Aikido Club Constitution

Article l: Name
The name of this club will be the CSB/SJU Aikido Club.

Article ll: Purpose
Through the practice of Aikido, the CSB/SJU Aikido Club seeks to help its members:

  • Learn to control the aggression of others without inflicting injury;
  • Develop the capacity to respond peacefully to conflict;
  • Improve their mental focus and emotional balance;
  • Cultivate an awareness of the interdependence of human well being;
  • Foster intercultural awareness;
  • Reduce their own impulses toward violence and aggression;
  • Instill in themselves the habit of self-examination;
  • Inculcate compassion for the shortcomings both of themselves and of others;
  • Improve their physical condition and flexibility.

Article lll: Membership

A. Club Membership is open to any CSB/SJU student interested in practicing Aikido.
B. Interested CSB/SJU faculty and staff may join the Club as non-voting affiliate members.
C. Active membership is defined as a member who attends on average at least one practice session per week and a minimum of 50% of the club non-executive meetings and events.
D. Aikido club nor its members may participate in any initiating or hazing activities, which include but are not limited to: any sort of abuse either physical or verbal, or the forced participation in any activity.
E. No student can be denied participation or membership due to their race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual preference.

Article lV: Elections

A. All Officers will be elected by April 1st for the following academic year at a membership meeting to be scheduled by the current Executive Board.
B. The current Executive Board must provide Club members with a minimum of two weeks advance notice of the scheduled date for this meeting. Notification shall include announcements at regularly scheduled practice sessions. This notification shall not be limited to e-mail messages.
C. Election will take place through a majority vote of the active members present at that meeting. At least ¾ of the active members must be present for the vote to be valid.
D. A list of active members will also be submitted to the Joint Club Board Chair of the St. John’s and St. Ben’s Senates and the Joint Director of Student Activities before April 1st.
E. All Officers must be undergraduate students at CSB/SJU.
F. The term of office will be one academic year.
G. The Chief Executive Officer (or the Officer acting in place of the CEO) reserves the right to call special elections, and has the responsibility for notifying the membership.

  1. Special elections must take place at a meeting of the full Club membership.
  2. Special elections will take place through a majority vote of the active members present at that meeting. At least 2/3 of the active members must be present for the vote to be valid.
  3. Club members must be provided a minimum of two weeks’ notice of meetings at which Special Elections are to be held. Members are to be notified according to the procedures outlined in Article IV, Section B.

Article V: The Executive Board

A. General Requirements

  1. 1. All Executive Officers must maintain active member status.
  2. 2. Executive Officers are expected to attend all Executive Board meetings.

B. Chief Executive Officer

  1. Will preside over all meetings of the Executive Board.
  2. Will be responsible for overseeing the organization of Club activities.
  3. Will be the acting Liaison for the Senates, the Joint Club Board and other interested parties.
  4. Will be responsible for overseeing the use of funds by the Executive Board.
  5. Will direct and delegate all administrative responsibilities.
  6. Reserves the right to call special elections.

C. Coordinator of Member Affairs

  1. Will preside over the Club’s general membership meetings.
  2. Will be responsible for relations and/or problems with members.
  3. Is responsible for organizing general Membership meetings.
  4. Will act as the Chief Executive Officer if that Officer is absent, and will assume the responsibilities of the Chief Executive Officer if that office is vacant or if a petition has been submitted to remove the current Chief Executive Officer.

D. Manager of Enrollment Records

  1. Will be responsible for maintaining attendance records of members’ weekly practice
  2. Will keep accurate records of active Club membership
  3. Will submit monthly reports of active Club membership to the Executive Board
  4. Will ensure that members fill out and return waiver of liability forms. Will ensure that these forms are submitted to the Joint Director of Student Activities in a timely manner.
  5. Will record minutes of Executive Board meetings
  6. Will distribute copies of minutes of Executive Board meetings to the Club membership by Email no less than two weeks following the meeting.
  7. Will act as the Coordinator of Member Affairs if the Coordinator is absent, and will assume the responsibilities of the Coordinator if that office is vacant or if a petition has been submitted to remove the current Coordinator.

E. Chief Financial Officer

  1. Will be responsible for keeping accurate records of the Club’s account
  2. Will be responsible for requesting funds from the Co-Funding Board.
  3. Will be responsible for turning in monthly audits as required by Co-Funding Board.
  4. Will be responsible for providing Treasury Records to members of the Club upon request.
  5. Will serve as treasurer for the Executive Board.
  6. Will keep accurate records of the Club’s expenditures.
  7. Will act as the Manager of Enrollment Records if that Officer is absent, and will assume the responsibilities of the Manager if that office is vacant or if a petition has been submitted to remove the current Manager.

F. Club Advisor. (any interested Faculty or Staff Member may be the Club’s advisor)

  1. Will assist the Executive Board in coordinating club activities.
  2. Will advise the Executive Board on campus policies.
  3. Will advise the Executive Board on club financial expenditures.
  4. Will advise the Executive Board on the acquisition of funds.

Article Vl: Removing an Officer

A. Removal of an Officer requires a 2/3 majority vote of the Club’s active membership after a petition containing signatures of no fewer than 25% of the active Club members has been presented to the Executive Board. This petition must include a detailed statement of the reasons why the Officer in question should be removed.
B. Within two weeks following the submission of the petition the Chief Executive Officer – or the Officer acting in the capacity of the CEO - must call for a special meeting of the active membership to vote on the petition to remove.
C. The statement included in the petition to remove must be read aloud to the membership by the CEO – or the Officer acting in the capacity of the CEO - at the opening of this meeting.
D. The Officer facing removal may present a case in his or her defense at this meeting. Once the Officer’s presentation has been heard, the members will debate and vote upon his/her removal.
E. If the Officer is removed, that person has 2 weeks to make a post-removal appeal to the remainder of the Executive Board. The board may then either call another special meeting, or deny the appeal.
F. If the Officer is removed, the Chief Executive Officer – or the Officer acting in the capacity of the CEO – must call a special election within one month’s time of the removal, but no sooner than 2 weeks after the vote to remove. This special election will be intended to fill the vacant executive position.

Article Vll: Meetings

A. Membership Meetings

  1. It is the Executive Board’s responsibility to organize membership meetings and to provide members with at least two weeks’ notice of such meetings.
  2. The Executive Board will be responsible for notifying members in a timely fashion of cancelled, postponed, or additional meetings.
  3. At membership meetings the Coordinator of Member Affairs will present proposals for Club activities or projects, or proposed Executive Board decisions.
  4. The Chief Financial Officer will prepare reports regarding Club finances and funding when it is required for an informed discussion and vote concerning proposed activities, projects or Executive Board decisions.
  5. All active members present at a membership meeting will have an opportunity to discuss and to vote upon proposed activities, projects and Executive Board decisions.

B. Executive Board Meetings

1. Only Club Officers are authorized to call Executive Board meetings.
2. The CEO shall have the final authority to determine meeting times.
3. Meetings of the Executive Board shall be used:

a. to prepare an agenda for upcoming Club membership meetings.
b. to plan Club activities or projects (guest instructors, demonstrations, campus orientation sessions, recruitment campaigns, trips to regional dojos, video sessions, social events, etc.)
c. to review the status of Club finances.

4. Club members are welcome to attend these meetings as observers at the invitation of an Executive Board member.
5. The Executive Board may seek to assign membership dues.

a. This must be first voted upon by the Executive Board and then placed on the agenda for the next Membership meeting.
b. This motion requires a vote of a majority of the active members present at the Membership meeting.
c. Individual members have the right to appeal membership requirements and dues.
d. This appeal must be made before the Executive Board.

C. Weekly Practice
The CSB/SJU Aikido Club will sponsor Aikido practice for a minimum of two days each week during the academic semester.

  1. Active members are required to attend on average at least one practice session per week.
  2. Members are required to adhere to proper dojo etiquette throughout practice sessions.
  3. Members are required to keep their practices uniforms clean.
  4. Members are forbidden from attending practice sessions under the influence of alcohol or any other mind-altering substance.
  5. Members must submit waiver of liability forms to the Manager of Enrollment Records before they will be eligible for practice.

D. Only Executive Board Meetings, special elections, and meetings where other voting takes place are considered mandatory.
E. In addition to weekly practice, there will be a minimum of one activity per semester that this Club sponsors.
F. Members wishing to appeal Club decisions must have a petition of no less than 25% of the signatures of active Club-Members. This appeal will be presented before the Executive Board at the earliest possible Executive Board Meeting.

Article Vlll: Honoraria
A. Honoraria shall be provided for visiting guest instructors.
B. The Executive Board is authorized to disburse funds for the purpose of providing such honoraria.
C. The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for reporting such disbursements to club members at the membership meeting following the Executive Board’s decision.

Article lX: Amendment Procedure
A. The Executive Board reserves the right to amend the constitution.

  1. All changes must meet the guidelines of the Joint Club Board and must not conflict with the missions and policies of CSB and SJU.
  2. Members may petition the Executive Board to amend the constitution. A petition containing signatures of no fewer than 50% of the active membership is required for this appeal.
  3. The Executive Board must vote unanimously to amend the constitution unless a petition of at least ¾ of the club’s members is in question.
  4. If the petition contains the signatures of at least ¾ of the club’s active membership, the amendment can be passed by a majority vote of the Executive Board.
  5. The Executive Board has final authority concerning proposed amendments to the CSB/SJU Aikido Club Constitution.