Member Handbook
This is the 2014 Version of the Member Handbook. For a PDF, email the Caucus.
WHO WE ARE
The California Young Democrats Veterans Caucus is the political strong arm of the young Veterans of California and Veterans organizations where young Veterans participate. Together with organizations of the same kind within the structure of the other political parties, we work to ensure that the previously unmet needs of Veterans in the political spectrum are now met.
We constantly strive to ensure that we meet this goal. The ways we do it vary. From issues advocacy to candidate vetting, lobbying to grassroots organizing, and public awareness to elected office holder accountability; the CYD-Vets are working hard to ensure that the issues of today and yesterday’s veterans are never far from the minds of those who are elected to serve.
We are affiliated with the California Young Democrats (CYD), through chartering as one of the caucuses within its structure; we work closely with the California Democratic Party’s Veterans Caucus (VCCDP); and we work as closely as possible with all the different veterans groups and organizations of California.
We are a unique Veterans organization because of two things:
1) We do not require our members to be Veterans or family of Veterans. Any Democrat who desires to assist with our mission is encouraged to join. The only Veteran requirement in existence with this organization is this: Our Chair and Vice Chair must be Veterans in good standing whenever possible.
2) We are specifically partisan in nature, giving a voice to the Veterans in the Democratic Party that they have not had before. In doing so, we are allowing the process to exist through which candidates for office will now be held accountable to the Veterans issues they often can afford to pay less attention to during campaigns due to the mainstream Veterans organizations being non-partisan in nature.
WHAT WE DO
Issue Advocacy
We provide strong support to veterans’ issues facing our community, state and nation. We do this through increasing public awareness of these different issues, ensuring that elected officials are aware of them, ensuring that candidates for office are aware of them, and actions that directly support the solution we are supporting for the issue. Another way to support the issues we advocate is through our resolution process.
Lobbying
By utilizing the means available to us, we provide lobbying for and against different issues we are advocating and other bills/measures that have been put before the public or elected officials for movement. We do this through the physical presence of our members to the specific office holders or bodies that are either considering the issue or measure, or have potential for authoring such a measure.
Public Awareness & Education
In an effort to provide more support for the solutions to the issues we have identified, a sustained effort by the caucus to educate the public on these things is constant. We strive to allow more to rally to a cause and/or solution through our relationship with the public of the State of California and the elected officials of the same.
Veterans Affairs Support
Like any Veterans organization, we also support the advancement of the different programs of the Veterans Affairs departments at the national, state and local levels. We continue to strive for better benefits that actually help our veterans.
OUR HISTORY
In 2013, Lawson Stuart was elected to Chair the VCCDP. At age 28, he was the youngest serving Chair of a CDP caucus or county. He perfectly exemplified the heights that any Young Democrat can reach with support form CYD and their county/college counterparts.
After leading a total reorganization of the VCCDP, Lawson then turned his attention to the CYD. Previous efforts at supporting a Veterans Caucus had come and gone and none had succeeded in being truly sustainable. He determined to ensure that the CYD was able to revive this caucus and took to his membership, looking for someone who could lead.
Exemplifying the re-focus of the VCCDP on Women Veterans, he looked amongst the women members of the VCCDP first and found Rebecca Taylor. Rebecca was a young woman from the San Diego area, active in her local Young Democrats Club and rising within the VCCDP as a strong leader. As a Navy Veteran, she was perfect for the job.
During the 2013 Women Veterans Leadership Conference put on by the California Department of Veterans Affairs, Rebecca and Lawson discussed his vision for a strong CYD-VC, which would be given the chance to last the test of time and ensure that young California Veterans who were Democrats had the chance to come home to an organization that welcomed them.
Plans were developed and executed. The CYD-VC officially chartered in March of 2014, under the leadership of CYD President John Vigna.
OUR MISSION & CORE VALUES
Through the adoption of the Constitution and Bylaws, the mission of the CYD-Vets was formed. The mission officially is: “It shall be the mission of the CYD-VC to work within the California Young Democrats (CYD), providing a strong voice and representation within the party structure that promotes the welfare of Veterans.”
With the adoption of their bylaws, the CYD-Vets chose the following Values, which the VCCDP and Veterans Democratic Clubs in many counties all share:
• "Leadership- In compliment to the overall mission of the VDCSC, an element of leadership development shall have a presence in all that is done by the organization.
• Honor- The honor developed within the careers of those who have and are serving, shall not be forgotten by those who participate with this organization. Honor shall always have its place in our actions and activities.
• Service- The organization will maintain the same level of service to the country demonstrated by those who served in the Armed Forces. Service to those who have served will result in service to the communities of the county and abroad.”
OUR 2014 VISION
The vision of the CYD-Vets for 2014 is to ensure that the Caucus establishes itself well within the CYD structure and turns out Veterans to support candidates for office in as many races as possible.
RELATIONSHIP TO CYD, VCCDP & CDP
The CYD-Vets are a chartered caucus of the CYD and are required to meet certain rules established by their bylaws for the caucuses within their organization. Additionally, the CYD-Vets will support the CYD where possible, to include the donation of additional funds when within the means of the caucus to do so.
RELATIONSHIP TO CDP & THE VETERANS CAUCUS
The CYD-Vets are affiliated by association with the California Democratic Party through their working relationship with the Veterans Caucus.
MEMBERSHIP & BENEFITS
Membership in the organization is open to any person who supports the mission of the CYD-Vets; and, if eligible to vote, is a registered Democrat. If not eligible for registration, the intent to register as a Democrat is required.
Membership is designated as Veteran and Non-Veteran to make it clear who the Veterans within the Caucus are. Both have all the same rights and privileges.
All members are permitted to vote in the manner prescribed for the vote. This means you may vote as long as you meet the Good Standing Clause. No member has the right to vote unless they are found to be in good standing at the exact time and place they wish to do so. Good standing shall be defined as being current on membership dues.
Members are charged dues annually, unless the Organizational Development Liaison has approved a request for hardship. The Annual Dues for each level of membership are due to the Treasurer-Recorder no later than January 1st of each year. The Dues amount is set annually, by a motion from the Treasurer-Recorder, which must then be seconded and approved by a simple majority vote.
Those wishing to renew under hardship need only follow the simple instructions to join/renew and pay what they can. While it is requested that remaining balances be paid by the members as soon as they can, no formal approval is required. We refer to this as the Honor System and simply trust people to do the right thing rather than suffer the embarrassment of placing themselves at the mercy of a committee or person for approval of their hardship.
In 2014, the membership dues shall be set at $10 per person for the year.
Any member who does not renew membership before the expiration of the membership period will no longer be considered to meet the Good Standing Clause.
Members benefit from their membership through the ability to take direct actions on the behalf of Veterans through the caucus’s processes. These benefits of membership include:
a. Make recommendations, in writing, on all aspects of the organization’s activities.
b. Elect officers during the Biennial Election of Officers.
c. Run for and be elected to office during the Biennial Election of Officers.
d. Be appointed as officers by the Chair.
e. Move to remove officers in accordance with the Bylaws.
f. Nominate themselves or other members for positions on special committees.
g. Participate in activities of the organization open to all members.
h. Ratify positions on issues consistent with the Mission Statement, and Core Values of CYD-Vets through approval of resolutions.
i. Propose amendments to Bylaws in accordance with the process outlined in the same.
j. Propose resolutions, amendments to current resolutions or the repeal of current resolutions of the organization.
k. Challenge the vote or ballot of a member they suspect to be ineligible to participate in a specific vote or election.
l. Nominate any person meeting criteria outlined for the receipt of Annual Awards of this organization.
AWARDS
The following awards are given out, according to the criteria listed for each, on an annual basis. These awards are decided during the last meeting of the Caucus in a year by the criteria and methods listed for each specific award. Other awards are given only when a situation merits doing so.
The Chair’s Award
Given By- The Caucus Chair
Given For- A single great action or the combination of several small actions that overall contributed directly to the success of the caucus during the year and provided opportunity(ies) to further the mission of the CYD-Vets positively.
Frequency- Annual
Veteran of the Year Award
Given By- Majority Vote of the Membership
Given For- Outstanding exemplification of the American Veteran through actions of advocacy and positive benefit to the furthering of the Veterans Causes. Current officers of the caucus are not eligible for this award.
Frequency- Annual
Veterans Organization of the Year Award
Given By- Majority Vote of the Membership
Given For- Outstanding exemplification of the American Veteran through actions of advocacy and positive benefit to the furthering of the Veterans Causes.
Frequency- Annual
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Award
Given By- Majority Vote of the Membership
Given For- Outstanding service to Veterans through the execution of duties carried out as an elected or appointed political office holder.
Frequency- Annual
Valor Award
Given By- Majority Vote of the Membership
Given For- Acts of Heroism carried out by members of the CYD-Vets who, during the course of the year, were met with extreme circumstances requiring immediate action of valor on their part and fulfilled such valor admirably through actions above and beyond their call of duty.
Frequency- Per Diem
Democratic Achievement
Given By- Chair of the Caucus
Given For- Given as a smaller token of appreciation to the individuals or organizations that serve the cause of the Caucus and help further its accomplishment of the Mission Statement.
Frequency- Per Diem
LOGOS AND NAMES USE
The use of the different versions of the CYD-Vets Logo or the different forms of the CYD-Vets name is not permitted outside of the caucus without the explicit permission of the Executive Committee or the Chair.
The membership’s majority vote is required to deem an action as unauthorized. Once this has occurred, a cease and desist letter will be sent to the person misusing the logo/name and action will be pursued from there.
RESOLUTIONS
One of the most important privileges of membership is that of being able to author, introduce, influence, debate and pass resolutions on matters of importance to the caucus revolving around the current political and veteran related matters of California.
Resolutions will follow the process outlined by the Political Committee Liaison. Once passed, a resolution shall remain an official position of the caucus until the adoption of a new CYD Platform, at which time they shall be recommended for placement into the Veterans Plank of the platform as an element of it.
Resolutions should be related directly to issues that would have direct or indirect effect on the mission of the caucus or the furthering of Veterans Affairs in the area. Members should take care to adopt resolutions that make profound statements to guide the caucus on the matters addressed by the resolution towards action on that issue or issues.
Resolutions are the functional legislation of the organization and shall be the basis for the formation of the next Veterans platform plank, and can be elevated to the Political Committee of the VCCDP to be considered for forwarding as resolutions of the CDP.
THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Per the bylaws, the Executive Committee (EC) is comprised of the elected officers of the caucus. This includes the Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer-Recorder, and Parliamentarian. Additionally, the Chairs of each of the standing committees are considered members of the EC. Each member of the EC is given a vote during EC Meetings.
The EC serves as the overall planning committee for the entire caucus, and is tasked with ensuring that the mission of the caucus is carried out during meetings, activities, adoption of resolutions, etc.
The EC only may recommend positions on any issue or policy for the caucus. Their recommendations must be approved by a vote of the membership to become the official position of the caucus as a whole.
The EC meets every other month at minimum, and can meet more often at the direction of the Chair. The EC may decide the agenda for the regular meetings, make appropriate recommendations to the body of membership, and serve as a representative of the caucus in absence of the entire body.
THE 2014 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Our 2014 Executive Committee was either elected or appointed in March. It consists of:
Rebecca Taylor, Chair
Danny Garza, Vice Chair
Shawn VanDiver, Treasurer-Recorder
Tess Banko, Parliamentarian
Needed:
Organizational Development Liaison
Political Liaison
Communications Liaison
Mental Health Liaison
COMMITTEES
During the course of the term, committees shall come and go as needed.
Special Committees for Review fulfill a bylaws outlined judiciary role in the caucus, allowing a fair process for actions that may need to occur during the course of the caucus’s existence.
Ad Hoc committees are formed to handle specific problems or purposes and are usually disbanded upon satisfactory completion of their solution/tasks.
OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES
Chair
Elected to a two-year term, the Chair serves in several capacities and is the highest-ranking officer in the organization. Balancing this out is also the limits on the person serving in this position.
The Chair is not permitted to vote on motions before the floor, excepting cases where doing so would break an exact tie. This is done to ensure that partiality is completely avoided.
As presiding officer for meetings of the EC or entire body of members, the Chair shall strive to maintain a fair environment, involving all who wish to participate as often as possible and maintain previously agreed schedules and agendas. Additionally, and above all, the Chair ensures that both the will of the membership and the mission of the caucus are being carried out simultaneously.
The Chair shall be granted the following:
· Presiding over the membership, and EC meetings
· Influence of the general, overall direction of the CYD-Vets in accordance with the bylaws
· Appointment of Interim Officers in cases of vacancy
· Service as the main CYD-Vets Representative
· Service on the VCCDP Executive Board
· Signing power on behalf of the Caucus as its representative to banks, merchants, etc
· Influence of Resolutions for consideration by the membership for approval
Vice Chair
For all intents and purposes, the primary job of the Vice Chair is to serve closely with the Chair to fulfill many of the same duties. This shall be done in such a manner as to ensure that the Vice Chair is constantly ready to assume the Chair’s role, temporarily or permanently, upon need.
The Vice Chair shall be granted the following:
· Functioning as the acting Chair whenever the Chair is not present
· Presiding over the membership meetings in the absence of the Chair
· Serving as Chair of the Special Committees for Review
· Influence of Resolutions for consideration by the membership for approval
· Following the order of succession outlined in the bylaws in cases where it becomes necessary.
· Presiding over meetings at the request of the Chair when the Chair wishes to separate themself from the presiding officer position due to taking a partial position on an issue before the membership.
Treasurer-Recorder
The Treasurer-Recorder serves the CYD-Vets in the capacity of accountant, fundraiser, minutes taker, records keeper, and other financial or records related issues. The Treasurer-Recorder ensures that all aspects of the caucus’s finances are kept up to date and within appropriate guidelines and regulations; and that all records and archives of the caucus are kept up to date.
The Treasurer-Recorder shall be granted the following:
· Signing power on behalf of the CYD-Vets as its representative to banks, merchants, etc.
· Influence of Resolutions for consideration by the membership for approval
· Oversight of the Annual Budget and Expense Plan
· Tracking of the Income and Expenditures of the CYD-Vets
· Recording of the entire meeting minutes during membership meetings and Special Meetings
Parliamentarian
The Parliamentarian is tasked with keeping proper and fair procedure present in all meetings and advising the Chair prior to rulings on Points of Order. Additionally, the Parliamentarian ensures that votes are properly counted and persons who should not be voting due to reasons of membership lapses or attempt to vote without being members are not counted for either side voted upon.
The Parliamentarian shall be granted the following:
· Maintaining Expertise on Parliamentary Procedure and advising the Chair or Presiding Officer on matters of procedure
· Enforcement of the Chair’s directions when conducting meetings, up to the removal of members from the meeting at the Chair’s Direction
· Influence of Resolutions for consideration by the membership for approval
Committee Liaison
When appointed Liaison of their specific VCCDP committee, the Liaison is permitted to do that which is necessary to facilitate consistent flow of information between their assigned committee and the CYD-Vets.
The Committee Liaison shall be granted the following:
· Attending their respective committee meetings and functioning as a member of both organizations
· Serving to facilitate similar roles for the CYD-Vets as their respective committee handles for the VCCDP
· Influence of Resolutions for consideration by the Membership for approval
MEETING GUIDELINES
Our meetings follow some very simple, easy to remember rules.
There are two types of meetings: Regular Stated and Special. The Regular Stated Meeting is the regular meeting held on a set schedule. Current meeting schedules are available on our website. Special meetings are ones called for a specific reason or to make up for a Regular Stated Meeting that was cancelled.
Prior to the meetings, an Agenda will be published outlining the items to be considered by the caucus during the next meeting. A copy of the Minutes of the Previous Meeting is also published. Additionally, any documents needed to assist the members during the different agenda items are also published.
If a Member would like an item added to the agenda, he/she may request this by sending an email to the Treasurer-Recorder, outlining what they would like added to the Agenda and when.
Some of the common, recurring parts of our meetings are:
Social Time
Whenever possible, a time for everyone to socialize with each other and enjoy fellowship as caucus will precede the meetings for at least a half hour. There are exceptions to this, however they will be rare. Some meetings will actually be social events and will not have a format or agenda. Others will be a mixture of both.
Opening
The opening begins when the Chair or presiding officer calls the meeting to order. This is normally done by banging the gavel once and saying something to the effect of “The meeting shall come to order”.
Verification of Quorum
Whether done by Roll Call or sign-in or another form of accounting for all the members present, the Parliamentarian will ensure that enough members are present to qualify a quorum and therefore certify that enough members are present to hold the meeting. This is another way of saying that we are making sure there are enough members present to allow a fair voting process. Should there not be enough people present to vote on issues, also known as the absence of a quorum, the meeting may have any voting matters postponed until the next meeting.
Previous Minutes
The previous meeting minutes, which are a record of the different things that happened the meeting before, are provided in writing to the membership by the Treasurer-Recorder. Action is required to approve minutes. This is done by saying something to the effect of “I move that the minutes be approved as written.” This motion requires a second (A person who says, “I Second the motion” therefore giving it backing). The Chair or Presiding Officer then calls for any objections. If there are none the minutes are approved by a simple majority vote.
If parts of the minutes are missing or incorrect, the person who seeks to have them corrected may interrupt this process at any time to propose a correction. The corrections are made and the minutes stand for approval as corrected.
Reports
During this time, officers present a report to the membership of their activities during the time between the current meeting and last. In doing so, the membership is kept in the loop on what is getting done and the committees make themselves accountable to the membership.
Business
This is when the caucus does two things, in this order:
Old Business- Any item that has been postponed at a previous meeting for whatever reason is brought back for consideration. These things are usually placed on the agenda.
New Business- These are the things that caucus is working on that are being introduced to the membership for the first time. Also, this is when members who wish to have the caucus take on a certain project or program would bring up any manner of new business. Anything may be brought up once the floor is open for new business. Do not worry, if your idea needs to be re-directed to a certain part of the caucus in order to be handled, the Chair or residing officer will do so.
Special Programs
This part of the meeting is when things that do not occur every meeting will take place. Examples are Guest Speakers, Endorsement Hearings, etc.
Ceremonies
This is when any kind of ceremony to be handled will occur. Normally, a ceremony will not occur during meetings with a special program and vice versa. Sometimes both may happen, but this will be rare.
Announcements
This is when any kind of announcement the members want to make may occur. Normally, these things are directly related to the caucus or Veterans, but any and all announcements are encouraged. Announcements are first made by the caucus officers, then caucus members and lastly any visitors to the caucus.
Motion to Adjourn
Believe it or not, to end the meeting, there must be a motion to adjourn! This gives everyone the chance to end the meeting on the will of the membership’s terms and timing. It takes a motion, second and passing by simple majority vote to end the meeting.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS GUIDE
Everyone in the caucus will, at some point, be a representative to the public of the caucus and what it does. Whether this is through the presentation of what you do to your friends or through a public event where you speak to media as one of our members, you need to be prepared.
The following are situations and requests for what we would like our members to do in them. Use your best judgment to ensure that your actions and words represent the caucus as best as possible. And when in doubt, saying nothing can be more beneficial than guessing.
Before we go into the different situations, first know that a strong base of knowledge of what this caucus does and how we do it is always going to be most helpful in presenting us in the best light. Please take the time to get to know our caucus, its different aspects and who should be doing what in order to ensure you are presenting the caucus as accurately as possible.
Public Education
When educating a person or group on the caucus, please ensure that you are doing so accurately and are also taking the time to try to get them involved in some way along the course of your discussion. Make sure to know what is required in order to be a member and recruit accordingly. Also ensure that you defer questions that you do not know the answer to, either to another member, officer or the website.
Social Media
As a member, you will be given the opportunity to provide posted responses for the Facebook Page postings that administrators (officers of the caucus) post. We require that anyone doing so maintains a positive atmosphere of discussion, regardless of how much one might disagree with another. Additionally, you are to please refrain from positing anything offensive, against the caucus’s views (as a whole), or that promote your personal political candidacy without endorsement from the caucus.
Anyone may send something to the Communications Liaison and request that they post it to the caucus page. This can include personal and political events, etc.
We encourage anyone we can to ‘like’ the Facebook Page for the caucus, located at www.facebook.com/cydvets. This is public so no information that is specific to the membership and private to the operation of the caucus will be posted here. If you prefer Twitter, then please feel free to follow us at
Monthly Updates
The Communications Liaison put forward a monthly email to update the membership on the many news items for the caucus.
Please contact the Communications Liaison for ideas of what to write or with your idea for an article.
Media
The Executive Committee is the only authorized group to publish anything officially on the behalf of the caucus. It is in charge, along with the Chair; of the message of the caucus and the way that message is distributed. When the need for additional members to participate on the spreading of our message is required, it will be solicited from the entire body or specific members as the leadership of the caucus sees fit.
Name & Logo Use
Use of our name, nickname and/or logos beyond identifying yourself as one of our members requires prior permission from the Chair or Vice Chair.
POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
Our members are involved! We lobby! We perform grassroots efforts! We vet candidates with our endorsement process! And we take action when there are Veterans going unrepresented or underrepresented!
We want you to be involved in this process as often as possible. This means we need you at meetings and events where we are working to accomplish our mission. It also means we need you to attend trainings when they are offered. We will gladly prepare you to fulfill your duties as a member of this caucus to the best of your ability if you give us the chance.
Here is a little bit of information on some of the political processes of the caucus:
Campaign Services
Once the CYD endorses a candidate, we can help them through the guidance of our Political Liaison, who will evaluate their needs to find out which ones can be met by the caucus through action on the caucus’s part. Members of the caucus should be prepared to work during campaign seasons for the candidates the CYD endorses.
Some different campaign services are:
-Providing volunteers for precinct walking, phone banking and event support.
-Providing an approved donation of our funds to the endorsed candidate.
-Providing events that raise funds and/or name recognition for the endorsed candidate.
-Providing assistance with the running of an endorsed candidate’s campaign through volunteers and staff as necessary/available.
-Many other services as requested/possibility provides.
In order to wield an appropriate and necessary amount of political influence, we need to work hard to build CYD’s endorsement into a powerful brand that all seeking office locally come after in order to ensure that the Young Democrats turn out to help get them elected. Additionally, we will work to put more veterans into office this way and will see people who know what it is like to serve once again looking out for us.
Lobbying
We provide a service that many other veterans organizations cannot come close to without jeopardizing their own existence: We directly lobby members of the government bodies, both large and small for the different needs of the Veterans of the area they serve.
This is done by presenting ourselves before these bodies in numbers necessary to convince them to vote in a particular direction. This may or may not include the presentation of testimony by some or all that attend the session. Prior to attending one of these different meetings, we will have taken a position as a caucus on the specific issue or issues to be discussed.
In rare cases, the Chair of the VCCDP may request that we send members to the Capitol in order to assist with lobbying efforts of the CDP Veterans Caucus. Members should be prepared to have this request made of them and those who can make the trip should.
RECRUITING
Like any caucus, the more members we have, the more we will be able to do for the community’s veterans. All members are encouraged to recruit their friends, family and fellow service members to participate in the caucus.
Remember to use some of the different tools available to you as you try to recruit persons into our membership. The Organizational Development Liaison will set the current recruiting program and will make available the tools that are needed to support that plan.
Additionally, the website and the meetings serve as the best sources for providing information that is up to date and describes how our caucus works and fulfills its mission.
In the end, the best thing is to talk about your personal experiences with the caucus and what you have been able to benefit from this caucus and how we have benefitted from you being a part of us!
POLICIES & PROCEDURES
With the approval of the body of membership by majority vote, the Executive Committee has the ability to supplement this handbook throughout the year with the publication of policies and/or procedures.
Each one must be submitted in writing to the membership prior to the meeting where the Executive Committee desires it to be approved. Intended to supplement this handbook, such policies and procedures should be written in a manner where they may later become part of the next edition of this handbook.
Any member of the caucus may petition the Chair verbally or in writing to place a policy or procedure they feel is necessary for the benefit of the caucus and compliments this handbook.
Should a policy or procedure be necessary to revoke part of this handbook, it may also do so via approval by majority vote.
WHO WE ARE
The California Young Democrats Veterans Caucus is the political strong arm of the young Veterans of California and Veterans organizations where young Veterans participate. Together with organizations of the same kind within the structure of the other political parties, we work to ensure that the previously unmet needs of Veterans in the political spectrum are now met.
We constantly strive to ensure that we meet this goal. The ways we do it vary. From issues advocacy to candidate vetting, lobbying to grassroots organizing, and public awareness to elected office holder accountability; the CYD-Vets are working hard to ensure that the issues of today and yesterday’s veterans are never far from the minds of those who are elected to serve.
We are affiliated with the California Young Democrats (CYD), through chartering as one of the caucuses within its structure; we work closely with the California Democratic Party’s Veterans Caucus (VCCDP); and we work as closely as possible with all the different veterans groups and organizations of California.
We are a unique Veterans organization because of two things:
1) We do not require our members to be Veterans or family of Veterans. Any Democrat who desires to assist with our mission is encouraged to join. The only Veteran requirement in existence with this organization is this: Our Chair and Vice Chair must be Veterans in good standing whenever possible.
2) We are specifically partisan in nature, giving a voice to the Veterans in the Democratic Party that they have not had before. In doing so, we are allowing the process to exist through which candidates for office will now be held accountable to the Veterans issues they often can afford to pay less attention to during campaigns due to the mainstream Veterans organizations being non-partisan in nature.
WHAT WE DO
Issue Advocacy
We provide strong support to veterans’ issues facing our community, state and nation. We do this through increasing public awareness of these different issues, ensuring that elected officials are aware of them, ensuring that candidates for office are aware of them, and actions that directly support the solution we are supporting for the issue. Another way to support the issues we advocate is through our resolution process.
Lobbying
By utilizing the means available to us, we provide lobbying for and against different issues we are advocating and other bills/measures that have been put before the public or elected officials for movement. We do this through the physical presence of our members to the specific office holders or bodies that are either considering the issue or measure, or have potential for authoring such a measure.
Public Awareness & Education
In an effort to provide more support for the solutions to the issues we have identified, a sustained effort by the caucus to educate the public on these things is constant. We strive to allow more to rally to a cause and/or solution through our relationship with the public of the State of California and the elected officials of the same.
Veterans Affairs Support
Like any Veterans organization, we also support the advancement of the different programs of the Veterans Affairs departments at the national, state and local levels. We continue to strive for better benefits that actually help our veterans.
OUR HISTORY
In 2013, Lawson Stuart was elected to Chair the VCCDP. At age 28, he was the youngest serving Chair of a CDP caucus or county. He perfectly exemplified the heights that any Young Democrat can reach with support form CYD and their county/college counterparts.
After leading a total reorganization of the VCCDP, Lawson then turned his attention to the CYD. Previous efforts at supporting a Veterans Caucus had come and gone and none had succeeded in being truly sustainable. He determined to ensure that the CYD was able to revive this caucus and took to his membership, looking for someone who could lead.
Exemplifying the re-focus of the VCCDP on Women Veterans, he looked amongst the women members of the VCCDP first and found Rebecca Taylor. Rebecca was a young woman from the San Diego area, active in her local Young Democrats Club and rising within the VCCDP as a strong leader. As a Navy Veteran, she was perfect for the job.
During the 2013 Women Veterans Leadership Conference put on by the California Department of Veterans Affairs, Rebecca and Lawson discussed his vision for a strong CYD-VC, which would be given the chance to last the test of time and ensure that young California Veterans who were Democrats had the chance to come home to an organization that welcomed them.
Plans were developed and executed. The CYD-VC officially chartered in March of 2014, under the leadership of CYD President John Vigna.
OUR MISSION & CORE VALUES
Through the adoption of the Constitution and Bylaws, the mission of the CYD-Vets was formed. The mission officially is: “It shall be the mission of the CYD-VC to work within the California Young Democrats (CYD), providing a strong voice and representation within the party structure that promotes the welfare of Veterans.”
With the adoption of their bylaws, the CYD-Vets chose the following Values, which the VCCDP and Veterans Democratic Clubs in many counties all share:
• "Leadership- In compliment to the overall mission of the VDCSC, an element of leadership development shall have a presence in all that is done by the organization.
• Honor- The honor developed within the careers of those who have and are serving, shall not be forgotten by those who participate with this organization. Honor shall always have its place in our actions and activities.
• Service- The organization will maintain the same level of service to the country demonstrated by those who served in the Armed Forces. Service to those who have served will result in service to the communities of the county and abroad.”
OUR 2014 VISION
The vision of the CYD-Vets for 2014 is to ensure that the Caucus establishes itself well within the CYD structure and turns out Veterans to support candidates for office in as many races as possible.
RELATIONSHIP TO CYD, VCCDP & CDP
The CYD-Vets are a chartered caucus of the CYD and are required to meet certain rules established by their bylaws for the caucuses within their organization. Additionally, the CYD-Vets will support the CYD where possible, to include the donation of additional funds when within the means of the caucus to do so.
RELATIONSHIP TO CDP & THE VETERANS CAUCUS
The CYD-Vets are affiliated by association with the California Democratic Party through their working relationship with the Veterans Caucus.
MEMBERSHIP & BENEFITS
Membership in the organization is open to any person who supports the mission of the CYD-Vets; and, if eligible to vote, is a registered Democrat. If not eligible for registration, the intent to register as a Democrat is required.
Membership is designated as Veteran and Non-Veteran to make it clear who the Veterans within the Caucus are. Both have all the same rights and privileges.
All members are permitted to vote in the manner prescribed for the vote. This means you may vote as long as you meet the Good Standing Clause. No member has the right to vote unless they are found to be in good standing at the exact time and place they wish to do so. Good standing shall be defined as being current on membership dues.
Members are charged dues annually, unless the Organizational Development Liaison has approved a request for hardship. The Annual Dues for each level of membership are due to the Treasurer-Recorder no later than January 1st of each year. The Dues amount is set annually, by a motion from the Treasurer-Recorder, which must then be seconded and approved by a simple majority vote.
Those wishing to renew under hardship need only follow the simple instructions to join/renew and pay what they can. While it is requested that remaining balances be paid by the members as soon as they can, no formal approval is required. We refer to this as the Honor System and simply trust people to do the right thing rather than suffer the embarrassment of placing themselves at the mercy of a committee or person for approval of their hardship.
In 2014, the membership dues shall be set at $10 per person for the year.
Any member who does not renew membership before the expiration of the membership period will no longer be considered to meet the Good Standing Clause.
Members benefit from their membership through the ability to take direct actions on the behalf of Veterans through the caucus’s processes. These benefits of membership include:
a. Make recommendations, in writing, on all aspects of the organization’s activities.
b. Elect officers during the Biennial Election of Officers.
c. Run for and be elected to office during the Biennial Election of Officers.
d. Be appointed as officers by the Chair.
e. Move to remove officers in accordance with the Bylaws.
f. Nominate themselves or other members for positions on special committees.
g. Participate in activities of the organization open to all members.
h. Ratify positions on issues consistent with the Mission Statement, and Core Values of CYD-Vets through approval of resolutions.
i. Propose amendments to Bylaws in accordance with the process outlined in the same.
j. Propose resolutions, amendments to current resolutions or the repeal of current resolutions of the organization.
k. Challenge the vote or ballot of a member they suspect to be ineligible to participate in a specific vote or election.
l. Nominate any person meeting criteria outlined for the receipt of Annual Awards of this organization.
AWARDS
The following awards are given out, according to the criteria listed for each, on an annual basis. These awards are decided during the last meeting of the Caucus in a year by the criteria and methods listed for each specific award. Other awards are given only when a situation merits doing so.
The Chair’s Award
Given By- The Caucus Chair
Given For- A single great action or the combination of several small actions that overall contributed directly to the success of the caucus during the year and provided opportunity(ies) to further the mission of the CYD-Vets positively.
Frequency- Annual
Veteran of the Year Award
Given By- Majority Vote of the Membership
Given For- Outstanding exemplification of the American Veteran through actions of advocacy and positive benefit to the furthering of the Veterans Causes. Current officers of the caucus are not eligible for this award.
Frequency- Annual
Veterans Organization of the Year Award
Given By- Majority Vote of the Membership
Given For- Outstanding exemplification of the American Veteran through actions of advocacy and positive benefit to the furthering of the Veterans Causes.
Frequency- Annual
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Award
Given By- Majority Vote of the Membership
Given For- Outstanding service to Veterans through the execution of duties carried out as an elected or appointed political office holder.
Frequency- Annual
Valor Award
Given By- Majority Vote of the Membership
Given For- Acts of Heroism carried out by members of the CYD-Vets who, during the course of the year, were met with extreme circumstances requiring immediate action of valor on their part and fulfilled such valor admirably through actions above and beyond their call of duty.
Frequency- Per Diem
Democratic Achievement
Given By- Chair of the Caucus
Given For- Given as a smaller token of appreciation to the individuals or organizations that serve the cause of the Caucus and help further its accomplishment of the Mission Statement.
Frequency- Per Diem
LOGOS AND NAMES USE
The use of the different versions of the CYD-Vets Logo or the different forms of the CYD-Vets name is not permitted outside of the caucus without the explicit permission of the Executive Committee or the Chair.
The membership’s majority vote is required to deem an action as unauthorized. Once this has occurred, a cease and desist letter will be sent to the person misusing the logo/name and action will be pursued from there.
RESOLUTIONS
One of the most important privileges of membership is that of being able to author, introduce, influence, debate and pass resolutions on matters of importance to the caucus revolving around the current political and veteran related matters of California.
Resolutions will follow the process outlined by the Political Committee Liaison. Once passed, a resolution shall remain an official position of the caucus until the adoption of a new CYD Platform, at which time they shall be recommended for placement into the Veterans Plank of the platform as an element of it.
Resolutions should be related directly to issues that would have direct or indirect effect on the mission of the caucus or the furthering of Veterans Affairs in the area. Members should take care to adopt resolutions that make profound statements to guide the caucus on the matters addressed by the resolution towards action on that issue or issues.
Resolutions are the functional legislation of the organization and shall be the basis for the formation of the next Veterans platform plank, and can be elevated to the Political Committee of the VCCDP to be considered for forwarding as resolutions of the CDP.
THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Per the bylaws, the Executive Committee (EC) is comprised of the elected officers of the caucus. This includes the Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer-Recorder, and Parliamentarian. Additionally, the Chairs of each of the standing committees are considered members of the EC. Each member of the EC is given a vote during EC Meetings.
The EC serves as the overall planning committee for the entire caucus, and is tasked with ensuring that the mission of the caucus is carried out during meetings, activities, adoption of resolutions, etc.
The EC only may recommend positions on any issue or policy for the caucus. Their recommendations must be approved by a vote of the membership to become the official position of the caucus as a whole.
The EC meets every other month at minimum, and can meet more often at the direction of the Chair. The EC may decide the agenda for the regular meetings, make appropriate recommendations to the body of membership, and serve as a representative of the caucus in absence of the entire body.
THE 2014 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Our 2014 Executive Committee was either elected or appointed in March. It consists of:
Rebecca Taylor, Chair
Danny Garza, Vice Chair
Shawn VanDiver, Treasurer-Recorder
Tess Banko, Parliamentarian
Needed:
Organizational Development Liaison
Political Liaison
Communications Liaison
Mental Health Liaison
COMMITTEES
During the course of the term, committees shall come and go as needed.
Special Committees for Review fulfill a bylaws outlined judiciary role in the caucus, allowing a fair process for actions that may need to occur during the course of the caucus’s existence.
Ad Hoc committees are formed to handle specific problems or purposes and are usually disbanded upon satisfactory completion of their solution/tasks.
OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES
Chair
Elected to a two-year term, the Chair serves in several capacities and is the highest-ranking officer in the organization. Balancing this out is also the limits on the person serving in this position.
The Chair is not permitted to vote on motions before the floor, excepting cases where doing so would break an exact tie. This is done to ensure that partiality is completely avoided.
As presiding officer for meetings of the EC or entire body of members, the Chair shall strive to maintain a fair environment, involving all who wish to participate as often as possible and maintain previously agreed schedules and agendas. Additionally, and above all, the Chair ensures that both the will of the membership and the mission of the caucus are being carried out simultaneously.
The Chair shall be granted the following:
· Presiding over the membership, and EC meetings
· Influence of the general, overall direction of the CYD-Vets in accordance with the bylaws
· Appointment of Interim Officers in cases of vacancy
· Service as the main CYD-Vets Representative
· Service on the VCCDP Executive Board
· Signing power on behalf of the Caucus as its representative to banks, merchants, etc
· Influence of Resolutions for consideration by the membership for approval
Vice Chair
For all intents and purposes, the primary job of the Vice Chair is to serve closely with the Chair to fulfill many of the same duties. This shall be done in such a manner as to ensure that the Vice Chair is constantly ready to assume the Chair’s role, temporarily or permanently, upon need.
The Vice Chair shall be granted the following:
· Functioning as the acting Chair whenever the Chair is not present
· Presiding over the membership meetings in the absence of the Chair
· Serving as Chair of the Special Committees for Review
· Influence of Resolutions for consideration by the membership for approval
· Following the order of succession outlined in the bylaws in cases where it becomes necessary.
· Presiding over meetings at the request of the Chair when the Chair wishes to separate themself from the presiding officer position due to taking a partial position on an issue before the membership.
Treasurer-Recorder
The Treasurer-Recorder serves the CYD-Vets in the capacity of accountant, fundraiser, minutes taker, records keeper, and other financial or records related issues. The Treasurer-Recorder ensures that all aspects of the caucus’s finances are kept up to date and within appropriate guidelines and regulations; and that all records and archives of the caucus are kept up to date.
The Treasurer-Recorder shall be granted the following:
· Signing power on behalf of the CYD-Vets as its representative to banks, merchants, etc.
· Influence of Resolutions for consideration by the membership for approval
· Oversight of the Annual Budget and Expense Plan
· Tracking of the Income and Expenditures of the CYD-Vets
· Recording of the entire meeting minutes during membership meetings and Special Meetings
Parliamentarian
The Parliamentarian is tasked with keeping proper and fair procedure present in all meetings and advising the Chair prior to rulings on Points of Order. Additionally, the Parliamentarian ensures that votes are properly counted and persons who should not be voting due to reasons of membership lapses or attempt to vote without being members are not counted for either side voted upon.
The Parliamentarian shall be granted the following:
· Maintaining Expertise on Parliamentary Procedure and advising the Chair or Presiding Officer on matters of procedure
· Enforcement of the Chair’s directions when conducting meetings, up to the removal of members from the meeting at the Chair’s Direction
· Influence of Resolutions for consideration by the membership for approval
Committee Liaison
When appointed Liaison of their specific VCCDP committee, the Liaison is permitted to do that which is necessary to facilitate consistent flow of information between their assigned committee and the CYD-Vets.
The Committee Liaison shall be granted the following:
· Attending their respective committee meetings and functioning as a member of both organizations
· Serving to facilitate similar roles for the CYD-Vets as their respective committee handles for the VCCDP
· Influence of Resolutions for consideration by the Membership for approval
MEETING GUIDELINES
Our meetings follow some very simple, easy to remember rules.
There are two types of meetings: Regular Stated and Special. The Regular Stated Meeting is the regular meeting held on a set schedule. Current meeting schedules are available on our website. Special meetings are ones called for a specific reason or to make up for a Regular Stated Meeting that was cancelled.
Prior to the meetings, an Agenda will be published outlining the items to be considered by the caucus during the next meeting. A copy of the Minutes of the Previous Meeting is also published. Additionally, any documents needed to assist the members during the different agenda items are also published.
If a Member would like an item added to the agenda, he/she may request this by sending an email to the Treasurer-Recorder, outlining what they would like added to the Agenda and when.
Some of the common, recurring parts of our meetings are:
Social Time
Whenever possible, a time for everyone to socialize with each other and enjoy fellowship as caucus will precede the meetings for at least a half hour. There are exceptions to this, however they will be rare. Some meetings will actually be social events and will not have a format or agenda. Others will be a mixture of both.
Opening
The opening begins when the Chair or presiding officer calls the meeting to order. This is normally done by banging the gavel once and saying something to the effect of “The meeting shall come to order”.
Verification of Quorum
Whether done by Roll Call or sign-in or another form of accounting for all the members present, the Parliamentarian will ensure that enough members are present to qualify a quorum and therefore certify that enough members are present to hold the meeting. This is another way of saying that we are making sure there are enough members present to allow a fair voting process. Should there not be enough people present to vote on issues, also known as the absence of a quorum, the meeting may have any voting matters postponed until the next meeting.
Previous Minutes
The previous meeting minutes, which are a record of the different things that happened the meeting before, are provided in writing to the membership by the Treasurer-Recorder. Action is required to approve minutes. This is done by saying something to the effect of “I move that the minutes be approved as written.” This motion requires a second (A person who says, “I Second the motion” therefore giving it backing). The Chair or Presiding Officer then calls for any objections. If there are none the minutes are approved by a simple majority vote.
If parts of the minutes are missing or incorrect, the person who seeks to have them corrected may interrupt this process at any time to propose a correction. The corrections are made and the minutes stand for approval as corrected.
Reports
During this time, officers present a report to the membership of their activities during the time between the current meeting and last. In doing so, the membership is kept in the loop on what is getting done and the committees make themselves accountable to the membership.
Business
This is when the caucus does two things, in this order:
Old Business- Any item that has been postponed at a previous meeting for whatever reason is brought back for consideration. These things are usually placed on the agenda.
New Business- These are the things that caucus is working on that are being introduced to the membership for the first time. Also, this is when members who wish to have the caucus take on a certain project or program would bring up any manner of new business. Anything may be brought up once the floor is open for new business. Do not worry, if your idea needs to be re-directed to a certain part of the caucus in order to be handled, the Chair or residing officer will do so.
Special Programs
This part of the meeting is when things that do not occur every meeting will take place. Examples are Guest Speakers, Endorsement Hearings, etc.
Ceremonies
This is when any kind of ceremony to be handled will occur. Normally, a ceremony will not occur during meetings with a special program and vice versa. Sometimes both may happen, but this will be rare.
Announcements
This is when any kind of announcement the members want to make may occur. Normally, these things are directly related to the caucus or Veterans, but any and all announcements are encouraged. Announcements are first made by the caucus officers, then caucus members and lastly any visitors to the caucus.
Motion to Adjourn
Believe it or not, to end the meeting, there must be a motion to adjourn! This gives everyone the chance to end the meeting on the will of the membership’s terms and timing. It takes a motion, second and passing by simple majority vote to end the meeting.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS GUIDE
Everyone in the caucus will, at some point, be a representative to the public of the caucus and what it does. Whether this is through the presentation of what you do to your friends or through a public event where you speak to media as one of our members, you need to be prepared.
The following are situations and requests for what we would like our members to do in them. Use your best judgment to ensure that your actions and words represent the caucus as best as possible. And when in doubt, saying nothing can be more beneficial than guessing.
Before we go into the different situations, first know that a strong base of knowledge of what this caucus does and how we do it is always going to be most helpful in presenting us in the best light. Please take the time to get to know our caucus, its different aspects and who should be doing what in order to ensure you are presenting the caucus as accurately as possible.
Public Education
When educating a person or group on the caucus, please ensure that you are doing so accurately and are also taking the time to try to get them involved in some way along the course of your discussion. Make sure to know what is required in order to be a member and recruit accordingly. Also ensure that you defer questions that you do not know the answer to, either to another member, officer or the website.
Social Media
As a member, you will be given the opportunity to provide posted responses for the Facebook Page postings that administrators (officers of the caucus) post. We require that anyone doing so maintains a positive atmosphere of discussion, regardless of how much one might disagree with another. Additionally, you are to please refrain from positing anything offensive, against the caucus’s views (as a whole), or that promote your personal political candidacy without endorsement from the caucus.
Anyone may send something to the Communications Liaison and request that they post it to the caucus page. This can include personal and political events, etc.
We encourage anyone we can to ‘like’ the Facebook Page for the caucus, located at www.facebook.com/cydvets. This is public so no information that is specific to the membership and private to the operation of the caucus will be posted here. If you prefer Twitter, then please feel free to follow us at
Monthly Updates
The Communications Liaison put forward a monthly email to update the membership on the many news items for the caucus.
Please contact the Communications Liaison for ideas of what to write or with your idea for an article.
Media
The Executive Committee is the only authorized group to publish anything officially on the behalf of the caucus. It is in charge, along with the Chair; of the message of the caucus and the way that message is distributed. When the need for additional members to participate on the spreading of our message is required, it will be solicited from the entire body or specific members as the leadership of the caucus sees fit.
Name & Logo Use
Use of our name, nickname and/or logos beyond identifying yourself as one of our members requires prior permission from the Chair or Vice Chair.
POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
Our members are involved! We lobby! We perform grassroots efforts! We vet candidates with our endorsement process! And we take action when there are Veterans going unrepresented or underrepresented!
We want you to be involved in this process as often as possible. This means we need you at meetings and events where we are working to accomplish our mission. It also means we need you to attend trainings when they are offered. We will gladly prepare you to fulfill your duties as a member of this caucus to the best of your ability if you give us the chance.
Here is a little bit of information on some of the political processes of the caucus:
Campaign Services
Once the CYD endorses a candidate, we can help them through the guidance of our Political Liaison, who will evaluate their needs to find out which ones can be met by the caucus through action on the caucus’s part. Members of the caucus should be prepared to work during campaign seasons for the candidates the CYD endorses.
Some different campaign services are:
-Providing volunteers for precinct walking, phone banking and event support.
-Providing an approved donation of our funds to the endorsed candidate.
-Providing events that raise funds and/or name recognition for the endorsed candidate.
-Providing assistance with the running of an endorsed candidate’s campaign through volunteers and staff as necessary/available.
-Many other services as requested/possibility provides.
In order to wield an appropriate and necessary amount of political influence, we need to work hard to build CYD’s endorsement into a powerful brand that all seeking office locally come after in order to ensure that the Young Democrats turn out to help get them elected. Additionally, we will work to put more veterans into office this way and will see people who know what it is like to serve once again looking out for us.
Lobbying
We provide a service that many other veterans organizations cannot come close to without jeopardizing their own existence: We directly lobby members of the government bodies, both large and small for the different needs of the Veterans of the area they serve.
This is done by presenting ourselves before these bodies in numbers necessary to convince them to vote in a particular direction. This may or may not include the presentation of testimony by some or all that attend the session. Prior to attending one of these different meetings, we will have taken a position as a caucus on the specific issue or issues to be discussed.
In rare cases, the Chair of the VCCDP may request that we send members to the Capitol in order to assist with lobbying efforts of the CDP Veterans Caucus. Members should be prepared to have this request made of them and those who can make the trip should.
RECRUITING
Like any caucus, the more members we have, the more we will be able to do for the community’s veterans. All members are encouraged to recruit their friends, family and fellow service members to participate in the caucus.
Remember to use some of the different tools available to you as you try to recruit persons into our membership. The Organizational Development Liaison will set the current recruiting program and will make available the tools that are needed to support that plan.
Additionally, the website and the meetings serve as the best sources for providing information that is up to date and describes how our caucus works and fulfills its mission.
In the end, the best thing is to talk about your personal experiences with the caucus and what you have been able to benefit from this caucus and how we have benefitted from you being a part of us!
POLICIES & PROCEDURES
With the approval of the body of membership by majority vote, the Executive Committee has the ability to supplement this handbook throughout the year with the publication of policies and/or procedures.
Each one must be submitted in writing to the membership prior to the meeting where the Executive Committee desires it to be approved. Intended to supplement this handbook, such policies and procedures should be written in a manner where they may later become part of the next edition of this handbook.
Any member of the caucus may petition the Chair verbally or in writing to place a policy or procedure they feel is necessary for the benefit of the caucus and compliments this handbook.
Should a policy or procedure be necessary to revoke part of this handbook, it may also do so via approval by majority vote.
