The name of this Organization is the Washington State School Retirees' Political Action Committee, commonly referred to as WSSR-PAC. WSSR-PAC and PAC are used interchangeably in this document.
The purpose of WSSR-PAC is to promote the general welfare of school retirees through political processes while continuing the promotion of public education and good citizenship.
The organization aims to raise funds for contribution to and support for candidates for the Washington State Legislature; for candidates for state offices; for political party caucuses; and for advancing position of the WSSR-PAC on statewide initiatives and referenda or opposing the same.
The WSSR-PAC is strictly nonpartisan and is organized to encourage voluntary involvement of members in state political processes through voluntary personal financial participation.
The WSSR-PAC shall operate in conformity with Washington State law and with requirements of the Public Disclosure Commission.
For the initial organizational meeting of the WSSR-PAC, a presiding officer shall conduct the election of officers. Once officers are elected the newly elected President shall appoint PAC Directors from the eight (8) districts of the State of Washington as identified under Section 5: e. By majority vote the newly elected officers and appointed Directors will select one Board member from the Eastside of the State and one Board member from the West Side of the State who - together with the officers - will constitute the Executive Committee.
The President shall be elected by and from the PAC membership. The President shall be the chief executive of the WSSR-PAC subject to direction of the PAC Board of Directors. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all Committees. He/She shall preside at meetings of the PAC Board of Directors and meetings of WSSR-PAC.
Vice President
The Vice President shall be elected by and from the PAC membership. He/She shall perform duties as assigned by the President or PAC Board of Directors. When the President is absent or unable to perform his/her duties, those duties shall be assigned to the Vice President. In the absence of the Secretary or Treasurer the Vice President shall serve in an interim capacity until a Secretary or Treasurer shall be appointed to fulfill the unexpired term.
Treasurer
The Treasurer shall be elected by the PAC membership and shall be responsible for maintaining records on the financial status of the WSSR-PAC in accordance with Washington State law.
The Treasurer shall have custody of all receipts, disbursements, and funds and securities of WSSR-PAC. The Treasurer shall deposit all WSSR-PAC funds in appropriate PAC accounts. The Treasurer shall prepare and file reports required by the Public Disclosure Commission and the WSSR-PAC Board of Directors.
The Treasurer shall submit all books of account for an annual audit by an internal Committee selected by the WSSR-PAC Board of Directors.
Secretary
The Secretary shall be elected by the PAC membership.
The Secretary shall prepare and sign all PAC meeting minutes and issue same to each WSSR-PAC Board member. Members may request copies of minutes by contacting the secretary.
When a vacancy in an officer's position occurs, the PAC Board of Directors shall have the power by majority vote to select a member to the unexpired term of office.
The Board of Directors of WSSR-PAC shall consist of members who are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Executive Committee. Appointments are based on one member from each WSSR-PAC District representing eight legislators (or less) and one additional member for each additional eight legislators or major fraction thereof. All members must qualify as members under Article IV, Section 1.
Meetings of the PAC Board of Directors may be called by the President with concurrence of the PAC Executive Committee provided reasonable notice of such meetings is given to each member of the PAC Board in advance of such meeting.
The Directors shall act only as a Board and individual Directors shall have no power as such. A majority of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The act of a majority of Directors present at any meeting at which there is a quorum shall be the act of the PAC Board of Directors.
In case that a Board member is unable to attend a scheduled meeting of the WSSR-PAC an alternate shall be selected by (1) the Board member unable to attend or, (2) the President of WSSR-PAC.
The Executive Committee of the PAC Board of Directors shall consist of the officers plus one Board member from the East side of the State and one from the West side of the State as selected by the PAC Board. The Executive Committee shall exist to assist the President in conducting affairs of the PAC during the interim between meetings. Decisions shall be by majority vote and communicated to the PAC Board of Directors for information or confirmation.
The PAC Board of Directors, after the close of the fiscal year, shall submit in the WSSRA Journal a report as to the condition of the WSSR-PAC and an accounting of the financial transactions of the past fiscal year.
The PAC Board of Directors shall receive recommendations from the PAC Advisory Committee as to recipients of PAC contributions and shall determine each recipient and the amount of each distribution to be made by the PAC.
A member of the PAC Board of Directors shall not be personally liable to the Committee, or to its members for his/her conduct as a Director, provided this elimination of personal liability shall not eliminate the liability of a Director for acts or omissions that involved intentional misconduct by a Director, or a knowing violation of law by a Director, or for any transaction from which the Director will personally receive a benefit in money, property or services to which the Director is not legally entitled.
Membership shall be open to any person who makes a voluntary financial contribution to the WSSR-PAC. Membership shall be for a one-year period and be for the fiscal year (January 1 through December 31) in which a contribution is made.
There shall be an annual meeting of members of the WSSR-PAC during June of each year at such a place as may be designated for the transaction of WSSR-PAC business.
All travel and per diem expenses of members of the WSSR-PAC are the sole responsibility of the WSSR-PAC or of the individual. Travel and per diem expenses must be approved by the WSSR-PAC President and Treasurer.
Individuals may make contributions to the WSSR-PAC in the form of money, goods or services and these contributions shall be recorded with names and addresses for the purposes of complying with the Washington State Public Disclosure law.
Contributions shall be used for the following purposes:
For support of candidates for the Washington State Legislature
For support of candidates for state offices.
For political, informational, and educational activities and services as determined by the PAC Board of Directors.
For general administrative purposes and operation of the PAC as authorized by the PAC Board of Directors.
For donations to the political caucuses of the State Legislature.
For support of campaigns advancing the positions of WSSR-PAC including statewide initiatives or referenda processes or for opposing statewide initiatives or referenda campaigns.
The PAC Advisory Committee shall consist of the WSSR-PAC Executive Committee as defined in Article III, Section 6, plus additional designees as determined by the Executive Committee.
The PAC Advisory Committee shall submit to the WSSR-PAC Board of Directors by written record the names of all candidates recommended to receive funds from the WSSR-PAC and the reasons therefore.
The PAC Advisory Committee shall have authority to interview any candidates it desires and have authority to utilize other techniques prior to recommending candidates to receive funds.
The PAC Advisory Committee shall recommend to the WSSR-PAC Board of Directors their position regarding statewide initiatives and referenda.
No part of any income or revenue to WSSR-PAC shall inure to the material or pecuniary benefit of any member, officer or private individual (except that reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered in connection with one or more of its purposes), and no member, officer or private individual shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any other assets of WSSR-PAC on its dissolution or liquidation. In the event of a recommendation for dissolution or liquidation, the assets of WSSR-PAC, after payment of debts and obligation, shall be transferred to an organization with federal tax exemption for charitable or educational uses and purposes similar to those of WSSR-PAC, which exempt organization shall be designated by the final WSSR-PAC Board of Directors meeting.
Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, current edition, shall govern all activities of the WSSR-PAC in all instances to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with its Bylaws.
