2023 CALL TO CAUCUS FOR THE PURPOSE OF REORGANIZING THE COMMITTEE PURSUANT TO THE BY-LAWS
1. Call to Caucus: All Members called to Caucus for the purpose of Reorganizing pursuant to the Democratic Party Plan.
2. When: The Caucus will be held on January 11th at 6:00pm.
3. Where: The Caucus will be held at the Higher Education Center in Abingdon, VA
4. All registered voters who adhere to the values and platforms of the Rural Democratic Party are encouraged to attend.
Article IV - REORGANIZATION Section 4.01 - Time of Election: A caucus to elect members of the Committee shall occur biennially as prescribed in Section 8.1 of the Party Plan of the Democratic Party of Virginia.
Section 4.02 - Committee Reorganization:
A. The Committee shall be elected through a reorganization meeting held between December 1st of each odd-numbered year and the 15th of the following January. The existing Executive Committee shall determine the date of the reorganization meeting and communicate that information to the State Party by November 15th of each odd- numbered year.
1. The Committee shall consist of those individuals who attend the reorganization meeting, sign the Democratic pledge form and express a desire to serve. There is no limit to the number of members of the Committee, but those attending the reorganization meeting shall elect as many members of the Committee as they choose; provided, that each precinct in Washington County should, if possible, be represented by at least one full voting member of the Committee who shall be at the time of his or her election a resident of that precinct. The Secretary shall report, by precinct, the names of the qualified candidates to the reorganization meeting for approval.
2. Upon election of the new Committee, members of the Committee shall caucus by Election District to elect a District Chair and Vice-Chair, as well as a Precinct Captain for each precinct, and report the results of those elections to the Secretary.
3. After the caucus elections are reported, the reorganization meeting shall elect the officers set forth in Section 5.01, who shall take office immediately after the organization meeting.
4. The Committee may accept additional members who meet the criteria in Section 4.02(2) at meetings other than the reorganization meeting.
Here is a link to the full by-laws of the Washington County Democratic Committee.
The Officers to be elected at Caucus are Chair, Vice Chair for Operations, Treasurer, Secretary and Vice Chair for Finance. Please notify the Chair of your intent to seek any of the Offices listed by January 3rd 2024.
Dear Amazing Rural Democrats,
We should all be very proud of the work we have done over the past two years.
These are among our many accomplishments:
· increased and sustained membership of over 125 members
· established a long term strategic plan
· raised our visibility in community
· re-branded as Rural Democrats to more accurately reflect our rural values
· hosted the 3rd Annual Donkey Day
· met or exceeded fundraising goals necessary to support out candidates in a meaningful way.
· established the Joseph P. Johnson Memorial Scholarship
· recruited and ran excellent new candidates for local and Constitutional offices
· established and published a quarterly Newsletter
· increased messaging on social media and established a user-friendly website that keeps membership informed and engaged.
We need to keep our momentum moving forward and build on the considerable progress we have made. That is why I am asking you to do the following 3 things:
1. Sign and return the enclosed Membership Application with your $25 check for your annual dues or online at www.washcovadems.org/join-us/ No Dues are necessary to participate in the Caucus
2. Attend the Caucus on January 11th to elect leadership for the next two years, and
3. Think about what role you want to play in this important work moving forward. We need all of us if we are going help lift up rural and working people.
Susan Stancill
Chair