[Amended June 28, 2024]
Table of Contents
Article 5. Chapter Officers: Powers and Duties
Article 9. Delegates to National, Regional, and State Bodies
Article 10. Prohibited Activity
Article 11. Nominations, Elections, and Recall of Chapter Officers
ARTICLE I. Name
The name of the Local (henceforward referred to as “Chapter”) shall be the Central Indiana Democratic Socialists of America (CINDSA), also known as the Powers and Mary Hapgood Local, a not-for-profit corporation.
ARTICLE II. Purpose
The Chapter seeks to facilitate the transition to a truly democratic and socialist society, one in which the means/resources of production are democratically and socially controlled.
The Chapter rejects an economic order based solely on private profit, alienated labor, gross inequalities of wealth and power, discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, medical conditions, including pregnancy, marital status, religious status or beliefs, social economic status, age, and other forms of discrimination against historically marginalized groups, and brutality and violence in defense of the status quo.
The Chapter envisions a humane social order based on popular control of resources and production, economic planning, equitable distribution, gender and racial equality, and non-oppressive relationships.
Our conception of socialism is a profoundly democratic one. It is rooted in the belief that human beings should be free to develop to their fullest potential, that public policies should be determined not by wealth but by popular participation, and that individual liberties should be carefully safeguarded. It is committed to a freedom of speech that does not recoil from dissent, to a freedom to organize independent trade unions, women’s groups, political parties, and other formations — recognizing these as essential bulwarks against the dangers of an intrusive state. It is committed to a freedom of religion that acknowledges the rights of those for whom spiritual concerns are central.
We are socialists because we are developing a concrete strategy for achieving that vision. In the present, we are building a visible socialist presence within the broad democratic left. In the long run, we hope to build a majority movement capable of making democratic socialism a reality in the United States. Our strategy acknowledges the class structure of U.S. society. This class structure means that there is a basic conflict of interest between those sectors with enormous economic power and the vast majority of the population.
ARTICLE III. Membership
Section 1. Membership
Members of the Chapter, will be those individuals defined as members under the National DSA Constitution, Article III, who reside and/or work in the Central Indiana Area. This area includes the following counties in the State of Indiana: Bartholomew, Boone, Brown, Clay, Clinton, Decatur, Delaware, Fayette, Fountain, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Morgan, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Randolph, Rush, Shelby, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Union, Vermillion, Vigo, Warren, and Wayne. It will be the responsibility of members to approve policies and guidelines for the operation of the Chapter chapter, to elect delegates to the national convention, to vote on matters related to national policy, and to make recommendations on issues and other matters to the National Political Committee (NPC) of DSA.
Section 2. Removal of Members
If a full member is found to be in substantial disagreement with the principles or policies of national DSA, or if he/she/they is found to be consistently engaging in undemocratic, disruptive behavior, or if he/she/they is found to be under the discipline of any self-defined democratic centralist organization, the Chapter may vote to expel him/her/them from DSA. In order for such a finding to be made, another DSA member must formally prefer written charges against the member in question to the Chapter Steering Committee (see Article VI), which shall set the date of a Chapter meeting for deliberations on the charges. The member in question must receive a copy of the written charges and notice of the meeting a minimum of two weeks before that meeting takes place. Expulsion of a member or affiliate member requires a two-thirds vote of the Chapter meeting. An expelled full member may appeal to the National Political Committee (NPC) of DSA.
Chapter Officers must be recalled before they can be removed.
Section 3. Dues
The Chapter chapter may establish a Chapter pledge system of voluntary donations for its members. This is not a substitute for dues to national DSA. Any amount of dues paid to national DSA, as allowed through sustainership, shall satisfy this requirement.
ARTICLE IV. Chapter Meetings
Section 1. Annual Meeting
The Chapter will hold a minimum of one Annual Meeting, and all members of the Chapter will receive three weeks written (or electronic) mail notice and an agenda of the Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting will elect Chapter officers and may adopt an annual budget. In general, it is the highest legislative body of the Chapter.
Section 2. General Meetings
The Chapter will hold General Meetings at least four times annually, and all members of the Chapter will receive two weeks written (or electronic) mail notice, and an agenda within 48 hours of the General Meeting.. The General Meetings will set Chapter policy and work priorities, and will include political education sessions. At least one of these meetings should be face-to-face, and all meetings should take reasonable steps to be virtually accessible.
The Chapter Steering Committee will set the agenda for General Meetings. In general, the General Meeting is the operating legislative body of the Chapter.
Section 3. Emergency Meetings
The Chapter Steering Committee may call an Emergency Meeting of the Chapter on two days notice when an urgent and important matter requires deliberation.
Section 4. Quorum
A quorum of 11 members, including four members of the Chapter Steering Committee is required for General, Regular, or Emergency Meetings to transact business.
ARTICLE V. Chapter Officers: Powers and Duties
Section 1. Officers and Terms
The officers of the Chapter will be the two Co-Chairs, Secretary, and Treasurer. The term of office will be two years, and shall run from February 1 to January 31 or until their successors are elected. At least one of the four officers must be a one woman or queer or genderfluid person and at least one must be a man.
Section 2. Vacancies
In the event of a vacancy in any Chapter office, the Chapter Steering Committee will appoint an interim replacement until an election can be held, according to the timeline established by Article XI; an Emergency Meeting replacing either the General Meeting for electing the Nominations Committee, or the Annual Meeting for electing officers, whichever ensures the required month-long nominations period.
Section 3. Co-Chairs
a) The Co-Chairs will be the chief executive officers of the Chapter. They will preside over Chapter and Steering Committee meetings or will appoint a substitute to assume the powers and duties of the presiding officer as specified in Robert’s Rules of Order. The Co-Chairs will fulfill or solicit the duties of public spokespersons for the Chapter and will initiate such actions and policies as the Chapter’s general welfare may demand. In the event that the Co-Chairs are unable to perform their duties for a single event or a longer period of time, the Secretary will serve as replacement.
b) The Co-Chairs will be responsible also for coordinating the day-to-day operations and political work of the Chapter’s branches and committees.
c) The Co-Chairs will report to Chapter General Meetings on the business of the Steering Committee Meetings, at which time a copy of the minutes of those meetings will be available for inspection.
Section 4. Secretary
a) The Secretary will be responsible for answering all correspondence and queries of the Chapter, and for maintaining an up-to-date membership list of the Chapter. He/she/they will ensure effective communication with the national DSA. he/she/they will temporarily assume the responsibilities of the Co-Chairs, if neither Co-Chair is able to do so.
b) The Secretary will be responsible also for the taking of minutes of all Chapter and Steering Committee Meetings, and shall have custody of these minutes, and the resolutions, reports and other official records of the Chapter. He/she/they shall transfer official records in good condition to his/her/their successor. Official records shall include meeting minutes and member lists.
Section 5. Treasurer
The Treasurer will be responsible for the funds and financial records of the Chapter. All funds collected by the Chapter will be turned over to the Treasurer, who shall deposit them in a credit union under the name of the Chapter. In cooperation with the Secretary, the Treasurer will be responsible for ensuring that membership dues are paid up-to-date. The Treasurer will prepare the annual Chapter budget, and deliver the Chapter financial report to the Annual Meeting of the Chapter, as well as periodic progress reports as requested by the Steering Committee of the Chapter. The Treasurer at their and the Steering Committee’s discretion shall form a Finance committee with the express purposes of fundraising and maintaining the Chapter’s accounts.
Section 6. Additional Duties
The Chapter Steering Committee may assign additional temporary duties to an officer of the Chapter, so long as such assignments do not conflict with the designation of responsibilities outlined in these Bylaws.
ARTICLE VI. Steering Committee
Section 1. Composition
The Chapter Steering Committee will be composed of the four officers of the Chapter, the chair(s) of Chapter Youth Sections, the chair(s) of any Chapter Branches, and the chair(s) of any Standing Committees. The Chapter shall have the option of expanding and/or reorganizing the Chapter Steering Committee as needed and warranted.
Section 2. Duties
a) The Steering Committee administers the affairs of the Chapter and oversees the implementation of the decisions of the General and Regular Meetings; it may also propose policy to the Annual and General Meetings. It shall have the power to receive reports of any Committee or Branch, and advise thereon, to call emergency meetings of the Chapter, and to act on any matter that requires immediate and urgent action. The Steering Committee is the regular executive body of the Chapter, and thus subordinate to its Legislative bodies, the Annual and General Meetings.
b) The Chapter Steering Committee will be responsible for establishing program activities for the Chapter, for proposing guidelines and policies that will subsequently be voted on by full members of DSA, and for acting on the organization’s behalf between Chapter meetings.
Section 3. Meetings
The meetings of the Steering Committee will be held at the call of the Chairs at such intervals as may be determined by a prior Steering Committee Meeting or by consultation with any three members of the Steering Committee. All members of the Steering Committee must (ordinarily) be given four days oral or written notice of regular Steering Committee Meetings; a 24-hour notice may be given under special emergency circumstances. Chairs of Standing Committees and Ad-Hoc Committees may be invited to Steering Committee meetings at the Chapter Steering Committees’ discretion.
Section 4. Quorum
A quorum of three members of the Steering Committee is required for the transaction of Steering Committee business.
ARTICLE VII. Branches
Section 1. Establishment
Branches may be established by a majority vote of full members at a General Meeting of the Chapter upon request from five or more DSA members in a particular region that would reasonably fall under the purview of the Chapter. If their regional relationship to Chapter is ambiguous, a member of the Steering Committee should reach out to relevant other Chapters to discuss whether the Branch’s connection to Central Indiana is reasonable and not encroaching on the operations of other Chapters.
Section 2. Maintaining Status
An established branch (see VII.1) will retain its status provided it maintains at least five full members in good standing with national DSA. The chairs of branches will hold membership on the Chapter Steering Committee.
Section 3. Youth Sections
YDSA Chapters within the jurisdiction of CINDSA will be called Chapter Youth Sections. Youth Sections must have at least five dues-paying members in good standing with national DSA. The chairs of Chapter Youth Sections will hold membership on the Chapter Steering Committee.
Section 4. Branch General Meetings
Each branch will hold General Meetings at least four times annually, and all members of the branch will receive two weeks written (or electronic) mail notice and an agenda within 48 hours of the General Meeting, the time and place of which shall be set in a schedule published and distributed by a Branch Co-chair or another delegated branch member. At least one of these meetings should be face-to-face, and all meetings should take reasonable steps to be virtually accessible.
ARTICLE VIII. Committees
All activities in which members will be formally engaged as DSA members and/or which shall use the DSA Chapter’s/Branch’s name must be endorsed by a committee if they are not directly sanctioned by a majority vote of the Chapter’s/Branch’s membership in attendance at a meeting or the Chapter’s Steering Committee, thus ensuring accountability through democratic process.
Section 1. Standing Committees
1. Establishment
Standing Committees may be established by a majority vote of full members at a General Meeting of the Chapter.
2. Duration
Standing Committees exist until they are dissolved. The process to dissolve a standing committee first requires an initial vote by the Chapter to suspend the proceedings of the committee and a second vote by the Chapter to either reinstate or dissolve the committee held at either the same or the next Chapter meeting. Both votes will require a 2/3rds majority vote. The Chapter shall have the option of expanding and/or reorganizing committees as needed and warranted.
3. Composition
Standing committees will have two co-chairs elected by the members of the committee, elected within 6 months of the founding of the standing committee. Standing committees may request specific demographic parity requirements for their committee leadership and / or committee co-chairs
Subcommittees can be formed by a majority vote by the committee.
4. Meetings
All members of the committee will receive five (5) days written (or electronic) mail notice and an agenda within 48 hours of the Committee Meetings, the time and place of which shall be set in a schedule published and distributed by a committee Co-chair or another delegated committee member. All meetings should take reasonable steps to be virtually accessible. Committees must have met at least once within the last 6 months or it be considered “inactive”. If the committee is inactive for a continuous period of 3 months the committee will be automatically dissolved and / or reassigned to Chapter members solicited by the chapter steering committee.
5. Procurement of Funds
At the beginning of the calendar year each ad-hoc committee must present a budget to the chapter and the budget be approved by a majority vote from the general membership.
Single expenses less than $500 from a committee’s budget can be fulfilled by the committee co-chair(s) and the Treasurer, greater amounts require the ad-hoc committee to have a majority vote to approve a request to the treasurer.
The Treasurer has the permission to send cash or issue prepaid visa or other brand “cash” cards to the ad-hoc committee co-chair(s) or other defined leadership (i.e. comms being under the chapter secretary) so they can autonomously use their budget, or to reimburse for purchases made, as long as it is within the committee budget. The co-chair(s) must track receipts for the expenses incurred with these prepayments and report them to the Treasurer
These prepaid “cash” cards are limited to a maximum of $500 for any given single card. Multiple cards can be issued at discretion of the Treasurer, but the card purchase shall not go over the committee’s budget for the year.
Budgets can be amended with an approval from a majority vote at a General Meeting of the Chapter
An inquiry of a ad-hoc committee’s budget line items can be requested to the treasurer if signed upon by 3 members
Only Ad Hoc Committees established by a majority vote of full members at a General Meeting of the Chapter may create a budget and request Chapter funds.
Section 2. Ad Hoc Committees
1. Establishment
Ad Hoc Committees may be established by a majority vote of full members at a General Meeting of the Chapter or by five members through a petition to the Chapter Steering Committee, in which case procurement of funds is limited (See Article VIII, Section 2. 4. [Below]). An Ad Hoc Committee established in the second manner may, at any General Meeting of the Chapter, be re-established in the first manner to remove this limitation on funds.
2. Duration
Ad Hoc Committees will exist for a limited and explicit duration.
3. Duties
Specific duties will be determined by the nature of the committee. Each Ad HocCommittee will create a duties and responsibilities framework upon establishment. Chairs of Ad Hoc Committees will keep the Steering Committee and the General Meetings of the Chapter apprised of the activities of the committee.
4. Procurement of Funds
Funds of $50 or less may be requested of the Treasurer, while requests for greater amounts must be approved by majority vote at a General Meeting of the Chapter. Only Ad Hoc Committees established by a majority vote of full members at a General Meeting of the Chapter may request Chapter funds.
ARTICLE IX. Delegates to National, Regional, and State Bodies
Section 1. National Convention
Chapter delegates and alternates to the National Convention will be elected by full members of the Chapter. Elections for the National Convention delegation shall be held on the schedule announced by the national organization. Nominations for Chapter members as delegates to the national convention shall be opened at least 3 months before the date of the convention at a General Meeting. Nominations will be closed one month before the deadline for providing national DSA the names of the convention delegates, to provide time for the vote. Whenever possible efforts should be made to have at least one representative from each branch comprise the delegates to any National or Regional Convention.
ARTICLE X. Prohibited Activity
The Chapter, as well as its constituting Branches and / or committees, shall not engage in activity prohibited by the IRS guidelines established for 501 (c) 4 organizations or similar rules established by the state of Indiana. Nor shall the Chapter engage in any activity prohibited by resolutions adopted by DSA’s National Convention or DSA’s National Political Committee.
ARTICLE XI. Nominations, Elections, and Recall of Chapter Officers
Section 1. Nominations Committee
A three-person Nominations Committee shall be established at least one month prior to every election by majority vote of a General Meeting. It shall solicit and receive nominations for the positions to be elected.
Section 2. Nominations Process
1. Chapter Officers
Nominations for Chapter officers shall be opened 10 days before and closed at the Annual Meeting. The call for nominations shall be announced to full members of DSA in advance of the General Meeting.
Section 3. Uncontested Positions
If a position is uncontested, the nominee will be declared elected by acclamation.
Section 4. Recalling an Officer
Recalling a committee officer:
The vote to recall proposal, said officer must be authored and/or sponsored by at least 3 active members of the same committee the officer is leading. The vote to recall the officer must be heard at the next possible general meeting. The vote must pass with a simple majority. Shall the vote to recall pass, nominations shall be opened. The vote to replace the committee officer at the committee meeting after the vote to recall passes.
Recalling a chapter officer:
The vote to recall proposal must be authored by at least 5 CINDSA members in good standing. The Vote to recall proposal must be heard at the next possible general meeting. This vote must pass with at least 60% approval. Shall the vote to recall pass, a nomination committee shall be created per Article XI Sec.1. The vote to replace chapter officer shall occur at the general meeting after the vote to recall passes. Replaced chapter officers shall serve until the next chapter leadership elections or until recalled.
Officer resignation:
In the event a committee, chapter officer resigns, or otherwise cannot continue to handle the duties of the office: Said officer shall immediately inform electronically and/or physically other committee officers as well as at least 1(one) chapter chair. General members shall be informed & nominations opened, at the next possible general meeting. The vote to fill this open spot shall occur, at the general meeting, after nominations have been opened, following all guidelines in Article XI Sec.1 . In the interim, committees affected shall be allowed to vote on an interim officer at their next meeting.
ARTICLE XII. Amendments
Proposed amendments to these Bylaws must be made by written resolution, endorsed by five members of the Chapter, and submitted to the Steering Committee a month in advance of an Annual or General Meeting. The Steering Committee is required to provide the Chapter membership with two weeks’ written notice of the proposed amendments. The amendment must be approved by a two-thirds vote of Chapter members in good standing at the time they voted, taken at two consecutive (Annual of General) Chapter meetings.