Constitution of the Secular Society of Temple University
Preamble We, the members of Secular Society of Temple University, and subscribing to the regulations and policies of Temple University, establish this Constitution to govern the matters within our organization.
Article I: Identification Section 1: The name of this organization shall be the Secular Society of Temple University, henceforth referred to as SSTU or as (Temple) Secular Society for the purpose of brevity.
Article II: Purpose Section 1: The purpose of this organization shall be to represent secular students and their allies at Temple University and to encourage rational and intelligent discourse about religion, society, and the separation of church and state. SSTU is a politically active but non-partisan organization and anyone is welcome to join.
Article III: Membership Section 1: Anyone can join SSTU who is currently enrolled for at least one (1) semester hour at Temple University. There will be no membership fee. All members (both active and inactive members) are welcome to participate in any activity sponsored by SSTU.
Section 2: An “active” member of Secular Society is defined as a student who has attended at least two (2) meetings or at least one (1) meeting and one (1) group-sponsored event per semester. Active members have the right to vote and run for office in general and special elections.
Section 3: Any member can resign from SSTU verbally or in writing, provided a hard copy of said resignation is made available. Secular Society's Executive Board reserves the right to terminate membership at its own discretion.
Article IV: Officers and Elections Section 1: The five (5) officer positions of this organization, and constituting this organization's Executive Board, shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Temple Student Government Representative (TSG Rep). The term of office shall be one (1) academic year.
Section 2: Duties for officers are outlined as follows: the President shall be in charge of the Executive Board and the organization in general: the Vice President will perform the duties of the President when he or she is absent or incapacitated; the Secretary is responsible for internal communications and record keeping; the Treasurer is responsible for managing the allocations, funds, and expenditures of the organization; the TSG Rep is responsible for attending all the meetings of Temple Student Government, in order for the the organization to receive institutional funding. The Executive Board shall decide upon other general duties and responsibilities, such as external communications, parliamentarian duties, etc... according to individual qualification and interest. The position of TSG Rep, if necessary, may overlap with any officer position except for that of the President.
Section 3: The Executive Board reserves the right to determine whether one of its own will be removed from office. The condition for the removal of an officer is a three-fourths (3/4) or a two-thirds (2/3) vote by the other officers of the Executive Board, depending on how many officers currently serve on said Board. The officer in question may not vote on his or her own removal. Any appeal on the part of said officer will be heard by the rest of the Executive Board prior to the process of deliberation. Further appeals following an initial decision to remove an officer may be made, verbally or in writing, to the members of the Executive Board prior to replacement of said officer by special election, however the Executive Board reserves the right not to consider further appeals. Note that removal from office does not necessarily include removal from the organization.
Section 4: General Elections of officers shall be held by democratic process once per academic year in the second week of September. Only active members are allowed to run for office in General Elections. Incumbents are not permitted to vote in General Elections. At least thirty percent (30%) of SSTU's current active membership, excluding officers, must be present in order for a Special Election to take place.
Section 5: An officer of the Executive Board, should he or she choose to resign, is required to submit their resignation in writing and to provide a hard copy. Said officer may be requested and required to fill out a resignation form.
Section 6: In the event of a vacancy on the Executive Board due to removal or resignation, a Special Election will be scheduled. Details concerning the time of said election and vacant positions will be made available on SSTU's listserv, and will also be posted on our website. Active members, including the officers on the Executive Board, are permitted to vote in Special Elections. At least thirty percent (30%) of SSTU's current active membership, including officers, must be present in order for a Special Election or General Election to take place.
Section 7: Having already defined voting eligibility in the case of General and Special Elections in the previous sections, the procedures for voting shall be as follows: General and Special Elections will be conducted democratically, by a secret ballot. Results of General Elections are to be decided by majority rule. Results of Special Elections require a majority of two-thirds (2/3) of the active membership, excluding any officers present.
Section 8: In the event of a tie between two (2) or more candidates in a General or Special Election, a coin-toss will decide the outcome of the election (in the interest of objectivity).
Section 9: Any active member, including officers on the Executive Board, may nominate themselves or another active member for candidacy in General and Special Elections. Nominations will occur at the meeting on the day of the election.
Amendment 9: Nomination of Candidates In reference to Article IV, Section 9: Nominations of candidates for General and Special Elections require a second to be considered in running for officer positions. Article V: Meetings Section 1: Regular meetings of this organization shall be held bimonthly. Regular Executive Board meetings will also be held bimonthly. Additional meetings may be scheduled by the Executive Board as needed. The Secretary will be responsible for notifying members of upcoming meetings via the organization's listserv.
Section 2: A quorum shall consist of two (2) or more active (voting) members plus least 3 of the members of the Executive Board. Meetings shall be conducted according to the Parliamentary Procedures of Robert's Rules of Order. Officers present will select an acting Parliamentarian from the Executive Board prior to each meeting.
Section 3: Any motion requires a second to come to a vote.
Section 4: Group participation on the part of SSTU in any activity sponsored by another student organization must be supported by a vote of 2/3 of the active members present. This figure includes members of the Executive Board.
Article VI: Advisors Section 1: SSTU shall have one (1) faculty advisor who is a full time employee of Temple Unversity. The faculty advisor shall be a member ex-officio with no voting privileges.
Section 2: Said advisor shall be selected and voted in by the Executive Board.
Section 3: Duties of the advisor are outlined in Temple University’s “Little Black Book for Student Organizations” and on the database for student organizations.
Article VII: Disbursement of
Funds Section 1: All disbursements of funds must be approved by the President, Treasurer, and the TSG Representative.
Section 2: Reimbursement of expenditures will only be accepted for members who have retained an original, itemized receipt and a description of the expenses incurred.
Section 3:Any expenditure in excess of ten US dollars ($10) must be approved by a majority of the organization's officers.
Section 4: All financial transactions of the organization will be managed through the Temple University Accounting System, as stipulated by the Guide to Sound Fiscal Practices.
Section 5: Only the organization's officers and the organization advisor shall have the ability to charge expenses to the organization via Temple University's account charge system.
Article VIII: Amendments Section 1: Amendments must be proposed by the Executive Board. The constitution may be amended by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the active membership. This figure includes any officers present. Amendments should not exceed the length of one half of one page.
Section 2: Any motion to present an amendment for a vote requires a second in order for said motion to be passed.
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