# Rules Committee The formation of the **Rules Committee** for the Republican Party of the State of Delaware is outlined in **Article VII: Standing Committees** of the provided document. Below is a detailed explanation of how the Rules Committee is formed: ### 1. **Composition of the Rules Committee** - **Membership**: The Rules Committee consists of **two (2) members** selected from **each Convention District** (Article VII, Section 3). - **Total Members**: Since there are five Convention Districts (Northern New Castle, Western New Castle, Colonial, Kent, and Sussex), the Rules Committee has a total of **10 members** (2 members per district × 5 districts). ### 2. **Selection Process** - **Selection by Convention Districts**: Each of the five Convention Districts is responsible for selecting its two representatives to serve on the Rules Committee (Article VII, Section 3). - **Authority of Convention District Chairperson**: The members serve at the pleasure of the **Convention District Chairperson**, meaning the chairperson of each Convention District has the authority to appoint or replace these members (Article VII, Section 5). ### 3. **Leadership of the Rules Committee** - **Chairperson Role**: The **Parliamentarian** of the Republican Party of the State of Delaware serves as the **Chairperson** of the Rules Committee (Article III, Section 4, H). - The Parliamentarian is appointed by the **State Chairperson** and must be approved by a **majority vote** of the **Executive Committee** (Article III, Section 4, H). - As the chief legal officer of the party, the Parliamentarian chairs the Rules Committee and oversees its activities, including ruling on technical and procedural matters and ensuring compliance with state and federal laws (Article III, Section 4, H). ### 4. **Term and Tenure** - **At the Pleasure of the Convention District Chairperson**: Members of the Rules Committee serve **at the pleasure** of their respective Convention District Chairperson (Article VII, Section 5). This implies that their tenure is not fixed and can be terminated or changed at the discretion of the Convention District Chairperson. - **No Specific Term Length**: The rules do not specify a fixed term for Rules Committee members, so their service continues until they are replaced or removed by the Convention District Chairperson. ### 5. **Context and Responsibilities** - The Rules Committee is one of three standing committees (along with the Finance Committee and Resolutions Committee) and plays a critical role in reviewing and preparing proposed amendments to the party rules for consideration at Organizational Conventions (Article VIII, Sections 2–4). - The committee also advises on compliance with party rules, state and federal laws, Birds of Prey and National Republican Party rules, as guided by the Parliamentarian (Article III, Section 4, H). ### Summary - The **Rules Committee** is formed by **two members** selected from **each of the five Convention Districts**, resulting in a total of **10 members**. - These members are chosen by their respective **Convention District Chairperson** and serve at their pleasure. - The **Parliamentarian**, appointed by the **State Chairperson** and approved by the **Executive Committee**, chairs the Rules Committee. - The process ensures representation from all Convention Districts while maintaining centralized oversight through the Parliamentarian’s leadership.