used to insure that each voter at this meeting is registered as a Democrat.  Only registered Democrats will be allowed to vote in this election or any other matter before this Committee.
    E.   Proxies and absentee ballots will not be recognized or counted.
    F.   Elections will be by majority vote of those qualified voters in attendance at this meeting.
    G.  Committee officers shall take office on May 1st of the year in which they were elected.
    H.  The names of the elected slate of officers will be sent to the State Democratic Party by April 8 for certification and listing on the Official State roster of local Democratic organizations.

    Article 7:            VACANCIES - The Committee shall fill any vacancy by vote at a regular or special meeting. Should any such office remain unfilled or should any officer fail to act, the County Chair may appoint any person to carry on the office until the next regular meeting of the SDTC. The Chairperson may appoint any member to serve as an interim officer of this Committee in the event of a vacancy due to resignation or any other cause. The appointee shall serve in that position until the next regular scheduled meeting or a special meeting, held to elect a new officer. At the end of said meeting, a new officer shall be elected by a majority vote to fulfill the remainder of the term of office. No office shall remain vacant for a period to exceed thirty (30) days.

    Article 8:            REMOVAL OF OFFICERS: -

    A.     In the event that a Committee officer publicly supports a candidate of another political party or any other candidate opposed to a nominee of the Democratic Party s/he shall immediately relinquish his/her office. The Chairperson shall declare a vacancy in that office and act to fill the vacancy in accordance with Article 7 of these Bylaws. This provision shall not apply to non-partisan local elections.

    B.     In the event that an officer shows continued negligence, malfeasance, or consistent failure or refusal to perform the duties of the office, s/he may be removed from office upon two-thirds vote of the qualified voting Committee members acting at any special or regular meeting with a majority of officers present.

    C.     In the event that an officer has four (4) unexcused absences from the (executive) committee and Board of Directors meetings and four (4) consecutive monthly meetings, s/he may be removed from office upon a two-thirds vote of the members of this Committee who are in attendance at a special or regular Committee meeting where the majority of the officers are present.

    Article 9:         BOARD OF DIRECTORS: - Standing Committee chairs, together with SDTC Executive Officers shall form the SDTC Board of Directors. The Board shall meet at least twice annually or at the call of the Chair. The Board’s responsibility includes, but is not limited to, the creation of an annual strategic plan for presentation and vote by the membership of the SDTC and reasonable execution of plans.

    A.     All meetings will be recorded by the Secretary and made available to the SDTC Committee members.
    B.     All Board of Director meetings will document attendance with a sign-in sheet and be incorporated as part of the meeting   minutes.
    C.     Article 4 Membership – contained within this edition will apply to all BOD members.
    D.     Article 8 Removal of Officers – contained within this edition will apply to all BOD members.
    E.      Article 14 Parliamentary Authority - contained within this edition will apply to all BOD meetings.
    F.      Quorum: - The presence of the Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson and one other elected executive officer and additional members of this Committee at any Board meeting shall constitute a quorum.
    G.     Proxies and absentee ballots will not be recognized or counted
    H.     Board of Director membership shall be elected for a two-year term.

    Article 10:            STANDING COMMITTEES: - Standing committees shall be established by the Chairperson as needed to carry out the purpose and duties of the SDTC. The SDTC Chairperson is ex-officio member of all committees except the Nomination Committee.

    A.     The Standing Committee shall be composed of no less than two (2) members and increase in membership as the SDTC Chairperson may feel is appropriate. The SDTC Chairperson will appoint a chairperson of each standing committee who will report to directly to the Executive Committee.

    B.     The Standing Committee will submit a plan of action complete with goals and budget for the project year. Said plan of action shall not be policy and not binding on the special committee or SDTC in general. Said plan of action may be approved or altered by a majority vote of the SDTC members who are eligible to vote and present at any regular meeting.  The Constitution and Bylaw Committee is exempt from this section.

    C.     The Standing Committees may include but are not limited to the following:

    1.       Constitution and Bylaw Committee
    2.       Financial and Fund Raising Committee – Treasurer is ex-officio member.
    3.       Nomination Committee – Required to select slate of officers.
    4.       Candidate Recruitment Committee
    5.       Communication Committee
    6.       Research Committee
    7.       Membership Committee
    8.       Voter File Committee
    9.       Get Out the Vote Committee

    Article 11:            MEETINGS: - In accordance with the State Democratic Constitution and County Bylaws, the Committee shall meet at least twice a year, and must meet at least once in either February or March of any even numbered year to elect delegates to the State Convention and elect local officers according to the procedure prescribed in Article 6 of these Bylaws.

    A.     Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held at the discretion of the Chairperson at a place and time designated by the Chairperson.

    B.     Special Meetings; Disputes:  The Chair (or Vice Chair in the absence of the Chair) may call special meetings from time to time.  Should the SDTC fail to meet, any member may submit a request in writing for a special meeting to the Chair of the County Committee.  The Chair shall cause a meeting to be held if the chair determines the same is in the interests of the town of Salem.  Any dispute between members, including officers shall be referred, in writing, to the County Chair with a copy to the State Chair.

    C.     An annual meeting of the SDTC Committee shall be held in April of each year to accept reports and conduct such business as is necessary for the good of this committee.

    Article 12:             NOTICE OF MEETINGS: - The Chair shall give notice of all meetings to the members by means calculated to assure the broadest possible attendance.  Notice of all meetings shall be forwarded to a newspaper of general circulation prior to said meeting. The Chair shall post notice of the meeting in three places within Salem regarding the meeting held in February or March of any even numbered year when delegates to the State Convention are selected.  The Chair shall also prepare and submit a press release regarding the meeting held in February or March of any even numbered years to newspapers or media outlets in the community of the meeting when delegates to the State Convention are selected.

    Article 13:             CONDUCT OF MEETINGS: - Meetings shall include, at a minimum, the following:

    1.                   Call to Order.
    2.                   Introduction of Members present.
    3.                   Introduction of guests present.
    4.                   Report by member(s) who serve in Elected Office.
    5.                   Report of Secretary and Adoption of Minutes.
    6.                   Report of Treasurer.
    7.                   Report of Chair.
    8.                   Report of Vice Chair.
    9.                   Address by guest, if any.
    10.               New Business.
    11.               Reports of any ad-hoc committee.
    12.               Old Business.
    13.               Announcements
    14.               Adjournment

    Article 14:            PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY: - The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern this Committee in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order this Committee may adopt In case of any question arising as to the interpretation of any provision of the bylaws, the Chairperson shall make a ruling. The Committee may overturn the Chairperson’s ruling by a majority vote of the members attending the meeting who are qualified to vote.

    Article 15:            RESOLUTIONS: - Endorsement of a Democratic nominee(s) or Democrats for appointive positions in local, county, state and national government; or support of a position on an issue or any other matter shall be placed on the agenda of a regular meeting of this Committee and approved by a majority vote of the Committee members who are qualified to vote and are in attendance at this meeting.

    Article 16:            POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS: - All considerations for committee funds to be contributed to a political candidate or committee shall be placed on the agenda of a regular meeting of this Committee and approved by a majority vote of the Committee members who are qualified to vote and are in attendance at this meeting. All contributions will be made in accordance with campaign finance law.

    Article 17:             AMENDMENT TO THE BYLAWS: - The Bylaws may be amended only by a two-thirds vote of the qualified voting members of Committee who are present at a regular meeting with all four officers present.  Notice of such meeting must be posted in a newspaper of general circulation at least seven (7) days prior to said meeting. Any Democrat registered to vote in Salem may submit recommendations to the Constitution and Bylaws Committee to present for consideration at a Committee meeting after the required notice has been given.

    Article 18:            QUORUM: - The presence of the Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson and one other elected officer and five (5) additional members of this Committee at any general meeting shall constitute a quorum.

    Article 19:            SUSPENSION OF THE RULES: - Other than the procedure named in Article 17, rules of this Committee may be suspended by two-thirds vote of the Committee members present and qualified to vote at a regular scheduled meeting with all four officers present.