Democratic Socialists of O'ahu

CONSTITUTION

Article I. Name and Affiliation

1. The name of the organization shall be “Democratic Socialists of O‘ahu”, hereafter referred to as “DSO”.
2. DSO shall be the Democratic Socialists of America chapter for the entirety of the island of Oʻahu.

Article II. Purpose and Mission Statement

1. Our mission is to aid in educating, organizing, and liberating the people and ʻāina of Kō Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina and to play a helpful and principled role in the movement for liberation throughout Kō Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina and the world. Within and throughout this struggle, we will articulate, defend, and advance the idea that liberation is impossible under capitalism and de facto political attachment to the United States of America. We seek to help effect change which would extend democracy into all aspects of life—social, political, economic, and environmental. This is the struggle for socialism. Our vision of socialism is profoundly democratic, feminist, de-colonial, anti-imperialist, and anti-racist.

Article III. Membership

1. Membership in DSO shall be open to any resident of Oʻahu who professes socialist or communist and pro-Hawaiian independence beliefs, and engages in their principled application and is at least eighteen years of age.
2. Eligibility for membership or appointed or elected officer positions in DSO may not be limited on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, physical or mental handicap, ancestry, or medical condition.
3. Membership is defined by members who are dues-paying or dues-waived members of DSO and attend at least three meetings.
4. Attendance at DSO events is open to non-members unless stated otherwise, but only members are allowed to vote in chapter affairs, run for Steering Committee, run for convention delegate, or be appointed chair of Working Groups.

Article IV. Steering Committee and Duties

1. The Steering Committee (SC) shall be composed of two (2) Chairs, one (1) Secretary, one (1) Treasurer, and one (1) Communications Chair.
2. To be eligible for the Steering Committee, candidates must be members of DSO.
3. Candidates will nominate themselves no later than two weeks prior to the date of the election.
4. Elections shall occur in the month of January each year, or by special election (outlined below).
5. All elections shall be first-past-the-post.
   • In the event that no candidate reaches a majority, a runoff between the candidates with the highest vote totals will take place immediately afterwards.
   • In the event of a tie, successive votes will be held until a winner is determined.
6. The term of the Steering Committee shall last one year.
   • Steering Committee vacancies shall be filled via special election, to be announced within one week of a Steering Committee seat becoming vacant, and held no later than two weeks after the announcement.
   • All Steering Committee positions shall be subject to a two consecutive term limitation.
7. Steering Committee members may be subject to recall by petition with signatures of one-third of the chapter’s membership, as listed in the last membership list submitted by the chapter to the DSA national office. Submission of such a valid petition shall trigger a recall special election to be held no later than 30 days from receipt of that petition by the Steering Committee. The meeting for a recall vote shall be properly disseminated to the membership.
8. The duties of the Chairs shall be:
   • To facilitate meetings.
   • To reserve spaces for meetings, events, and tabling.
   • To communicate with members of the DSA National Coordinating Committee, staff, and members of national subcommittees.
9. The duties of the Secretary shall be:
   • To take minutes at general meetings.
   • To send meeting minutes to the DSO communications channel within twenty-four (24) hours of a meeting’s end.
   • To maintain a list of active members.
   • To build two contact lists of emails and phone numbers.
     • One for DSO members.
     • One for our wider list of supporters, drawn from our sign-in sheets at events.
   • To update and maintain a calendar on the DSO website listing our upcoming events.
   • To organize DSO documents to ensure writings, graphic design, and other resources are readily available to be used by the current and future SCs.
10. The duties of the Treasurer shall be:
    • To manage any funds of DSO.
    • To maintain an active log of DSO’s income and expenditures.
    • To fill out grant request forms when necessary.
    • To arrange the purchase of DSO goods, such as shirts, buttons, and banners.
    • To cooperate with National DSA to arrange a regular grant of funds to DSO.
    • To serve as lead organizer for at minimum two (2) fundraisers per year.
    • To encourage members to become dues-paying members of DSO, preferably paying monthly dues, through announcements at meetings and messages to the DSO communications channel.
    • To provide a regular financial report at SC meetings and GBMs.
11. The duties of the Communications Chair shall be:
    • To manage DSO’s social media, including the Instagram and Twitter accounts and email.
    • To regularly check DSO’s email account and respond promptly to enquiries with prior notification to and permission from the SC.
    • To keep track of all DSO social media accounts, usernames, and passwords.
    • To ensure fliers are being made and posted at least five to seven (5-7) days before events take place, either by making them or finding a volunteer to make them.
    • To reach out to and receive messages from other organizations on behalf of the SC.
      • The Communications Chair may not make commitments or extend invitations to other organizations without approval of the SC or GBM.
    • To organize internal phonebanking sessions to mobilize membership as needed.

Article V. Funding

1. DSO shall be funded through the following means: Fundraisers, DSO dues, and contributions and scholarships from Democratic Socialists of America.
2. All money transactions must be approved by the Treasurer.
   • A decision by the Treasurer can be overruled by a majority vote of the full SC or GBM.
3. The Steering Committee shall maintain a record of all financial transactions and accounts. These records shall be made available at any time by the request of any DSA National officer and will be reported regularly to the membership of DSO.

Article VI. Meetings

1. General Body Meetings (GBMs) will be held a minimum of four (4) times per year, held in person in a physical location, with options for virtual attendance. The day of the week and times will be determined within one (1) week of the conclusion of the previous GBM by the SC.
   • Meeting times may be changed by a simple majority vote of membership, or by unanimous consent to a decision by the SC.
2. SC meetings will take place on a biweekly basis, and be open to all members to attend. The day of the week and times will be determined biannually.
   • Meeting times may be changed by a simple majority vote of the SC.
   • SC members may request an Executive Session within SC meetings, during which only members of the SC may be present.
3. Special meetings may be called by the SC. Elections may not occur at such meetings.
   • These meetings must be publicized to membership unless they are for an explicitly private matter, such as a Grievance being filed.
4. Agendas for meetings shall be prepared by the SC and will be available at the request of members before a meeting.
5. A quorum for any GBM shall be one-half (½) of members in good standing.

Article VII. Powers

1. General Body Meetings (GBMs) are the highest decision-making body of DSO, and are where votes for priority campaigns, SC elections, DSA Convention delegate elections, the adoption of DSO’s platform, and the adoption of amendments to the Constitution will take place.
   • Unless otherwise provided in these bylaws, decisions of DSO shall be made by a simple majority of those present and voting, with those abstaining from the vote not figuring into the determination of the majority required.
   • For purposes of any vote, the determination of the current eligible voting membership shall be a private ballot (likely a folded index card or piece of paper). Votes will be counted immediately by the SC in the presence of members.
2. The SC is tasked with executing the decisions of GBMs and providing political leadership to DSO. The SC is tasked with the every-day work of running DSO and organizing events. Votes by the SC should take place at weekly meetings, or at special meetings when decisions need to be made quickly in response to current events.
   • Decisions made by the SC can be overruled by a simple majority vote of the GBM.
   • Any official and nonsecure Steering Committee communications must be made visible to the general membership at the request of any member. Secure communications require a majority vote at a GBM to be accessed by general membership.
3. The GBM may create temporary Working Groups (WGs) to accomplish particular projects or specialized tasks. The WGs can make everyday decisions regarding the practical tasks of their work, or make proposals or suggestions about our political orientation, but they are ultimately accountable to the GBM and have no formal decision making power.
   • To create a WG, any member in good standing can draft a written proposal outlining the type of work which would be conducted and justifying the need for a dedicated WG. This proposal must be sent to membership at least one week before the next GBM.
   • The creation of a WG can be approved by a simple majority vote of the GBM.
   • The Steering Committee will appoint a Chair or Co-Chairs of the WG, who can be any member in good standing, including SC members. Typically the member who proposed the creation of the WG should be among those appointed to lead the WG.
     • Leadership of a WG is not a SC position.
   • Upon their creation, Working Groups are empowered to have:
     • Regular meetings, open to all members to attend.
     • A dedicated channel in the chapter communications channel.
     • Regular reports and calls to action during SC meetings and GBMs.
   • Working Groups will be chartered to exist for one (1) quarter, or until the end of the next quarter in which it was proposed. After this point, the SC may vote on whether to extend their charter for further semesters or dissolve the WG.
4. The Chapter shall operate as a non-profit association and no profits may accrue to any individual within the organization.
5. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Chapter in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this Constitution or the Bylaws or standing rules of the organization.

Article VIII. Amendment of Bylaws

1. These bylaws may be amended at any GBM of the organization by a two-thirds vote, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing to the Steering Committee at the previous Steering Committee meeting.

Article IX. Harassment Policy

1. The chapter grievance process, including the process for reporting, remedies, and penalties, will be based on Resolution 33 passed by the DSA Convention.
2. Members will be held accountable to the DSO Code of Conduct:
   • Be in general agreement with the principles outlined in the DSA Platform, if not every single policy, and oppose capitalism, colonialism, imperialism, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and all other forms of oppression.
   • Engage fellow members with respect without using personal attacks or language which discriminates based on identity.
   • Respect the personal boundaries and consent of all people.
3. Grievances should be reported to the Steering Committee. Any involved Steering Committee members in the grievance in question shall recuse themselves until the grievance is resolved.
   • The SC reserves the right to make temporary decisions regarding the attendance of members accused of misconduct to any and all DSA meetings and events, and must initiate a grievance process within one (1) week of this decision having been made, which will be decided by a simple SC majority.
   • SC members shall not individually engage with the accused regarding the decisions of the SC.
4. The SC will regularly inform members of the existence and purpose of the grievance process, as well as how to submit a grievance, during GBMs. They will also regularly discuss the DSO Code of Conduct with members.
5. Members of the SC reserve the right to remove any non-members from the chapter communications channel or ask them not to attend our events if they engage in disruptive behavior, without the necessity of a grievance process.

Article X. Dissolution Clause

1. Should the organization be dissolved due to lack of interest or other reasons, it is the responsibility of the current president to notify membership that they have disbanded and provide reason. The treasurer is responsible for ensuring all fundraising dollars go to Democratic Socialists of America and notifying the membership that any allocated funding left will not be used.

Article XI. Secession Clause

1. Given the occupation, colonization, and militarization of Kō Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina by the United States of America, DSO shall secede from the National DSA in the event that the National DSA adopts positions and/or takes actions deemed by DSO to be contrary to the interest of the people and the ʻāina of Kō Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina. Secession would require a two-thirds (⅔) majority vote at a GBM with quorum participating.

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dsoahu.org/bylaws