Additional Information on the Board and By-Laws

III BOARD OF DIRECTORS                                                                      1.Eligibility – They must be a member of Berks County Patriots, have email address and cannot presently hold a Local, State or Federally elected office.
2.The Board of Directors shall serve without pay and consist of as many as 12 voting members plus a Chairman, who has no voting privileges except as a tie breaker, for a total of 13 Board members.
3.All Board members will serve 2-year terms with the first term ending December 31, 2010. (Except for the first-year election cycle in order to establish staggering – See Section X #11)
4.The Board shall elect officers from among its ranks each year after an election. Any mid-term officer vacancy shall be filled by the Board with members giving recommendations to the Chairman and then the Chairman presenting them at the next Board Meeting to be voted on.
5.Board meetings will be held at least 1 time per calendar month.
6.Special Board meeting may be called with majority vote taken by Phone or Email.

IV OFFICES             The Board of Directors will consist of the below offices and job descriptions at this time. Board offices and job descriptions at any time, can be added, changed, or deleted at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors.
1.Chairman
2.Vice Chairman
3.Financial Secretary
4.Treasurer
5.IT Chairman (Information Technology Webmaster)
6.Events Chairman
7.Membership Chairman
8.Unity Chairman
9.Public Relations Chairman
10.Legislation Chairman
11.Education Chairman

OFFICE JOB DESCRIPTIONS  1.The Chairman shall preside over all Board Meetings and General Membership Meetings. These meetings are to be conducted according to Roberts Rule of Order. The Chairman has no voting privileges except as a tie breaker. The Chairman should have a clear agenda for the Board Meetings that at least include comments regarding the previous general meeting, reports for the next 4 general meetings, committee reports and treasurer report.   The Chairman oversees coordinating the efforts of all Board Members, assisting with joint projects as necessary, and seeing that the Committee
Chairs are performing their assigned duties. The Chairman is the mediator if conflicts arise between Board Members.   The Chairman will be in possession of a sealed envelope containing all access information for the BCP websites. This envelope is only to be opened if something happens to the IT Chairman preventing him from performing his duties. It shall take a three-fourths vote to open the envelope.

2.The Vice Chairman will assist the Chairman in his duties and shall succeed the Chairman in the event of absence, removal, or resignation. The Vice Chairman does have voting privileges except when acting as Chairman. Vice Chairman must make himself familiar with Roberts Rules of Order. The Vice Chair shall oversee the election, education, and legislative committees.

3.The Financial Secretary shall provide a quarterly report of financial condition to the Board and membership, audit the financial records annually, and submit report to the Board of Directors. The Financial Secretary is charged with organizing all fund-raising events. The Financial Secretary is responsible for the preparation and filing of all required Federal, State, and Local reports.   The Financial Secretary stands in for Treasurer when Treasurer is not available. Bank accounts are set up in the names of Treasurer and Financial Secretary. Either may write checks and only one signature is required.

4.The Treasurer is ultimately responsible for all monies coming into and going out of the organization. He collects funds from all revenue sources, prepares bank deposits and makes deposits as needed. He maintains the checking account, reconciles bank statement, pays authorized bills incurred by the organization and produces monthly financial reports to the Board. The Treasurer must be involved with counting of all money collected at events. Bank accounts are set up in the names of the Treasurer and Financial Secretary. Either may write checks and only one signature is required. The Treasurer serves as the Corresponding Secretary, mailing financial appeal letters, sends thank you notes to guest speakers and benefactors and other correspondence, as necessary. The Treasurer also serves as backup for the Recording Secretary

5.The IT Chairman is responsible for developing and maintaining the BCP website as the primary tool for the dissemination of essential authorized BCP information such as meetings, events, actions, articles, flyers, newsletters, etc. The BCP website should contain a detailed and thorough events calendar for all our events and likeminded group events and links to likeminded groups. To the extent possible, foreign articles should be fact checked for truthfulness. The IT Chairman sends new membership applicants to the Membership Chairman. In addition to the IT Chair, the passwords to the website shall be placed in a sealed envelope given to the Chairman of the Board to be opened and utilized only if absolutely necessary and only with the approval of 3/4 of the entire active Board, which must be present. Upon the election of a new Board, the passwords shall pass appropriately from the outgoing IT Chairman to the incoming IT Chairman.

6.The Event Chairman is responsible for planning and coordinating events such as general meetings, local rallies, bus trips and cooperative efforts with other like-minded organizations. The Events Chairman will oversee scheduling, arranging transportation and security, and arranging payments for events. All events sponsored by Berks County Patriots must be approved by the Board.

7.The Membership Chairman shall maintain an up-to-date list of the membership complete with names, email and home addresses, and phone numbers. This complete list will be made available to the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board and the IT Chairman only. Partial lists shall be made available to committee chairs, as necessary. The member list will, at no time, be made public. The Membership Chairman shall develop, maintain, and execute the “Patriot Caller List” for those members that do not have email that need to be contacted by phone. The Membership Chairman will provide new members with a “Welcome Presentation Folder” informing them about the BCP, current events, hot topic issues, and other assorted data. The new member should be introduced to the Chairman of the Board or any Board Member for a heartfelt welcome.   The Membership Chairman is responsible for collecting and dispensing volunteer information. The Membership Chairman is responsible to develop plans to increase membership.

8.The Unity Chairman will support the LCC at Legislative Committee/Unity meetings. The Unity Chairman must work closely with the OCC to understand the federal/state legislation that is of interest to BCP. The Unity Chairman will reach out to likeminded tea party and patriot groups including attending meetings and giving presentations to solicit support on legislative issues of common interest. The Unity Chairman along with the LCC will participate in events and rallies organized by BCP or sister groups to encourage passage of legislation. The Unity Chairman will solicit meetings with other likeminded public interest organizations to gain support for our issues (i.e., CF, LI, CAP). The Unity Chairman must work closely with the Events Chairman to coordinate cosponsored events. The Unity Chairman will make periodic progress reports to the BCP Board of Directors and communicate with the BCP general membership as needed.

9.The Public Relations Chairman is responsible for coordinating, editing, and overseeing all communications from the organization to outside contacts. The PR Chair shall oversee the newsletter production, video productions and press releases as needed. The PR Committee is responsible for outreach efforts to non-political but like-minded organizations to present our efforts to promote our vision and mission statements.

10.The Legislative Committee Chairman (LCC) will keep track of all federal and state legislation that is of interest to BCP. The LCC will preside over all Legislative/Unity meetings as well as meet with elected officials as appropriate for BCP issues. The LCC will oversee the development of resolutions and the distribution of those resolutions to appropriate legislators. These resolutions will be of issues the BCP feels need to be pursued by the PA Legislature. The LCC will seek out opportunities to testify before PA State House and Senate Committees on legislation or bills. The LCC will participate in events and rallies organized by BCP or sister groups to encourage passage of legislation. In concert with PR, the LCC will oversee letter writing campaigns to politicians and Op-eds to newspapers. The LCC will make periodic progress reports to the BCP Board of Directors and communicate with the BCP general membership as needed to gain support on pending issues or legislation.

11.The Education Committee Chairman (ECC) will determine appropriate education topics that support the LCC focus areas and present them to the LCC for collaboration/acceptance. Once the education topics are agreed upon, the ECC will work with the Education Committee to create presentations for the BCP general membership. These presentations need to be factually correct so they can withstand scrutiny should they be challenged. The ECC must not only educate but motivate the BCP membership on the topic being presented. This is done by including an action-oriented solution to the problem being presented. This action-oriented solution needs to be corroborated by the LCC. There should be handouts provided to the attendees at each education event that are appropriate to the topic. The ECC will record attendance at any separate education meeting and report it at the next board meeting along with any new member information that may have been collected.



Appointed Job Descriptions              The Recording Secretary is a nonvoting position appointed by the Chairman of the Board. The
Secretary shall prepare the minutes of all Board of Director and General Membership meetings. The Secretary shall forward copy to all Board Members via email no later than 1 week after meeting. The use of an electronic recording device is recommended for accuracy, retaining the recordings for a period of 1 year. The Secretary shall maintain chart for current Board of Directors and election cycle. The Secretary shall assist with duties as directed by the Chairman of the Board.

V COMMITTEES             Board Officers shall serve as the chairs of standing and ad-hoc committees and deliver periodic reports to the Board. Committee Chairs must also provide complete and up to date lists of committee participants. The Board of Directors may appoint ad-hoc committees as needed.

VI MEETINGS1.Board Meetings will be held at least one time per calendar month with a minimum notice of at least 3 days and shall be closed unless announced otherwise. A Meeting can be requested with the Board by written request to any Board Member, stating, and explaining subject, length of time required and name and contact information of person requesting the meeting. It is the sole discretion of the Board whether the request will be granted. Special guests attending are also at the discretion of the Board.
2.General Membership meetings will be held on the 3rdThursday of each month except for December when meetings will be held on the 2ndThursday, or by the call of the Board.
3.Special meetings may be held anytime the Chairman, or the majority of the Board calls for one.
4.Agendas must be provided at least two days in advance for Board Meetings and the day/night of the General Membership meeting.

VII Endorsements              The Board can endorse political candidates whose views and platforms support and advance the goals and mission of the Berks County Patriots. The endorsement will only be forthcoming after extensive investigation of the proposed endorsee, due deliberation among the Board Members, and a 3/4 vote to officially endorse a candidate for public office.

VIII QUORUM1.A majority of all Board members constitutes a quorum. In absence of a quorum, no formal action shall be taken except to adjourn the meeting to a subsequent date.
2.Passage of a motion requires a majority of the Board members present.
3.No Quorum requirements exist for general membership or election meetings.

IX   CONFLICT OF INTEREST, REMOVAL, AND “NO CONFIDENCE”
1.Members and Board Members may be removed from the organization as a whole or from the Board for conduct detrimental to the organization and/or gross violations of the bylaws.
2.The removal process of a general member or board member shall be initiated by a written petition to the Board of Directors. Upon receiving a petition for removal of a member/board member, the Board of Directors shall send written notification to the member/board member within 15 days. The member/board member shall be heard by the Board of Directors on the petition for removal. Upon review of the petition and hearing the member/board member regarding the petition, the Board of Directors will vote on removal of the member/board member; 3/4 vote by the Board Members present and the required approval from the Chairman of the Board will result in the member’s loss of membership and its privileges in the organization or board member’s loss of board membership.
3.The Chairman of the Board can be removed by the Board by a vote of “no confidence” by three-fourths vote. The Chairman cannot cast a vote in, block a motion for, or overrule a “no confidence” motion or decision. The Chairman is immediately removed with the Vice Chairman assuming the responsibilities of the Chairman.
4.A member can be removed from a general meeting for disruptive conduct detrimental to the meeting or group by a ruling of the Chair or a majority vote of the Board members in attendance.
5.Any member of the Board who has a financial, personal, or official interest in, or conflict (or appearance of conflict) with any matter pending before the Board, of such nature that it prevents or may prevent that member from acting on the matter in an impartial manner, will refrain from discussion and voting on such item.

X ELECTIONS OF BOARD MEMBERS AND OFFICERS                       1.The Chairman of Elections is responsible for all aspects of the election, nomination process and tracking Board changes. The Election Committee shall form and meet at the Chairman of Elections’ discretion, but before the third Thursday in September.
2.The Election Committee shall maintain a chart that shows the current Board members, their positions, when they were elected by the membership, and/or when they were appointed by the Board and when their term ends. This chart will serve as our election schedule for November each year.
3.On the third Thursday in September at our General Meeting, the Election Committee shall announce that nominations will be open from the first day in October to the last day in October and shall read aloud the requirements for all nominees to the BOD.

4.Requirements:
              ALL NOMINATIONS FOR the Board of Directors (BOD) of the BERKS COUNTY PATRIOTS (BCP) in the state of Pennsylvania, whether nominated or self-nominated, must fully complete the designated nomination form. The nomination form must be turned in, to either the Chair of the Election Committee or the Chair of the Berks County Patriots, no later than October 31st. The BOD may vet all nominees/candidates. All nominees/candidates must be a U. S. citizen and reside in Pennsylvania. Each nominee/candidate must be a current member of the Berks County Patriots and have attended at least six (6) general membership meetings within the previous twelve (12) months. Each nominee/candidate must have served on a committee or have provided service or help to the Berks County Patriots as determined and or approved by the Election Committee or the Board of Directors. Current board members seeking reelection will not required to submit the nomination form and are exempt from these requirements. The Board of Directors may waive some or all these requirements, at their discretion, by a majority vote of those present at the regularly scheduled board meeting during the open nominations period. If the nominee/candidate returns the nomination form after the October board meeting, no requirements will be waived. The Board of Directors may disqualify any nominee/candidate with or without cause. If a nominee/candidate is disqualified, notification should be transmitted to the candidate indicating, they have been disqualified. The nominee/candidate will have no recourse as to the decision by the Board of Directors. All nominees/candidates must agree to their name being displayed on the ‘Berks County Patriots’ website. Nominations will be accepted in writing, email, or by U.S. Mail accompanied with the nomination form and sent to the Chairman of the Election Committee and posted promptly on the BCP website.
5.It is the responsibility of the nominating entity or nominee/candidate to ensure that their intent is communicated to the Election Committee and shall have their name available to be displayed on the BCP website. Self-nominations are permitted.
6.Members are responsible for informing themselves about the various candidates.
7.The third Thursday in October, at our General Meeting, the Election Committee shall preannounce the nominating process to the membership.
8.On November 1st and before the third Thursday in November, via email, phone or text message, the current Board members shall be informed who the new nominees are, and the Election Committee shall prepare the necessary ballots if needed.
9.Elections will be held the third Thursday night in November at 6:30 PM during the meeting. Voting will close by 7:00 PM. The Election Committee will count the ballots and announce the results before the closing of the meeting. Ties shall be managed by a random drawing. The eligible nominees with the highest vote count will assume the vacated position(s) and constitute a new Board of Directors on the New Year’s Day following election. Should the number of nominees be equal to or less than the Board positions open, a ballot is not necessary. A hand yes or no vote of all nominees is acceptable, and it will be in the opinion of the Election Chairman if there is a clear majority to ask for a consensus or acclamation by voice vote and have the Secretary record the ballot result in BOD minutes.
10.Each new Board is then responsible for deciding the election of Board members to officer positions at their first annual Board meeting after the New Year. At this time, the new Board members shall sign an agreement as determined by the BOD.
11.The third Thursday in January, at our General Meeting, the Election Committee shall present the new Board to the general membership.
12.For the purpose of staggering the election cycles of the Board after the first election year (December 31, 2010), the Board members occupying the positions of; Chairman, Vice Chairman, Financial Secretary, Treasurer, IT Chair, and Events Chair will serve their second year on the new Board. All other sitting Board members must seek reelection to the new Board from among the membership.
13.Should there be a vacancy on the Board due to resignation or other cause, the Board may appoint an eligible member to fill the vacancy via a majority vote of board members present or may wait until the next available election to fill that open seat on the Board. The appointed or elected replacement shall serve the remainder of the original term to maintain a consistent staggering for future elections to the Board.

XI PROCEDURE TO AMEND BYLAWS

The bylaws committee shall consist of a minimum of 3 or more members with a BOD member serving as the Chair. General members may serve on the committee.
A finalized draft of the proposed bylaw change will be provided to the BOD via email at least two days prior to a regular scheduled BOD meeting.
Proposed changes require a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of approval from the BOD voting members that are present.
Bylaw changes approved by the BOD will be posted as soon as possible on the BCP website along with the date for the general membership voting. The BOD may also send an email to the general membership stating the proposed changes and the date for the general membership voting.
The bylaws committee chair will read the proposed bylaw changes at the next general membership meeting and a majority voice vote from the general membership will determine approval or denial. Upon adoption by the general membership, the proposed bylaw changes will become effective immediately, updated on the BCP website and documented by the secretary.
A chronological documentation of bylaw changes and the committee members involved in the said changes will be added on the last page.

XII PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY              The rules contained in the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern this organization in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are consistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Committee may adopt.

XIII SAVINGS CLAUSE               “If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of these bylaws is, for any reason, held invalid or unconstitutional by any Court of competent jurisdiction, such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct, and independent provision, and such holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion thereof. It is hereby declared to be the intent of the Officers of Berks County Patriots that these bylaws would have been adopted had such unconstitutional, illegal, or invalid section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion had not been included therein.”

XIV DISSOLUTION               Upon the dissolution of this non-profit, non-partisan, educational group, the Board of Directors shall, after paying, or making provisions for payment of all liabilities of the Group, dispose of all the assets of the Committee exclusively for the purpose of the Group in such manner, or to such organization(s) under applicable provisions of the United States Internal Revenue law then in effect as the Board of Directors determine or as shall, at the time, corporation organized exclusively for the aforementioned purposes.


Bylaws Amended by membership July 18, 2013Bylaw Committee, Chairman Ed Leh
Carol Gardecki
Linda Brancadora
Sam Brancadora

Bylaws Amended by membership September 18, 2022Bylaw Committee; Chairman Leonard Krug
Carol Gardecki
Kelly Held
Joe Phillips
William Mulgrew

Bylaws Amended by membership January 19, 2023
Bylaw Committee; Chairman Leonard Krug
Carol Gardecki
Kelly Held
Joe Phillips
William Mulgrew

BERKS COUNTY
PATRIOTS

General Meetings the 3rd Thursday of the month
Doors open at 5:00 for raffles, kitchen, and socializing!
Meeting starts: 6:30 to 8:30
Location:Temple Fire Co Ballroom 4963 Kutztown Rd Temple 19560
* In DECEMBER ONLY tba

Berks County PatriotsP.O. Box 229
Blandon, PA 19510

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