BYLAWS (Articles V thru XI)

Articles I thru IV

ARTICLE V. NATIONAL CO-CHAIRS

Section 1. Nomination:

A name may be placed in nomination by the endorsement of at least five members in good standing.

Section 2. Election:

1. The National Convention shall elect five National Co-Chairs, whose term shall last until the next Convention.



2. Members at the Convention are urged to elect at least two co-chairs who are people of color, and at least two women.



3. National Co-Chairs are subject to recall by mail ballot of the CofC membership.

Section 3. Responsibility:

The National Co-Chairs shall publicly represent the CofC, develop its relations with other organizations and its presence in coalitions, participate in formulating policy and work to build and expand the CofC.

Section 4. NEC and NCC Membership:

National Co-Chairs shall be members of the National Coordinating Committee and the National Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VI. NATIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE (NCC)

Section 1. Authority and purpose:

1. A democratically elected and accountable leadership is crucial to ensure that the will of the membership is clearly formulated and translated into action. Between conventions, the NCC shall be the highest national body of the CofC. The CofC seeks a leadership which is representative of the population and membership in every sense, including race, nationality, citizenship, gender, class, age, sexual orientation, physical ability and geographic area, and which embraces people with different political views and organizational experiences.



2. The method of functioning of the leadership shall encourage the fullest possible inclusion of the membership in the affairs of their organization. All policy statements and position papers adopted shall be circulated to the membership. Minutes of all meetings shall be available to all members. A timely summary of meetings shall be published in national CofC publications. Both majority and minority positions on issues shall be presented.



3. The NCC shall initiate the development of positions on urgent national and international issues. It shall, as a body and through the efforts of its members, organize all possible involvement in struggle around these questions.



4. The NCC is responsible to ensure the finances of the national organization.



5. The NCC shall in a timely and regular fashion issue publications and other materials.



6. The NCC shall establish working groups and committees of the CofC.



7. The NCC shall select a National Coordinator and/or a National Organizer, who shall be a voting member of the NCC and NEC, only if elected to the NCC or NEC, according to the applicable provisions of the By-Laws. The National Coordinator shall be the chief executive officer of the CofC. The NCC may fill other staff positions as finances permit, not necessarily by members of the elected leadership.

Section 2. Nomination:

A name may be placed in nomination by the endorsement of at least five members in good standing.

Section 3. Election:

1. The biennial Convention shall elect 15 at-large members to the NCC. Following the Convention, 15 additional at-large members shall be elected by mail ballot of the CofC membership. Members, at the Convention and in the subsequent mail balloting (and in state elections) are urged to elect national minorities and women to NCC membership. At-large members of the NCC are subject to recall by mail ballot of the CofC membership.*



2. Each chartered state organization of the CofC is entitled to a representative on the NCC. Such NCC members shall be elected following the biennial Convention or by the NCC.



3. Each permanent, ongoing national task force of the CofC which is established by the biennial Convention or by the NCC is entitled to one member on the NCC, to be elected by that task force. As of the 2nd National Convention, the following task forces are established: African American, Ecology & Environment, Electoral Political Action, Gay & Lesbian Rights, Health Care, Immigrant Rights, Independent Political Party, Labor, Latino, Peace & Solidarity, Senior, Women, Youth. The NCC may establish additional national task forces (in accordance with Article VI, Section 1, paragraph F) in between national conventions.



4. By two-thirds (2/3) vote, the full NCC may add up to ten at-large members, over the course of the twelve months after a convention, to insure the composition (racial, national, gender, class, age, geographic, sexual orientation and physical ability) and political inclusiveness of the body. The NCC shall seek to increase its youth membership (30 years of age or younger) to constitute at least 15 percent of total NCC membership.



5. The NCC may additionally increase its number only if authorized to do so by a referendum of the membership.

Section 4. First Meeting:

At the close of the Convention, the National Co-Chairs and NCC members elected by the Convention shall meet to set a date for the first full meeting of the NCC and to establish whatever working groups are needed until that meeting.

Section 5. Responsibilities:

1. The members of the NCC shall attend all meetings of the body unless excused for illness or other emergencies. NCC members shall be regular participants in all other bodies to which they are elected.



2. The members of the NCC shall facilitate discussion and debate among the membership, reach out to and interact with other democratic, progressive and left forces, and engage in discussions with them about matters of mutual concern.



3. NCC members may travel to represent the national CofC.



4. Members of the NCC shall strive to attend all meetings of the NCC, or when this is not possible to excuse themselves in advance. The NCC may initiate re-call proceedings against non-functioning members of the NCC in accordance with the existing re-call provisions for at-large members (Section 3, paragraph A) or state representatives (Section 3, paragraph B).

ARTICLE VII. NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1. Purpose:

1. There shall be a National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NCC. The NEC is a working leadership body, able to meet frequently and regularly. The NEC may include members from any area of the country.



2. The NEC shall be politically representative of the full NCC and politically subordinate to it. It shall discuss and make recommendations to the full body regarding political and organizational questions and initiatives. One-third of the members of the NEC may compel a discussion of an item at the NCC.



3. Between meetings of the full NCC, the NEC may, by two-thirds (2/3) vote, make decisions and issue statements on behalf of the CofC, within the framework of the decisions of the Convention and the NCC. Whenever possible, the NCC shall be polled on policy questions.



4. The NEC shall insure the effective functioning of working groups and committees.

Section 2. Election:

1. National Co-Chairs shall be members of the NEC.



2. At its first full meeting, the NCC shall select a National Treasurer, who shall be a voting member of the NCC and NEC, and the NCC may elect additional members of the NEC.



3. Vacancies on the NEC may be filled by the NCC.



4. NEC members may be recalled by the NCC or by mail ballot of the CofC membership.

Section 3. Openness and Accountability:

1. Minutes of the NEC meetings shall be distributed to members of the NCC on a timely basis and shall be available for inspection by any CofC member. Summaries shall be published regularly.



2. Should a question arise requiring the attention and/or decision of the full NCC, the NEC may call a special meeting of the NCC or conduct a mail ballot of the NCC.



3. The NEC shall call a special meeting of the NCC or conduct a mail ballot upon the written request of 1/3 of the members of the NCC or one-third (1/3) of the CofC members.



4. The NEC is responsible for bringing political questions and differences before the NCC and membership.

ARTICLE VIII. NATIONAL ADVISORY BODY

The Convention or the NCC may establish a public national body representing the breadth of the CofC, which shall act in an advisory capacity only. Its members shall be invited, but not obligated, to attend meetings of the NCC.

ARTICLE IX. FINANCES

Section 1. Accountability:

CofC members are entitled to full information about the organization's finances. Leadership bodies are mandated to keep complete records, operate within agreed-upon budgets a nd issue regular reports to the membership.

Section 2. Membership fee:

The basic individual membership commitment to the CofC is the annual membership fee. The annual membership fee is national.

Section 3. Sustaining membership:

Recognizing that the membership fee will only partially fund the organization, the CofC encourages every member to make a voluntary commitment to assist the organization, in the form of a regular sustaining-membership contribution. Voluntary sustainers shall be divided between the national organization and the state organization according to a formula established by the NCC in consultation and agreement with each state or sub-state organization.

Section 4. Local finances:

State and local organizations may develop their own finances.

Section 5. Deposits, Checks, Loans, Contracts:

1. The NEC shall exercise its financial responsibility and authority within guidelines established by the NCC.



2. All funds of the CofC not otherwise employed shall be deposited in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as the NEC may determine.



3. All checks, drafts, endorsements and notes shall require two authorized signatures.



4. No loans or advances shall be contracted on behalf of the CofC except as authorized by the NEC. No property owned or controlled by the CofC shall be pledged as security for loans or advances except as authorized by the NEC. No property owned or controlled by the CofC shall be used as security for personal loans or advances.



5. The National Coordinator, subject to the approval of the NEC, may enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name and on behalf of the NCC and the CofC.

Section 6. Fiscal Year:

The fiscal year of the CofC shall be the calendar year.

ARTICLE X. PUBLICATIONS

Section 1. Authority:

The NCC is mandated to arrange publications in the name of the CofC.

Section 2. Editors:

The NCC shall elect the editors and editorial board of CofC publications.

Section 3. Circulation and Finances:

The NCC shall organize a financial and circulation plan to sustain these publications.

ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS

Section 1. Amendment by Convention:

These By-Laws may be amended at the biennial Convention by a majority vote. Advance notice of proposed amendments to the By-Laws shall be given to all members of the CofC in a timely fashion.

Section 2. Amendment by Membership Referendum:

Between biennial conventions, an amendment to these By-Laws may be submitted to a membership referendum by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the NCC, and adopted by a majority of those voting in the referendum.

*These by-laws were adopted at the Chicago CofC founding convention, July 1994, amended at the Second National Convention in New York City, July 1996, and amended by membership referendum in October, 2006.