Florida Federation of TeenAge Republicans

Constitution and Bylaws

As revised, June 12th, 2010

PREAMBLE

We, the Teen Age Republicans of the State of Florida, in order to encourage young men and women of desire and ability to actively participate in the political process specific to the Republican Party, shall, through the Florida Federation of Teen Age Republicans, seek to further the goals of the Party by enabling and mobilizing Republican youth.

ARTICLE I

NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Florida Federation of TeenAge Republicans, hereinafter referred to as Teen Age Republicans (TARs), and its member units/clubs shall be referred to as TAR clubs.

ARTICLE II

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of the Teen Age Republicans shall be:
A. To support and advance the principles and goals of the Republican Party.
B. To bring young people into the Republican Party and provide an opportunity for them to actively participate in the political process.
C. To collect, discuss, and disseminate information concerning political events, issues and philosophy specific to the Republican Party.
D. To coordinate and promote the activities of all TAR clubs in the State of Florida, and facilitate dialogue/cooperation with the other
Republican youth auxiliaries (i.e. Young Republicans and College Republicans).
E. To support Republican candidates on a non-discriminatory basis.

ARTICLE III

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Active membership in the Teen Age Republicans is open to all persons residing in the State of Florida who support the ideals of the Republican Party and who have attained an age of not below thirteen years and not exceeding nineteen.
Section 2. TAR clubs must submit to the Florida Teen Age Republican Secretary or Chairman applications for charter to include the following:
A. A copy of the TAR club constitution and bylaws, signed and dated by the club President and Secretary, if applicable.
B. A list of the names, titles, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of the TAR club officers and advisors. A TAR Club shall be exempt from submitting any of this information if doing so would be in violation of Federal, State, or Local Laws, or if the State Board approves an exemption.
C. A complete list of club members (active, associate and honorary) including names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses,
Facebook/Myspace, and year of high school graduation. A TAR Club shall be exempt from submitting any of this information if doing so would be in violation of Federal, State, or Local Laws, or if the State Board approves an exemption.
Section 3. The club shall then ensure that the FFTAR Secretary or Chairman has received their its charter application.
Section 4. Upon satisfaction with the completeness and accuracy of the application, the FFTAR Secretary or Chairman shall enter all of the members into the FFTAR database.
Section 5. The charter issued for any TAR club under this rule shall expire on March 31 of each year following the issuance of the charter.
Section 6. TAR clubs shall be permitted to extend associate membership to those aged ten to twelve. Associate members shall have all the rights and privileges of membership; however, they shall not have a vote or be eligible to hold or run for any office until their thirteenth birthday. Associate members shall not be counted in membership for the purposes of apportioning delegates; however, they shall be included for the purposes of FFTAR competitions and contests.
Section 7. Honorary members shall include those that the TAR Executive Board has chosen to recognize. Honorary members shall be invited to TARs events, but shall not be entitled to vote. The FFTAR shall allow its federated clubs to have honorary members if the respective clubs allow for honorary membership in their respective constitutions.
Section 8. There shall be no more than one TARs Club per school, and dual membership in more than one Teenage Republican Club is prohibited.
Section 9. Any member in good standing of a Teen Age Republican Club fulfilling the requirements of Section 1 of this article shall be a member of the Federation.

ARTICLE IV

ADVISOR, OFFICERS, and BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. FFTARs shall have an adult advisor who shall attend all meetings of the Board of Directors and who shall exercise general direction/supervision over the activities of TARs. The State TAR Advisor will be elected at the FFTAR annual meeting by a majority vote of the seated delegates and shall constitute a voting seat on the FFTAR Executive Board upon election. Where applicable/desirable, said Advisor should be an individual who is active in Republican Party politics on the state level.

Section 2. The elected officers of the FFTARs shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Communication Director, Secretary, Political Director, and Treasurer. All elected officers shall hold a term of office for one year from the date of election, and serve no more than two consecutive terms in any one office. FFTAR officers shall be elected at the annual FFTAR convention held no later than the 30th of June, and shall be members in good standing of a TAR club at the time of their election.
Section 3. The voting members of the Executive Board shall be the elected officers, the immediate past FFTAR Chairman, State Advisor, and the Chief of Staff to the Chairman. Only voting Executive Board members shall be considered in establishing/determining a quorum. No individual shall have more than one vote on the FFTARs Board of Directors. Any FFTARs Member may attend the Board of Directors' meeting of the FFTARs.

Section 4. The duties of the FFTAR Executive Board shall be:
A. To prepare and recommend to each petitioning TARs club a model form of Constitution and bylaws which may be adopted by said club in whole or in part provided a clause prohibiting the club, its members, officers or executive board from endorsing candidates for public office prior to a primary election or nominating convention, be contained therein.
B. To assist in the active creation/cultivation of new TARs clubs throughout the state by disseminating TARs information accurately and timely.
C. To fill, by election, any vacancy (other than Chairman) occurring on the FFTARs Executive Board
D. To organize/host the annual FFTARs convention
E. To engage in such fund-raising activities, as permitted by the laws and rules of the Republican Party of Florida, that may be necessary to support its activities.
F. To meet a minimum of twice a month.
Section 5. The FFTAR Executive Board shall have control and management of the affairs, properties, and funds of the Teenage Republicans, insofar as they are in compliance with all applicable FL State Statutes, and Republican Party of Florida Constitution and Bylaws.

ARTICLE V

DUTIES of OFFICERS

Section 1. The duties of the FFTAR Chairman shall be to preside over all meetings of the Teenage Republicans and the FFTAR Executive Board. He/she shall appoint, and when deemed necessary remove, all committees and their chairmen with the approval of the Executive Board; and shall direct the actions of the committees. He/she shall represent the Florida Federation of Teen Age Republicans at all senior Party meetings and functions. He/she shall carry out any/all other duties as so directed by the Executive Board.

Section 2. The Vice-Chairman shall represent the Teen Age Republicans in any capacity designated by the Chairman and/or Executive Board. He/she shall assist the Chairman, and in the absence/inability of the Chairman to perform his duties, the Vice-Chairman shall assume responsibility for said duties. The Vice-Chairman shall work to actively recruit young people into both the FFTAR and Republican Party, by working with local Clubs and assisting in any way necessary.

Section 3. The Communications Director shall be the primary link between the Executive Board and the chartered clubs and shall serve as liaison between the Club Chairmen and the FFTAR Executive Board. He/She shall promote chartered club expansion within the state, keep in contact with the clubs, and keep on-going contact with any Republican and or Conservative groups at the State and or National Level. 

 Section 4. The Secretary shall keep accurate records of the proceedings of the FFTAR Executive Board. He/she shall keep copies of meeting minutes and be prepared to make them available to the Executive Board or any member thereof upon request. Additionally the Secretary shall read the previous meeting’s minutes at each Executive Board meeting. The Secretary shall have charge of the routine correspondence of the FFTAR and shall serve as assistant editor of the FFTAR newsletter/be responsible for its publication.

Section 5. The Political Director shall be keep track of any and all events going on in the State with regards to relevant Republican campaigns and shall be the liaison between the FFTARs and statewide political campaigns. He/She shall coordinate with the Communications Director with regards to dispatching FFTARs Chapters in order to help Republican political campaigns on a local and statewide level as well as in the designated areas of their choice.

Section 6. The Treasurer shall be the custodian of the funds of the FFTARs and shall maintain true and accurate records of all monies received and disbursed. He/she shall submit a complete statement, including a Cash Flow Report and a Balance Sheet Report of the FFTAR account(s) at all meetings of the FFTAR Executive Board. He/she must receive authorization from the FFTAR Executive Board (by a two-thirds vote) prior to incurring any expense/paying any monies out that have not been previously approved by the Executive Board as a budgeted expense. The Treasurer shall be permitted to make expenditures of up to $200 with the approval of both the FFTAR Chairman and the State TAR Advisor. He/she shall supervise and participate in all of the fundraising of the FFTAR, and represent the Teen Age Republicans in any other capacity designated by the Chairman or Executive Board.

ARTICLE VI

CHIEF OF STAFF

Section 1. The FFTARs shall have a Chief of Staff to the Chairman who shall attend all meetings of the Executive Board and shall assist the Chairman to manage any and all staff. The Chief of Staff to the Chairman shall be appointed by the Chairman with the approval of Executive Board. The Chief of Staff to the Chairman shall be a voting member on the Executive Board.

ARTICLE VII

COMMITTEES

Section 2. The FFTARs Chairman can create, cancel, and appoint any staff position with the approval of Executive Board.

Section 3. The standing committees of the Florida Federation of Teen Age Republicans shall be:

1. Communications Committee- Shall be responsible for communications for the between the clubs and any press communication needed by the board. This committee shall be headed by the Communications Director, and shall consist of five(5) members. This committee shall meet a minimum of once a month.

B. Membership Committee- Shall aid local TAR clubs in recruiting members and shall seek to establish a TAR club in every high school in the state of Florida. The Membership Committee shall submit to the Secretary of the FFTAR, a current and up-to-date list (including names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses) of current and potential members. This Committee shall be chaired by a member of the FFTARs and shall have seven members, in addition to Ex-officio members of the FFTARs Chairman, FFTARs Advisor, and FFTARs Past-Chairman. This committee shall meet a minimum of once a month.

C. Finance Committee- Shall be responsible for raising all general revenue, preparing financial reports and coordinating fundraising efforts. The Treasurer shall be the head of this committee, and this committee shall be composed of five(5) members, in addition to Ex-officio members including the FFTARs Chairman, FFTARs Advisor, and FFTARs Past-Chairman. This committee shall meet a minimum of once a month.

D. Activities Committee - Shall work with the Executive Board to plan FFTAR programs and events. The Activities Committee is to set forth written goals and projections of the FFTAR for the coming year, and work towards implementing said goals and projections. This committee shall be chaired by a FFTAR member and shall consist of five(5) members. This committee shall meet a minimum of once a month.

E. Elections Committee- Shall work to promote Republican campaigns.

Additionally work as the link between the board and the campaigns. This committee shall be chaired by a FFTAR member and shall consist of five(5) members. This committee shall meet a minimum of once a month during non-election years and twice a month during election years.

Section 4. Each committee has both a Chairman and a Secretary. The
Secretary shall record the minutes of each committee meeting and forward a copy to the FFTAR Secretary. A report shall be required of each committee chairman, to be presented at each the first meeting of the month of the FFTAR Executive Board.

Section 5. The FFTAR Chairman shall have the authority to create, with the approval of a two-thirds majority vote of the Executive Board, functional committees on an as-needed basis, to perform those duties of said committee. Such committees shall perform as directed until said function is complete, or until the expiration of the term of the FFTAR Chairman.

ARTICLE VIII

ANNUAL CONVENTION

Section 1. The Florida Federation of Teen Age Republicans shall hold an annual convention to be completed by June 30th of each year, at a time and place to be set by the FFTAR Executive Board. The FFTAR shall have supervision and management of each annual convention of the TARs and shall be in charge of the official program and business.

Section 2. Each duly-chartered TAR club shall be notified in writing of the date/location of the annual FFTAR convention no less than 30 days prior to said convention.

Section 3. Each duly-chartered TAR club shall be entitled to have one (1) delegate for every five (5) active members in good standing. Delegates must be present to vote, and proxies will not be allowed. Each club shall be entitled to send two (2) alternates, designated as to order of succession.

Section 4. For purposes of conducting business at the FFTAR annual
convention, a quorum shall consist of a two-thirds majority of the active,
members in good standing registered at the convention.

Section 5. Any county not having a TAR club is entitled to one (1) voting delegate. The first person from said county to register for the convention will be the delegate from that county.

Section 6. In the event of a dispute as to the number of voting delegates to which any TAR club is entitled, the FFTAR Executive Board shall resolve the dispute by a majority vote and its decision shall be final.

Section 7. Balloting for all elective offices shall be by secret ballot and the counting of the ballots shall be presided over by the State Advisor and at least one other objective, adult party.

ARTICLE IX

SUSPENSION/REVOCATION, REMOVAL and VACANCIES

Section 1. Engaging in any criminal, illegal, or unethical action or behavior is grounds for immediate removal by the State TAR Advisor or State Chairman with the approval of the Executive Board, up to and including suspension/revocation of an individual's office and/or membership in TARs. An officer, or member may be removed by the State TAR Advisor at any Executive Board meeting or at anytime, provided that the officer or member has been given written notice of at least seven (7) days prior to removal (with said notice setting forth the grounds for removal/anticipated action) and said officer or member has been granted the opportunity to offer any applicable/pertinent clarification. Once such a person has been removed, he or she may appeal to the Executive Board. The Executive Board may only override such a removal by a unanimous vote. Such an appeal shall not even be heard by the Executive Board if the accused party has been convicted of the charge by any court of law in the United States, and therefore removal by the State Advisor shall be final.

 Section 2. Engaging in any criminal, illegal, or unethical action or behavior on the part of the club as a whole, shall be grounds for immediate removal by the FFTAR Executive Board up to and including the suspension/revocation of the Club’s charter. Such suspension/removal shall be accomplished by a two-thirds vote at a duly-called meeting of the FFTAR Executive Board, and said vote shall be final.

Section 3. Vacancies in elected offices other than the office of Chairman, which shall be filled by the Vice Chairman, shall be filled by the FFTAR Chairman subject to the approval of the Executive Board.

ARTICLE X

ENDORSEMENTS

Section 1. The Florida Federation of Teen Age Republicans, its duly-chartered TAR clubs and all members belonging thereto, shall not endorse any opposed candidate for public office prior to the Republican Party primary or nominating convention, and then shall endorse only Republican candidates.
Section 2. Should any officer of the FFTAR Executive Board, elected or
appointed, any duly-chartered TAR club, or officer or member belonging thereto, advocate a split-party ticket, or support a candidate running on an opposition ticket, or espouse or join an opposing party, he or she must resign his/her office immediately, or subsequently be removed from office/membership by the procedures provided for in Article IX, Section 2.

ARTICLE XI

RULES of ORDER

Robert’s Rules of Order (Revised) shall govern all meetings of the Florida Federation of Teen Age Republicans, its Executive Board, and its committees.

ARTICLE XII

AMENDMENTS

Section 1. Amendments to these articles may be made by two-thirds of the seated delegates at an annual convention of the FFTAR.
Section 2. All proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the
FFTAR Chairman, FFTAR Secretary and State Advisor no less than thirty (30) days prior to the annual convention.
Section 3. The FFTAR Secretary must forward a copy of the proposed
amendment(s) in writing to each TAR club chairman at least ten days prior to the FFTAR annual convention.
Section 4. All newly-adopted amendments shall become effective
immediately upon conclusion of the FFTAR annual convention.

ARTICLE XIII

COMPLIANCE

The Florida Federation of Teenage Republicans (FFTAR), its chartered clubs, and all members belonging thereto, shall ultimately be subject to compliance with the Republican Party of Florida Constitution and By-Laws as well as all applicable Florida Statues. In the event of a discrepancy, the Republican Party of Florida Constitution and By-Laws shall supersede the aforementioned and shall be the final authority in all matters related thereto.

Constitution and By-Laws adopted on the

12th day of June, 2010 at the Annual Convention of

Florida Federation of Teenage Republicans

Orange Park, Florida