Philippine American Kasamahan Constitution

Constitution

 

Philippine American Kasamahan

 

Article I: Name and Purpose

 

Section 1: Name

The name of the club will be Philippine American Kasamahan, PAK.

 

Section 2: Purpose/Mission

The mission of Philippine American Kasamahan aims to expand the history and presence of the Filipino heritage amongst the community of the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University and its neighboring communities of the Midwest. We strive to promote and enhance the representation of the Philippines.

 

Section 3: Affiliation

The Philippine American Kasamahan will be affiliated with the Midwest Association of Filipino Americans (MAFA) and its organizations. According to the Midwest Association of Filipino Americans, their mission is: “MAFA provides an accessible platform for dialogue, collaboration, and empowerment to foster unity amongst individual member schools. Our focus is to inspire the members of MAFA to develop a purpose for their existence and a better understanding of their identity as a Filipino-American student organization. MAFA strives to integrate the unique goals and values of the individual MAFA students while nurturing a communal atmosphere in the Midwest. We strive for the empowerment of Filipino-Americans and all Asian-Americans in order to establish a better representation of our culture in society and encourage others to become leaders for the future. We hope to one day branch out of the Midwest and extend our invitations to other Filipino-American and Asian-American organizations to join us in our cause. Our purpose is to unite and empower the Filipino/Asian-American youth, which is a goal that is not limited strictly to organizations in the Midwest.”

 

The Philippine American Kasamahan will specifically keep close ties with the Filipino American Student Association (FASA) of Saint Cloud State University and the University of Minnesota-Philippine Student Association (PSA) as they are located in the state of Minnesota.

 

Article II: Membership

 

Section 1: Eligibility for Membership: Any individual, student or faculty and staff, of the CSB/SJU community who expresses interest in the club may join by notifying any member of the Executive Board or attending club meetings and events. Faculty and staff will be considered as non-voting members.

 

Section 2: Voting Member Criteria

Any person who attends half of the club’s meetings or events during the fall will be considered an official member. Only official members will be allowed to vote during the spring semester.

 

 

Section 3: Removal of Members

Removal from the club will be a result of consistent improper remarks and behavior such as any foul comments about other people or groups of people and cultures. The Executive Board holds the right to remove any members who perform unacceptable behavior that do not coincide with the Benedictine values.

 

Article III: Officers

 

Section 1: Officer Qualifications

Officers of the Executive Board must be a student of CSB/SJU, taking 8 credits or more. Any officer must sustain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above.

 

Section 2: Elected Officers

 

1) President: chairperson of the club, call regular, special, and board meetings, official spokesperson of the club (i.e. in charge of collaborating with other clubs), manage all meetings, organize and plan events, Department of Student Activities representative, regulates officers duties, constructs agenda for meetings, and manages election process.

 

2) Vice President: Responsible for reaching out to those of the CSB/SJU community internally, in charge of communicating to the students and faculty/staff/administration of

CSB/SJU. Accountable for keeping communication with other surrounding colleges and universities, especially those of the Midwest Association of Filipino Americans, responsible for notifying the rest of the Executive Board of all activities and events occurring outside of the CSB/SJU community; acts as the primary liaison between the club and the Midwest Association of Filipino Americans and works closely with the Public Relations officer.

 

3) Secretary: In charge of all business of the club, responsible for minutes of meetings, keeps all records of attendance by members, files of the club such as minutes, and lists of past and current members, and accountable of club's email account and sending emails regarding meetings and events.

 

4) Treasurer: Responsible for club budgets and recording and maintaining all financial matters of the club. The Treasurer must keep all financial reports and annual budgets and report to the President and Vice-Presidents. The Treasurer is in charge of all financial approvals in connection with the President and Vice Presidents. It is also his/her duty to make budget proposals and apply for Co-Funding Board monies, Co-Funding Board representative.

 

5) Public Relations: Responsible for promoting any events and activities of the club throughout media. Public relations is in charge of representing the club through social networks (i.e. Twitter, Facebook , Instagram, etc.).

 

 

Section 3: Vacancy in Office

In the event of a vacancy in the Executive Board, the vacancy shall be filled in the following manner:

If an officer of the Executive cannot uphold his/her duties for any reason prior to the expiration of his/her term, the president will consult with the officer. If the office of the president is vacated, the office will be filled for the remainder of the term by following the chain of command, starting with the Internal Vice-President then the External VP, Treasurer, and then Communications Coordinator.

 

Section 4: Removal of Officers

In the removal of an officer, the officer is either not in good academic standing or is not performing his/her duties. In this case, the Executive Board with attendance of the faculty advisor will deliberate first and as follows, the club members will vote. 2/3 vote must be in favor for removal for the officer to be officially be removed from office.

 

Section 5: Impeachment

If the President is to lack performance of his/her duties, the remaining officers of the Executive Board and club advisor are to hold a meeting and discuss the problem. Then, the President would meet with the other executives and advisor. A voting would take place after, and it must be unanimous.

 

Section 6: Appeal of Removal of Officers

In the case of an appeal of removal of an officer, the appeal will be taken under review by the club members as they will vote if they officer should be removed. 2/3 vote is required for removal of an officer.

 

Article IV: Elections

 

Section 1: Nomination Process

Nominations of officer positions can be made by official members, Executive Board officers, or self-nomination. Those who are nominated must be official and active members of the Philippine American Kasamahan and students of CSB/SJU.

 

Section 2: Election

The Election process will begin by nominations and an application will need to be submitted to ensure interest in the position. After applications have been submitted, a poll will be taken by the voting members; majority vote wins.

 

Section 3: Special Elections

Refer to Article III, section 3.

 

Article V: Advisor

 

Section 1: Selection

The advisor must be a member of College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University as part of Administration, Faculty, and Staff. He/ She does not have to be of Filipino descent, however, must be willing to learn about and support the club.

 

Section 2: Duties

The advisor must meet with the executive officers every two weeks to discuss progress and improvements of the club.

 

Article VI: Meetings

 

Section 1: Regular Meeting/Club Activities

-Regular meetings of the club will be once every three weeks particularly in the evening. Members of the club will be notified twice during the week before the meeting.

-Executive meetings will be held once week during the evening to discuss future meetings and events of the club. A day will be decided based on every officer’s availability.

 

Section 2: Special Meetings

-Special meetings will be held prior to larger events organized by the club for further information and practices. These meetings will also be called before departure for conferences.

-Special meetings will be held at different days or times than regular meetings.

-Special meetings may be called by the president.

 

Section 3: Quorum*

At least 2/3 of voting members must be present during a vote.

 

Article VII: Committees

 

Section 1: Committee Structure

The committee of the club is consisted of the officers of the Executive Board.

 

Article VIII: Finances

 

Section 1: Co-Funding Board

The treasurer holds the duty for the club’s financial responsibilities and budget proposals throughout the semester. The treasurer will be responsible for applying Co-Funding Board monies according to their guidelines.

 

Section 2: Honorariums

Officers of members of the club will not receive honorarium/stipend from the organization.

 

Section 3: Dues (optional)

Members of the club are not required to pay any dues.

 

Article IX: Amendments

 

Section 1: Ratification

Constitutional amendments will be accepted upon the approval of the club advisor, officers of the Executive Board, and members of the club.

 

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 following is a required statement for all clubs and organizations)

The Philippine American Kasamahan 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 following is a required statement for all clubs and organizations)

The Philippine American Kasamahan considers hazing to be a degrading and destructive activity which is inconsistent with the standards of this student organization. The Philippine American Kasamahan recognizes the dignity of every person and opposes all forms of hazing.