CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS of the NEW HAMPSHIRE FEDERATION of COLLEGE REPUBLICANS

We, the College Republicans of the State of New Hampshire, in order to promote and foster the ideals of the Republican Party in our communities, create this organization to shape the futures of our party, our state, and our nation. As a party of ideas, innovation, and inclusion, we stand resolved to empower our students; to provide a voice for our generation; to bring about a better understanding of the American political system; and to encourage active participation in the Republican Party at all levels of government. Therefore, we hereby establish and ordain this Constitution. ARTICLE I Name & Organization Section 1: Section 2: Section 3: The name of this organization shall be the New Hampshire Federation of College Republicans, formally abbreviated and referred to hereafter as NHCR. This organization shall be an officially chartered state federation of the College Republican National Committee, hereafter referred to as CRNC. This federation shall consist of a state Executive Board, College Republican Chapters, and their membership. a. Section 4: NHCR chapters shall function with internal autonomy, while also respecting the guidelines established by the NHCR Executive Board and this Constitution.

The federation and its chapters shall be organized into two districts. a. b. District 1: University of New Hampshire and Saint Anselm College. District 2: Keene State College, Dartmouth, Plymouth State University, and New England College. ARTICLE II Purpose

Section 1:

The purpose of this organization shall be: a. b. c. d. e. To empower college students across New Hampshire, and provide them with a unified voice that reflects our common goals and principles. To foster and promote the ideals of limited government, fiscal responsibility, economic growth, and individual liberty throughout college campuses in the State of New Hampshire. To provide enthusiasm and active support to Republican candidates, campaigns, and causes, and to build a network to benefit College Republican members. To establish an active connection between College Republicans and state, local, and national Republican Party officials. To enable the growth, development, and education of our members through various opportunities and sponsored events.

f. g. h.

To encourage the organization of functional College Republican chapters on college campuses across New Hampshire, and to offer them support and assistance when necessary. To contribute to the rebranding and expansion of the Republican Party, and to serve as a modernizing force within the GOP. To create future leaders of the Republican Party. ARTICLE III Membership

Section 1: Section 2: Section 3: Section 4:

Any student that is enrolled at a college or university in the State of New Hampshire shall be eligible for individual membership in the NHCR. Students may become a College Republican without regard to age, color, race, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. Any College Republican club that has been established at a college or university within the State of New Hampshire shall be eligible to become an official NHCR Chapter. Official membership for new chapters shall be obtained through a Chapter Charter from the NHCR Executive Board. a. Chapter Charters shall only be granted to chapters that have successfully submitted a chapter constitution and a complete list of at least ten active members, including a designated Chapter Chair, to the NHCR Chairman. The NHCR Executive Board shall approve a Chapter Charter by a two-thirds vote. Additional membership requirements may be imposed at the recommendation of the Chairman or at the discretion of the Board by a two-thirds vote.

b.

Section 5: Section 6:

Each NHCR chapter shall maintain an up-to-date list of their membership with full names, phone numbers, and email addresses to be used at their discretion for official use. The NHCR Executive Board may grant at-large membership to individuals that attend a college or university that is unable to sustain an active college chapter. a. At-large members shall be eligible to individually cast one delegate vote at any convention. ARTICLE IV The Executive Board

Section 1:

The Executive Board shall be elected and/or appointed from the general assembly of eligible NHCR members. It shall serve as the governing body of the NHCR to oversee College Republican chapters and their activity within the State of New Hampshire. The Executive Board shall consist of the five elected NHCR officers as described in Article V, as well as an appointed Executive Director, Communications Director, and all Chapter Chairs from officially recognized NHCR chapters. a. b. At the time of their election, Executive Board members must be enrolled at a college or university in the State of New Hampshire. Only active members who have fulfilled all other basic membership qualifications shall be eligible to serve as an Executive Board member.

Section 2:

c.

The NHCR Chairman is prohibited from holding more than one office at any given time, but other Executive Board members shall be allowed to serve simultaneously as an NHCR officer and as a Chapter Chair.

Section 3:

Official meetings or conference calls of the Executive Board shall, when practical, be held monthly. a. b. c. The NHCR Chairman, who may call special meetings at his/her discretion, must notify all Board members in advance of each meeting. A quorum of at least half plus one of NHCR Executive Board members must be present to conduct an official meeting. The current edition of Roberts Rules of Order shall govern all meetings of the NHCR Executive Board. If a conflict between these rules and this document should occur, this constitution prevails over the mentioned rules. ARTICLE V Elected Officers

Section 1:

The elected officers of this federation shall be as follows: Chairman, District 1 Vice-Chair, District 2 Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. a. Elected officer positions are to be chosen by a half plus one majority vote of all delegates present at the Annual Convention.

Section 2:

The Chairman shall act as the chief executive officer of the NHCR, serving for a term of one year. a. b. c. d. e. He/She shall act as Chairman of the Executive Board, and shall preside over all meetings and state conventions. He/She shall act as the official figurehead and spokesperson of the NHCR, representing the organization in press and media appearances. He/She shall sign all legal documents on behalf of the NHCR. He/She shall have the authority to call a meeting or conference call of the Executive Board at any time deemed necessary. He/She shall act as a liaison to the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, hereafter referred to as NHGOP. i. f. The Chairman shall serve as a voting member of the NHGOP Executive Committee, and deliver reports to the body when necessary.

He/She shall act as a liaison to the CRNC and report updates to the NHCR membership when necessary. i. The Chairman shall represent NHCR at all National Board Meetings and Conventions, and shall submit a complete federation record to the CRNC every two years.

g. h. i.

He/She shall make any appointments as deemed necessary, and shall seek a simple majority vote of approval from the Executive Board. He/She can create any non-standing committees at his/her discretion, and may recommend a committee chair to the Executive Board. He/She can veto any action of the Executive Board that he/she deems to be unconstitutional.

j.

He/She shall ensure an orderly transfer of materials, contacts, and institutional knowledge to the succeeding Chairman.

Section 3:

The Vice-Chairs shall serve as needed for a term of one year. a. b. They shall maintain frequent contact with Chapter Chairs, and oversee the activities of each credentialed chapter within their respective NHCR district. They shall assume the temporary roles of Co-Chairs, should the office of NHCR Chairman become vacant. i. ii. c. d. They shall assume the roles for no more than 15 days. During this time, they must establish an election procedure and preside over a special election to elect a new Chairman.

They shall preside over Executive Board meetings in the absence of the Chairman. They shall complete assignments, within reason, given by the Chairman.

Section 4:

The Secretary shall act as bookkeeper and historian for NHCR, serving for a term of one year. a. b. He/She shall prepare an accurate record of minutes from each meeting of the Executive Board, and must present these minutes for approval at the next scheduled meeting. He/She shall, in conjunction with the Chairman and individual Chapter Chairs, maintain an up-to-date roll of all NHCR members that includes full names, phone numbers, email addresses, and accurate membership statuses. He/She shall act as the custodian of any NHCR corporate records. He/She shall complete assignments, within reason, given by the Chairman.

c. d. Section 5:

The Treasurer shall act as the chief financial officer for the NHCR, serving for a term of one year. a. b. He/She shall thoroughly and honestly maintain all assets and accounts of the NHCR. He/She shall maintain an accurate and up-to-date financial report that details all NHCR account activity and transactions, and must present this report to the Executive Board at every regular meeting. He/She shall maintain the financial integrity and solvency of the NHCR account at all times. He/She shall handle all monetary deposits or withdrawals as directed by the Chairman. He/She shall, in conjunction with the Chairman and Executive Board, help to organize and execute all fundraising activities. He/She shall complete assignments, within reason, given by the Chairman. ARTICLE VI Appointed Officers

c. d. e. f.

Section 1:

The appointed officers of this federation shall be as follows: Executive Director and Communications Director.

a.

The Chairman shall appoint these officers at his discretion, subject to a simple majority vote of approval from the NHCR Executive Board.

Section 2:

The Executive Director shall serve as needed, for a term of one year. a. b. c. d. He/She shall assist with day-to-day NHCR operations and complete various assignments, within reason, given by the Chairman. He/She shall aggressively work with the Chairman to ensure that the NHCR completes objectives by maintaining efficiency and productivity. He/She shall coordinate the logistics for all NHCR events and activities. He/She shall help to connect NHCR chapters with political campaigns, party leaders, and the offices of elected officials.

Section 3:

The Communications Director shall serve as needed, for a term of one year. a. b. c. He/She shall assist in the promotion of the NHCR by supervising websites, social media networks, and other online entities. He/She shall maintain a record of NHCR media appearances and press releases. He/She shall complete assignments, within reason, at the discretion of the Chairman.

Section 4:

The immediate past Chairman shall be given the honorary title of Chairman Emeritus for the duration of one year following his/her term. a. At the discretion of the current Chairman, he/she shall serve in a non-voting advisory role to the Executive Board, and shall offer support to the NHCR when necessary. ARTICLE VII Annual Convention

Section 1:

The New Hampshire Federation of College Republicans shall hold annually, a convention of the general assembly and appointed delegates, to discuss NHCR accomplishments, goals, and ideals. a. b. The Chairman and a simple majority of the Executive Board must call for an Annual Convention during the spring semester of the given year. A quorum of NHCR Chapters must be present in order to conduct a convention.

Section 2:

Each NHCR Chapter will be allotted one voting delegate per ten active members. This allotment shall be determined by the most recent list of active membership submitted to the Chairman. a. b. Each chapter shall have a minimum of one voting delegate. Each NHCR Chapter Chair shall serve as a voting delegate for their respective chapter.

Section 3: Section 4:

All seven NHCR officers shall serve as voting delegates to the convention. Chapter Chairs and NHCR officers that cannot attend the convention in person may send a proxy delegate to vote in their place. a. The request must be filed with the Chairman at least one week before the convention.

Section 6:

Each delegate to the convention is to be granted no more than one vote per person.

Section 7:

The Annual Convention shall decide the election of NHCR Executive Board officers. a. The Chairman shall retain discretion, in consultation with the Executive Board, over the identification of interested candidates, their presentation to the NHCR membership, and the procedure of the vote in the assembled convention.

Section 8:

Candidates shall be required to submit a statement of candidacy at least two weeks prior to the convention date. Candidates must then be nominated from the convention floor, and will have the option to speak for no more than three minutes. a. Those who did not submit a formal statement will not be eligible for nomination.

Section 9:

Voting shall be conducted by secret ballot. Each Chapter Chair will, at the appropriate time, announce their chapters vote for each office. a. b. c. The NHCR Secretary shall record a formal tally of votes. Elected officer positions are to be chosen by a half plus one majority vote of all delegates present at the Annual Convention. If there is not a clear majority as described, the candidate with the lowest amount of votes will be dropped from the ballot. This shall continue until a half plus one majority vote is reached for the contested office. If a candidate remains unopposed at the time of voting, the NHCR Secretary may, at the discretion of the Chairman, record one vote to certify the candidates election and forgo unnecessary balloting.

d.

Section 10:

Newly elected officers shall be sworn-in immediately following the counting of votes. a. The newly elected Chairman must appoint a new Executive Director and Communications Director within thirty days of his/her election. ARTICLE VIII Vacancies & Removal of Officers

Section 1:

If a vacancy occurs in the office of Chairman, the Vice-Chairs shall assume the roles of NHCR Co-Chairs for no longer than 15 days. a. b. During this time, they must schedule a special election for a new Chairman, and shall oversee the special election procedures. If a vacancy occurs in any other office, the Chairman shall appoint a member in good standing to complete the term of office, subject to a simple majority vote of approval by the Executive Board.

Section 2:

Officers who wish to resign may do so by submitting their intentions in writing to the Chairman. a. The resignation shall be effective at the next regular meeting, at which time it will be announced to the Executive Board.

Section 3:

The Executive Board shall have the power to remove an officer through a vote of no confidence. a. b. A resolution encouraging the impeachment of an NHCR officer may be introduced at any official meeting of the Executive Board. The resolution must be submitted in writing to the Executive Director, who shall present it for consideration at the next meeting of the Executive Board.

c. d.

Removal from office shall require a three-fourths approval from the Executive Board. Impeachment proceedings shall not exceed thirty days in length. ARTICLE IX Endorsements

Section 1:

No Republican candidates for public office, whether local, state, or national, shall be officially endorsed or opposed by the NHCR prior to a contested primary election. a. Individual members may choose to independently endorse or help out the campaigns of their preferred candidates. ARTICLE X Amendments to the Constitution

Section 1: Section 2:

Amendments to this Constitution may only be proposed and voted on at a regular meeting of the NHCR Executive Board, or at the NHCR Annual Convention. Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing at least one week prior to the meeting or convention. All proposals must be submitted to the Executive Director, who shall present them for consideration. This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board and/or a twothirds vote of the voting delegates present at the NHCR Annual Convention. Amendments shall take immediate effect upon passage unless otherwise noted in the amendment. ARTICLE XI Enforcement of the Constitution

Section 3: Section 4:

Section 1:

Enforcement of the ratified Constitution shall be the duty of the NHCR Executive Board, specifically the Chairman, who shall ensure that these guidelines are effectively enforced throughout the federation. ARTICLE XII Ratification

Section 1:

This Constitution must be ratified by a two-thirds majority of the Executive Board. Upon approval, this document shall take immediate effect.