Adopted by the Chesterfield County Domestic Violence Task Force on the 18 day of May, 1998.
Revised: 24 January 2005
The Chesterfield County Domestic Violence Task Force (hereafter referred to as the “Task Force”) has been formed for the following purposes:
The Task Force is a coalition of agencies and concerned citizens dedicated to providing leadership in preventing and responding to domestic violence in our community.
The goals of the Task Force are to:
In pursuing the aforementioned purposes, the Task Force may use funds that would support the programs and/or purposes espoused by the organization; provided that only such powers be exercised as are permitted by a qualified nonprofit corporation as described in Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code as amended; nor shall it engage directly or indirectly in any activity which would cause the loss of such qualification.
There shall be one class of membership of the Task Force which shall be open to all persons eighteen (18) years of age or older.
The Task Force shall consist of members of community agencies, businesses and private citizens interested in reducing the incidence of domestic violence in Chesterfield County. There shall be two levels of membership:
Membership on the Board of Directors may include representation from each of the following Chesterfield County organizations: Chesterfield County Domestic Violence Resource Center, Chesterfield/Colonial Heights Department of Social Services, Chesterfield Community Services Board, Chesterfield Police Department, Chesterfield Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Chesterfield Health Department, Chesterfield Schools, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, Chesterfield Community Corrections and Pretrial Services, Victim Witness Assistance Program, Magistrates Office, YWCA Women’s Advocacy Program, certified domestic violence batterer’s intervention program, medical community, military community, Court Appointed Special Advocates, and citizens. Citizen representatives may include people who either live, work, or provide services in Chesterfield County.
Board of Directors will serve two (2) year terms and may be re-elected. Terms of office will begin in January and end in December of each year.
Each Board of Director is expected to serve on at least one (1) committee or work group and to attend all meetings. Board of Directors are encouraged to send a representative from their agency to sit in during any unavoidable absence. Absence from two (2) consecutive meetings will result in notification in writing by the secretary to determine interest in continued membership. Failure to respond will be considered as withdrawal as a Board of Director.
Each applicant for Board of Directors membership shall apply on a form approved by the officers which shall provide that the applicant agrees to abide by the By-Laws of the Task Force. The applicant shall state the name, address, and occupation of the applicant and it shall carry the written and executed endorsement of one (1) member in good standing.
All board applications are to be filed and kept for record keeping. The application will be voted upon by ballot and affirmative votes of two-thirds of the Board in good standing present and voting shall be required to elect the applicant.
Applicants for Board of Directors who have been rejected by the Task Force may not reapply within four weeks after such rejection.
There shall be no election to membership procedure for general members.
Each Board of Director shall have one vote at any membership meeting at which he/she is present or has sent a representative. General members do not have the right to vote. Proxy voting will be permitted at any membership meeting or election.
Regular Meetings: The annual membership meeting shall be held in November of each year in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Regular meetings shall be held on the fourth Monday of each month. Written notice of such meetings shall be mailed or emailed by the Secretary at least ten (10) days prior to the date of the meeting.
Special Meetings: Special membership meetings may be called by the Chair, or by a majority vote of the Board, and shall be called by the Secretary upon the receipt of a petition signed by members having one-twentieth of the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting. Written notice of such a meeting shall be mailed by the Secretary at least ten (10) days prior to the date of the meeting, and the notice shall state the purpose of the meeting, and no other business shall be transacted.
Quorum: The quorum for membership meetings shall be more than 50% of the members holding votes entitled to be cast at such meeting.
Place, Date, and Hour: All meetings of the Task Force shall be held in Chesterfield County at such place, date, and hour as may be designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call such a meeting.
Any member may resign from the Task Force upon written notice to the Secretary.
The Executive Committee shall be comprised of the Chair, Co-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and the Coordinator of the Domestic Violence Resource Center. They shall be elected for terms of one year at the annual Task Force meeting and shall serve until their successors are duly elected.
The Executive Committee shall serve without compensation.
The officers of the Task Force, consisting of the Chair, Co-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer, shall serve in their respective capacities to the Task Force.
The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Task Force and of the Executive Committee and shall perform such other duties as are prescribed to the office or are properly required by the Executive Committee. In addition, the Chair shall provide leadership to the Task Force, shall guide the Task Force in ongoing implementations of goals and objectives, and shall represent the Task Force in important matters that effect it and shall be the spokesperson for the Task Force.
The Co-Chair shall exercise the authority of the Chair in his / her absence and perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Chair or the Executive Committee.
The Secretary shall be responsible for recording the minutes of the Task Force and Executive Committee meetings and maintaining such other records as may be required of by the Chair. The Secretary shall have charge of the correspondence, notify members of meetings, notify new members of their election to membership, notify officers and directors of their election to office, keep a roll of the members with their addresses, and carry out such other duties as the Chair may request or the Executive Committee may assign.
The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due or belonging to the Task Force. The Treasurer shall deposit the same in a bank account designated by the Executive Committee in the name of the Task Force. The records shall at all times be open to inspection by the Board. The treasurer shall report at every meeting on the condition of the Task Force’s finances. At the annual membership meeting he or she shall render an account of all monies received and expended during the fiscal year.
The candidate receiving the greatest number of votes for each office shall be declared elected.
The Executive Committee shall meet as needed.
Any vacancies occurring on the Executive Committee or among the officers during the year shall be filled for the remaining term of office by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. A vacancy in the office of the Chair shall be filled automatically by the Co-Chair and the resulting vacancy in the office of the Co-Chair shall be filled by the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee may each year appoint standing committees/work groups to advance the work of the Task Force in such matters as those specified in Article One. Such committees/workgroups shall always be subject to the final authority of the Board. Special committees/workgroups may also be appointed by the Board to aid it on particular projects.
All members of the Task Force shall serve annually on at least one committee/workgroup.
Each committee/work group shall meet as often as needed to accomplish the functions of the committees/work group. Each committee/work group meeting will have a Board member present. The committee Chair will be responsible for attending and reporting at the Task Force meeting.
The calendar year of the Task Force shall begin on the first day of January and end on the last day of December in each year.
Amendments to the By-Laws of the Task Force may be proposed by a resolution of the Executive Committee recommending the amendment to the Task Force unless the Executive Committee determines that because of conflict of interests or other special circumstances it should make no recommendation and communicates the basis for its determination to the Task Force. The resolution shall be submitted to the Task Force at a regular or special meeting. The written notice of the meeting shall contain the date, time, and place, and that the purpose of the meeting is to consider the proposed amendment; the notice shall contain or be accompanied by a copy of the proposed amendment.
The notice shall be given to each member not less than twenty-five (25) days nor more than sixty (60) days before the meeting.
Amendments to the By-Laws may be made by a 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors. Any Board of Director may propose changes to the by-laws by contacting a member of the Executive Committee. Any By-Laws adopted by the Task Force may be repealed or changed.
The Task Force may be dissolved at any time by recommendation of the Executive Committee approved in writing by more than two-thirds (2/3) of the Board. In the event of the dissolution of the Task Force, whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law, none of the assets of the Task Force shall be distributed to any member, but after payment of all lawful debts of the Task Force, its property and assets shall be given to a charitable organization or organizations of the kind described in Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code, such organizations to be selected by the Executive Committee.