Walking Club Constitution
Article I: Name and Purpose
Section 1: The Walking Club
Section 2: The Walking Club (T.W.C.) is designed to get the people of CSB/SJU to build more admiration for the University by having facilitated walks through campus and the St. John’s Abbey Arboretum. We want to help students take a few minutes out of their week to take a walk in the open air to better both their physical and mental health. We also encourage people to bring water in order to stay hydrated as a secondary health initiative of the club.
Section 3: Affiliation
The Walking club currently has no affiliation with any national organizations.
Article II: Membership
Section 1: Eligibility for Membership
The CSB/SJU T.W.C. is open to any and all currently enrolled CSB/SJU students. Non-students [e.g., faculty/staff/alumni] are not allowed to be participating members, but they can be supportive affiliates.
Section 2: Voting Member Criteria
A student becomes an official member of T.W.C when said student signs up. There are no mandatory meeting dates. There are no restrictions on who can become a member of T.W.C. One must be present at said vote in order to vote.
Section 3: Removal of Members
State the process to remove any member who is not in good standing with the club. Due process must be followed. Things to consider are: reasonable notice to the person being considered for removal, opportunity to defend their position, quorum* needed to vote, timeline for the process, appeal process.
First transgression: Verbal warning.
Second Transgression: We have a separate meeting with said person to discuss the current event(s) that are happening.
Third Transgression: Final, official warning.
Fourth Transgression: Student will be removed from T.W.C. They will not be able to participate in any T.W.C. events.
Appeals will be brought to the board where they will revisit removal.
Article III: Officers
Section 1: Officer Qualifications
Members who want to be in a leadership position of T.W.C. must be active members for at least one semester before they are able to be elected for the board.
Section 2: Elected Officers
President
Vice President/Co-Leader
Treasurer
Board Member
Section 3: Duties of Officers
President: Responsible for organizing meetings, being present at meetings, call special meetings, appoint committee chairs, runs election process, primary contact with the institutions
Vice President: Responsible for organizing meetings, being present at meetings, assume President’s duties in his/her absence, primary contact with the JCB, plans member/officer training programs
Treasurer: Keeps financial records, notifies club of financial issues, prepares budget and allocation requests, submits monthly audit statements to CFB contact. Emergency contact for non-president/vice-president ran meetings.
Board Member: Assists rest of board with duties, has authority to run meetings
Section 4: Vacancy in Office
In the event a vacancy should occur (resignation or removal), provisions must be made to fill the vacancy. Officer succession/"chain of command" should be addressed (e.g., in the event that the President leaves office, the Vice President will assume those duties until a special election is held. Then refer readers to the special election section of Article IV.
Section 5: Removal of Officers
A petition to remove an officer in question must be submitted to another officer. Removal of an officer would follow the same process as Article II, Section 3. Removal of an officer must be agreed upon unanimously by the other members of the board. The club advisor would be notified of the removal and the reasons as to why said member was removed.
Section 6: Appeal of Removal of Officers
An appeal from officer would be received and other members would host a separate meeting to rediscuss why member was removed. If the vote for removal is still unanimous, the member in question will still be removed.
Article IV: Elections
Section 1: Nomination Process
Officer nominations will be accepted solely through board member nominations. Members are able to voice they want to be nominated.
Section 2: Election
Elections will be held in the spring of the academic year. Elections will be done through google. The Department of Student Activities will be notified of the new officers. Selection of club leaders is democratic in nature; all official club members have a voice in the club election process.
Section 3: Special Elections
Special elections will be held after two weeks of removal of an officer if duties are not picked up beforehand by other board members. In this case, self-nominations are accepted. The same election process will be used as in Section 2.
Article V: Advisor
Section 1: Selection
The president and vice president choose the club advisor together.
Section 2: Duties
Club advisor is expected to meet with the executive board as often as necessary, explain institutional policy/procedure, review the club's annual budget and offer financial management advice, provide continuity for the club/organization, act as a resource to the group, attend programs that may potentially have liability/risk for the institutions, intervene when knowledge of illegal activity/activities contrary to CSB/SJU policy occur, understand and abide by the Clery Act. The advisor role is open to realignment each year at the discretion of the club's leadership.
Article VI: Meetings
Section 1: Regular Meeting/Club Activities
Business meetings will only occur as necessary. Members of T.W.C. will be notified before a meeting will occur.
The club will hold regular meetings announced by the club board.
Section 2: Special Meetings
Special meetings are meetings only attended by the President and Vice President. In these meetings, the President and Vice President discuss any membership, program, election, or fundraising issues. If they come to an agreement, they can make changes to any of these issues.
Section 3: Parliamentary Authority
Robert’s Rules of order will be used.
Section 4: Quorum*
There must be 2 of the 4 members at an official meeting to vote. Both members must vote the same way, but other members will be notified of the changes.
Article VII: Committees
Section 1: Committee Structure
The Membership Committee will be responsible for membership, programs, elections, and fundraising. The Membership Committee consists of four members; President, Vice President, Treasurer, and a Board member.
Section 2: Special/Ad-Hoc Committees
Special/ad-hoc committees may be formed if needed.
Article VIII: Finances
Section 1: Co-Funding Board
If allocated resources, T.W.C. will follow all CFB and institutional regulations, and keep all club funds in on-campus accounts.
Section 2: Honorariums
At this time, officers will not be receiving any stipends for being a part of The Walking Club.
Section 3: Dues (optional)
Participating in T.W.C. is free. If funding for a trip off campus is not covered by the school, members will be asked to cover their cost for transportation. Any club apparel will be available for purchase, but it is optional.
Article IX: Amendments
Section 1: Ratification
Two members of the board must be present in order to make a voting decision to the constitution. The President or Vice President must be present. In order for a vote to go through, two out of the four board members must be in an agreement.
Section 2: Submittal to Department of Student Activities and Joint Club Board
Any changes made to this constitution must be submitted to the Department of Student Activities and the JCB.
Article X
The T.W.C. agrees that its activities, mission statement and goals are consistent with the Benedictine Values.
Article XI
The T.W.C. admits students without regard to their race, religion, color, sex, age, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and other activities, generally accorded or made available to members of the organization.
Article XII
The T.W.C. considers hazing to be a degrading and destructive activity which is inconsistent with the standards of this student organization. The T.W.C. recognizes the dignity of every person and opposes all forms of hazing.
Date of recognition/revision: 9/26/2019