* CREED *
WE BELIEVE…
That faith in God, as recognized by our Founding Fathers, is essential to the moral fiber of the Nation.
That the free enterprise system is the most productive supplier of human needs and economic justice.
That all individuals are entitled to equal rights, justice, and opportunities, and should assume their responsibilities as citizens in a free society.
That fiscal responsibility and budgetary restraints must be exercised at all levels of Government.
That the Federal Government must preserve individual liberty by observing Constitutional limitations.
That peace is best preserved through a strong National defense.
Article I Name
The name of this organization shall be the National Conference of Republican County Officials (NCRCO). Constituted as an affiliate organization of the Republican National Committee (RNC), it is now a Republican political entity with Caucus status within the National Association of Counties (NACo), in accordance with the NCRCO By-Laws.
ARTICLE II OBJECTIVE
The objective of the National Conference of Republican County Officials (NCRCO) is to further the standards and ideals of the Republican Party through regular contact and association with Republican County Officials from throughout the United States.
To assist in building a grassroot Republican network that will help elect more Republicans at the local, state, and national levels.
To define, clarify, pronounce, and disseminate official positions on legislative and administrative ideas or proposals supported by Republican County Officials, elected or appointed.
To provide the opportunity for local Republican County Officials to unite in their efforts to inform Federal Officials and administrators of the needs of local government and the impact of Federal programs, from a Republican viewpoint.
To provide a forum from which to participate in, comment on, or consider official policies of the National Association of Counties (NACo).
It is not the purpose of NCRCO, nor shall it be, to donate funds or make contributions to political candidates, organizations, or committees.
ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP
Membership is available to all Republican County Officials, elected or appointed, (appointed referring to county leadership Officials rather than deputies, associates, etc., who may become Associate Members), based on payment of annual dues, set from time to time by a vote of the NCRCO membership, as may be recommended by the NCRCO Board of Directors, to be paid annually on a calendar year basis, without proration. Such dues entitle the member to a NCRCO membership card, lapel pin, Newsletter subscription, and voting rights at all official NCRCO membership meetings. Funds collected from said dues shall be used to further the goals of the National Conference of Republican County Officials.
Associate Memberships may be obtained in NCRCO by chief deputies, spouses, or other Republican individuals, former Republican County Officials, or corporate donors who are not current elected or appointed Republican County Officials. Such Associate Members shall be given the same rights of membership, except the right to hold NCRCO office or vote.
“Life Membership” shall be bestowed upon each NCRCO Past President, with full General Meeting voting rights. From time to time, the NCRCO Board of Directors may also bestow “Life Membership” on other Republicans for their actions to further the goals and objectives of NCRCO and the Republican Party. A list of “Life Membership” awards shall be maintained historically, year to year, by each succeeding NCRCO Secretary.
ARTICLE IV BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The NCRCO Board of Directors shall consist of the President, as Chair, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past President, and Twelve (12) Regional Directors, all with voting privileges, as well as all active NCRCO Past Presidents, who shall serve as ex-officio non- voting members.
Qualification for election to serve as a NCRCO Officer includes being a current dues paid member, and having attended at least one prior NCRCO General Membership meeting or reception before the election cycle at an Annual NCRCO Business Meeting.
The NCRCO Board of Directors shall meet at least two (2) times each year, during the National Association of Counties Annual Legislative Conference and during the NACo Annual Conference. Special meetings of the Board may be called as required by the President, or upon signed petition to the President by at least nine (9) voting members of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE V OFFICERS
Officers of NCRCO shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Immediate Past President. All Officers shall be current elected or appointed Republican County Officials. Each office shall be filled by a vote of the NCRCO membership, at the Annual NCRCO Business Meeting during the NACo Annual Conference, from a slate of nominees selected by a Nominating Committee which shall be appointed by the President. However, nominations may be made from the floor for any office and all elections shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order.
The President, Vice-President, and Immediate Past President shall hold office for a term of one year, or until their successor takes office. The Secretary and Treasurer shall each serve a two- year staggered term, with the Secretary elected in odd number years and the Treasurer elected in even number years, beginning in 2012-13. Officers may hold only one office at a time and may not serve simultaneously as an Officer and as a Region Director. There is no automatic ascension from one office to another office.
ARTICLE VI DUTIES OF OFFICERS
PRESIDENT: The President shall preside at all meetings and activities of NCRCO, set meeting times and prepare agendas, communicate with the Republican National Committee (RNC) to exchange information on cooperative programs and policies, visit Republican National Committee (RNC) Meetings, attend other Republican meetings as approved by the Board of Directors, work with the RNC and NACo on mutual goals and projects, direct the preparation of social events at NCRCO functions, make replacement appointments to the NCRCO Board of Directors, appoint Committees and Committee Chairs as required and as deemed necessary, communicate regularly with the Board of Directors and membership, coordinate the public presentation of NCRCO positions, work with the Budget and Finance Committee to develop the Annual Budget and to seek funding support for the organization, and approve disbursement of any and all NCRCO funds, without exception, within the limits of the Budget approved by the NCRCO membership.
VICE PRESIDENT: The Vice President shall serve in the absence of the President, serve on Committees as determined by the President, serve as Parliamentarian at all NCRCO Meetings, and assist in other capacities as may be determined by the President. In the event that the President is unable to complete the current term of office, the Vice President shall succeed to the Presidency until the next Annual election.
SECRETARY: The Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining official minutes of all NCRCO Meetings, distributing said minutes to Officers and Regional Directors in a timely manner, serve as the official Historian of NCRCO, maintain records of minutes of past meetings and a list of all “Life Memberships” awarded, maintain the NCRCO Seal and other materials as directed by the President. The Secretary shall be responsible for transferring all books and records of NCRCO to the ensuing Secretary within two (2) months of the end of the NCRCO Fiscal Year.
TREASURER: The Treasurer shall maintain all financial records of NCRCO, disburse funds only upon approval of the President, consistent with Budgetary limits, collect all dues, account for the receipt and disbursement of all NCRCO funds, make a written report of same to the NCRCO Board of Directors quarterly and to the NCRCO membership at all NCRCO meetings or upon request of the President. The Treasurer is responsible for providing Membership Cards to all members, for the maintenance of all membership files with identities indicated for members, associate members, and life memberships, and the distribution of publications as directed by the President. In conjunction with the President and the Budget and Finance Committee, the Treasurer shall compile and submit an Annual NCRCO Budget to the NCRCO Board of Directors and membership for approval. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the accounting of and transfer of all funds of the organization to the ensuing Treasurer within two (2) months of the end of the NCRCO Fiscal Year.
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: The Immediate Past President shall serve as a voting member of the NCRCO Board of Directors, Chair the Nominating Committee, and assist in other capacities as requested by the President. In the event the Immediate Past President is ineligible to serve for any reason, the last, prior eligible Past President still active in NCRCO shall succeed to this office.
REGIONAL DIRECTORS: The NCRCO Board of Directors shall include twelve (12) Regional Directors, or one member from each NCRCO Region. All Regional Directors shall be currently elected or appointed Republican County Officials in their respective Regions. Regional Directors shall be elected by a vote of the NCRCO membership in the same manner and at the same time as the election of NCRCO Officers. Regional Directors shall be elected for terms of one (1) year, or until their successor takes office, at the Annual NCRCO Business Meeting during the Annual NACo Conference. Regional Directors shall not serve simultaneously as an Officer or Committee Chair while serving as a Regional Director. A Regional Director may serve in such capacity for a maximum of two (2) terms.
Regional Directors shall serve as liaison for their respective Regions, selecting Deputy Directors in Regional States as required, promoting NCRCO memberships and sponsorships, maintaining current records of Republican County Officials within their Region, and encouraging attendance and participation at all NCRCO/NACo Meetings and events.
NCRCO REGIONS
Region 1: Maine , Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Region 2: Connecticut , New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania
Region 3: Delaware , Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia
Region 4: Florida , Georgia, South Carolina, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
Region 5: Alabama , Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee
Region 6: Illinois , Indiana, Michigan, Ohio
Region 7: Minnesota , North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin
Region 8: Iowa , Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
Region 9: Arkansas , Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas
Region 10: Colorado , New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming
Region 11: Alaska , Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington
Region 12: Arizona , California, Hawaii, Nevada
PAST PRESIDENTS
NCRCO Past Presidents shall become “Life Members” of NCRCO, serve as ex-officio non-voting members of the NCRCO Board of Directors, and assist in other capacities as requested by the President.
ARTICLE VII VACANCIES
Each elected Officer and Regional Director position shall be deemed vacant in the following cases:
(a) by the death of the incumbent;
(b) by his or her resignation;
(c) by he or her leaving County Elected or appointed office for any reason;
(d) by he or her ceasing to be an inhabitant of the county from which they were elected or
appointed;
(e) by his or her refusal to accept the office.
(f) by he or her no longer being a registered Republican.
In the event a vacancy occurs after a duly held election, and prior to the next Annual Business Meeting of the NCRCO election cycle, the President shall appoint a qualified successor from the membership to complete the unexpired term, with confirmation by the NCRCO Board of Directors (or leave the position vacant), except that the Vice President will automatically succeed to the Presidency as stated within Article VI.
ARTICLE VIII QUORUM AND PROXIES
Fifteen percent of the members of NCRCO shall constitute a quorum to conduct any official business of NCRCO at any stated meeting.
There shall be no use of proxies to vote on any matter at any NCRCO meeting.
ARTICLE IX COMMITTEES
There shall be at least seven (7) standing Committees of NCRCO, including the Audit Committee, Budget and Finance Committee, Hospitality Committee, Issues Committee, Membership Committee, Newsletter Committee, and Nominating Committee. Other Committees may be appointed by the President as required. Chairs of all Committees shall be currently elected or appointed Republican County Officials and shall be appointed by the President, except as otherwise set forth in these By Laws. Membership on all Committees shall be by appointment of the President.
AUDIT COMMITTEE: The Audit Committee shall be charged with auditing the Treasurer’s books and making a report of findings during the NCRCO Annual Business Meeting. The Committee shall consist of at least four (4) NCRCO members, other than current NCRCO Officers and Regional Directors, one of whom shall be an active NCRCO Past President.
BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE: The NCRCO Treasurer shall be the Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee. The Budget and Finance Committee shall be responsible for developing the Annual NCRCO Budget in conjunction with the President, presenting it to the NCRCO Board of Directors and membership for approval, and for securing sponsorship funding support for the organization.
HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE: The Hospitality Committee shall be responsible for working with the President to oversee, plan and implement all NCRCO Receptions and Hospitality events, consistent with Budgetary limits.
ISSUES COMMITTEE: The Issues Committee shall be responsible for formulating ideas and proposals for endorsement by the Board of Directors and membership, and bringing forth appropriate Resolutions and positions for official action by the organization.
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE: The Membership Committee shall assist the Treasurer with maintenance of current NCRCO membership records. Coordinating with the RNC, NACo, State Republican Parties, and the NCRCO Regional Directors, the Committee shall solicit new memberships for the organization from all of the Republican County Officials throughout the United States, compile a current NCRCO membership prospectus, and distribute same to prospective new members.
NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE: The Newsletter Committee shall be responsible for the production and distribution of the official NCRCO Newsletter GOP COUNTY COURIER, which shall be sent to all NCRCO members, Officers of NACo, and other interested parties as may be determined beneficial to NCRCO.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE: The Nominating Committee shall consist of five (5) members to be appointed by the President, which shall include the Immediate Past President as Chair, the current President, one (1) additional active Past President, one (1) current Regional Director, and one (1) NCRCO member-at-large, who shall neither be a Past President, current Officer or Regional Director. The Committee shall select a slate of Officers and Regional Directors nominees for the forthcoming year which shall be communicated to the NCRCO membership at least 30 days in advance of the NCRCO Annual Business Meeting and presented to the membership for vote at said meeting in accordance with these By Laws and Robert’s Rules of Order.
ARTICLE X FISCAL YEAR
The NCRCO Fiscal Year shall run from August 1 through July 31, annually.
ARTICLE XI AFFILIATION
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE:
NCRCO shall support and promote the goals and ideals of the Republican National Committee (RNC).
STATE CONFERENCES OF REPUBLICAN COUNTY OFFICIALS:
Upon request from ten (10) or more Republican County Officials within any one state, all of whom must be current members of NCRCO, the NCRCO Board of Directors will consider approval of a charter as a State Organization of Republican County Officials. Such new organization must conform to the policies and guidelines outlined in these NCRCO By-Laws, and adopt a Constitution / By-Laws acceptable to the NCRCO Board of Directors, which shall require each state member to be a paid dues member of NCRCO. NCRCO shall furnish a “Model Constitution / By-Laws” to assist in formation of the state organization.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES:
NACo recognizes NCRCO as a Caucus and as such provides staff assistance as mutually agreeable. NCRCO meetings shall generally be held in conjunction with the NACo Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. and the NACo Annual Conference held at a different city in the United States each year.
NCRCO members shall be urged to participate as members of NACo Standing Committees and to participate in other NACo activities as a means of helping to shape NACo policy and procedures.
ARTICLE XII ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
An annual award may be presented at each Annual NCRCO Meeting to an individual(s) deemed “Republican County Official of the Year”.
The President shall appoint a panel of five (5) independent judges each year, naming the Chair, and including at least two (2) past recipients of the award that are still active NCRCO members, to review the applications and select the winner(s). No current Officer or Regional Director shall serve on the panel of judges.
Qualifications to receive the award at an Annual NCRCO Meeting must include:
(a) A current and prior year paid dues member in good standing of NCRCO.
(b) Attended at least one prior NCRCO meeting or reception.
(c) Submission of a “Republican County Official of the Year” award application at least 90 days prior to the Annual Award Meeting, directed to the Chair of the Annual Achievement Award Committee. This includes a maximum 1,000 word explanation of why the individual should be considered, followed by a resume or political biography of not more than 5 pages.
(d) Not more than four (4) letters of support endorsement, in which must be included:
(1) One NCRCO Officer or Regional Director
(2) One elected Republican County or State Official from the applicant’s home state.
(e) No self submittal will be considered. The award application must be submitted on behalf of the applicant by a qualified Republican, and should include the recognized achievements of the NCRCO member applicant. The applicant may provide any information or documentation requested by the submitter to be included with the application to meet the other qualification requirements.
ARTICLE XIII AMENDMENTS
Amendments to the NCRCO Constitution / By Laws shall be submitted to the NCRCO Secretary in writing no later than 60 days prior to the first official date of the convening of the NACo Annual Conference with a copy provided to the President, in order to be considered for official action, and communicated to the NCRCO membership at least 30 days prior to the NCRCO Annual Business Meeting, during the NACo Annual Conference. If so presented, said proposal(s) shall be submitted to an official vote of the NCRCO membership at the NCRCO Annual Business meeting and if approved by two-thirds (2/3) of those members in attendance, shall become effective immediately, unless otherwise called for in the By Laws Amendment.
ARTICLE XIV ADOPTION OF CONSTITUTION / BY LAWS
These By Laws were adopted by the NCRCO membership in July, 1993 at the NCRCO Business Meeting held in Salt Lake City, Utah; and amended at NCRCO Business Meetings held in Houston, Texas, July, 1996; in Portland, Oregon, July, 1998; in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 13, 2003; in Nashville, Tennessee on July 27, 2009; and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 15, 2012, all during NACo Annual Conferences.