Nordic Ski Club Constitution

Article I: Name and Purpose

Section 1: Name
The College of St. Benedict and St. John's University Nordic Ski Club (CSB/SJU Nordic Ski Club).

Section 2: Purpose/Mission
The CSB/SJU Nordic Ski Club will strive to:

  • Promote Nordic skiing and foster a competitive athletic spirit amongst its members.
  • Educate and encourage members of the CSB/SJU community to experience all that Nordic skiing has to offer.
  • Endorse the importance of taking pride in being an athlete as well as a student.

Section 3: Affiliations
None.

Article II: Membership

Section 1: Eligibility for Membership
All students at CSB/SJU in good academic standing are eligible to participate in the Nordic Ski Club. Faculty and Staff may be partial, non-voting members. Participants must not be under academic or disciplinary probation. Participants should express an interest in competitive Nordic ski racing.

Section 2: Voting Member Criteria
Members of the Nordic Ski Club must attend ¾ of practices and have paid any withstanding dues by election time in order to be eligible to vote for club officers. If issues arise where a prior obligation is arranged resulting in missing a practice, the team should be notified of the reason for this absence.

Section 3: Removal of Members
The grounds for removal of a member includes:

  • Dissatisfactory behavior at practices and/or meetings
  • Abusing club materials or privileges
  • Disrespect for other members of the club

If an issue arises where an individual needs to be removed from the team the Nordic Ski Club will use the following procedure:

  1. Captains will notify the person that their actions are not in agreement with the club. Specify those actions, and make both parties accountable.
  2. The captains will arrange a meeting a week later for both parties to present both sides of the argument, ensuring that each argument is heard. This meeting should be limited to people directly involved, not the entire team.
  3. Captains will reach a decision within a week and present the decision to the team providing their reasoning.

Article III: Officers

Section 1: Officer Qualifications
The club shall elect four officers, or captains. Two shall be female, to represent CSB, and two shall be male, to represent SJU. In the event that there is not a sufficient number of males and/or females fitting the criteria, qualification rather than gender shall be considered for the elections.

An individual that is qualified to be an officer of the Nordic Ski Club:

  • Has at least one season of experience with the Nordic Ski Club
  • Is in good academic standing and not under disciplinary probation
  • Exemplifies great leadership and organization
  • Full-time student at CSB/SJU

Section 2: Elected Officers

2 Male Captains
2 Female Captains
Head Treasurer

Section 3: Duties of Officers

Male and Female Captains:

  • Call and preside at meetings
  • Organize practices
  • Allocate resources including wax, equipment, and uniforms
  • Assist the coach with general organizational tasks

Head Treasurer:

  • Keep track of finances and keep a financial record
  • Submit monthly audit statements to Co-Funding Board
  • Create a budget and manage funds
  • Head and direct the Treasury Committee

Section 4: Vacancy in Office
In the event that there is an open office, a special election will be held in quorum to fill the position.

Section 5: Removal of Officers
In the event that the club feels an officer is not performing their responsibilities, a petition to remove the officer in question must be submitted to another officer. The petition must contain the signatures of 2/3 of voting members. When such petition is received, the other officer shall call a meeting of the club to determine whether the questioned officer should be removed.

Grounds for removal are then presented by an officer in charge at a club meeting. The officer in question shall be provided an opportunity to present a defense either in person or in writing within a week. A quorum shall be present and majority vote of the voting members shall decide upon removal.

Section 6: Appeal of Removal of Officers
A removed officer may appeal the club's decision by submitting a defense in writing or in person a week after their removal.  Upon hearing this defense, a 2/3 of the club must vote on the matter.

Article IV: Elections

Section 1: Nomination Process
Members can nominate themselves as well as others for offices. An individual may decline nomination. Nominations and votes will be taken at the same meeting to determine club officers. At said meeting, the club must be in quorum.

Section 2: Election
Elections must occur within a month of the last competition and results must be reported to the Joint Club Board and Department of Student Activities by April 1st.  In the event of a tie, the club will re-vote between the tied individuals at the election meeting. The majority winner will be appointed.  The newly appointed officers will take office the following semester.

Section 3: Special Elections
If an officer is removed or resigns from office, a new officer must be nominated and elected within two weeks of the removal or resignation, using the same process as in section 1 of article IV.

Officers may call special elections as needed.

Article V: Advisor

Section 1: Selection
The Nordic Ski Club will choose an advisor from CSB/SJU Faculty or Staff who shares in the club's goals and expectations for the team. This includes an interest in Nordic skiing and racing as well as a willingness and interest to help our team improve.

Section 2: Duties
Duties may be negotiated between captains and the advisor.

Article VI: Meetings

Section 1: Regular Meetings/Club Activities
Meetings will be held when necessary to discuss important upcoming club activities including, but not limited to, meets, events, or business transactions. Captains will notify members via email as well as announcements at club functions such as practices, meets, etc.

Section 2: Special Meetings
Captains may call special meetings as needed and in the event that something unexpected or important occurs that needs to be dealt with immediately. Members will be notified as they would for a regular meeting, and conducted in a similar fashion.

Section 3: Parliamentary Authority
Captains will run meetings. Prior to the meeting, the captains will form an agenda that outlines the content of the meeting. Team members attending the meeting will be allowed to voice questions, concerns, and ideas that pertain to the team.

Section 4: Quorum
2/3 of voting members must be present in order to hold a vote on official club business.

Article VII: Committees

Section 1: Committee Structure
There shall be a Fundraising Committee, Treasury Committee, and Race Committee. The Fundraising Committee will find and coordinate various fundraising opportunities for the club. The Treasury Committee is under the authority of the Head Treasurer and is in charge of the club's finances and reporting to the Joint Club Board. The Race Committee is under the authority of the current Race Manager (a non-official office) and is in charge of coordinating the various aspects of travel, fees, and scheduling of competitions. Membership of these committees should be on a voluntary basis, but members should be a member of at least one committee per semester.

Section 2: Special/Ad Hoc Committees
Special/Ad Hoc Committees may be formed if needed.

Article VIII: Finances

Section 1: Co-Funding Board
The club will request monies from the Co-Funding Board on an annual basis to pay for travel expenses, competition fees, and equipment. If allocated resources, the CSB/SJU will follow all Co-Funding Board and institutional policies and regulations.

Section 2: Honorariums
Coaches will receive a stipend from club-generated funding. The amount given will be dependent on the team's budget annually.

Section 3: Dues
Members will be responsible for expenses not paid for by the Co-Funding Board or fundraised.

Article IX: Amendments

Section 1: Ratification
Amendments to the constitution will be discussed and voted upon at special meetings called by the captains. Amendments may be ratified by a 2/3 vote of members.

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 Joint Club Board.

Article X
The CSB/SJU Nordic Ski Club 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 XI
The CSB/SJU Nordic Ski Club considers hazing to be a degrading and destructive activity which is inconsistent with the standards of this student organization. The CSB/SJU Nordic Ski Club recognizes the dignity of every person and opposes all forms of hazing.