BY - LAWS

of the

REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE

OF

WASHINGTON COUNTY

As amended April 15, 2009

ARTICLE ONE: ORGANIZATION OF THE PARTY

The organization of the Republican Party of Washington County shall consist of the following:

1.County Committee

2.Executive Committee

3.Finance Committee

4.Such other committees as shall be created by the Executive Committee and appointed by the Chairman in accord with these By-Laws

ARTICLE TWO: ELIGIBILITY OF MEMBERS AND OFFICERS

1.Any person registered to vote in Washington County and enrolled as a member of the Republican Party shall be qualified to sit as a member of the Republican County Committee.

2.An officer must meet the qualification for committee membership; however, a person shall not be required to be a member of the committee to qualify for party office.

3.One woman and one man shall be elected from each precinct as members of this committee.

4.If no person is elected to a committee position, the Chairman shall make a search of the residents to determine if there is any resident, irrespective of gender, of that precinct willing and qualified to serve. If such person shall be found, the Chairman shall appoint said person to the vacant position in accord with these By-Laws. If such person shall not be found within said precinct, then the Chairman shall make a search of the residents, irrespective of gender, of any precincts contained therein said political subdivision or municipality as the vacant precinct to determine if there is any resident willing and qualified to serve and if such person is found shall appoint said person to the vacant position.

5.All persons elected or appointed to the Washington County Republican Committee shall also meet all other qualifications imposed by law.

ARTICLE THREE: CONDUCT OF BUSINESS

1.The general supervision, regulation and direction of the Republican Party shall be vested in the Republican Committee which shall consist of one man and one woman from each election precinct who shall be elected by the Republican electors of the respective precinct for a term of four years. The County Committee shall meet biennially, for organization, in accord with that Article hereof concerning election of officers. The County Committee shall meet at least twice a year.

2.The officers to be elected at the said meeting shall be as follows and the person elected shall have such powers and duties as are set forth hereinafter:

a.Chairman: The chairman of the Republican Party of Washington County shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Republican Party in Washington County. He shall have the authority to conduct and direct the routine business of the party. He shall have the power to hire and terminate employment as authorized by the Executive Committee. He shall appoint, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, persons to vacant positions of whatsoever nature. He shall call and chair meetings of the Executive Committee.

b.First Vice Chairman: He shall act as chairman whensoever the chairman is unable, absent, or unwilling to act as Chairman.

c.Second Vice Chairman: He shall act as Chairman whensoever the Chairman and First Vice Chairman is unable, absent or unwilling to act as Chairman.

d.Secretary: The Secretary shall be the chief ministerial officer of the Republican Party in Washington County. He shall take, prepare, and keep minutes of all meetings. He shall attest to the approval of the Executive Committee of all appointments and shall be responsible for filing certificates of appointment with the appropriate election office. He shall be the custodian of the seal of the Republican Party of Washington County and shall affix said seal as shall be required and needed.

e.Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be the Chief Financial Officer of the Republican Party in Washington County. He shall have custody, control, and responsibility for all money and valuable things possessed by the Republican Party of Washington County. He shall disburse money and valuable things in accord with the by transfer authorizations given to him by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all filings required by local, state, or federal law, however, the Treasurer shall not be responsible for those filings required to be done by the Secretary.

3.The Chairman, First Vice Chairman or Second Vice Chairman shall serve no more than consecutive two year terms or parts thereof.

4.An officer may be removed from office if and only if there has been a recommendation from the Grievance Committee that the individual be removed from office and two- thirds of the actual membership of the Executive Committee shall vote in the affirmative to accept and approve the recommendation of the Grievance Committee.

5.All officers shall be elected at a meeting of the full Republican Committee of Washington County held on the third Tuesday of November in even numbered years.

a.On or before the second Tuesday in April of even numbered years, the Chairman shall appoint a Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall recommend and nominate one candidate for each office and make a report thereof to the entire Republican Committee at a meeting of the entire committee. The Nominating Committee shall include no fewer than five members of the Washington County Committee. At the meeting held to receive the Report of the Nominating Committee, it shall be in order to nominate a person from the floor in accord with Robert’s Rules of Order.

b.At the meeting held to elect officers in November, it shall be in order to accept nominations from the floor in accord with Robert’s Rules of Order. The election of officers shall be by Australian ballot. Only those persons who are members of the Washington County Committee shall be entitled to vote.

c.The ballots shall be counted under the direction of the Secretary or, if he is a candidate, the designee of the Secretary approved by the Executive Committee. Any candidate may designate two persons to watch the counting of ballots.

ARTICLE FOUR: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND FINANCE OF THE PARTY

1.The Chairman shall appoint a Finance Chairman in accord with the provisions of these By-Laws. The Chairman shall appoint a Finance Committee of not less than five persons after consultation with the Finance Chairman.

2.The Finance Committee shall project the anticipated revenue and prepare a budget proposal for the consideration of the Chairman and the Executive Committee. Before presentation to the Executive Committee, the Chairman shall make changes in the proposed budget as he shall deem wise, proper, and in the best interest of the Republican Party of Washington County. However, the Chairman shall give notice to the Executive Committee of any such changes before the Executive Committee shall consider the proposed budget.

3.The Treasurer shall sit as an ex-officio member of the Finance Committee and shall be allowed to vote on the said committee. The Finance Chairman shall insure that the Treasurer is informed of all activities, actions, and recommendations of the Finance Committee. The Finance Chairman shall sit as an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee.

4.All money raised by the Finance Committee shall be accounted for to the Treasurer and deposited in such accounts as shall be designated by the Treasurer of the Washington County Republican Party. The Treasurer shall disburse money only as authorized by the Executive Committee of the Washington County Republican Party.

5.The Executive Committee shall consist of:

a.The Officers of the County Committee

b.The Finance Chairman

c.The Republican State Committee men and women

d.Five persons appointed by the Chairman

e.The District Managers of each school district as selected by the Republican committee persons of each district.

f.The elected County-wide Republican office holders.

The geographic area assigned to each district may be changed at any time by use of the procedure required to amend these By-Laws.

6.A quorum of the Executive Committee shall consist of a majority of those members actually appointed or elected. If there shall be a vacancy in any elected seat, the Chairman may with the approval of the Executive Committee fill such seat.

7.The Republican Party may maintain a headquarters for the conduct of its affairs and the convenience of its members.

8.Ten days notice shall be given to each member of the Executive Committee of each meeting of the Executive Committee. Emergency meetings of the Executive Committee shall be called by the Chairman with the maximum time possible permitted for notice to be received in advance. Special and emergency meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by the Secretary upon written petition of a majority of the members of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE FIVE: GRIEVANCES AND GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE

1.No member of the Republican Committee shall give public support to any candidate for public office not nominated by the Republican Party.

2.No member or officer shall continue in office after having been convicted of or having engaged in behavior which causes the party to be held to public disgrace, infamy, or ridicule.

3.Within twenty days after election to the office of Chairman, the Chairman shall appoint a committee of five members to sit as the Grievance Committee. One member shall be an attorney-at-law, one member shall be a member of the Executive Committee, and three members shall be members of the County Committee who do not serve as an officer or as a member of the Executive Committee.

4.A grievance may be filed by any member of the Republican Committee of Washington County.

5.Upon receipt of a grievance, the Committee shall determine the validity of the grievance on the basis of the sworn contents of the filing. No unsworn or unwritten grievance shall be accepted.

6.If the grievance is determined to have validity on the face of the document, the accused shall be notified of the charges in writing. The accused shall be provided with a copy of the sworn writing, and the accused shall be notified of the time and place for a hearing before the Grievance Committee. At least ten days and no more than thirty days shall be allowed between the time of the notice and the time of the hearing. At the time of the hearing, the accused shall be entitled to respond to the charges, question his accuser, present witnesses in his favor, and to make a stenographic record of the proceedings at his own expense.

7.The Grievance Committee may dismiss the grievance or determine that the charges are valid. If the Committee finds the charges to be valid, it may impose no punishment or it may reprimand the accused in writing. The Grievance Committee may recommend to the Executive Committee that the accused be suspended or removed from membership on the County Committee. A person may be suspended or removed from the County Committee only after being afforded an opportunity to rebut the conclusions and recommendations of the Grievance Committee in a hearing before the Executive Committee.

8.Any officer or member shall, after the filing of a grievance, have the right to resign. If a member or officer shall resign, the Grievance Committee shall treat the complaint as having been dismissed.

ARTICLE SIX: LOCAL COMMITTEES

1.Members of the Washington County Republican Committee shall have the right to form local committees representing geographic areas of whatsoever nature and for whatsoever interest.

2.The responsibility for compliance with the local, state, and federal election laws shall be the responsibility of the local committee so formed.

ARTICLE SEVEN: QUORUM AND VOTING

1.A quorum for the meeting of the Washington County Republican Committee shall be thirty percent of the actual membership of the Committee.

2.All business of the committee shall be in accord with Robert's Rules of Order, latest edition, unless the rules are suspended by two-thirds of those present and voting on a particular issue.

3.Any member may vote on any question by proxy. No one person shall hold a proxy from any other zone other than his or her own, and no one person shall hold more than two proxies.

ARTICLE EIGHT: CONFORMITY AND SEVERABILITY

1.No By-Law or motion shall be permitted that conflicts with the By-Laws, rules or regulations of the Republican Party of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

2.Any provision of these By-Laws which shall be declared by the State Republican Committee or by a court of competent jurisdiction to be void shall not affect the validity of any other provision of these By-Laws.

ARTICLE NINE: AMENDMENT

These By-Laws may be altered, amended, or repealed by a vote of two-thirds of the members of the Executive Committee and subsequent approval of the alteration, amendment, or repeal by a majority of the members of the Washington County Republican Committee.