Meetings are held regularly on the first Monday of each month from 7:30 pm till 9:30 pm., usually in the community rooms at Kemp Hall, 4 E. Church St., Frederick. Membership in CQL is open to anyone supporting the goals of the organization. For further information or CQL membership, write to CQL at :

CQL
P.O. Box 510,
New Market, MD 21774

CQL was formed in late 1997 by a concerned group of ordinary county residents - voters, parents, homeowners - who were upset by the direction in which the county had been headed, and who were determined to counteract the heavy impact of special interests on the election and subsequent actions of the Board of County Commissioners. The founders were particularly concerned about unchecked residential growth in the county which had resulted in overcrowded schools, growing traffic congestion and threatened farmland and open space. CQL’s founders, and those who have joined since, strongly adhere to the belief that the county government should be responsive to ALL the residents, not just those with special economic interests.

The primary concerns of those who founded the organization and who help direct CQL today include:

Exerting real, visible control over residential growth;
Ending overcrowding in Frederick County's public schools;
Encouraging educational excellence in the County school system;
Finding and implementing measures to relieve traffic congestion;
Saving Frederick County farms, forests and open space;
Strengthening our agricultural economy;
Expanding business and industrial growth in the County in harmony with residents and the environment;
Funding essential county services and capital expenditures on a current basis, while reining in development-forced tax increases;
Generally, protecting and improving the quality of life for Frederick County residents.

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BYLAWS
(Adopted February 21, 2000)

ARTICLE I.   NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Citizens for Quality of Life of Frederick County, Maryland (hereinafter designated as "the Organization")

ARTICLE II.   PURPOSE AND MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION

A. This Organization is a nonprofit public civic organization, not organized for the private gain of any person or program.

B. The purpose of the Association is to develop, publicize and promote policies and programs which will preserve and enhance the quality of life for residents of Frederick County, Maryland

C. The Mission of the Organization is to study and take action on issues affecting the quality of life for citizens of Frederick County, Maryland. Among the goals of this organization are:

Exerting real management and visible control over residential growth and sprawl
Ending overcrowding in Frederick County Public Schools
Encouraging educational excellence in our county school system
Finding and implementing measures to relieve traffic congestion
Preserving Frederick County farms, forests and open space
Strengthening our agricultural economy
Expanding business and industrial growth in the county in harmony with residents and the environment
Funding essential county services and capital expenditures on a current basis
Generally, protecting and improving the quality of life for Frederick County residents.

ARTICLE III.   MEMBERSHIP

A. Membership of the Organization shall consist of any persons who generally support the goals of the organization as set forth in these bylaws and who pay the yearly membership fee. The membership fee shall be determined annually by the Board of Directors.

B. The Membership of the Organization shall adopt policies and programs by majority vote at any regularly scheduled meeting.

C. Should a Membership Fee (dues) be recommended by the Board of Directors and approved by the Membership, it will be effective as of February 1 of the current calendar year or, subsequently, as of the date of payment and shall run through January of the following calendar year. Membership fees shall not be pro-rated for partial year Memberships.

ARTICLE IV.   OFFICERS

A. Officers of the organization shall include President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer

B. Officers shall be nominated and elected by the membership in attendance at the January meeting of the organization. Nominations shall be taken from the membership present. A nominee must be present to be elected to office unless an exemption from this provision shall be adopted by the Board of Directors.

C. Term of office for Officers shall be one calendar year or until the next regularly scheduled January meeting of the Organization, whichever shall come first.

C.  The President shall preside over all meetings of the Organization and shall serve as the official spokesperson for the Organization.

D. The Vice President shall serve in the absence of the President and shall succeed the President in the that office in the event of a vacancy in that office.

E. The Secretary shall take minutes at all meetings of the Organization and shall, in a timely manner, notify the membership of upcoming meetings.

F. The Treasurer shall receive and disburse funds of the Organization, maintain any bank accounts and report on the finances of the Organization at regularly scheduled meetings.

G. Any officer may be removed by a majority vote of the Board of Directors at any time.

H. In the event of a vacancy among the officers, the Board of Directors shall have the power to appoint a replacement to complete the term of office.

ARTICLE V.   BOARD OF DIRECTORS

A. The Board of Directors (hereinafter "Board") of the Organization shall include the officers of the Organization, the Separate Segregated Fund and at least one and up to three Directors-at-Large selected from among the membership by the Officers.

B. Board members shall implement policies and programs of the Organization.

C. The Board of Directors may appoint such committees as may be necessary to carry out the policies and programs of the Organization.

D. The Board of Directors shall be empowered to interpret and take such action as may be necessary to carry out the policies and programs of the Organization.

E. The Board of Directors shall be empowered to set and act on interim policies for the organization as  may be necessary. Such policies shall be reviewed by the Membership at the next regularly scheduled meeting.

F. The Board of Directors may name an individual to act as spokesperson for the Organization in lieu of the President for such activities as providing public oral or written testimony. In such instances, the Board shall retain the right to approve the content of such communication.

G. Three Board Members present shall constitute a quorum.

H. A quorum being present, a majority vote of Board Members present shall prevail.

ARTICLE VI.   MEETINGS

A. The Organization shall hold regular monthly meetings on a set week and day of the week each month.

B. The Board of Directors may hold special or emergency meetings provided the Membership shall be given seven days notice of such meeting.

C. In special circumstances, such as when meetings may fall on or near holidays, the Board of Directors may re-schedule regular meetings, provided the Membership is given fourteen days notice.

ARTICLE VII.   COLLECTION AND EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS

A.  The Board of Directors shall prepare an annual budget for the Organization to be presented at the January regularly scheduled meeting. This budget shall include recommended dues, if any, for the next fiscal year.

B. The fiscal year for the Organization shall begin on February 1 and run until January 31 of the following year.

C. The Board shall approve all expenditures by majority vote.

D. The President, Vice-President and Treasurer shall be empowered to sign checks and make payments for the Organization.

ARTICLE VIII.   SEPARATE SEGREGATED FUND

A. The Organization shall sponsor a separate, segregated political action fund for the purpose of collecting and disbursing fund to support candidates for the Frederick Board of County Commissioners. The name of this fund shall be "The Citizens for Quality of Life Political Action Committee," (hereinafter designated as "the Fund").

B. The Fund will be organized and operated as a separate entity, under the laws of the State of Maryland.

C. The Fund shall have a President and Treasurer elected by the Membership of the Organization. These officers shall serve in perpetuity. Upon a vacancy in one of these positions, an individual may be appointed by the Board to serve until the next regularly scheduled membership meeting of the  Organization, at which time nominations will be taken and an election by majority vote shall be carried out to fill the vacancy.

D. The Treasurer of the Fund shall report on the financial status of the Fund at regularly scheduled meetings of the Organization.

E. The Board of Directors shall prepare a list of suggested candidates to present to the Membership for Fund support at least two months before each primary or general election. Candidates to receive support from the Fund shall be approved by a majority vote of the Membership.

ARTICLE IX.   BYLAWS

These Bylaws shall be in effect upon their adoption by the Membership and may be altered, amended or repealed by a majority vote of those members attending any regularly scheduled meeting where a quorum of the Board of Directors is present.

ARTICLE X.   RULES

Procedure for administering meetings of the Organization and the Board of Directors shall be governed by "Roberts Rules of Order."