Review the official bylaws governing the structure, membership requirements, and operational guidelines of the Tarrant County Republican Assembly.
Mission Statement
The Tarrant County Republican Assembly is a grass roots volunteer organization dedicated to working within the Republican Party to promote the active participation of its members and the election of conservative Republican candidates. The TCRA sponsors public forums and encourages the expression of conservative political views. The TCRA is a responsible and influential political force for positive and constructive action to effect the fiscal and social betterment of The United States of America. The founding principles of our Nation are the guiding force in the Assembly. The TCRA is affiliated with the National Federation of Republican Assemblies.
Article I — Membership
Section 1
Membership is open to all Republican Primary voters who subscribe to the principles of the Assembly.
Section 2
Annual dues are $30 per person or $50 per married couple. Dues received between October 1 and July 31 are considered paid through the fiscal year ended the following September 30. Dues received after July 31 grant membership until September 30 of the following year (i.e., dues paid in August or September grant membership for the following 14 or 13 months).
Section 3
To vote in the annual election of Board members or in any endorsement meeting, a member must be in good standing (dues paid) and have been a member for at least sixty (60) days prior to the meeting.
Article II — General Meetings
Section 1
Meetings shall be held from time to time as speakers become available. However, there shall be at least eight meetings per year.
Section 2
An annual meeting at which Board of Directors members are elected shall be held annually in September. At the election meeting, a quorum shall consist of those members present.
Article III — Fiscal Year
Section 1
The fiscal year of the Tarrant County Republican Assembly shall commence on October 1 and end on September 30.
Article IV — Board of Directors
Section 1 — Number
There shall be fifteen (15) members of the Board of Directors.
Section 2 — Term
The term of office shall be three (3) years, with one-third of the Board standing for election each year.
Section 3 — Term limits
A Board member shall be eligible for re-election, but may not serve more than two consecutive full terms.
Section 4 — Election
At the annual election meeting of all members (see Article II, Sec. 2), there shall be at large voting (i.e., no defined places) for all candidates nominated for a full three year term, with a majority vote of those members present required to elect. In the event of more than five candidates for a full term the five candidates with the most number of votes shall be elected.
In the event of a necessity to fill vacancies on the Board a distinct election for the unexpired term shall be held at the annual election meeting in accordance with the same process as set out above.
Section 5 — Eligibility
To be eligible for election to the Board, a member must be a registered voter, have voted in the most recent Republican Primary, and have been a member in good standing for a period of one year.
In keeping with the grassroots nature of the Assembly, publicly-elected officials and candidates for public office are not eligible to serve as Board members. This clause shall not preclude Republican Party officers (e.g., precinct chairmen, county chairmen, or SREC members) from serving as Board members.
Section 6 — Quorum
A quorum for Board meetings is 50% of the current Board membership.
Section 7 — Meetings
The Board of Directors shall meet the first month of each calendar quarter. The President may call additional meetings from time to time as circumstances require. Board members shall be given at least ten (10) days written notice of each proposed board meeting. Email notice shall be sufficient if sent to the last known email address of a board member.
A special meeting of the Board shall be held at the request of any ten (10) members of the Board.
An Emergency Meeting of the Board of Directors may be called at the President’s discretion with a minimum 24 hour notice sent by email or by text message, with the concurrence of at least two other Board members if a situation arises requiring immediate Board action. At any Emergency Meeting, the Board of Directors may act only on the emergency matters included with the call. The call shall also include the names of the two Board members in concurrence with holding the Emergency Meeting. Any action of the Board shall have the same quorum requirements of a Regular meeting.
Section 8
Business matters shall be handled by the Assembly’s officers, subject to Board direction and approval.
Section 9
All Board meetings shall be open to any interested member of the Assembly.
Section 10
A Board member who fails to attend two consecutive unexcused Board meetings may be removed from his or her position on the Board upon the vote of two-thirds of the members of the Board present at a Board meeting. With advance notice from the absent member, the Board as a whole may excuse an absence for good reason.
Section 11
A vacancy on the Board of Directors after the annual election meeting shall be filled by a majority vote of the remaining Board Members. The person selected to fill the vacancy shall serve until the next annual meeting and may seek election to the unexpired term or a full term as appropriate.
Article V — Officers
Section 1 — Positions
The officers shall consist of the following: President, Vice-President – Communications, Vice-President – Programs, Treasurer, Vice-President – Membership, Secretary.
Section 2 — Term
The term of office shall be one (1) year.
Section 3 — Term limits
No officer may serve more than two (2) consecutive full terms in the same office. The term and term limits for officers set out herein are separate and distinct from the term and term limits for members of the Board.
Section 4 — Election
The officers shall be elected by the Board of Directors each year at the first Board meeting following the election of new Board members at the annual election meeting.
Section 5 — Eligibility
To be eligible to serve as an officer, a member must be a registered voter, have voted in the most recent Republican Primary, be a member in good standing, and be a member of the Board.
Section 6 — Removal
Any officer may be removed at any time by the vote of two-thirds of the members of the Board. The portion of any Board meeting dealing with removal shall be closed to non-Board members and to the officer in question.
Article VI — Candidate Endorsements
Section 1
Upon a concurring vote of two-thirds of the members at a special meeting called for the purpose of considering candidate endorsements, the Assembly may endorse a candidate in a contested Republican Primary; provided, however, that at least 50% of the current membership is in attendance at the meeting. In general, endorsements should only be made in cases of a “bright line distinction” between candidates – e.g., a clear difference in political philosophy or a significant difference in competence and experience. Whether such a bright line distinction exists is subject to the individual interpretation of each member.
Section 2
Considering the fact that the Assembly is a Republican organization, no endorsements are necessary in General Elections, as the Party will have already nominated its candidates.
Article VII — Amendments
Section 1
These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Board; provided, however, that three-fourths of the current Board members are present at the meeting.
As an alternative, these By-Laws may also be amended via email or electronic written communication if the President proposes an Amendment via email or electronic written communication to all Members of the Board. The full text of the proposed Amendment shall be transmitted to all Members of the Board at the same time. The Amendment shall not be adopted sooner than (10) ten days from the time of the transmission and, for adoption, requires a two-thirds affirmative responsive written vote to all Members of the Board via email or electronic communication of the whole number of current Board Members.
Section 2
Proposed changes shall be provided in writing to all Board members at least 10 days prior to the meeting at which they are to be considered.
Adopted April 12, 2022
