Sample Chapter Constitutions

8/6/2019 Sample Chapter Constitutions

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Sample Chapter Constitutions

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Constitution of the

University Democrats

at the

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Adopted: September 23, 1984

Last Revised: February 22, 2010


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Preamble

In order to promote a better America, with equality, opportunity, and freedom within a

just and strong society, we dedicate ourselves to organizing the participation of

Democratic college students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In thismission, we call for participation of University of Massachusetts Amherst students,

regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, physical handicap,

socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation.

Understanding the importance of participation in the Democratic Party to the

preservation of our values and principles, we, Democratic college students, do hereby

associate ourselves and adopt this Constitution as the University of Massachusetts at

Amherst College Democrats.

Article I: Name

The name of this organization shall officially be the University Democrats, informally

known as the UMass Democrats or the UDems.

Article II: Purpose

The UDems pledge to support the philosophy and candidates of the Democratic Party.

Furthermore, the UDems declare their intention to support all efforts to increase the

participation of college students in Democratic affairs. To these ends, the UDems shalleducate and train its members so that they may be better able to:

1. Educate students about the philosophy of the Democratic Party;

2. Assist in the election of local, state, and national Democratic candidates;

3. Affect political change on the local, state, and national level.

Article III: Membership

A. Members: Membership in the UMass Democrats shall be open to any college

student currently enrolled in the University of Massachusetts Amherst or another

member of the Five College Consortium who wishes to be known as a UMass Democrat

and who has the best interests of the UMass Democrats and the Democratic Party at

heart, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, physical handicap,

socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation.


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B. Members in good standing: Members in good standing shall be defined as any

member, as defined in Article 3, Section A, who has paid their yearly dues; such an

amount as determined by the Executive Board.

Article IV: The Executive Board

A. Composition: The Executive Board shall be composed of the President, Vice

President, Treasurer, Director of Communications, Director of Programs, Membership

Coordinator, Campaigns Coordinator, and a Secretary. All positions will be elected

once yearly at the General Elections. Vacant positions will be filled by presidential

appointments and approved by a simple majority of the remaining Executive Board.

B. Meetings: The Executive Board shall meet regularly when school is in session.

Meetings shall be opened to all interested members. The President, with the consent of

50% plus one members of the ExecutiveB

oard, can close a meeting based on thedelicacy of the issues that will be discussed.

C. Campaign Subgroups: A group of UMass Democrats may form a temporary

campaign subgroup for the purpose of supporting a particular Democratic Candidate,

with the approval of a 1/2 vote of the Executive Board. The group shall select its own

leader, provided that he or she is a member of the UMass Democrats in good standing.

The group may request to become a UMass Democrats subgroup as early as it

chooses, however the group will cease to exist, and lose all associated privileges, one

week following the final election day of its candidate. The UMass Democrats Executive

Board may dissolve any subgroup by a 3/4 vote if it deems it to be acting in wayscontrary to the interest of the UMass Democrats as a whole.

Article V: Organization Authority

1. Substantive Authority

a. Definition: Substantive authority shall be defined as, but not limited to, adopting

policy statements and platforms, endorsing candidates in local, state, and national

elections, and endorsing local or statewide referenda.

b. Candidate Endorsements: The UMass Democrats shall endorse candidates by a

vote of 2/3 of the membership. In races where the UMass Democrats do not endorse a

candidate, the organization shall facilitate the dissemination of information for all

Democratic candidates in that race.


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c. Coordinate an annual effort to solicit alumni donations; and

d. Perform such duties as the President may assign, as well as such duties that are

customarily performed by a treasurer.

E. Duties of the Director of Communications: The Director of Communications

shall

a. Be responsible for updating the groups official Facebook page, Twitter account,

website, and other forms of new media that may arise;

b. Publicize meetings and events sponsored and cosponsored by the UDems;

c. Write press releases; and

d. Perform such duties as the President may assign.

F. Duties of the Director of Programs: The Director of Programs shall

a. Work to plan events, both political and social for the UMass Democrats;

b. Provide at least one prominent speaker a semester;c. Arrange for member training;

d. Be responsible for calculating event and trip logistics; and

e. Perform such duties as the President may assign.

G. Duties of the Membership Coordinator: The Membership Coordinator shall

a. Coordinate all recruitment drives and other efforts to attract new members;

b. Coordinate all tabling efforts;

c. Arrange for member benefits and other means of retaining members. This

includes, but is not limited to, food, t-shirts, buttons, bumper stickers, internship

opportunities, etc.;d. Maintain a database of all current members, alumni, and recruits; and

e. Perform such duties as the President may assign.

H. Duties of the Campaigns Coordinator: The Campaigns Coordinator shall

a. Connect students with candidates and campaigns;

b. Maintain a file of Democratic contacts from every level;

c. Coordinate phonebanks, canvasses, campaign invasions, and other forms of

campaign work; and

d. Perform such duties as the President may assign.

I. Duties of the Secretary: The Secretary shall

a. Be responsible for completing and submitting after review by the Executive Board,

all paperwork on behalf of the UMass Democrats.

b. Complete and update database entry;

c. Assist with logistics;


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d. Keep written documentation of event and regular meeting attendance;

e. Make all necessary preparations for organizational meetings and record and

distribute all minutes of the UMass Democrats meetings in a timely fashion; and

f. Perform such duties as the President may assign.

Article VII: Elections

A. Elections shall take place once a year on or before April 30, on a date approved by

a simple majority of current Executive Board members.

B. All members in good standing or students with an expressed intent to become

members in good standing will be eligible to run for a position and vote in the election.

C. One vote per person per election. Candidates cannot vote in their own election.

D. Elections start with the presidency and continue as designated in Article 4, Section

A of the Constitution or as decided by the election administrator prior to the election.

E. Administrator: The Election Administrator will be a member of the executive

board or member in good standing who is not running for elected position. The

administrator can vote. The president will be the administrator unless he or she is

running for a position or chooses not to serve. The Executive Board will appoint the

administrator if the President cannot or will not serve.

F. Procedure: Candidates are nominated directly before their election. The electionadministrator will determine for how long candidates may speak and other election

procedures. He or she will make these rules available for at least one week before the

election. Vote counting and declaration of a winner will occur directly after each

positions speeches.

G. Drop-down elections: If a candidate loses a race, he or she may drop down to

run for another position. He or she may drop down no more than twice, totaling 3

elections.

Article VIII: Removal

A. Cause for removal: An Executive Board member may be removed from his or her

position according to the process prescribed in Article VIII, Section B. Cause for

removal is left to members discretion. Causes for removal shall include, but not be

limited to:


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a. No longer being a member in good standing

b. Failure to fulfill the duties of the office

c. Poor attendance

B. Process for removal: To begin the process for removal, another member of the

Executive Board must charge the officer with the reasons for his or her removal publicly

at a meeting of the Executive Board. The officer in question must be offered an

opportunity to defend himself at that meeting. If the officer in question is not present at

that meeting, he will be offered the opportunity at the next meeting of the Executive

Board. If he does not attend this meeting, he forfeits the opportunity to defend himself.

After a period of no more than two weeks from when the charges were originally bought,

the issue shall be put to a vote. 3/4 of the Executive Board must vote for removal for an

officer to be removed.

Article IX: Vacancies

A. A vacancy shall be declared when a member of the Executive Board dies, resigns,

or is removed from office.

B. The President must announce the vacancy to the general membership. He or she

must appoint a replacement within two weeks of the announcement. The appointee

must then be approved by a simple majority of the remaining Executive Board.

C. If the vacancy occurs in the President position, the Vice President shall assume the

Presidency and shall appoint a new Vice President following the above procedures.

Article X: Amendments

A. Procedure: The Constitution can be amended by a 3/4 majority vote of the

Executive Board or with 2/3 approval by the active membership.


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Amendments

1. First Amendment: Terms of Executive Board Members

a. Elected Members- Newly elected members of the Executive Board shall begin

their terms twenty-four (24) days following their elections. Their terms expirewhen their successors assume their offices.

b. Appointed Members: Members appointed to the Executive Board assume their

office as soon as their appointment is approved by the sitting members of the

Executive Board. They retain their office only until the winners of the annual

election begin their terms.

I. Name, Purpose, and Affiliation

A. Name. The name of this organization shall be the College Democrats of Boston College,herein referred to as CDBC.

B. Purpose. CDBC will work to advance the policies and ideals of the Democratic Party at BCand in the larger community.

C. CDBC shall be a chartered member of both the College Democrats of Massachusetts andthe College Democrats of America. CDBC also retains the right to affiliate itself with suchgroups that advance the goals of the Democratic Party.

II. Membership

A. Membership of CDBC shall be open to all undergraduate students at Boston College.Membership shall not rely on gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation,socioeconomic status, veteran status, or handicap.

B. Voting rights shall be permitted to any member of CDBC who has actively participated inthe club. An active member is one who has attended at least two-thirds of general meetingsand at least one event sponsored by CDBC. Final determination of voting status is at thediscretion of the club President.

III. Executive Board

I. Authority. The Executive Board of CDBC shall have general authority and responsibility forthe affairs of CDBC.

A. Elected Members. Elected members of the executive board shall be elected yearly at ageneral meeting taking place in April, the exact date shall be determined by the servingexecutive board. The terms of each elected officer shall begin immediately. The elected


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Executive Board will be comprised of the President, Vice-President, Finance Director, andCommunications Director.

B. Appointed Members. No more than one month into the beginning of the academic year,the President shall nominate and the Executive shall approve by a two-third majority peopleto fill appointed positions. The appointed Executive Board shall consist of the Political

Director and the Programs Director.

C. Dismissal. Cause for dismissal shall be a failure to carry out assigned duties or on othergrounds as deemed appropriate by a majority of the Executive Board. Charges must bebrought during Executive Board meetings and the accused must be given the chance todefend himself or herself. After each side has made its case, the Executive Board mayremove the officer by a two-thirds vote and the position shall be decalred vacant.

D. Vacancies. A vacancy shall be declared when an officer resigns or is removed from his orher position. An officer must resign for a semester in which he or she studies abroad. If thevacancy is for any position but that of President, the President shall nominate a successor tobe approved by a majority vote of the Executive Board. In the case that the position of

President is vacant, the Vice-President shall become President and then shall begin thevacancy process.

IV. Duties of the Executive BoardA. The President shall:

2. Be the Chief Executive Officer of CDBC.3. Set out the agenda of CDBC during his or her tenure.4. Carry out all mandates of the Executive Board.5. Nominate people for appointed offices or vacancies.6. Be the official liaison to CDM and CDA.

B. The Vice-President shall:

2. Assist the President in his or her duties.3. Be the primary coordinator of the First-Year ProgressiveXChange (PXC).4. Be responsible for keeping detailed membership records.

C. The Finance Director shall:

y Work with the outgoing Finance Director and other Executive Board members towrite a budget for SOFC approval.

y Prepare and submit all financial forms to the Student Programs Office (SPO).y

Keep close track of all monies being spent by CDBC.

D. The Communications Director shall:

y Continuously update Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts.y Write and send out a weekly update to all listserv members.y Draft all CDBC press releases.y Design and produce advertising media including but not limited to posters, fliers, and

video.


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E. The Political Director shall:

y Be the contact person for all campaigns interested in coordinating speaking time atBC or recruiting students.

y Organize campaign days for approved campaigns (to be approved by a majority voteof the e-board)

y Be the official liaison between CDBC and all on-campus organizationsy Shall bring to light and research issues that CDBC should address

F. The Programs Director shall:

y Organize CDBC events in conjunction with the rest of the e-boardy Be responsible for the planning of the Father Drinan Award Presentation

V. Meetings

A. Meetings will be held at the discretion of the executive board.

B. Executive board meetings and/or conference calls and/or chain emails must take place atleast once a week.

VI. Elections

A. The outgoing President shall be the chair of the election procedures, unless he or she isrunning for re-election. In that case the election procedures will be chaired by the next mostsenior member of the executive board who is not running for a position.

B. Running for Office. Members of CDBC must be informed of the elections at least oneweek in advance. All parties interested in running for an elected position must let the chairof the election procedures know their intent to run two days before the election to be

included on the paper ballot. Parties may run from the floor by nomination from a votingmember of CDBC.

D. Voting Rights. Voting rights shall be permitted to any member of CDBC who has activelyparticipated in the club. An active member is one who has attended at least two-thirds ofgeneral meetings and at least one event sponsored by CDBC. Final determination of votingstatus is at the discretion of the club President.

E. Election Procedure. All those running have the opportunity to give a two minute speechand respond to at least three questions. Further questions may be allowed at the discretionof the chair. Paper ballots with previously declared candidates shall be given to all voters,anyone that wishes to run from the the floor must be written in by each voter. Each voter

shall receive five minutes to vote and then the ballots will be collected by the chair of theelection procedures who will then count the votes. The chair shall only vote in the case of atie and the club shall be notified of the election results immediately.

VII. Amending the Constitution

A. Amendments to the Constitution may be made at any CDBC general meeting and shall benoted by the Vice-President. Voting on amendments shall occur during elections procedure


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and will be passed with 2/3 of the voting members. Any changes made to the originalconstitution or bylaws must be approved by SPO before being considered active.

VIII. Club Advisor

A. The role of club advisor shall be determined at the discretion of the executive board on a

year to year basis.

IX. Ratification

A. This constitution will go into effect immediately after a vote at elections for the 2011-

2012 school year.

Democrats of Clark UniversityCharter for Recognition

March 15, 2011

Mission Statement: The Democrats of Clark aims to,

establish a forum for the communication of democratic moral, ethical, and political values. Since our

inception in 2001, our role has been to stimulate political awareness and promote egalitarianism and

social justice using the venue of the political arena. The Democrats of Clark University organization is

open to all Clark University students regardless of political affiliation or ideological orientation.

The current executive board and their contact information are as follows:President Ellie Zuckerman

Vice-President Sharon Bort

Treasurer Ethan Cohen

Communications Director Matt Furman

Issues Director- Lucas Earl

Political Director Megan Williams

Membership Director

Campus Events Coordinator Julia Richardson

Assistant Communications Director

Advisor

Current appointed positions and their contact information are as follows:None

Article I: The Democrats of Clark University

The name of this organization shall be The Democrats of Clark University,

henceforth referred to as DCU.


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Article II: Membership

Bylaw 101: Equal Opportunity

Each qualified individual regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation,

religion, national origin, age as defined by law, disability, or veteran status, shall have

equal opportunity to participate as a member of DCU. As enacted by the ClarkUniversity Student Council in Bylaw 101 of the Constitution which states:

Sec. 1: Student Council advocates the Universitys policy of equal opportunity,

which states:

It is the policy of Clark University that each individual regardless of race, color, sex,

sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age as defined by law, disability, or

veteran status, shall have equal opportunity in education, employment, or services of

Clark University.

Sec. 2: Student Councils interactions with the undergraduate student body shall exhibitthe spirit of the Universitys Equal Opportunity Policy.

Bylaw 102: SAF Funding Requirements

As enacted by the Clark University Student Council in Bylaw 124 of the

Constitution that DCU will:

Sec. 1a: Be open to membership to all members of the Clark Undergraduate

Student Body regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin,

sexual orientation, or handicap.

Sec. 1b: Be continuously available for additional membership, activities, and

participation by all members of the Clark Undergraduate Community.Sec. 1c: Have an Executive Board.

Sec. 2a: Open and widely publicize all organizational meetings and events, and

activities that the organizations hold, sponsor, or co-sponsor.

Sec. 2b: Allow events and activities held, sponsored, or co-sponsored to be open

for the participation of all members of the Clark Undergraduate

Student Body regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual

orientation, or handicap.

Sec. 3a: Submit one (1) copy of its charter, if changed to the Judiciary Committee

of the Student Council for approval by that committee.

Sec. 3b: Submit one (1) copy of all executive board changes, as necessary, withupdated contact information to the Judiciary Committee of the

Student Council.

Sec. 3c: Keep on file for their reference, and the reference of their members, a

copy of their charter.


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Sec. 4: Notify the Student Council Secretary in writing at least one week in

advance of any organizational elections for the purpose of openly and widely

publicizing the said elections.

Sec. 5: Have an advisor, said advisor can not be an undergraduate student.

(effective spring 2005)

Sec. 6: Failure to comply with any portion of this bylaw will be cause for DCU

to be considered ineligible for SAF funding.

Bylaw 103: Membership Prerequisites

Sec. 1: All members of DCU must be full-time students in good academic and

social standing and who have paid their Student Activities fee in full.

Bylaw 104: General Members

Sec. 1: General or active membership of DCU is defined as all those students

who have met the above prerequisites and who have attended two consecutive DCUmeetings per semester, as noted by the Communications Director.

Bylaw 105: Voting Members

Sec. 1: A voting member is defined as anyone who has met the prerequisites of

general membership and who has met the requirements for general membership.

Article III: Organization and Responsibility of Officers

Bylaw 201: PresidentSec 1. The President shall have the sole executive authority in the organization.

Sec 2. The responsibilities of the President are to:Sec 2a. Chair all DCU meetings

Sec 2b. Supervise other officers in meeting their organizational responsibilities

Sec 2c. Serve as official spokesperson for the organization both on and off campus.

Sec 2d. Administer elections to the executive board (if President runs for an elected

position, he/she cannot administer elections)

Sec 2e. Formulate weekly email

Sec 2f. Approve and oversee all events which DCU sponsors or co-sponsors

Bylaw 202: Vice PresidentSec 1. The responsibilities of the Vice-President shall be as follows:

Sec 1a. Chair meetings in the absence of the president

Sec 1b. Administer elections in the absence of the president, or in the case that the

President is running for an elected position.

Sec 1c. To coordinate with other organizations about co-sponsorship of relevant

events.

Sec 1d. Advise and oversee all chair positions/committees


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Sec 1e. To serve as the official DCU liaison/contact person with the club Advisor. He/

she shall maintain periodic communication with the Advisor by giving update about the clubs

activities and seek help for program/event planning.

Sec 1f. Assist the president in any other ways necessary

Bylaw 203: TreasurerSec 1. The responsibilities of the Treasurer shall be:

Sec 1a. Keep a private record of all accounts, transactions, and expenditures

Sec 1b. Maintain CUSC/LINK account

Sec 1c. Have signing rights on our budget

Sec 1d. Attend all required Student Council budget meetings

Bylaw 204: Communications DirectorSec 1. The responsibilities of the Communications Director shall be:

Sec 1a. To publicize all DCU events. This includes, but is not limited to the following:

Posting/Creating Flyers, Advertising on the events calendar, posting on the DCU website

and Chalking sidewalks and the garage.Sec 1b. Recruiting new members through advertisements.

Sec 1c. Take minutes and attendance at all general meetings.

Sec 1d. Act as DCUs resident historian (take photos at events, etc)

Sec 1e. Help formulate weekly email with President

Sec 1f. Record all accounts, transactions and expenditures if Treasurer is absent

Bylaw 205: Issues DirectorSec 1. The responsibilities of the Issues Director shall be:

Sec 1a. To come up with issues pertinent to Clark students on the local, state, national,

and international level.

Sec 1b. To lead informal discussions, known as Issues Nights, were these topics arediscussed and to present an informed opinion on them.

Sec 1c. To work in conjunction with the DCU Communications Director/ Assistant

Communications Director to publicize all Issues Nights to both DCU members and the

rest of the Clark community.

Sec 1d. To lead any other forums or discussions outside of general and E-board

meetings that DCU holds.

Bylaw 206: Political DirectorSec 1. The responsibilities of the Political Director shall be:

Sec 1a. Manage and organize all of DCUs involvement in campaigns (i.e. Canvassing

Excursions, Standouts, etc.) at the federal, state and local levels, and open contact withall campaigns throughout the election cycle.

Sec 1b. Contact candidates and campaigns to inquire about them speaking to DCU

and/or any opportunities they may have for volunteers and interns.

Sec 1c. Provide the membership with informed analysis and opinion with ongoing

elections and campaigns.

Sec 1d. Write thank you notes to those who come and speak or aid DCU in anyway.


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Sec. 1e. Work with organizations and causes to develop advocacy initiatives and DCU

programs for activism and issue-based campaigns.

Bylaw 207: Membership DirectorSec 1. The positions of membership director shall be held by a first-year student.

Sec 2. The responsibilities of the Membership Director shall be:

Sec 2a. To ensure membership retention

Sec 2b. To recruit new members

Sec 2c. To serve as go-between for general members to address any thoughts, ideas, or

concerns to the E-board.

Sec 2d. Create and Organize Membership Retention Program activities, outings,

events, etc. with the specific objective of creating club cohesion and maintaining membership to

prevent a decrease in the DCUs membership over the course of the school year.

Sec 2e. Assist President with ice-breaker activities and other related programs/activities.

Bylaw 208: Campus Events Coordinator

Sec 1. The responsibilities of the Campus Events Coordinator shall be:Sec 1a. To contact other campus clubs and organizations for co-sponsorship and

advertising DCU events.

Sec 1b. To serve as a contact and spokesperson to other Clark student clubs and

organizations.

Sec 1c. Assist President and Vice-President in event planning.

Bylaw 209: Assistant Communications DirectorSec 1. The responsibilities of the Assistant Communications Director shall be:

Sec 1a. To assist the Communications Director in any ways he/she sees fit.

Sec 1b. To record and email minutes of E-board meetings.

Sec 1c. To perform any and all duties of the Communications Director when he/she isabsent.

Sec 1d. To compose blog-posts for DCUs website at a minimum of once a month.

Bylaw 210: Additional Officer ResponsibilitiesSec 1. Must attend all E-board meetings (unless credible excuse is given)

Sec 2. Must attend all General Board Meetings (unless credible excuse is given)

Sec 3. Must attend all DCU Events, unless excused in advance.

Sec 4. Assist the president in any other ways necessary.

Article IV: Meetings

Bylaw 301: QuorumSec 1. Quorum for all DCU meetings shall be recognized as not less than 60 percent of the

members in attendance. 6 person minimum.

Bylaw 302: Frequency of MeetingsSec 1. Meetings of the General Body of the Democrats of Clark University shall be held no less

than two (2) times per month, for every full month, which Clark University is in session.


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Sec 2. Meetings shall be called by the President. The executive board should be notified in

advance of the date and time. Members shall be notified via emails sent by the Communications

Director.

Sec 3. Executive board meetings shall be held no less that once per full month, which Clark

University is in session. Meetings shall be called by the President.

Article V: Elections

Bylaw 401: ElectionsSec 1. Any person wishing to serve on the E-board must first be elected to that position.

Sec 2. A member must first be nominated either by themselves or by another member.

Sec 3. Another member must then second the nomination.

Sec 4. The nominee must then accept the nomination.

Sec 5. The President shall administer elections.

Sec 6. A person winning elections shall be one who has obtained a plurality of votes in a given

election.

Sec 7. Elections will be held during the meeting before finals week in the spring semester.

Sec 8. Anyone who qualifies for membership is entitled to one (1) vote and must be present atthe election meeting.

Sec 9. Sufficient notice must be given to members about any upcoming elections.

Bylaw 402: Special ElectionsSec 1. The President upon the following conditions shall call special elections:

Sec 1a. Executive board member has resigned or impeached.

Sec 2. Sufficient notice of the special election will be given to DCUs membership.

Bylaw 403: Candidacy

Sec 1. Candidates who are studying away or abroad may not hold a position on the E-board.

Sec 2. Candidates who are studying away or abroad in the spring may declare their candidacy

for the following year by contacting the President, but are ineligible to vote if they are not

physically present for the election.

Sec 3. Only members are entitled to stand for election to any position on the executive board.

Sec 4. No person previously removed from office may hold a position on the E-board.

Article VI: Impeachment Procedures

Bylaw 501: RemovalSec 1. Any member may make a motion to impeach a member. It must then be seconded by

another member. If a motion is made and seconded, any further impeachment proceedings shall

be held off until the next general meeting.

Sec 2. If the impeached member is not present at the meeting, then it is the duty of the

President or the next highest officer to inform them.

Sec 3. At the next general meeting, both sides shall be allowed to present their case. Only

members who have attended at least two prior meetings shall be allowed to speak and/or vote on

impeachment.


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Sec 4. Removal from office and/or membership can only occur based on a two-thirds vote of the

members present.

Sec 4. Causes for the removal of an executive board member may include (but need not be

limited to) absence from three or more executive board or general meetings and/or general

misconduct.

Article VII: Charter

Bylaw 601: Charter ApprovalSec 1. The official Charter shall be submitted to the CUSC by DCU President.

Sec 2. The Charter must be approved by the membership and the Executive Board.

Bylaw 602: AmendmentsSec 1. Amendments to this Charter shall be submitted by any DCU member.

Sec 2. Amendments to the Charter must be approved by a 2/3 vote of the membership present.

Article VIII: Committees

Bylaw 701: ApprovalSec 1. Special committees shall be formed by the President and approved by the Executive

Board.

Sec 2. Chairs of committees shall be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Executive

Board.

Bylaw 702: Committee StructureSec 1. Each committee shall be represented by one Chairperson, appointed by the President

Sec 2. The Chairpersons shall report all progress to the E-board & must attend at least one E-

board meeting a month.

Sec 3. No formal action may be taken without E-board approval

Sec 4. Chairpersons must regularly attend General Board Meetings unless a plausible excuseis given.

Article IX: Other

Bylaw 801: Club ExpendituresSec 1. All club expenditures anticipated to be over $500 shall be decided by a majority vote of the

Executive Board.

Sec 2. Any request for co-sponsorship from another Clark club or organization must be approved

by the Executive Board.

Bylaw 802: Events

Sec 1. DCU has hosted numerous events including, but not limited to, Issues Nights, VoterRegistration and Absentee Ballot Request drives, Election Night Watch Party, canvassing, the

Inaugural

Ball, political panels, and several community service events.

Sec 2. Continuation of these events are optional but encouraged.

Sec 3. Successful events shall be added to the roster in section 1 for archiving purposes.

Article X: Student Council Judiciary Committee Clause


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Bylaw 901: Judicial ApprovalSec. 1: The Clark University Undergraduate Student Council Judiciary Committee must approve

any changes or amendments to this charter.

Article XI: Charter AmendmentsBylaw 1001: Campaign Endorsements

Sec. 1: DCU shall not officially endorse any candidate for office until after the

Primary unless they are the only Democrat running.

Student Council Use Only

UR: _____________ SCR:

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2 Semester Completion Date:

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Tufts Democrats ConstitutionLast Updated 2003

Name: The official name of this organization shall be Tufts Democrats.

Purpose: The purpose of this organization is to be the voice of the Democratic Party at Tufts University,to educate the community on relevant political and social issues, to provide a forum for the discussion ofissues of concern, and to encourage and support the election of Democratic candidates to political office.

Description: Tufts Democrats shall consist of general members, executive officers, and an executiveboard.

General Members:

A) Description: General members are Tufts students who have participated in at least two TuftsDemocrats general meetings and/or activities in the previous twelve months.

B) Purpose: General members are to participate in general meetings and are to plan, organize, run, andattend activities concerning Tufts Democrats.


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General Meetings: The general members shall meet at an announced location at least once a month duringthe academic year.

A) Description: All members should attend general meetings. The President shall preside over the generalmeetings and s/he shall determine the specific agenda of the meetings with the advise of the executiveboard.

B) Purpose:1) To vote for executive officers by simple majority vote.2) To have the executive officers report to the general members.3) To bring up and implement new activities for Tufts Democrats.4) To voice the concerns and opinions of the general members.5) To allow social time for general discussion of activities which may or may not directly affect TuftsDemocrats.

Executive Officers: The executive officers shall include a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretaryand Communications Director. All executive officers must also be general members of Tufts Democrats.

Elections: The executive officers shall be elected for a one year term by a simple majority of the memberspresent at the general meeting scheduled for the month of April.

Election Procedures:1) The current President shall preside over the election of new executive officers.2) The election procedure shall be as follows:

A) The current President shall announce the election. The President shall then announce which positionsare open and shall give a description of each office open for election.


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6) Shall keep in frequent contact with other college Democrat organizations.7) Shall attend all conventions concerning Tufts Democrats.

C) Treasurer:1) Shall be the sole person in Tufts Democrats to be responsible for and to keep track of all financialconcerns.

2) Shall be present at all board meetings and general meetings.3) Shall report to the President and the general members when asked by the President.4) Shall represent Tufts Democrats in all financial matters and meetings.

D) Secretary:1) Shall record the minutes and attendance of all general meetings and board meetings.2) Shall communicate with the general members on a regular basis via e-mail or via a publishednewsletter.3) Shall attend all board meetings and general meetings.4) Shall report to the President and the general members when asked by the President.5) Shall collect and file all advertisements, letters, articles, and posters concerning Tufts Democrats.

E) Communications Director:1) Shall see that Tufts Democrats has a voice in the campus media by assigning regular Viewpoints andnecessary letters to the editor.2) Shall encourage, support, and oversee members who do write letters, articles, etc. as representatives ofTufts Democrats.3) Shall attend all board meetings and general meetings.4) Shall report to the President and to the general members when asked by the President.5) Shall oversee the design, construction, and maintenance of the Tufts Democrats web page.

F) The executive officers, with the approval of a majority of the general members, may create temporary,ad-hoc executive officer _positions if they determine that the workload of the executive board is too great.Election to these positions will follow the same election procedures described above. These executive

officer positions will expire at the end of the academic year.

Executive Board:

Description: The executive board shall include all executive officers and chairs of committees currently inoperation.

Purpose: The purpose of the executive board is to plan the specific activities brought up at the generalmeetings.

Procedures:1) The President will call an executive board meeting when necessary.

2) The President shall preside over executive board meetings.


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3) All executive officers shall attend the executive board meetings. If an executive officer has twounexcused absences, the President may call for the officers dismissal and will announce the date of aspecial election to fill the vacant position.4) The executive board shall plan the specifics of the activities suggested at the general meetings.5) The President, with the advise of the executive officers, shall choose a general member who is not anexecutive officer to chair a committee in charge of planning a specific activity.

6) The chairs of such committees shall also attend executive board meetings.7) All executive board members present shall contribute equally to the planning of activities.8) The chosen chair of a committee shall be the sole person in charge of the committees activity. It is thechairs responsibility to implement all of the plans for the activity which have been formulated by theexecutive board.9) The chair retains his/her status until the activity s/he is working on is completed.10) Once an activity is finished, the chair loses his/her status as an executive board member. S/he may notparticipate in future executive board meetings until s/he becomes the chair of another committee.11) If the general membership of Tufts Democrats falls below twelve general members and/or if nogeneral member wants to chair a committee, executive officers may chair activity committees.

Committees:

Definition: A committee will be formed to organize all activities endorsed by Tufts Democrats. Eachcommittee shall be appointed___ a chair by the President. All members of Tufts Democrats may serveon a committee.

Purpose: It is the job of the committee to implement, execute, and run the activity for which it has beencreated.

Procedures:1) The chosen chair shall report the committees progress at every board meeting and every generalmeeting while that committee is in existence.2) The chair will organize the committee and will accept volunteers for the committee at the generalmeeting.

3) The chair will run the committee and will make sure that its agenda is carried out.4) The chair may assign committee members tasks in order to ensure that the committees commitmentsare met.5) Once the executive board either discontinues the activity (by majority vote or the committees task issuccessfully completed, the committee shall be disbanded.

Tufts Democrats By-Laws


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In order for Tufts Democrats to receive legitimacy and respect from the Tufts Community, theorganization hereby has a set of by-laws to which all members must adhere or they will be reprimandedby the organization.

1) All members, when representing Tufts Democrats, shall adhere to the rules and regulations imposed onthis organization by the T.C.U. Senate.

2) Voting Procedures:A) On issues of conflict among the executive board, the committees, or the general membership, thereshall be a vote to democratically decide the solution.B) A vote can be called by the President, the presiding officer, or by petition by one third of the generalmembers present.C) Only the President or the presiding officer may conduct the vote.D) The President or the presiding officer shall announce the issue on which the members will vote.E) The President or the presiding officer shall allow and/or cease debate on the issue at his/her discretion.F) The issue shall be decided by a simple majority vote. It is up to the President or presiding officer todecide whether or not the vote shall be conducted by secret ballot.G) Only the President or the presiding officer may call for a revote.

H) In the case of a tie, the President or the presiding officer shall cast the tie-breaking vote.I) This voting procedure may not be compromised or abridged.

3) Impeachment:A) An executive board member may be dismissed from the board if s/he has been found guilty ofviolating the Tufts Democrats constitution or by-laws.B) Only executive officers may bring up impeachment proceedings at general meetings.C) A two thirds vote by secret ballot of the executive board is necessary to consider removing anexecutive board member and another two-thirds vote by secret ballot of the executive board is necessaryto remove the board member.

4) During general meetings and executive board meetings, members of the organization shall treat other

members with the respect that they deserve.

5) Tufts Democrats shall not discriminate against anyone on the basis of race, gender, creed, sexualpreference, or social status.

6) This constitution shall be approved by a simple majority vote of the executive board and a majorityvote of the general members present. If it becomes necessary to amend the constitution, the amendments

must first be considered by a two-thirds vote of the executive board. The amendments must then beapproved by a two-thirds vote of the executive board and a two-thirds vote of the general members

present. The amendment must then be approved by the TCU Judiciary committee. Once this constitution

is ratified, it shall be the sole constitution of the Tufts Democrats.

Documents

Sample Chapter Constitutions