A PDF version of these bylaws can be downloaded here.
The name of this organization is the Socialist Rifle Association Inc., henceforth referred to as the Socialist Rifle Association or “Organization,” a not-for-profit corporation in the State of Kansas.
The Socialist Rifle Association is an education and advocacy organization dedicated to providing marginalized communities and the working class with the education, the skills, and the advocates necessary to be effectively armed for self and community defense. We recognize all aspects of self and community defense to include topics such as firearms, disaster relief, medicine, logistics, agriculture, general survival skills, and other pursuits necessary to unify and strengthen communities against the hardships of life under capitalism. We seek, advocate for, and advance an inclusive, safe, and healthy firearms culture in America to combat the toxic, right-wing, and exclusionary firearm culture in place today. We work to create a platform, environment, and community of members and like-minded individuals that are free of reactionary influences and prejudices, such as racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and other discriminatory ideologies. We maintain the necessity of and work towards the implementation of an anti-capitalist platform for protecting and promoting the inherent human right to defend oneself and one’s community.
Any individual who is above the age of eighteen (18) years, who is a resident of the United States, and who agrees with the purpose of this Organization, as outlined in Article Two, may apply for membership within the Socialist Rifle Association.
There shall be two forms of membership within this Organization: provisional membership and full membership.
Provisional members shall be granted limited access to the communication platforms of the Organization, shall be entitled to any discounts and services provided to members of the Organization, and shall be entitled to a fair and respectful ascension process within their chapter.
Full members shall be granted the right to hold office within the Organization, to vote in any binding votes of the Organization, and to fully participate in the activities of their chapter.
Any individual who applies for membership will be considered for provisional membership. A member may apply for such membership by submitting a membership application and paying applicable dues. An applicant may be denied on the following administrative grounds:
An application may be denied on the following character grounds:
From time to time, the Administration of the Organization may ask additional questions to applicants on the membership application form to better gauge the character and history of applicants.
Any member or applicant may pay for their membership through either an annual payment of twenty five dollars ($25) or by monthly payments of not less than five dollars ($5) per month and not more than fifty dollars ($50) per month.
A full member may, at any time, submit payment of lifetime dues in the amount of two hundred and fifty dollars ($250). Members who have paid lifetime dues shall be granted membership for the length of the Organization’s existence, unless removed or resigned by methods outlined in this Article. Provisional members and applicants shall not be able to pay lifetime dues.
Payment of dues shall be considered by the month of sign up of the member. Annual dues shall be due by the end of the month the member signed up in, one calendar year after initial payment of dues. Monthly dues shall be due at the end of every month.
Should a member wish to cease monthly payments and pay annually, they shall notify the Records Director of this change and pay the annual amount owed at the time prescribed for annual members. If a member has not paid a total of at least the annual amount owed for the year in monthly payments, they shall pay the difference at the time of transfer. Renewal for their annual dues shall be accessed on their signup date.
Dues payments shall be given a grace period of one (1) calendar month, following which a member shall be considered delinquent on dues and administratively removed from the Organization.
If a member or applicant is unable to pay applicable annual dues due to financial hardship, they may apply for a dues waiver. Such a waiver shall require the affirmation of another member of the chapter whose jurisdiction they would or currently fall under. The Records Director shall review the application and determine by established policy whether to approve or disapprove the application.
The Assembly shall set a limit on the amount of dues waivers per month that may be granted by the Records Director in the annual budget.
Applicants who meet the qualifications set forth in Section Three shall be granted provisional membership within the Socialist Rifle Association. This provisional membership shall be granted by the Records Director of the Organization, who shall inform an applicant of the acceptance or denial of their application within five (5) business days of the application. In cases of high volume of membership applications, the Executive Director may declare a moratorium on this deadline until such time that membership applications are able to be processed during this deadline.
Should an applicant be denied their application for membership, they may appeal this decision to the Welfare Council of the Socialist Rifle Association, pursuant to Article Six, Section Eight, Subsection Two of these Bylaws. The Welfare Council may impose a length of time at its discretion to when an applicant may apply again.
Upon admission of a provisional member, they shall be added to the member roster as such and their chapter preference noted on the roster. New admissions shall be sent to the applicable secretary of the preferred chapter on the last business day of every month, and record shall be kept of how long a provisional member has been on provisional status. If an applicant gives no preferred chapter, they shall be listed as at-large.
In recognition of the monetary and representational consequences of chapter preferences, limitations shall be prescribed to the extent a member may choose their chapter.
During the application process, the applicant shall provide their county and state for purposes of determining their chapter affiliation. If the member resides in a county declared as a chapter’s core or secondary jurisdiction, they shall automatically be affiliated with that chapter. The member shall be advised of the nature of chapter jurisdiction, and afforded the opportunity to request placement in a different chapter if they reside in a chapter’s secondary jurisdiction.
If a member resides in a county no chapter has declared a to be a core or secondary jurisdiction, their status shall be updated as at-large in the member roster and the member shall be provided a list of chapters to review. If the member wishes to begin affiliation with a chapter, they shall notify the Records Director and the chapter’s secretary to begin affiliation.
This language shall apply to members who move residence from one jurisdiction to another.
A provisional member may become a full member dependent on their status as a member of a chapter or as an at-large member.
Provisional members who have stated a chapter preference shall be directed to their preferred chapter to begin the ascension process. Chapters shall be empowered to create their own policies on ascension, as defined in Article Eight, Section Five. All provisional members have the right to equitable, uniform, and respectful ascension policies and procedures.
It shall be the responsibility of each chapter secretary to advise the Records Director of the Organization as to the status of provisional members within the chapter. Chapters shall be afforded three (3) calendar months to approve, deny, or delay the ascension of a provisional member. A chapter secretary may request one (1) three (3) month extension for a member’s ascension, and shall provide a reason for this extension. This request shall be granted, provided a reason is provided with the request.
If a provisional member is approved for ascension by their chapter, they shall submit an ascension application to the Organization with the attestation of their chapter secretary and with the reference of at least two (2) full members of their chapter. The Records Director of the Organization shall approve any ascension application that fulfills these requirements, and shall notate the names of the chapter Records Director and referencing members in the applicant’s membership entry on the roster.
If a provisional member is denied ascension by their chapter, they shall first exhaust any appeal mechanisms within their chapter. Upon exhaustion, they shall make an appeal to the Welfare Council pursuant to Article Six, Section Eight, Subsection Two.
The Welfare Council shall review the procedures of the chapter, and may only find in favor of the member in the event that the rights of the member have been violated as defined by the Bylaws of the Organization or the applicable chapter.
If the Welfare Council finds in favor of the member, it shall instruct the chapter representative to allow the member all rights and privileges of a full member, and instruct the Records Director of the Organization to update the member’s status to full membership.
If a provisional member is denied ascension by the Welfare Council, the Welfare Council shall advise the Records Director of the denial, and shall advise the member on the nature of their denial. The Welfare Council shall advise the member of their rights under the Bylaws, and their options to continue or cease participation in the Organization.
Provisional members who are at-large members of the Organization may apply for ascension not less than one month after the date of their membership acceptance. They shall do so by submitting an application to the Commission for At-Large Members, and shall include a statement as to why they wish to obtain full membership within the Organization. They shall be afforded the opportunity on the application to include references of other full members of the Organization or full members of other organizations they have participated in.
The Commission shall review applications for ascension by At-Large members within one month of their submission, and may approve, deny, or delay the ascension of a member.
If the Commission delays the ascension of a member, they may delay the ascension of a member for a period of not more than three (3) months. They shall inform the member and the Records Director of the Organization as to the reason(s) for the delay.
If the member is approved for ascension by the Commission, the Commission shall inform the member and the Records Director of the Organization as to the ascension approval, and the Records Director shall update the member’s status in the roster and notate their ascension as granted by the Commission.
If the Commission denies the ascension of a member, the member may make an appeal to the Welfare Council pursuant to Article Six, Section Eight, Subsection Two.
If the Welfare Council finds in favor of the member, it shall notify the member and the Records Director of the Organization of its finding, and the Records Director of the Organization shall update the member’s standing in the roster with the notation of the ascension being approved by appeal.
If the Welfare Council finds against the member, it shall notify the member and advise them as to the length of time until the member may apply again for ascension, to be not greater than six (6) months.
In recognition of the rights and privileges granted to full members, as well as the consequences it entails for representation in the Assembly, the revocation of a member’s status and demotion to a provisional member is a matter that should be done infrequently and with great diligence by the chapters and commissions involved.
Loss of ascension shall not be invoked as a result of a disciplinary action against a member.
A chapter may enact policies requiring attendance and participation in chapter activities to maintain a member’s status as a full member. No member shall have their ascension revoked for lack of attendance unless they have at minimum not attended a chapter event for three (3) months or have not attended three (3) chapter events without excuse consecutively, whichever is a greater length of time. All chapters shall have appropriate excusal mechanisms to allow members who are unable, due to scheduling, poverty, or other valid mitigating circumstances, to attend a chapter event.
Should a chapter invoke its ability to revoke a member’s ascension, they shall notify the member that their ascension is at risk and the steps necessary to correct it. This notice shall be copied and sent to the Records Director and the Chair of the Welfare Council. Should the member not comply with this notice, the chapter may revoke the member’s ascension, and shall notify the Records Director of this revocation.
A member may appeal their revocation to the Welfare Council, which shall hear from the member and the affected chapter, and consider if any provisions of this Subsection were violated, or if the member’s rights to a fair, equitable, and respectful process was violated. If the Welfare Council finds in favor of the member, their ascension shall be reinstated. Should the Welfare Council find against the member, the member shall be entitled to participate in their chapter’s ascension process once again to regain ascension.
Any full member shall continue to remain a full member, even if they have moved to a new chapter’s jurisdiction. Prior to arriving in a new chapter’s jurisdiction, or upon becoming part of a chapter’s jurisdiction by chapter formation, a full member shall inform the chapter secretary of their status as a full member and how they came to obtain that status. The chapter secretary may confirm this status with the Records Director of the Organization, but shall respect the duly completed ascension of a member.
If a chapter has reason to believe that a transferring member was granted ascension by a previous chapter in error, they may conduct an expedited form of the chapter’s ascension process. The member shall be entitled to participate in the chapter as a full member, unless the chapter has clear rationale as to the potential threat a member presents, in which case they shall petition the Chair of the Welfare Council for relief. If the Chair grants the petition, the member may be restricted from certain chapter events until the expedited process is complete. Should the chapter deny the member ascension into their chapter, they shall follow the process outlined in Subsection Six of this Section.
If a full member was granted ascension as an At-Large member, the chapter that they join may request the member participate in an expedited form of the chapter’s ascension process. The member shall still be tallied as a full member for purposes of representation, but may be restricted from certain chapter events until the expedited ascension process is completed. Should the chapter deny the member ascension into their chapter, they shall follow the process outlined in Subsection Six of this Section.
Chapters may, as prescribed to them in Article Eight of these Bylaws, set forth their own policies on ascension in their chapter. However, as a federal organization, chapters similarly must respect the authority and discretion of their fellow chapters, and not deprive a member of their rights on the basis of another chapter’s actions.
Should a chapter seek to contest the ascension of a member by another chapter, such contestation shall fall under two grounds: new evidence and deficient chapter policy.
Should a chapter discover new evidence during their expedited ascension process of a transfered member, which would normally bar them from a standard ascension in any chapter, they may make a contestation of the ascension of the member in their chapter on those grounds to the full Welfare Council. The full Welfare Council shall consider whether the chapter’s policy violates the member’s rights to a fair, equitable, and respectful process. The Welfare Council may uphold the chapter’s denial and revoke the member’s ascension, or may strike the denial down and permit the member ascension in their new chapter.
Should a chapter seek to deny a member ascension due to deficient chapter policy of their previous chapter, the chapter shall be required to initiate a case with the Welfare Council as described in Article Eight, Section Four, Subsection Three of these Bylaws.
Members of the Socialist Rifle Association are expected to adhere to certain rules, policies, and standards of conduct when acting within the organization and when representing the organization. Certain forms of misconduct may be considered so egregious as to be grounds for discipline even if a member is not representing the organization.
The Assembly of the Organization may, from time to time, set forth additional standards of conduct in the form of ongoing policy resolutions, so long as they do not violate any enumerated member rights.
All members are expected to comply with the following standards of conduct:
Members are empowered with certain rights within the Socialist Rifle Association. All members, regardless of provisional status, shall be entitled to the following rights:
Full members of the Organization are entitled to the following rights:
Any member may bring up any other member on charges of violating Section Seven of this Article, or a conduct policy or resolution passed by the Assembly. For these charges to be considered, they shall require at least one additional member to affirm this charge. These charges shall be presented to the Welfare Council of the Organization.
The Welfare Council shall first hear the charges presented, and in accordance with Subsection Nine, consider if this matter is best resolved within the chapter or at the national level. The Welfare Council shall then by majority vote decide if it shall hear the matter or send it back to the chapter for resolution.
The Welfare Council shall investigate the charges by conducting a hearing of the accusing member and the accused member. Multiple hearings may be held, and an accusing member is not under obligation to speak in front of the accused member. The body may speak to additional members about the matter as necessary for the investigation, but shall seek to respect any applicable member’s privacy as reasonably possible for the matter.
If the member is a participant in a chapter, the Welfare Council shall contact the current Organization liaison in the chapter to discuss the disciplinary matter and take into consideration any evidence or previous disciplinary proceedings provided by the chapter. In the event of the liaison being involved in the disciplinary matter, another ranking member of the chapter shall be consulted.
The Welfare Council shall determine a verdict of guilty or not guilty on the charges. In the event of a guilty verdict, the Welfare Council shall then separately vote on the disciplinary measures to be invoked, as described in Subsection Six of this Section. The body shall inform the accused and accusing parties of the outcome of the decision and the disciplinary measures taken by sending an email to the email addresses on file for the members.
In the event that a chapter disciplinary process ends in a verdict, either the accused or accusing party may request an appeal of an unfavorable verdict to the Welfare Council pursuant to Article Six, Section Eight, Subsection One.
Members may be disciplined by the following methods:
Items Five through Seven of this Subsection may only be enacted by a two-thirds majority of the Welfare Council. All other items may be enacted by a majority vote of the Welfare Council.
When reasonable and safe to do so, the Welfare Council shall first seek corrective disciplinary measures, such as warnings, apologies, and probations, prior to suspension and/or expulsion of a member. This shall not impede the Welfare Council’s authority to act in the safety and best interests of the Organization and its members.
Members of the Assembly, the Administration, and the Welfare Council may only be removed from the membership following expulsion from their positions in these bodies. Removal from their position and from the membership may happen simultaneously, provided both removals meet their respective approval criteria.
Due to the urgent or otherwise immediate nature of some disciplinary charges, any duly appointed Moderator Lead of the Organization may request an emergency suspension of a member’s access to the communication platforms of the Organization, pending the next regular meeting of the Welfare Council. This suspension may be upheld by any member of the Welfare Council.
Due to the immediate nature of online communication, the Welfare Council may empower Moderators, as described in Article Six, Section Six, Subsection Two, to keep community conduct safe and inclusive for all involved. Moderators may temporarily silence or remove members from individual aspects of a communication platform, within policy set forth by the Welfare Council. All moderation activity shall be logged and reported to the Welfare Council on a monthly basis by a Moderator Lead.
For the purposes of this Section, it is recognized and understood that the federal structure of the Organization encourages actions to be taken at the lowest level possible. For disputes and charges of members within a singular chapter, chapter structures and members alike are recommended to resolve the disputes and charges within the chapter itself. This shall not deny the right of a member to escalate to the Welfare Council as outlined in this Section if that member deems it necessary to do so. The Welfare Council shall continue to review cases as outlined in this Section when the involved parties span multiple chapters and thus cannot be resolved within a single chapter or by cooperation of multiple chapters.
A member may resign their membership by serving the Records Director with a notice of resignation. The Records Director may establish an accountable and verifiable method of providing this notice as they see necessary. The Records Director shall update the member’s resignation status to “Resigned - Pending” for a period of sixty (60) days. Following the expiration of this period, the member’s status shall be updated to “Resigned.”
A member may request that their resignation be immediate and irrevocable, in which case the Records Director shall confirm this action, and if confirmation is received, immediately update the member’s status to “Resigned.”
A resigned member’s roster file shall be truncated to the member’s name, email address, member number, and status upon their resignation being completed. If a member requests that their information be completely removed from the roster, it shall be truncated to the member number and status. This provision shall not affect the records of members removed for disciplinary reasons.
A member who fails to renew dues after their grace period shall have their membership status updated to “Delinquent” and lose their rights as a member while delinquent. If a member remains delinquent for three (3) consecutive months, they shall have their membership status updated to “Administratively Removed.”
Members who were on provisional status are afforded the grace periods that accompany their form of removal, and they may return as provisional members during the applicable grace period. If the grace period has expired, they must pay dues to be readmitted into the Organization.
Members who were full members are afforded the grace periods that accompany their form of removal, and they may return as full members during the applicable grace period. If the grace period has expired, they must pay dues to be readmitted into the Organization, but they may be brought back as a full member provided their information has not yet been removed from the roster. If their roster information is no longer present, they shall pay dues and be readmitted as a provisional member.
Members expelled may only be readmitted to the Organization if they are removed without prejudice by the Welfare Council. If this happens, the Welfare Council shall outline the criteria necessary to be readmitted in their verdict, and readmission shall be as a provisional member.
The Assembly of the Socialist Rifle Association shall be the collective leadership and highest decision making body of the Organization, imbued with ultimate authority to pass resolutions, amend the Bylaws, and determine the direction of the Organization. It shall act in the Organization’s best interests at all times and shall work to promote and serve the mission of the Organization.
The Assembly shall be ultimately responsible for all actions of the organization and shall be principally responsible for the setting of annual budgets for the Organization, the appointment of members to various Commissions, Committees, and Workgroups, the appointment of the Welfare Council, and the supervision of the Executive Director.
All members of the Assembly shall serve in a volunteer capacity and shall not receive wage or salary compensation for their duties within the Assembly. The Assembly may approve reasonable travel reimbursements for its members as the budget of the Organization allows and the needs of the Assembly demand.
Every year in the month of June, a full and complete audit shall be undertaken of the membership roster by the Administration of the Organization, and the total number of At-Large members and the member counts of individual ratified chapters shall be reported to the Assembly. The Records Director shall advise the Assembly as to the calculated apportionment of the Assembly’s representatives, to which the Assembly shall affirm by resolution. The Assembly may take no further business until its apportionment is resolved.
Every ratified chapter of the Organization shall be entitled to at least one (1) representative in the Assembly. Chapters shall be granted one (1) additional representative for every thirty (30) full members of their chapter. For example, a chapter with ten (10) full members would have one (1) representative, a chapter with thirty (30) full members would have two (2) representatives, a chapter with sixty (60) full members would have (3) representatives, and so forth.
At-Large members of the Organization shall be represented by at least one (1) representative in the Assembly. At-Large members shall be granted one (1) additional representative for every sixty (60) full At-Large members. For example, ten (10) full At-Large members would have one (1) representative, sixty (60) full At-Large members would have two (2) representatives, one hundred twenty (120) full At-Large members would have (3) representatives, and so forth.
It is recognized that, as the Organization grows, in order to ensure both equitable representation and smooth operation of the Assembly, the member-to-representative ratio shall be adjusted by amendment to these Bylaws by the mechanisms outlined in Article Thirteen.
When a new chapter is ratified into the Organization, it shall be granted the number of representatives it is entitled to based on full members within its jurisdiction at time of ratification.
If new representation is added between April and July, the chapter’s candidates shall be elected in the June election. Otherwise, the chapter shall hold a special election, and the elected candidate’s term shall be shortened to the next regular election. New representatives shall be added to the current sum of representatives in the Assembly at the first meeting of the Assembly they are entitled to a vote.
At-Large representative positions shall be added or deducted at the last meeting of the Assembly every year before the June elections.
Any representative of the Assembly, or any candidate for such, shall be a member in good standing.
Any member seeking to represent a chapter must be a full member of that chapter. Any member seeking to represent at-large membership must be a full At-Large member.
Any member seeking to run for the Assembly shall obtain the nomination of another full member to be listed on their applicable ballot.
No staff member, paid or volunteer, may serve in the Assembly. A member of the Assembly who accepts a staff commission shall resign their seat, and vice versa.
No member of the Welfare Council shall serve in the Assembly. A member of the Assembly who accepts a seat on the Welfare Council shall resign their seat, and vice versa.
A quorum to partake in the business of the Assembly shall be a simple majority of its members. Vacancies shall not be taken into account, unless this would reduce quorum to less than one third (⅓) of the Assembly’ total seats, in which case the quorum shall be at least one third (⅓) of its seats. This quorum shall be sufficient to conduct all business of the Assembly, and any quotient of members required to pass a measure shall be based on this quorum.
This quorum shall be accomplished by roll call via voice or physical participation in a meeting.
The President shall be the Speaker of the Assembly and shall chair all meetings of the Assembly. They shall be empowered to maintain the agenda during meetings, set time limits on discussions, and advise on parliamentary conduct. They shall additionally maintain an observer role over the affairs of the Assembly Committees and the Caucuses. In their absence, they shall designate a Deputy Speaker to chair the meeting in their stead.
The Assembly shall regularly meet four times a year: once in January, once in April, once in July, and once in October. Meetings shall be scheduled by the Speaker, and the date(s) and time(s) of meetings distributed at least two months in advance to all members of the Assembly.
The Assembly may host an emergency meeting on the petition of at least one-fifth (⅕) of its members. An emergency meeting shall have at least two-weeks notice to members of the Assembly. Emergency meetings shall be limited to a single issue to be deliberated upon.
Agendas for meetings of the Assembly shall be distributed at least one month ahead of the meeting. The Organizing Committee shall be responsible for the creation and order of the agenda. Items not on the agenda may not be considered without a majority vote of the Assembly to approve an in-meeting item addition.
All long-form matters of the Assembly shall take the form of a resolution, which shall be a written instrument explaining the nature, rationale, and jurisdiction of a proposed action of the Organization. Resolutions presented by members of the Assembly shall first be considered by Committees of the Assembly and shall not be considered by the full Assembly without the approval of a Committee unless a majority vote of the Assembly moves it to be considered. These Committees shall meet periodically outside of Assembly meetings, not less than once per month.
Motions shall be any short-form matter of the Assembly that can be easily spoken in one to two sentences. They may be procedural in regards to parliamentary order or may delegate or mandate some authority or responsibility to the Administration of the Organization. Procedural motions may be made at any time, while non-procedural motions may only be made during open discussion periods. A motion shall require a second to be considered.
The Assembly shall, every July session, receive a budget recommendation from the Executive Director, to have been reviewed and modified as necessary by the Committee on Administrative Affairs. This budget shall be composed of percentages of revenue dedicated to services, wages, activities, and savings of the Organization. It shall additionally include estimates of revenue and expense in dollar amounts for the next year. The Assembly shall consider the budget, make amendments as it deems necessary, and pass the budget. If a new budget fails to pass, the old budget shall hold until a new budget is approved.
The budget shall additionally include a debt limit for the Organization, to be set initially as a debt-to-revenue ratio not greater than one (1), in reference to the preceding calendar year’s revenue.
Any full member of the Organization may visit and sit in on a session of the Assembly. Any full member may testify to the Assembly, provided a time slot for such testimony is provided by a representative, and that representative forfeits their right to the time slot.
The Speaker may additionally designate a portion of time dedicated to member testimony on an agenda item and shall accept requests by full members to testify until the time slot is filled.
Any matter of parliamentary conduct not enumerated in these Bylaws may be considered by the Assembly, and the Assembly may pass binding resolutions on itself governing parliamentary conduct.
The term of a representative shall be one year in length. In the event of a filled vacancy, the interim representative shall fill for the remainder of the previous representative’s term.
If a previously occupied seat becomes vacant by reason of resignation or removal, a special election shall be called to fill the seat within the appropriate jurisdiction. If this vacancy occurs between April and July, the vacancy shall be filled during regular election of the Assembly.
If a seat becomes vacant by reason of lack of candidates in an election, the Assembly shall be empowered to appoint a representative from the appropriate jurisdiction for the remainder of the term.
The elections of the Assembly shall be administered by the Administration of the Organization, overseen by the Commission for Elections. Elections shall take place digitally, via secure and auditable software.
Representatives shall be chosen by approval voting in their jurisdiction. Full members within a given jurisdiction shall be presented with a ballot with all candidates running for representative within that jurisdiction. The member may then select any number of candidates which they approve of and then submit their ballot.
The candidate with the highest sum of approvals for their jurisdiction shall win the election. If there is more than one open seat for the jurisdiction, the second highest approval count shall win election, and so forth until all open seats are filled.
The whole of the Assembly shall be elected in June of every year, with incoming candidates to take office and outgoing representatives to leave office the following July 1st. No candidate may, by virtue of special election, serve a term longer than prescribed in Section Four of this Article.
Any member of the Assembly may be removed for violations of Article Three, Sections Three and Seven. Removal on these grounds shall require a two-thirds majority of the Assembly, or a simple majority if removal has been recommended by the Welfare Council. The Assembly shall also require a simple majority to remove a member if at least one-fifth (⅕) of full members in the representative’s jurisdiction have petitioned for their removal on these grounds.
Any member of the Assembly may be removed for too many unexcused absences. Should a representative miss two meetings of the Assembly concurrently without excuse, the Assembly shall automatically host a vote on their removal in the second meeting they are unexcused from. A simple majority vote shall be required to remove a representative on these grounds.
Excusal policy shall be prepared by the Organizing Committee, and excuses granted by vote of the Assembly.
Any member of the Assembly who consistently fails in their duties, fails to act in a fiduciary role to the Organization, or otherwise lacks the confidence of the Assembly, may be removed by a two-thirds (⅔) majority of the Assembly, or a simple majority if at least one-fifth (⅕) of full members in the representative’s jurisdiction have petitioned for their removal on these grounds.
The Organizing Committee shall be the Board of Directors of the Socialist Rifle Association and shallserve as signature authority for any business necessary to be conducted as such with other entities. They shall directly oversee and supervise the Administration of the Organization and shall be composed of three Officers: President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
The President shall serve as the Speaker of the Assembly and shall be considered the representative of the movement and direction of the Organization. The President shall see that all orders of the Assembly are enacted, shall serve as an additional signature authority for any contracts signed by the Executive Director, and may sign official correspondence on behalf of the Assembly.
The President shall designate a Deputy President to act in their stead in the event of the President’s absence.
The Secretary shall keep all the minutes of the meetings of the Assembly and shall record all votes of the Assembly in a medium meant for that purpose. They shall be responsible for the notification of all meetings of the Assembly to members thereof and may sign official correspondence on behalf of the Assembly.
The Secretary shall designate a Deputy Secretary to act in their stead in the event of the Secretary’s absence.
The Treasurer shall review the records of the expenses and incomes of the Organization, shall be responsible for ensuring all appropriate laws and regulations regarding finance are being complied with, and shall be responsible for advising the Assembly on technical aspects of any proposed annual budget of the Organization.
The Treasurer shall designate a Deputy Treasurer to act in their stead in the event of the Treasurer’s absence.
The President shall be a full member in good standing, elected by general election of the full membership of the Organization. The President shall be elected via approval voting, as described in Section Five Subsection One of this Article. The President shall be granted a seat in the Assembly by virtue of their position and be entitled to a vote therein.
The Secretary and Treasurer of the Organizing Committee shall be currently serving representatives in the Assembly. They shall be selected by their individual office in an approval vote of the Assembly. They shall retain their seats in Assembly and their votes therein.
Members of the Organizing Committee shall serve a one-year commission on the Organizing Committee concurrent with their term on the Assembly.
Members of the Organizing Committee may be removed from the Organizing Committee using the same criteria as listed in Section Six.
Any resolution or non-procedural motion passed by the Assembly shall receive the signature of the Organizing Committee, acting as the Board of Directors, prior to taking effect. The Organizing Committee shall always sign a duly-passed resolution or motion by the Assembly, unless:
In the event either of these clauses are invoked, the resolution or motion shall not have force under these bylaws, and either the Legal Director or the Organizing Committee shall recommend what changes, if any, can be made to change the determination If such changes are made and no violation is found, the Organizing Committee shall affirm and sign the resolution or motion.
Assembly Committees shall function as the genesis point of resolutions and matters for the consideration of the Assembly. They shall be filled with interested members of the Assembly in the subject area of the Assembly Committee in question.
An Assembly Committee of the Assembly may be formed by Resolution of the Assembly. Any members of an Assembly Committee shall be current members of the Assembly. Membership of an Assembly Committee shall be determined by approval vote of the Assembly, submitted in electronic form for review and tallying. The member with the largest sum of approvals shall be selected first, followed by the second largest sum, and so forth until all seats on the Assembly Committee are filled. No Assembly Committee shall have less than three seats.
Any Assembly Committee shall have a Committee Chair, to be chosen by approval voting by members of the Committee in the same fashion as the members of the Assembly Committee were selected. The Chair shall then appoint a Committee Secretary to maintain the minutes of the Assembly Committee.
The following Assembly Committees shall always be in existence:
An Assembly Committee may remove any member of the Committee due to no confidence, failure to attend, or gross misconduct, by two thirds (⅔) vote of the Committee. Excusal policy for meetings shall be the same as the Assembly, and excusals shall be voted on by the Committee.
All Assembly Committees shall meet a minimum of once per calendar month, and shall always meet once within two weeks prior to any regular Assembly session to discuss and conclude any ongoing business within the Committee that is capable of being concluded.
Any full member of the Organization shall have the right to visit and sit in on the meeting of any Assembly Committee. Any full member of the Organization may testify to a Committee with the second of any member of that Committee.
In recognition of common themes, beliefs, and purposes different members may possess, and to encourage greater expediency in Assembly affairs, formal recognition may be given to various caucuses of the members of the Assembly. Members of the Assembly may belong to multiple caucuses.
A caucus may be formed by not less than five members of the Assembly. Membership in a caucus shall be limited to members of the Assembly for the purposes of this Section. Members of the Organization may affiliate with a caucus, but shall not be considered members unless also members of the Assembly.
A caucus shall have a statement of purpose to include points of unity of the caucus, and a mechanism it determines to conduct its members towards the caucus’ goals. A caucus may then be recognized by the Assembly by the approval vote of not less than one-fifth (⅕) of the Assembly. Recognition shall entitle the caucus to participate in any parliamentary conduct or order established by the Assembly or Speaker as it relates to caucuses.
Caucuses shall maintain discipline over their members, and be responsible for observing the conduct of their members as outlined in Subsection Four of this Section. Caucuses shall maintain mechanisms to add and remove members from the caucus, and shall be held partially accountable for the misconduct of their members by the Assembly.
A caucus that routinely violates parliamentary order, routinely fails to maintain discipline over its members, engages in actions contrary to the mission of the Organization, or otherwise violates any general provisions of misconduct established within Article Three of these Bylaws, may be sanctioned by the Assembly. The Speaker shall first warn a caucus in writing if it is in danger of being disciplined, explain the nature of the misconduct the caucus stands accused of, and recommend any remedial measures. If misconduct continues, the Assembly may by two thirds (⅔) vote to approve a formal warning, censure, suspension, or revoking of recognition of the caucus.
The Secretary of the Assembly shall, upon the announcement of any meeting by the Speaker or by an Assembly Committee Chair, update a digital bulletin available for view by any member of the Organization with the times and dates of the meeting. An agenda for the meeting in question shall be posted to accompany the announcement upon it becoming available.
The Administration of the Socialist Rifle Association shall be the paid and volunteer staff of the Organization, responsible for its daily upkeep and maintenance. All regular affairs of the Organization, to include but not limited to the administration, finances, and logistics of the Organization, shall be directed through the Administration, and it shall remain separate from the Assembly.
Directors within the Administration shall be provided the authority and clearance to establish uniform policies and procedures within their domain, provided these policies and procedures are fair, equitable, and respectful, and are in keeping with any resolutions passed by the Assembly.
Members of the Administration may be paid, provided the rate of pay for the position has been previously approved by the Organizing Committee or by prior contract, and is accounted for within the current budget passed by the Assembly.
To maintain and ensure consistency and clarity in all writings and documents published by the Organization, internally and externally, members of the Assembly and Welfare Council may request the assistance of the Administration in typing resolutions and policies. The Administration shall not independently create resolutions or policies under the sole jurisdiction of the Assembly or Welfare Council. The Administration may provide advice on resolutions and policies, but shall do so from an organization, administrative, or logistical perspective, and shall not comment nor advise on strictly political matters of any resolution or policy.
The Executive Director of the Organization shall be chief executive officer of the Organization for its day to day affairs. The Executive Director shall be the final supervisor of all of the staff and other Directors, and shall be responsible for ensuring the day to day activities of the Organization are fulfilled.
They shall recommend staff and Director hires and appointments to the Organizing Committee, and shall conduct periodic performance reviews of staff for the records of the Organization.
The Records Director shall be the chief administrative officer of the Organization, and shall be responsible for the book keeping of the Organization, to include the maintenance and upkeep of the member roster. They shall additionally maintain the chapter roster, and work with the Chapters Director to ensure it is complete and accurate.
The Financial Director shall be the chief financial officer of the Organization, and shall be responsible for the accounting of all funds and assets of the Organization, and the good health thereof. They shall ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations regarding the Organization’s taxes and financial obligations. They shall also maintain the budget, work with the Executive Director to recommend new budgets to the Assembly, and advise applicable staff and commissions of their budgetary limits.
The Legal Director shall be the chief legal officer of the Organization, and shall be responsible for advising all bodies of the Organization, the Assembly, the Administration, and the Welfare Council, on legal implications and liabilities of the actions of the Organization. If permitted by their licensure and accreditation, the Legal Director shall also serve as attorney to the Organization.
The Chapters Director shall be the chief chapters officer of the Organization, and shall be responsible for the supervision, accounting, and support of the chapters.
The Instruction Director shall be the chief instruction officer of the Organization, and shall be responsible for maintaining, creating, and promoting the education programs of the Organization. They shall additionally be responsible for the supervision of any contract or volunteer instructors of the Organization.
The Aid Director shall be the chief logistics officer of the Organization, and shall be responsible for maintaining, creating, and coordinating the mutual aid programs of the Organization.
The Design Director shall be the chief creative officer of the Organization, and shall be responsible for the design and direction of material put out to the public by the Organization.
The Communications Director shall be the chief communications officer of the Organization, and shall be responsible for the creation and dissemination of public statements and communications of the Organization.
Additional directorships may be created by recommendation of the Executive Director, subject to the approval of the Organizing Committee. The roles, responsibilities, and current title holders of these directorships shall be listed on the Organization website.
General staff shall handle administrative tasks that do not generally require new policies or significant independent direction to complete. General staff largely complete routine work or otherwise follow firmly established procedures or tasks set out by Directors of the Organization.
The Executive Director shall be selected by the Organizing Committee, who shall submit their selection to the consideration of the Assembly. The Assembly shall vote up-down on the recommended Executive Director. If the Assembly rejects the selected Executive Director, the Organizing Committee shall select another candidate.
Directors shall be selected by the Organizing Committee and confirmed by the Executive Director. If the Executive Director refuses to second the selection, the Organizing Committee shall either select another candidate or override the Executive Director’s veto by unanimous vote for the current candidate.
Staff may be hired by the Administration, subject to budgetary limits imposed by the Assembly. If a staff member will work underneath a director, that director shall interview and recommend the hire to the Executive Director, who will approve or disapprove of the hire. If the staff member is to work directly underneath the Executive Director, the Executive Director shall interview and recommend the hire to the Organizing Committee, who will approve or disapprove of the hire by majority vote.
The same procedure shall apply for volunteer staff, but without limitation by the budget.
Employed staff shall only be removed for either gross misconduct or due to lack of funding.
Employed staff may be removed for gross misconduct, to include failure to perform their duties, following review and notification of the employee. A minimum of two notifications shall be required, over a minimum of a two month period. This requirement may be waived by majority vote of the Welfare Council if an employee’s misconduct severely harms or damages the Organization.
Removal for gross misconduct, following the completion of these requirements, shall require a unanimous vote of the Organizing Committee in favor of removal.
Employed staff may be removed due to lack of funding if the Assembly approves a budget that removes the employee’s position as a paid position. Such a budget shall only be passed by a two thirds (⅔) vote of the Assembly if it removes a paid position. They shall be given not less than three (3) months notice of loss of position for this reason. Employees shall be offered reduced hours prior to the consideration of the elimination of their position.
Volunteer staff may be removed for misconduct or lack of work.
Volunteer staff may be removed for misconduct, to include failure to perform their duties, following review and notification of the employee. A minimum of two notifications shall be required, over a minimum of a month period. This requirement may be waived by majority vote of the Welfare Council if a volunteer’s misconduct severely harms or damages the Organization.
Volunteers may be removed due to lack of work if, by their supervising Director’s determination, the amount of work being done does not require the number of volunteers the Director currently has under their supervision.
Should the paid staff of the Organization consider the formation of a union to represent their interests, the Organization shall take no action to deny or stymie the creation of such a union. The Organization shall automatically recognize any card check that shows a majority of paid staff wish to create a union.
The Executive Director may, with the consent of the Financial Director, open up business credit card lines to assist in the day to day expenditures of the Administration. A balance shall not be kept on these cards, and all funds spent on credit cards shall be promptly paid following the issuing of a statement from the lender.
If a project under a Director requires additional funding than provided under the budget, the relevant Director may request the Organizing Committee authorize a loan to cover the project. The Director shall submit a report with their request, detailing the amount of loan necessary, what the loan will be spent on, and whether the project offers the opportunity to recoup any costs of the loan. The Financial Director shall review the report prior to submission, and issue their opinion on if the report is financially sound.
The Organizing Committee may then consider the loan and authorize it by majority vote. No vote shall be considered for an amount of debt that would individually or in sum exceed the debt limit established by the Assembly within the budget of the Organization.
The Welfare Council of the Socialist Rifle Association shall be the judiciary of the Organization, responsible for the safe conduct of the organization, disciplinary matters, appeals of administrative matters, and the maintenance of community moderators. It shall remain apolitical and removed from the day to day processes of the Organization.
The Welfare Council shall be composed of seven (7) members, all of whom shall be full members in good standing. It is understood that as the body of last appeal of the Organization, members of the Welfare Council shall be well respected within the membership, and capable of impartially and fairly considering any matter that comes before them. Members of the Welfare Council shall be encouraged to have previously completed or complete after their appointment continuing education and training in mediation, dispute resolution, and remedial justice. The Assembly shall allocate funds as appropriate to pay for these trainings in the annual budget.
The President and the Executive Director shall be granted alternating authority to recommend a candidate for a Welfare Council position. The Executive Director shall always recommend a candidate for the position of Chair of the Welfare Council. The Assembly shall vote for these candidates individually in an up-down fashion, and majority approval shall be sufficient to appoint any member of the Welfare Council.
Members of the Welfare Council shall serve two year terms, and shall receive additional terms by retention vote. In the first meeting of the applicable session of Assembly, the Assembly shall vote individually to retain or dismiss members of the Welfare Council as an up-down vote. If a member of the Welfare Council fails to obtain majority approval, or otherwise loses their seat, they shall be dismissed, and the President or the Executive Director, whoever is next qualified to recommend a new candidate, shall select a new candidate for the position to be considered.
Members of the Welfare Council may be removed for violations of Article Three, Sections Three and Seven. Removal on these grounds shall require a two-thirds (⅔) majority of the Assembly, or a simple majority if removal has been recommended by the Welfare Council. Removal shall require a simple majority of the Assembly if at least one fourth (¼) of ratified chapters have petitioned for their removal on these grounds.
Members of the Welfare Council may be removed for too many unexcused absences. Should a representative miss three meetings of the Welfare Council concurrently without excuse, the Welfare Council shall automatically host a vote on their removal in the third meeting they are unexcused from. A simple majority vote of the Welfare Council shall be required to remove a Welfare Council member on these grounds.
Excusal policy shall be prepared by the Chair of the Welfare Council, and excuses granted by majority vote of the Welfare Council.
Any member of the Welfare Council who consistently fails in their duties, fails to act in a fiduciary role to the Organization, or otherwise lacks the confidence of the Assembly or the Welfare Council, may be removed by a two-thirds (⅔) majority of the Assembly or the Welfare Council, or a simple majority of the Assembly or the Welfare Council if at least one fourth (¼) of ratified chapters have petitioned for their removal on these grounds.
Investigations undertaken by the Welfare Council shall be consistent with any policies it has established for such purposes, and shall remain fair, respectful, and equitable to members involved in the process. Investigations shall not delve into additional matters beyond the scope of the charge: should evidence be found suggesting the existence of additional charges, the Welfare Council shall vote on whether to open separate charges and investigations on the evidence revealed.
The Welfare Council may appoint Investigators on its behalf, as necessary to help it accomplish its tasks. These Investigators shall answer to the Welfare Council, and the Chair of the Welfare Council shall be responsible for the actions and conduct of the Investigators. A list of Investigators shall be maintained by the Welfare Council, and reported to the Assembly every regular session of the Assembly.
Upon the completion of evidence gathering, both parties shall be presented the evidence by the Welfare Council and given the opportunity to refute or affirm the evidence presented. The Welfare Council shall take these responses into consideration in its final decision.
Moderators shall have jurisdiction over all national communication venues of the Organization.
Moderators shall be members individually appointed by majority vote of the Welfare Council to oversee the day to day discussion and interaction that happens between the membership. Moderators shall be empowered to warn and silence members from online spaces as necessary to keep the decorum of the Organization respectful and conducive to productive discussion. Moderation action shall be logged and reported to the Welfare Council by a Moderator Lead on a biweekly basis.
Moderator Leads shall be moderators imbued with a higher level of trust and supervisory authority. They shall report to the Welfare Chair the goings-on of the communications of the membership, assist the Welfare Council in creating uniform moderation policy, and shall be empowered to temporarily remove a member from an online communication platform. This removal shall last until the next regular meeting of the Welfare Council, where it shall be considered by the full Welfare Council.
The Welfare Council shall be empowered to review cases wherein a member alleges a violation of membership rights by their chapter or by the Organization. In the event of a case against a chapter, the Welfare Council shall not have jurisdiction until the applicable appeals process of the chapter has been exhausted. The Welfare Council shall have the authority to consider an appeal if the member states that their chapter has refused or otherwise excessively delayed appropriate recourse through its appeals process.
A chapter may, via a mechanism of its determination, bring a case against the Organization to the Welfare Council for consideration, if the chapter believes its rights as a chapter have been violated.
The Welfare Council may not independently conduct investigations or open proceedings against a policy of the Organization or its chapters, and shall only consider cases brought to it by charges of members or ratified chapters.
The Welfare Council may review policies, procedures, and other binding documentation of the Organization and its chapters following the jurisdiction outlined in Subsection One of this Section, and may issue interpretations as to the language of these documents.
Upon consideration of such policy interpretation, the Welfare Chair shall post the details of the consideration to a digital bulletin for members to see, and accept member comment on the policy for a period not less than two weeks. Member comments shall be read and considered by the Welfare Council prior to their decision.
If the Welfare Council finds by a majority that a document infringes on the rights of a member or chapter, they may strike the offending provision or the whole of the document down, and issue a public statement regarding this.
The Welfare Council may act as an appellate authority over disciplinary matters conducted at the chapter level. A member may contest discipline imposed by the chapter by petitioning the Welfare Council, at which time the Welfare Council shall decide whether to hear the appeal or to decline.
If the Welfare Council agrees to hear the appeal, they shall inquire and receive evidence collected by the chapter during their disciplinary process, and collect statements from the chapter and the accused member. They shall consider if the evidence is sufficient for the charge sustained by the chapter, and if it was conducted in accordance with all requirements prescribed by these Bylaws.
The Welfare Council may overturn a chapter disciplinary verdict by a two thirds majority vote, and shall notify the chapter liaison and the aggrieved member of the outcome of the vote, as well as any measures to be taken to ensure the enforcement of the decision.
Where prescribed by these Bylaws or by resolution of the Assembly, the Welfare Council shall have oversight and appellate over certain administrative functions of the Organization. When considering such appeals, the Welfare Council shall only consider whether the policy is fair, equitable, and respectful to members, and if the member was treated in such a fashion. The Welfare Council shall not have authority to overturn or otherwise modify an administrative function of the Organization beyond this consideration.
The Welfare Council may vote to overturn an administrative action or policy by two-thirds majority vote, and shall notify the relevant administrator and aggrieved member of the outcome of the vote, as well as any measures taken to ensure the enforcement of the decision.
In order to complete the core functions of the Organization, additional volunteer time and labor is necessary to advance the mission statement of the Organization. Such efforts shall be organized under the following categories, with various enumerated and devolved powers.
Commissions shall exist for vital functions of the Organization that require unusual expertise or otherwise advanced access to Organization resources. Generally, Commissions shall not repeat work already completed by the Administration or Work Groups. Creation of a new Commission shall be done by amendment to these Bylaws under Article Thirteen. All Commissions shall only be filled with full members of the Organization.
The Commission for Elections shall oversee the election of the Assembly, as well as any referendums put forth. The Commission shall consist of no less than three members at a time, and shall always have a number of members divisible by three. No member of the Commission shall stand for election in an election that they supervise.
A third of the Commission shall be appointed by majority vote of the Assembly, a third by majority vote of the Directors, and a third by majority vote of the Welfare Council. Members of the Commission may serve continuously on the Commission unless they resign their post or are removed by their appointing authority.
The Commission for Elections shall be able to review and audit the results of an election, create conduct policies for candidates or groups participating in an election, and advise the membership as to any of their findings. The Commission for Elections shall not issue advice on the platform of a candidate, but may inform the membership of misconduct by a candidate.
The Commission for At-Large Members shall oversee the affairs of the At-Large members of the Organization, conduct the ascension process of At-Large members, and advise the Assembly and the Directors on the state of At-Large members in the Organization. It shall create uniform policies for the ascension of At-Large members, and shall assist the Chapters Director in discovering concentrations of At-Large members who are eligible to form a chapter.
The Commission shall contain no less than three members at a time, and shall always possess an odd number of members. The Commission’s members shall be appointed by majority vote of the Organizing Committee.
Committees shall be sub bodies of existing bodies, and governed by the rules applied to them in the applicable Bylaws Articles and resolutions referring to them. Generally, Committees will serve some devolved purpose of a body, and shall only be composed of members of the greater body.
Work Groups shall be organized under Offices, which shall be overseen by an applicable Director. Work Groups shall assist in the day to day activities of the Directors and work on projects and initiatives of the Organization. A Director may create or remove a work group within their Office at any time as the Director deems necessary. All Directors shall have an accompanying Office for them to organize their Work Groups under.
Any member of the Organization is free to join a Work Group by contacting the Director in charge of the Work Group and asking to join the Work Group. The Director shall generally allow any member to participate in the Work Group, but may remove a member from the Work Group if the member’s actions are consistently disruptive to the Work Group’s processes.
Work Groups may work independently of their Director, but all final actions and activities of the Work Group shall require the consent of the Director to move forward. Work Groups shall not perform work that extends beyond the scope of authority of the Director supervising it.
It is understood that while Work Groups are fluid entities, with members entering and leaving them frequently, they shall remain separate from volunteer staff, who are governed by Article Five, Section Two, Subsection Seven of these Bylaws, with greater expectations and supervision placed upon them.
Chapters serve as the foundation of the Socialist Rifle Association, the bedrock of the Organization’s material actions, and the structure with which members participate in the Organization. As such, ratified chapters are invested with special rights and privileges within the Organization, including substantial representation within the Assembly of the Organization, and the right to participate in a dues sharing program.
A stump chapter may be formed by any full At-Large member who gains the consent of the Chapters Director to become an organizer in their region. They shall establish a proposed jurisdiction of the stump chapter in any area unclaimed by another ratified or stump chapter, to be approved by the Chapters Director, and begin efforts to recruit and organize within the jurisdiction. Such efforts may include the creation of social media accounts, distribution of literature, and the placement of the stump chapter on Organizational communication platforms.
A stump chapter may seek ratification when at least five (5) full At-Large members petition for a ratified chapter to be created. In this petition they shall include the jurisdiction of the chapter, the bylaws of the proposed chapter, and their names on the petition. The jurisdiction of the chapter shall be included in the proposed bylaws. Members may not represent themselves as chapter organizers without first receiving approval for such title from the Chapters Director.
A chapter shall, when formed, define a core jurisdiction in terms of counties or local equivalent thereof, within its bylaws. Any member residing in this core jurisdiction shall be considered a part of that chapter, and shall not be permitted to express a different chapter preference. The core jurisdiction may only include counties that are within reasonable commute distance of each other, such that a member in any could be reasonably expected to attend an event in any other.
Two or more chapters may override the previous provision and split an exceptional county as core jurisdiction, provided that the boundaries of the split are well defined in all applicable chapter bylaws and the county is unusually large or otherwise unusually densely populated. In the event of a shared county core jurisdiction, a member may choose their preference as to which chapter to affiliate with.
A chapter may claim a secondary jurisdiction, and any member who resides in or adjacent to the secondary jurisdiction may claim a chapter preference for the chapter.
No chapter shall share the same core or secondary jurisdiction of any other chapter.
No chapter may be formed within the existing core jurisdiction of a chapter without following Subsection Five of this Section.
A chapter may be formed in the secondary jurisdiction of another chapter, and negotiations shall take place between the old and new chapter as to the extent of their secondary jurisdictions. If the chapters are unable to come to a mutual agreement within three (3) months of the new chapter’s creation, then the Welfare Council shall hear from the chapter organizers as to their individual cases, consult with the Chapters Director, and come to a decision of the appropriate jurisdictional lines by majority vote.
Following the submission of a chapter’s bylaws, the Chapters Director shall review the bylaws and issue an opinion on the quality thereof. If the proposed bylaws fit the criteria outlined in Section Five Subsection Four of this Article and any applicable clarifying policies set forth by the Chapters Director, the Chapters Director shall recommend the ratification of the chapter to the Assembly for their next regular session.
If the proposed bylaws do not fit the criteria outlined, the Chapters Director shall return the bylaws to the stump chapter with a list of any necessary edits. The Assembly shall not consider a chapter’s ratification until its bylaws have received approval from the Chapters Director.
Following the recommendation of the Chapters Director, the Assembly shall vote on the ratification of the chapter at its next regular session. Ratification of a chapter shall require a majority approval vote. Upon ratification, the chapter will be entitled to the full rights and privileges given to a chapter in the Organization, and special election(s) shall be held for representative(s) of the Chapter in the Assembly pursuant to Article Four Section Five of these Bylaws.
Members have the right to participate in chapters that represent them and their interests. From time to time, members may decide that a smaller chapter within the current jurisdiction of their chapter would be more representative of them. A minimum of five (5) full chapter members shall be required to petition to form a new chapter inside of a current chapter. They shall be required to present bylaws to the Chapters Director, to complete the same approval mechanism as a new chapter would under Subsection Two of this Section, in order to fulfill this petition.
All chapters shall have a process in place within their bylaws to address petitions to subdivide. This process shall at minimum include consultation from the petitioning members, the membership of the chapter as a whole, and the recommendation of the chapter’s leadership, if such leadership exists. The chapter shall conduct a chapter-wide vote of its membership to approve or disapprove of this subdivision.
Should a vote to subdivide fail within a chapter wide election, the petitioning members may appeal by presenting their bylaws to the Assembly at the next regular session thereof. The Assembly may decide to host a vote of full chapter members who would be in the proposed chapter’s jurisdiction by a majority vote of the Assembly. If the affected members vote to approve the new chapter bylaws proposed, the chapter shall be formed and all regular procedures of a chapter’s formation shall be followed.
Chapters shall be granted wide lenience and autonomy in the manner by which they organize themselves and their actions. Ratified chapters shall possess the following rights:
In the event that a member of a chapter’s leadership faces charges of misconduct under Article Three, such misconduct shall be handled in the same process as any other member’s discipline.
Should a chapter organizer consistently fail in their duties, consistently fail to follow the policies of the Organization, or bring a severe and negative reputation to the Organization, the Chair of the Welfare Council shall notify the chapter liaison of the nature of the allegations and provide the chapter the opportunity to rectify the issue via its own mechanisms. If the allegations are severe enough or are an immediate danger to the Organization, the Welfare Council may immediately begin proceedings to strip the chapter organizer of their position.
Should the chapter fail to or is otherwise unable to correct the misconduct of a chapter organizer, the Welfare Council may begin a case to discipline the chapter organizer, following the procedures outlined in Article Three Section Nine of these Bylaws. Discipline may include stripping the chapter organizer of their position.
As outlined in Article Three Section Nine Subsection Nine of these Bylaws, discipline of misconduct that happens within a chapter’s jurisdiction is expected to be resolved at the chapter level prior to being escalated to the national level.
Should members of multiple chapters engage in or be accused of misconduct by members of other chapters, their respective chapters shall work cooperatively in an attempt to resolve this case of misconduct, and efforts shall be made to avoid the involvement of the Welfare Council until it is necessary.
In recognition of the federal nature of the Organization, chapters are expected and mandated to respect and work cooperatively with other chapters of the Organization. Chapters have the right to determine individually the method of organizing that best suits the chapter, but are held to a minimum standard by this Article and by policies of the Organization.
Should a chapter deem another chapter’s actions a threat to that chapter or to the Organization as a whole, its organizers shall first communicate with the other chapter’s organizers in an attempt to resolve the matter. If mutual agreement is unable to be decided upon, they may escalate the issue to the Welfare Council.
The Welfare Council shall decide on the validity of the claims, only on the grounds of whether a chapter’s policies and actions are in compliance with member and chapter rights, and if a chapter’s policies and actions threaten the safety and structure of the Organization. The Welfare Council shall not decide issues better suited to resolutions by the Assembly, and shall refer any such matters to the Assembly. The Welfare Council shall provide a period of open comment from any member of the disputing chapters, to allow for member defense and arguments. The Welfare Council shall render a verdict by majority vote.
Should the Welfare Council find against an accused chapter, they shall instruct the Chapters Director to work with the chapter to amend their policies and any other actions as necessary to satisfy the Welfare Council’s verdict.
The Welfare Council shall only hear cases of jurisdictional disputes as outlined in Section Two Subsection Four of this Article.
If the chapter’s leadership and membership consistently, repeatedly, and intentionally engages in misconduct to the point of bringing a severe and negative reputation to the Organization, a petition of not less than one-fifth (⅕) of the Assembly may be made to the Welfare Council to revoke a chapter’s ratification.
The Welfare Council shall review the allegations, hear evidence and cases made by members for and against the revocation of the chapter’s ratification, and determine if revocation is necessary. The Welfare Council may recommend revocation by a two-thirds (⅔) majority vote.
Upon the recommendation of the Welfare Council, the Speaker of the Assembly shall convene an emergency session of the Assembly to deliberate and vote on the revocation of the chapter’s ratification. Final revocation of the chapter’s ratification shall require a two-thirds (⅔) vote of the Assembly to be enacted.
Upon the revocation of a chapter’s ratification, affected members shall be provided the opportunity to update their chapter preference to adjacent chapters, or to At-Large members. The members shall be treated the same as At-Large transfers, as described in Article Three Section Six Subsection Five.
Nothing in this Subsection shall be construed to prevent the exercise of powers provided in Subsection One and Two of this Section.
Chapters shall actively work with members who transfer from one chapter to another to ease any such transition process for the member. Members shall not be deprived of their rights on the basis of chapter transfer, but chapters may consult with the member’s previous chapter to confirm relevant information regarding the member and inquire on any relevant misconduct proceedings the member has had previously. The member shall be expected to provide the new chapter with as much advance notice as possible with the contact information of their prior chapter, so that their new chapter may complete any procedures necessary for the transfer.
Chapters may and shall create uniform policies for their members, to include topics such as member ascension, operational security, meeting conduct, and other policies as necessary to ensure good conduct of the chapter. No policy shall violate the rights of the membership, and all policies shall treat members fairly, equitably, and respectfully.
All chapters shall have a provision regarding membership ascension in their chapter bylaws, and shall have clarifying policies on membership ascension in place to handle questions not answered in their bylaws. Ascension shall, at minimum, require a physical meeting with the provisional member, an interview of their background and interests, and a brief review of their social media. Chapters shall not maintain overly restrictive policies on the background of members, shall not discriminate on the basis of political beliefs not barred by these Bylaws, and shall not coerce personal information from a member beyond what is necessary for the good function of the chapter.
All chapters shall have a provision regarding member attendance, excusal, and ramifications on ascension in their chapter bylaws, and shall have clarifying policies on these topics in place to handle questions not answered in their bylaws.
Chapters may from time to time partake in various actions and statements that may not be explicit statements of the Organization. Chapters shall determine their own mechanisms for the endorsement of actions and statements, but shall generally ensure that the action and statement has the mandate of the chapter membership. When a chapter is taking an action or making a statement that has not been previously endorsed by the Organization, it shall ensure that such action or statement is presented only as that of the chapter’s and not the Organization. A chapter may never take an action or make a statement that violates the rules of the Organization or its mission statement.
Should a chapter consistently fail to hold meetings, virtual or physical, consistently fail to elect members to its chapter roles, or otherwise consistently fail to conduct the business of a chapter on the basis of inactivity, the Chapters Director shall first attempt to contact any active organizers or full members in the chapter to resolve the inactivity.
Should the chapter be unable to resolve the inactivity, the Chapters Director shall send a report of their efforts and the state of the chapter to the Organizing Committee and recommend the suspension of the chapter’s ratification. The Organizing Committee shall review the Chapters Director’s report on the chapter, and shall vote on whether to present the report to the Assembly.
If the report is presented to the Assembly, the Assembly shall consider the report and may suspend the chapter’s ratification by majority vote. A suspended chapter shall not be entitled to seats in the Assembly, dues shares, nor any other privileges afforded to ratified chapters. The chapter may break its suspension upon the petition of five full members of the chapter to the Chapters Director to resume the chapter’s operations.
No member shall lose their ascension by virtue of inactivity of their chapter.
A chapter liaison shall be the main point of contact between the Organization and the chapter. A chapter liaison shall be readily available for contact by the Organization, and shall maintain an awareness and knowledge of the activities of their chapter to be able to report to the Organization.
Chapter liaisons may be appointed, removed, and serve any length of time greater than three (3) months as a term, as the chapter sees fit. Chapters shall notify the Chapters Director of any change in the position of their liaison within one (1) week of the change.
A chapter secretary shall be a member in charge of maintaining the member records of the chapter, and any other documents of the chapter. A chapter secretary shall maintain a chapter roster as well as sending to and receiving updates from the Records Director regarding the chapter’s membership. They shall be a member who is well trusted within the chapter, and may be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement with the Organization.
Chapter secretaries may be appointed, removed, and serve any length of time greater than six (6) months as a term, as the chapter sees fit. Chapters shall notify the Chapters Director and the Records Director of any change in the position of their secretary within three (3) days of the change.
A chapter treasurer shall be a member in charge of maintaining the accounts of a chapter, keeping and transmitting receipts generated by the chapter, and ensuring the chapter is in compliance with any local laws and regulations that may be imposed on the chapter. They shall send an annual report of the chapter’s finances to the Financial Director every January, shall preserve any receipts of revenues and expenses of the chapter for a period of not less than three (3) years or any greater length of time prescribed by law, and shall be responsible for the financial health of their chapter.
They shall be a member who is well trusted within the chapter and who possesses the necessary skills and knowledge to complete basic accounting. Chapter treasurers may be appointed, removed, and serve any length of time greater than six (6) months as a term, as the chapter sees fit. Chapters shall notify the Chapters Director and the Financial Director of any change in the position of their treasurer within three (3) days of the change.
In accordance with the chapter’s right to self-determine its mechanism of governance, these positions shall neither imply nor denote any additional authority of power beyond what is required in these Subsections of this Section. Chapters may also choose to impose additional requirements or endow these positions with additional powers as the chapter sees fit.
As an expectation, it will be preferred that all mandated roles within this Section are filled by separate members. In the event that a chapter is unable to maintain separate occupancy in these roles, chapters may set forth provisions in their bylaws to allow for the same member to hold multiple roles under this Section.
The share of national dues to a chapter from annual dues shall be calculated in the following manner:
The share of national dues to a chapter from monthly dues shall be calculated in the following manner:
The share of national dues to a chapter from lifetime dues shall be calculated in the following manner:
On the last business day of January, April, July, and October, the Financial Director shall inform all chapter treasurers of the amount of money to be credited to their chapter. This shall be based upon the Financial Director’s previous accounting for the dues share of the applicable preceding months. For example, January’s disbursement would include dues shares calculated on the first business day of November, December, and January.
Chapters shall only receive disbursement of their dues shares if the chapter has a current treasurer. If a chapter has no treasurer at the time of regular disbursement, the Financial Director shall credit the chapter’s ledger balance with the amount owed to the chapter. Upon the selection of a new treasurer by the chapter, the chapter treasurer shall contact the Financial Director for irregular disbursement.
If a chapter has established an independent bank account, the Financial Director shall initiate a transfer to that chapter’s bank account.
If a chapter has a prepaid card or cards managed by the Organization, the Financial Director shall credit the funds to that card or cards as applicable.
If a chapter has no mechanism to store the funds, the Financial Director shall retain the funds in the Organization’s bank account established for dues shares, and shall notify the chapter treasurer of the amount credited to their ledger as well as a current ledger balance for their chapter.
The Financial Director shall, at all times, maintain a complete account of all calculations and disbursements to chapters for not less than ten years. This account shall be backed up and archived as necessary to ensure its longevity and access to future Administrations. The Financial Director shall additionally maintain an estimated balance of the chapters of the Organization, based on what has been reported to them from the chapters.
Chapter treasurers shall report all expenses to the Financial Director periodically, and remit receipts for expenses paid for with dues shares within one (1) month of those expenses being made. They shall compile and submit a report of the chapter’s revenue and expenses for the year as required in Section Six Subsection Three of this Article. The Financial Director shall preserve these reports and receipts for not less than ten years.
Chapters may spend revenue received by dues share on any activity or expense that is a legal activity or expense for a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization to make under the Internal Revenue Service Code.
Expenses that are explicitly forbidden from being made with dues shares are:
The Financial Director may issue further interpretations, guidelines, and policies on forbidden expenses to the chapter treasurers. Invalid expenses are grounds for chapter and member discipline.
A chapter may, if it so determines and is financially able to do so, provide compensation to a member in the form of a wage or salary. A chapter may only do so if it has become an incorporated entity in the state that it resides, and is capable of sustaining the infrastructure necessary to make filings to all applicable local, state, and federal authorities.
To the full extent authorized by the laws of the State of Kansas and the United States, all members of the Assembly, all officers, all committee members, all employees, all volunteers, and all members acting in accordance with authority given to them by the Bylaws of this Organization or at the direction of authorized agents of the Organization, shall be indemnified from lawsuit pressed against them. This indemnity shall be waived upon finding of a court that the individual committed gross misconduct in the execution of their duties. The foregoing indemnification shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which an indemnitee may be entitled under any Bylaw, agreement, resolution of the Assembly, or otherwise.
Expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) incurred in defending a civil or criminal action, suit, or proceeding may be paid by the organization in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit, or proceeding, if authorized by the Assembly, upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the indemnitee to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified hereunder.
The Organization shall purchase within the first year of operation and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a committeeperson, officer, employee, or agent against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the organization would have the power or obligation to indemnify such person against such liability under this Article.
The membership shall meet physically once every two (2) years at a National Convention.
The National Convention shall serve as an opportunity to interact with, train, organize, and discuss topics of the Organization with members across the nation. It shall serve as an opportunity to present and advance resolutions for consideration by the chapters and membership in person, pursuant to any resolution passed by the Assembly.
The Administration of the Organization shall be responsible for the planning, organizing, and maintenance of the National Convention. The President shall be responsible for the parliamentary order and good conduct of the National Convention.
The regional districts of the Organization shall meet physically as often as their constituent chapters see fit, but not less than once every two (2) years.
A regional district may be created by not less than four chapters petitioning the Chapters Director to form a district. The Chapters Director shall approve the petition, provided it does not overlap with another district, and the chapters shall be entitled to request assistance in conducting a regional convention. A chapter may choose to affiliate or disaffiliate with a regional district at any time, and a regional district shall have no authority provided to it under these Bylaws, beyond any authority and constraints the regional district chooses to impose upon itself.
The regional conventions shall provide a local alternative to the national convention, with the same intent of promoting training, organizing, and the discussion of relevant chapter and Organization topics. The rules and binding actions that may come out of a regional convention on its participants shall be decided upon by its participating chapters.
Upon dissolution, the Socialist Rifle Association Inc. permanently dedicates all remaining funds and assets to such other organizations that are organized exclusively for the promotion of social welfare and that operate to further the common good and general welfare of the community, subject to any present or future sections of federal, state, or local laws and regulations.
Upon dissolution, Kansas law will govern the distribution of the Socialist Rifle Association Inc.'s assets.
For the purposes of these Bylaws, all statements and procedures outlined in this Article take precedence and supremacy over all others made in these Bylaws. The purpose of this Article is to ensure the smooth and effective transition from any previous version of the Bylaws to the version enacted via these Bylaws.
Prior to the enactment of these Bylaws, the chapters and the Organization shall work cooperatively to ensure that all members who have undergone a chapter verification process are updated to be considered full members in the national roster. Members who have not been verified by their chapter shall have their membership status updated as provisional.
Prior to the enactment of these Bylaws, the Organization shall contact members with no chapter on file and undertake all reasonable efforts to ensure members who are within existing jurisdiction of a chapter are incorporated into that chapter. At-Large members who are not within any chapter jurisdiction will be reviewed on a case by case basis as to whether or not a new chapter may be formed prior to the enactment of these Bylaws. In the event a new chapter cannot be formed, At-Large members may be vetted on a case by case basis, and record of this vetting shall be retained for future reference.
All ratified chapters of the Organization shall retain their ratification, and shall not be deprived of their status as such by the enactment of these Bylaws. Ratified chapters shall, within three (3) months of the passage of these bylaws, ensure that their chapter bylaws have been updated in accordance with any provisions mandated by these Bylaws.
Chapters not yet formally ratified under previous Bylaws shall be given the option of seeking ratification prior to the enactment of these Bylaws. Their proposed bylaws shall be consistent with the provisions mandated within these Bylaws.
The previous Central Committee shall retain their mandate and legal authority of the Organization under the previous Bylaws until the Assembly and first Organizing Committee is established, upon which time legal authority shall transfer to the Organizing Committee.
Duly appointed directors shall retain their positions and become directors of equivalent title under these Bylaws.
Officers shall be afforded first preference to vacant directorships within the Administration, as described in Section Four of this Article. Officers receiving pay shall maintain such pay in their directorship, and their prior office, if it still exists, shall become a voluntary commission.
Upon the passage of these Bylaws, all prior Officers who have chosen to take positions within the Administration shall take their positions within it and immediately commence work on taking all actions, measures, and procedures necessary to fulfill the provisions of these Bylaws and commence a prompt election of the first Assembly. The Executive Director may temporarily commission directorships until the Organizing Committee can be formed.
Upon the election of the first Assembly and the selection of the Organizing Committee, at the first meeting of thereof, the Assembly shall undertake a confidence vote on the current Executive Director. If the confidence vote succeeds by a simple majority, the Executive Director shall continue in their role until relieved of it by the provisions in Article Five of these Bylaws. Should the confirmation vote fail, the Organizing Committee shall begin the process of selecting a new Executive Director as described in Article Five Section Three Subsection One of these Bylaws, and the current Executive Director shall be relieved of their position.
The Welfare Council shall be initially composed by the prior Member Welfare Committee, with the Chair of the prior Member Welfare Committee becoming the Chair of the Welfare Council.
Upon the election of the first Assembly, at the first meeting thereof, the Assembly shall undertake a confidence vote individually on all sitting members of the Welfare Council. If the confidence vote succeeds by a simple majority, the member shall continue to serve on the Welfare Council. Should the confirmation vote fail, a new candidate for the position shall be named in accordance with Article Six Section Three Subsection One of these Bylaws.
Should the Welfare Council have any vacancies at the time of the first meeting of the Assembly, the Assembly shall fill those vacancies in accordance with Article Six Section Three Subsection One of these Bylaws.
For the purposes of initiating the selection process, the President shall have first claim at naming a nominee for a vacancy on the Welfare Council, unless the vacancy is the Chair, in which case the Executive Director shall name the nominee.
Following the first election of the Assembly, the President shall convene the inaugural meeting of the Assembly within one (1) month of the conclusion of the election. No regular actions may be taken by the Assembly until the completion of all applicable retention votes and appointments have been made.
Existing policies, procedures, and standing rules of the Organization shall continue following the enactment of these Bylaws, unless these Bylaws contravene any lesser document. In the event of a contradiction, these Bylaws shall take precedence, and the appropriate authority shall rewrite or nullify the infringing document.
To fulfill the requirements of a supervising Commission for Elections, the Administration, the preceding Central Committee of the former Bylaws, and the Welfare Council shall individually select one member each to place on the Commission for Elections. Upon the request of the Commission, each party shall select one additional member to place on the Commission.
The Assembly may recommend the amendment of any portion of these Bylaws by a majority vote, and may be enacted by a two-thirds (⅔) majority vote of the membership.
The Assembly may amend any portion of these Bylaws by a three-fourths (¾) majority vote.
The membership may, by petition of not less than one-fifth (⅕) of the total members who voted in the most recent Assembly election, initiate a referendum to amend these Bylaws. Such a referendum shall require a two-thirds (⅔) vote of the membership to be enacted.
The chapters may, by processes determined by the chapters, petition to amend these Bylaws by referendum. Such a petition shall require not less than one fourth (¼) of the ratified chapters of the Organization. Such a referendum shall require a three-fifths (⅗) vote of the membership to be enacted.
