Article I
Name
The name of this organization shall be the “Rockingham County Republican Committee,” hereafter referred to as the “County Committee.”
Note: In this document, the term “his” shall refer to his or her.
Article II
Purpose
The purpose of the County Committee is to advocate the principles of political and social conduct for which the Republican Party stands; to encourage the active participation of all persons in the Republican Party at all political levels, including Town Committees; to support the election of members of the Republican Party to all partisan political offices; to manage the affairs of the Republican Party in Rockingham County; to direct the general policy and campaign activities of the party organization; and to pattern all duties after law or custom required of said County Committee.
Article III
Place of Operation
The operations of the County Committee will be conducted primarily within Rockingham County in the State of New Hampshire.
Article IV
Composition
The County Committee shall be composed of the total number of members apportioned to the individual towns of Rockingham County by the State Convention of the Republican Party. The total number of State Committee Members from Rockingham County shall be provided to the County Committee before this election, which is held in December following a General Election. (See Article VI)
The Rockingham County Republican Committee shall consist of:
1. Officers and Executive Committee, as described in Article VII
2. State Committee Members, as described in Article VI
All registered Republicans residing within Rockingham County, New Hampshire, shall be encouraged to participate in all County activities and are eligible to participate as non-voting members.
Article V
Delegates
Delegates will be elected by the voters in each town during the Republican Primary Election in a General Election year. Any registered Republican residing in a town in Rockingham County may enter his name as a candidate for election as a delegate. There is no fee to file. The number of Delegates from each Town is determined by the New Hampshire State Republican Party in cooperation with the Secretary of State. Hereinafter, the New Hampshire State Republican Party shall be referred to as the “State Party.”
A. Categories of Delegation
A Delegate may be any one of the following:
1) Delegates duly elected by the voters in their town during the Primary Election
2) Candidates who were on the ballot as unopposed during the Republican Primary Election
3) Candidates who were opposed in the Primary Election, and were successful in that election (and will appear on the General Election ballot)
B. Duties of Delegates
Duties undertaken by the Delegates:
1) In accordance with RSA 667:21 of the State statutes, and at a Convention called for the purpose, the Delegates shall:
a. Adopt a State Party Platform
b. Choose Presidential Electors
c. Affect an organization for the Party
2) Elect the Members of the State Committee from Rockingham County, as described in Article VI. Only those Delegates present in person and duly credentialed shall be eligible to vote.
C. Term of Office
Following the completion of the duties described in Section B, the duties of the Delegates are complete and the term of office is retired.
Article VI
State and Rockingham County Committee Members
The Members of the State Committee shall have the ultimate responsibility for all of the affairs of the Republican Party in the State of New Hampshire, as described in the Bylaws of the State Committee. By virtue of their election, they will hold the title of both State Committee Members and Rockingham County Committee Members, hereinafter referred to as State or County.
A. Duties
It shall be the responsibility of each member of the State Committee to participate fully in the events of his local and regional committees to promote the general welfare of the Republican Party.
Rockingham County Committee Members are also duly elected members of the New Hampshire State Committee and expected to attend all meetings called by the New Hampshire State Republican Chairman.
B. Election of Members
The election of the County Committee Members shall be held at a meeting called by the County Chairman during the month of December, following a state-wide General Election, but shall occur no less than twelve (12) calendar days prior to the Republican Party State Committee’s Annual Meeting.
Upon notification by the State Party Chairman, the number of County Committee Members to be elected from each Town shall be determined.
State Committee Members shall be elected solely by the duly elected Delegates of Rockingham County, as described in Article V.
The County Chairman shall, in turn, notify the Towns of the number of Committee Members to be elected to represent their town. Each Town Chair, with the consent of his Town Committee, shall designate a slate by caucus, or town election, or Chair’s appointment, no less than one week prior to the County Committee December Meeting following a biennial state-wide election. A person who has served as a delegate may also be elected to the State Committee.
C. Term of Office
The State/County Committee Members shall serve a term of 2 years.
D. County Meetings
The County Committee shall meet soon after the election of its members, and at least quarterly during each calendar year thereafter. The County Committee may meet at the call of the Chairman or at any time upon the call of a majority of the Executive Committee, as hereinafter defined. Meetings may also be called by 25% of the Committee Members, in a signed petition, with original signatures, stating the purpose of the meeting.
A quorum shall consist of more than 25% of the total Committee. The County Chairman shall preside over each County Committee meeting. If the Chairman is not available, the next officer in the Order of Succession shall preside. (See Article VIII C.)
E. Voting
When the total body of the County Committee is in session, all Members will have full and equal voting privileges on matters before the assembly. Only members present and duly credentialed at the time of voting shall be eligible to vote.
F. Meeting Notices
The Secretary of the County Committee shall be responsible for providing timely notification via written or electronic notification to all County Committee members in advance of any County Committee or Executive Committee meeting. The State Chair provides notices for State Meetings.
Article VII
Officers
The County Committee shall be governed by an Executive Committee consisting of nine (9) officers, including a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, a Secretary, an Assistant Secretary, a Treasurer, a Finance Chairman, and three (3) Area Chairs.
A. Qualifications of Officers
Officers shall be members in good standing of the Republican Party within a town, city, or county committee within Rockingham County.
B. Term of Office
Upon being elected, officers will serve a term of two years, or until the next biennial Annual County Committee Meeting, when their successors are elected.
C. Election of Officers
The Officers of the County Committee shall be elected in January, following a biennial General Election, and prior to the State Annual Meeting. ONLY County Committee members shall vote for said officers.
D. Duties of Officers
1. Chairman
a. Coordinate organization of each town or city within the County.
b. File annual activity reports with the State Party Chairman.
c. Attend the monthly meetings of the Executive Board of the State Committee, as a voting member of that body and as a representative of Rockingham County.
d. Support all Republican candidates equally, not allowing any partiality, preference, or conflict of interest regarding candidates to interfere with his duties as County Chairman. Should any conflict arise, or should the Executive Committee determine that a potential for conflict exists, the Chairman shall recuse himself from any and all activities or decisions pertaining to an issue, and the Vice Chairman shall act in his place on those issues.
e. Oversee the day-to-day income and expenses of the County Committee.
2. Vice-Chairman
a. Assist the Chairman in his duties, and in the absence of the Chairman, preside at the County Committee meetings and the Executive Committee meetings, both at the County and the State levels.
b. Support all Republican candidates equally; and, when acting for the Chairman, be subject to the same restrictions that apply to the Chairman regarding conflicts of interest. If the Vice Chairman recuses himself, the Secretary shall act in his place.
3. Secretary
a. Record and maintain the Minutes of all Committee Meetings, and be the custodian of all permanent records of the County Committee.
4. Assistant Secretary
a. The Assistant Secretary shall provide any assistance requested by the Secretary, and shall assume the duties of the Secretary in the event that the Secretary is unavailable.
5. Treasurer
a. Act as custodian of all County Committee funds, and render proper accounting to the County Committee at each meeting thereof of all receipts and expenditures approved by the County Committee or by the Executive Committee since the previous meeting.
b. Initiate an annual review of all financial records for the County Executive Committee. The results shall be reported to the County Committee.
c. Submit Tax Records as may be required by State Law.
6. Finance Chairman
a. Maintain liaison with the State Republican Committee Finance Chairman.
b. Implement such programs as the Executive Committee shall approve for the purpose of obtaining financial support for the needs of the Committee, the Republican candidates, and the Republican Party.
c. Develop a budget to support the operation of the County Committee and its projected goals.
7. Area Chairmen
a. Three (3) Area Chairmen shall each represent an area of Rockingham County corresponding to the three County Commissioner Districts. Area Chairmen shall be residents of the Area they represent.
b. The Towns in each of these three Districts are:
Area 1: Epping, Exeter, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Kensington, New Castle, Newfields, Newington, Newmarket, North Hampton, Rye, Stratham and Portsmouth.
Area 2: Atkinson, Newton, Plaistow, Salem, Seabrook, South Hampton and Windham
Area 3: Auburn, Brentwood, Candia, Chester, Danville, Deerfield, East Kingston, Fremont, Hampstead, Kingston, Londonderry, Northwood, Nottinghamn, Raymond and Sandown.
Area 1: Danville, E. Kingston, Exeter, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Kensington, Kingston, New Castle, Newington, Newton, N. Hampton, Plaistow, Portsmouth, Rye, Seabrook, S. Hampton, and Stratham.
Area 2: Atkinson, Brentwood, Epping, Fremont, Hampstead, Newfields, Newmarket, Raymond, Salem, and Sandown.
Area 3: Auburn, Candia, Chester, Deerfield, Londonderry, Northwood, Nottingham, and Windham.
(Note: Correction made December 2022 to reflect the newly redistricted County Commissioner areas starting in 2023 [see blue above denoting corrected areas]. Strike-through used to denote former Area districts that were in effect, and as written, when bylaws were last approved. – Jason B. Grosky, Chairman, 12/29/2022)
c. Area Chairmen have full voting privileges on the County Executive Committee.
d. Duties of Area Chairmen:
i. Assist in establishing a Town Committee in towns where there is none.
ii. Act as the primary liaison between Town Committees and the County Committee, providing support, guidance, and assistance as necessary.
iii. Nominate candidate(s) for election to the State Committee in towns that do not have a Town Republican Committee, giving preference to the town/area when possible.
Article VIII
The Executive Committee
A. Composition
The Executive Committee shall consist of nine (9) members, including the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Secretary, Finance Chairman, Area 1 Chairman, Area 2 Chairman, and Area 3 Chairman.
B. Function
The Executive Committee shall function as the governing body of the County Committee and shall make all decisions and take all actions necessary to effectuate the purposes of the County Committee, enumerated in this document, during those periods of time when the full County Committee is not in session.
C. Order of Succession
The Order of Succession shall be: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer.
D. Meetings of the Executive Committee
The Executive Committee may meet regularly each calendar month, on the first Wednesday of the month. A quorum of 50% shall be required to conduct official business.
E. Notice of Meetings
The Chairman of the County Committee shall be responsible for providing written or electronic notification to all County Committee members at least fourteen (14) days in advance of any County Committee or Executive Committee meeting.
F. Voting Procedure
Routine Business of the County Committee will be voted on by the Executive Committee at their regularly scheduled monthly meeting.
Business Requiring Adoption by the Full Committee, to include the budget, major expenditures, or policy positions, shall first be presented to the Executive Committee for review and consideration. Proponents and opponents may testify before the Executive Committee regarding an issue at a meeting scheduled for that purpose. The Executive Committee shall vote on a recommendation to support or reject the issue. This recommendation shall be presented to the full County Committee at its next meeting, where members may again speak to their position. The County Committee shall then vote on the issue, and the Executive Committee shall implement the decision, if approved.
Article IX
Removals, Vacancies, and Resignations
A. Vacancies in the Executive Committee
A vacancy in the Executive Committee shall occur if an officer changes his party registration to anything other than Republican, no longer lives within the county or city, dies, submits a written resignation to the County Committee, or is removed.
Vacancies in any of the positions enumerated in these bylaws, with the exception of the Chairman, shall be filled as outlined below. Should a vacancy occur with the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman shall assume the duties of the Chairman.
B. Cause and Process for Removal
The Executive Committee, at a regularly scheduled meeting attended by a majority of its members, may remove an Executive Committee member, except for the Chairman, for sufficient cause, upon an affirmative vote of 75% of its members physically present.
Sufficient cause is defined as excessive absences from meetings, failure to perform the duties of office, any action or failure to act that is illegal, immoral, or negligent, or which has an adverse effect or casts a negative light on the Rockingham County Republican Committee or the State Republican Committee, or acts against the candidacy of any Republican candidate for office in a general election.
Verbal accusation is not sufficient; only a signed, written complaint shall be presented which clearly details the reasons for recommending removal. Seven (7) calendar days advance notice of the removal shall be given to the officer and an appeal process shall be granted, as determined in Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.
Any State/County Committee member, as defined in Article VI, may be removed from membership for the same reasons specified above, upon petition by at least ten (10) Members. Petitions shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee, which shall review before submitting the removal to the full County Committee for a vote at its next regular meeting, with a quorum present and a “vote to dismiss” of 75% of the members present. After this action is taken, notification shall be sent to the State Committee suggesting that the State make a determination of membership at the State level.
C. Filling a Vacancy
If an Executive Committee member is removed from office per the procedure specified above, the Executive Committee shall recommend a candidate to fill the position and the full County Committee shall vote to confirm that recommendation at their next regular meeting. Additional nominations may be taken from the floor at that election.
Should a vacancy occur with the Chairman, the Vice Chairman shall assume the duties of the Chairman, and the above procedure shall be followed to name a new Vice Chairman.
A vacancy in the position of a State Committee Member shall be referred to the Town Chairman where the vacancy exists and a replacement appointed or elected by the town committee.
D. Conflict with State or Federal Candidacy
Due to the commitment required, an Executive Committee member shall, at minimum, take a leave of absence from the Executive Committee upon filing as a candidate for U.S. Senate, U.S. Congress, Statewide office, County office, Executive Council, State Senate, or State Representative during the period of a contested Primary Election.
Article X
General Provisions for Voting
Provisions that govern the conduct and operations of the County Committee shall be:
1. Each member shall have one (1) vote.
2. Any question shall be decided by a majority of those present and voting.
3. In the event of an election where more than two (2) candidates are running for one office, then a plurality of those present and voting shall be sufficient to elect.
4. Individual telephonic, electronic, or written votes shall not be made on any issue that may come before the Executive Committee or the County Committee. If a member is able to participate in the entire discussion that precedes any vote, via a live teleconferencing connection, then he shall be able to vote in that manner on that specific issue.
5. The Chairman shall abstain from voting except to break a tie.
Article XI
Amendments to Bylaws
Proposed amendments to the bylaws may be submitted to the Executive Committee at any time by any member in good standing. All proposed changes to the bylaws shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee no later than the September Executive Committee meeting in order to be considered for adoption in that calendar year.
The Chairman shall appoint an ad hoc committee to review all proposed amendments.
The Bylaws Committee (ad hoc or Standing) shall submit a report to the Executive Committee, at the appropriate Executive Committee meeting, on its review of all proposed amendments, and subsequently recommend or not recommend that the proposed amendment(s) be incorporated into the Bylaws.
After review of the report from the Bylaws Committee, the Executive Committee shall submit a final draft to the full County Committee at the November meeting.
The proposed final draft shall be voted upon by the total County Committee no later than the December meeting, by the current State Committee Members from Rockingham County, prior to the election of members for the following two (2) years.
A 2/3rds majority of those present and voting, when a quorum is present, shall be necessary to amend these Bylaws.
Upon adoption of any amendments to the Bylaws, the Executive Committee Chairman and Secretary shall immediately file the complete amended County Committee Bylaws with the Secretary of the New Hampshire State Republican Committee.
Article XII
Authority for Issues not Addressed in these Bylaws
Robert’s Rules of Order
All County Committee business not directly addressed in these bylaws shall be governed by the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.
(Reference: Rules and Regulations – companion document)
Respectfully submitted,
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY BYLAWS COMMITTEE
Diane Bitter __________________________________________
Hon. Fred Rice ________________________________________
Hon. Dan Tamburello __________________________________
Adopted this day, Wednesday, January 3, 2018