Crew Club Constitution

Article I

Name, Purpose, Affiliation, and Principal Office
The name of this organization is CSB/SJU Rowing Club. The organization shall consist of two parts, a collegiate level crew and a student governing body and booster organization concerned with furthering the activities of the crew. It shall be the purpose of this Club to promote the sport of rowing at both institutions. Acting as a corporate person, the club will secure training equipment and proper facilities for the equipment, gain access to recognized competition, provide instruction and boat safety, encourage academic learning, and promote campus activities and college interest.

The Rowing Club shall cooperate with both institutions and abide by all policies and procedures outlined for club organization status.

The principal office of said Club and it’s chief work shall be located at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. The postal address for the CSB/SJU Rowing Club will be:

CSB/SJU Crew
Saint John’s University
Collegeville, MN 56321

The primary practice facilities and boathouse shall be located on Lake Sagatan at Saint John’s University.

Article II

Membership, Dues, and Responsibility
Membership is open to any member of the Saint John’s or Saint Ben’s community. There is a limit that shall be determined by the Board Members, the governing body of the Club. This limit shall be based on the availability of the equipment. Upon determination of this number, selection shall be made according to attendance, ability, and attitude.

The Board Members shall establish seasonal dues no less than one week prior to the start of on water practices to meet the operating expenses of the Club. Membership dues will be due one week after practices begin (in the spring, the due date is extended to one week after water practices begin) to the Club Treasurer. Any individual may row for no more than four practices before paying dues. During this period, new rowers may try out the sport to decide if she/he would like to continue to participate. However, dues must be paid once the individual has proceeded to row more than one week, no matter when the individual ceases rowing.

The individual will receive a receipt that they are encouraged to hold onto for his/her own records. Any individual who fails to pay dues will not be permitted to row until dues have been paid. Participation in regattas may also have additional fees to be paid prior to regatta date.

It is each rower’s responsibility to attend daily practices on time and in appropriate rowing attire. Boat loading and unloading before/after each regatta is mandatory for each rower, no matter if he/she is participating in the regatta.

Participation in regattas is dependent upon attendance. Any rower attending a regatta must row at least one week prior to the regatta. In congruence with CSB/SJU athletic guidelines, no alcohol may be consumed 48 hours prior to any regatta. If this should occur, the rower will be exempt from participating in the regatta.

Article III

Crew Board
The powers, business, and property of the Club shall be exercised, conducted, and controlled by the Board Members. The Crew Board shall consist of nine elected positions as officers of the Club—President; Vice-President; Secretary; Treasurer; Captain; Regatta Coordinator; Commodore; Apprentice to the Commodore; and the Recreational Coordinator—except in the spring semester, in which case it is acceptable for the Board to operate with only eight officers.

The individuals holding elected positions are not to be paid in any form. There will be no other form of honorariums allowed with regard to any club officers. Furthermore, no members of the said Rowing Club, including any member with any function, will have the opportunity or capacity to receive an honorarium. In addition to the following list of duties, each Crew Board member is expected to be at each boat loading/unloading except in extraneous circumstances, then it is the absent Board member’s responsibility to notify the President of the Rowing Club and other Crew Board members of their absence beforehand.

Crew Board meetings will be held at the discretion of the President of the Rowing Club during the rowing season. All Board members are to be present, unless extraneous circumstances apply, in which case it is the responsibility of the Board Member to notify the President of the Rowing Club of their absence—unless it is the President who will be absent, then she or he must inform the rest of the Board.

Section I: Duties of Board Members
The President of the Rowing Club shall chair all Club meetings, serve as the Chairperson of the Crew Board, and shall be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Club, and the Crew Board. It shall be the duty of the President to call the Members together whenever she/he deems it necessary, and to have, subject to the advice of the Board Members, direction of the affairs of the Club and discharge all other such duties as may be required for efficient operation of the Club.

The Vice President of the Club shall serve as assistant to the President and will share the responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the Club and the Board Members. If at any time, the President shall be unable to act, the Vice President shall take his/her place and perform his/her duties. If the Vice President is unable to act, the Board shall appoint one of its Members to do so.

The Secretary shall maintain all seasonal Club records and make sure that all membership requirements have been met before individuals obtain membership for the season (e.g. make sure all members have turned in signed waivers). It shall be the duty of the Secretary to maintain communication of all Club and Board activities to all members and discharge such other activities as they pertain to said office or as prescribed by the Board Members—this includes checking the Rowing Club’s mailbox and distributing the mail appropriately. The Secretary is also responsible for keeping minutes at each Board meeting and reporting these minutes to fellow members following each meeting. The Secretary is also responsible for updating and running the Club official website.

The Treasurer of the Club shall receive and deposit all funds of the Club and account for all receipts, disbursements, and balance on hand. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to install a system of bookkeeping and auditing such that each member may be advised from time-to-time concerning the receipts and disbursements of the Club. The Treasurer shall serve as Co-Chair of the Fund Raising Committee and working preparing monthly audits and financial reports. The Treasurer shall be responsible for collecting dues from crew members and maintaining a list of members in good standing. The Treasurer of the Club will also serve as the primary representative to the Co-Funding Board, representing the Club’s financial interests. The treasurer will also serve to advise the Snow-Sprints organizational committee on financial affairs.

The Captain shall organize the competitive members of the Club. It shall be the duty of the Captain to schedule winter training, organize boats at practice each morning, and work with the Commodore to schedule equipment use and practice times. The Captain shall ensure Club participation in the Fall Club Fair and act as representative of the competitive body of the organization. The Captain will serve as Co-Chair of the Snow-Sprints organizational committee.

The Regatta Coordinator shall be responsible for coordinating all information and activities concerning the participation in regattas. The Regatta Coordinator shall assume the position of Co-Chair of Snow Sprints Rowing Regatta and organizational committee. She/He will work with the Captain to organize and submit all club entries for regattas, boat arrangements, and assist in collecting regatta fees.

The Commodore shall be responsible for the care and upkeep of all equipment owned, leased, or rented by the Club. The Commodore shall keep a record of all maintenance of equipment, maintenance techniques, and relevant information. The Commodore shall be the ranking member concerning equipment and the beach area. It shall be the duty of the Commodore to schedule all equipment use and authorize the use of specific equipment. The Commodore shall discharge all other such duties as they pertain to said office or as prescribed by the Board Members. The Commodore shall direct an inventory of all Club equipment (including all spare parts) during the fall semester. Additionally, the Commodore will serve as mentor to the Apprentice to the Commodore concerning maintenance of equipment and techniques for maintaining and repairing all Club equipment.

The Apprentice to the Commodore will help the Commodore in any capacity that is needed in order to guarantee the maintenance and safety of all Club equipment. This is not a formal voting member of the Board, but he or she shall be invited to Crew Board meetings. The primary role of the Apprentice is to become proficient in maintaining the equipment to guarantee the longevity of it.

The Recreational Coordinator shall be responsible for the organization of all recreational rowers. The Rec. Coordinator shall organize rowers, rowing times, coxswains, and beach watchers for each boat. This position will only be necessary during the fall semester; however, if the Member is still a part of the team during the spring semester, they will retain their position as a voting member of the Crew Board.

Section II: Election
At the final Club membership meeting of the spring season or before the date required by Student Activities to have a new Board set, there shall be elected, a Board composed of Club members as described in Section I: Duties of the Crew Board to act as the governing body of the Club for a term of one year. However, if extenuating circumstances arise (e.g. studying abroad, transferring), a member may still run for election of one semester. In which case, an election for that particular position will be held at the completion of the fall semester to fill the position. In addition, those members abroad may still run for a position on the Board for the semester in which he/she will be returning by submitting a platform via email to the Board. In the case of special elections, the Board will hold a vote among themselves with majority wins. The outgoing Board member will count the votes for his/her position in the special election.

It shall be necessary for a member to be of good standing in the Club for a minimum of one season to be eligible for candidacy.

All regular rowing Club elections shall be conducted in the following manner:

At the beginning of the spring season, a notice shall be posted in the boathouse and sent to all rowers via email describing the duties of the Board Members and explaining election procedures. Those members showing interest in running for position should speak to the persons holding such positions in which they are interested. One week before the regular election (be it at the annual Spring Banquet or earlier per the requirements of Student Activities), each candidate shall turn in a written platform to the current President. The platform should include why he/she is running for the position and qualifications for the position. The platforms will be presented at the Board meeting prior to the vote.

Each member present shall cast one written vote per office. A committee of seniors shall tally the votes and declare the candidate with the simple majority winner. Any ties shall be re-voted immediately.

An impeachment vote may be called of a position signed by one-half of the membership. This petition shall be presented to the Board Members. A vote of at least two-thirds will result in removal of the officer.

Article IV

Season Structure, Equipment Use, and Canceling Regattas
The Board Members shall design the starting dates and duration of the practice/training season, and the practice and racing schedules. All Rowing Club equipment shall be used only during the months of September, October, and the first two weeks of November and in April and May for the spring season. No equipment will be issued outside these dates without the approval of the Board Members. During the fall and spring seasons, equipment will be used only with the approval of the Commodore, except the double, which will require full Board approval. Additionally, a minimum of three semesters of rowing, the last of which must be as a member of the CSB/SJU Rowing Club shall be required before a member can be approved to row the Club’s double. To request permission to use equipment a written statement must be submitted to the Club’s email: [email protected]; or to the Club’s postal box:

CSB/SJU Crew
St. John’s University
Collegeville, MN 56321

The Rowing Club shall schedule a minimum of two regattas in the spring season and three regattas in the fall season open to entire membership. The Board Members will set the spring regatta schedule by the end of February and will set the fall regatta schedule prior to the first full membership meeting. This is with the understanding that the Crew Board has managed to secure transportation to and from the regattas for both the boats and team members.

Attending a regatta is a serious commitment, therefore all aspects of attending must be considered. In the disappointing case, that the Club’s attendance at a regatta needs to be canceled because of extenuating circumstances certain protocol must be followed. First, the Board must do all within its power to secure a safe way to attend the regattas it has committed to by nightfall on boat loading day. However, attendance at a regatta may be canceled at any time by a unanimous decision of the Crew Board before nightfall on boat loading day. Second, if all of the Board Members present at boat loading decide it is not in the best interest of the Club and safety of its members and equipment, then notice shall be given to the entire team immediately, and it is final. However, if the Board members present are unable to reach a unanimous decision, then a unanimous decision by the President, Regatta Coordinator, and Captain will make the final decision with advice from the Commodore. If this is not possible, then a simple majority of the Board will decide. The deadline for making the decision will be 12 hours before the earliest departure for the regatta. There is no vetoing or overruling of this process or the decisions made by this process.

Article V

Email and Electronic Account Policy
The Crew Club’s electronic account will be for official Crew business only. All Crew Board members should have access to the account. However, if the privilege of access is abused, the Board reserves the right to revoke access to any Board member (decided by a majority Board vote). Outgoing emails must comply with Joint-Club-Board email policy in addition to being for official Club business. Emails to the entire club or CSB/SJU community must be approved by a majority of the Crew Board. However, emails communicating business of the Board can be sent, if appropriate, without prior consent of the majority of the Board.

Article VI

Honorariums and Coat Policy
Board members are officially exempt from paying dues in honor of the fulfillment of their position.

Any crew member who has been rowing two semesters and is registered as a member for a third semester may apply to order a coat. The application process includes proposing before the Board Members why he/she would like a coat. The Board Members will vote on the proposal; a majority vote is adequate. This proposal and voting process is required to eliminate rowers having coats who do not maintain commitment to the Rowing Club.

Article VII

Racing Attire
Each rower is required to wear a rowing uniform at regattas. The uniform can either be rented for a non-returnable fee or bought. If uniforms are not available, each rower is to wear form-fitting shorts and a Rowing Club t-shirt. If weather conditions require warmer clothing, spandex may be worn under the uniform.

Article VIII
The Crew Clubadmits 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 IX
The Crew Club considers hazing to be a degrading and destructive activity which is inconsistent with the standards of this student organization. The Crew Club recognizes the dignity of every person and opposes all forms of hazing.

Article X The Crew Club agrees that its activities, mission statement and goals are consistent with the Benedictine Values.

Article XI

Amendments
These by-laws may be amended by any member in good standing provided the amendment is passed by the majority of the Board Members. This Constitution and all amendments shall become effective immediately following their adoption.

Article XII

Adoption of this Constitution
This Constitution shall become effective after review and unanimous vote by the Board Members. A unanimous vote from the Board Members will dissolve this Constitution provided an acceptable Constitution has been prepared and can become effective immediately.