These are the proposed rules for the convention.    They become the rules of the convention when they have been approved, and modified if necessary, by 2/3 vote of the convention delegates.   They are not the rules of any individual, before or during the convention.

PROPOSED RULES OF 2008 BCGOP CONVENTION, Revision 2, 30 January 2008

It is the purpose of these rules to provide for a fair and open meeting in a manner that facilitates the business of the Buncombe County Republican Party (BCGOP), respects the rights of the majority and minority, and encourages all Buncombe County Republicans to participate in the business of the BCGOP.

CONVENTION     The convention shall be one session.

QUORUM     For this convention, a quorum shall be defined as the number of duly registered delegates on the convention floor at the time of the vote, but not fewer than 25.

REGISTRATION

Registration for the convention shall be conducted at Ferguson Auditorium of the Laurel Building of AB-Tech on Saturday morning, March 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.  Late arrivals should contact a member of the Credentials Committee, who will be sitting at the right entrance to the auditorium; be prepared to wait until confirmation of your voting status.  All attendees must register to obtain appropriate identification and must wear the identification within plain view of the chair at all times during the convention.

ORDER OF BUSINESS

The order of business of the meeting shall be as published in the printed meeting agenda, upon its adoption by the convention delegates.

DISCLOSURE AND CLOSURE

To speak to the convention, a delegate must be recognized by the Convention Chair and state his/her name and precinct number.   This is true for motions and seconds.  A delegate should stand and raise your hand to be recognized.  In speaking to the convention please state your views as briefly as possible.  The Chair may ask you sit down if you go beyond a reasonable limit.  We want each and every person to speak that wishes to speak.

DELEGATES TO THE BUNCOMBE COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY CONVENTION

(A)  Reference Article II, A, 3, of the NCGOP Plan of Organization for the numbers of allowed delegates to a Republican County Convention.  That document specifies a maximum of 565 delegates to our March 1, 2008 BCGOP Convention.

(B)  If fewer than 565 Republicans register for this convention, they shall all be seated as delegates to this convention.

(C)  If more than 565 Republicans register for this convention, each Precinct shall nominate one (1) delegate to the convention and one (1) additional delegate for each 100 registered Republican voters, or major fraction thereof, in the Precincts as of January 1, 2008.    The Convention Chair and the Credentials Committee will have in hand a table showing the numbers of delegates allowed from each district.   When all Precincts have made their initial nominations, additional nominations shall be made from the floor at large, one from each precinct, starting with precinct number 71.1 and working backward, until the total allotment of 565 convention delegates is achieved.   These 565 nominees shall then be seated as convention delegates.   The elected delegates shall be issued special identification tags and shall wear them in plain view of the chair for the remainder of the convention.

NOMINATIONS FOR BCGOP CHAIRMAN

Nominations from the floor will be accepted for Chairman and are encouraged if you feel led to do so.

(A)  Nominations for Chairman of the Buncombe County Republican Party will be made upon recognition by the meeting Chairman.  

(B)  Nominations for Chairman of the Buncombe County Republican Party:  The Nominating Committee will read the names of their nominee(s).   Candidates nominated by the nominating committee are then granted one seconding speech of three (3) minutes.   Nominations may be made from the floor.   Candidates nominated from the floor are granted one nominating speech of three (3) minutes and one seconding speech of one (1) minute.  Finally, each candidate for Chairman shall be allowed up to five (5) minutes to address the convention. The order of the speeches shall be by reverse order of nomination.    All speeches may be made from the podium, if desired by the speaker.

VOTING FOR BCGOP CHAIRMAN

(A) Voting shall be by secret ballot.

(B) A convention delegate casting a vote must be on the floor of the meeting at the time such vote is cast and recorded.

(C)  A majority of all votes cast shall be necessary for the election of Chairman of the Buncombe County Republican Party.    In the event that a majority is not received by the nominee receiving the highest number of votes, subsequent balloting shall be conducted; however only votes cast for the nominees receiving the first- and second-most votes from the first ballot shall be counted in subsequent voting.

(D) The Convention Chairman shall appoint a teller committee to count ballots and to assist the chair in counting standing votes.  Each nominee for an office may name an observer to observe the teller committee.  Observers may not at any time physically touch the ballots which have been cast. 

 DELEGATES TO THE DISTRICT AND STATE CONVENTIONS

(A) Reference Article II, A, 3 of the NCGOP Plan of Organization and “Call to Convention” letter with enclosures from the NCGOP on 19 January 2007 for the number Buncombe County Republicans who can be delegates to the  congressional district and state Republican conventions.  The latter document specifies a maximum of 198 delegates and 198 alternates to the congressional district and state conventions.

(B)  If 198 or fewer Republicans who are delegates to this convention request nomination as delegates to the congressional district and state conventions, they shall all be elected as delegates to those conventions. 

(C) If more than 198 Republicans who are delegates to this convention request nomination as delegates to the congressional district and state conventions, the delegate list shall be constructed as follows:   198 delegates have been apportioned to the several precincts, and the allotted number of delegates (and alternates) has been printed on the sheets handed out for each precinct.   Each precinct has been instructed to a) designate the names of the allotted number of delegates for the future conventions, and then b) designate in order of preference the same number of alternates.  Based on the submissions by the 76 precincts, during the week following the convention the BCGOP Chair and BCGOP Secretary shall prepare the official list of delegates and alternates by a) listing all of the requested delegates, and then b) filling out the delegate list and the alternates list with delegates and then alternates.   The list will be developed one at a time from the precincts’ submissions, starting with precinct 71.1 and working backward, then starting from precinct 1.1 and working forward, and so forth, until all 198 delegates and all 198 alternates are listed, or until there are no more nominations from the precincts.  

(D) Names of appropriately registered Republicans who ask to be delegates to the district and state conventions but who are not in attendance at the BCGOP convention shall be added to the end of the list of delegates and alternates, in the order of the dates of their requests.   The final listing of delegates and alternates shall be published on www.buncombegop.org within 7 days of the convention. 

PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern this meeting when applicable and when not inconsistent with these rules, the BCGOP Structure, or the State Plan of Organization.

ADOPTION AND SUSPENSION OF RULES

These rules shall be adopted upon a two-thirds vote of the members registered and may be suspended during the meeting by a two-thirds vote, except that the rules contained herein which are drawn from or implement provisions of the State Plan of Organization may not be suspended.