The Tea Club Constitution
Article I: Name and Purpose
Section 1:Title
The Tea Club
Section 2: Mission and Purpose
Recent developments in positive psychology have found that happiness is best developed through personal growth, healthy social interactions, and community service. The Tea Club serves as an open invitation for students to come together, drink tea, watch and read thought provoking material, enter in explorative conversation, engage in social bonding activities, and give back to our community through service and justice work. It will unite students who are looking to truly make the most of their four years of college, and will create a group of students that will aid each other in expanding their college experience within and beyond the boundaries of the this club.
Article II: Membership
Section 1: Eligibility
Any registered CSB/SJU student can become a fully registered, voting member of the Tea Club.
Section 2: Voting Member Criteria
A student will be become an official member of the club after paying dues of five dollars per academic year.
Section 3: Removal of Members
If a student, having committed and paid dues, fails to maintain fifty percent attendance and/or fails to uphold the mission of The Tea Club, the club officers will issue this student a warning. At this time, a meeting between the student in question and the club officers can be scheduled to discuss the issue at hand and to offer the student a chance to explain his or her actions. If the student fails to change behavior after two consecutive meetings, she or he will be issued a second warning, and the club officers will take a vote deciding whether or not the student in question is eligible to remain in the club. If the club officers vote unanimously to remove the student, he or she will be asked to leave the club until the next academic year.
Article III: Club Officers
Section 1: Officer Qualification
Any voting member of The Tea Club will be eligible for an officer position after a current officer nominates them for election. Nominations will be based on club involvement, value-based leadership, and interest in position.
Section 2: Elected Officers
Financial Director
Administrative Liaison
Director of Programming
Tea Guru
Communications Director
Section 3: Duties of Officers
Financial Director:
Keeps all financial records, submits monthly audit statements to CFB contact, notifies organization of financial issues, prepares budget/allocation requests, runs election process.
Administrative Liaison:
presides at meetings, calls special meetings, acts as primary contact with the institutions, schedules locations and times for meetings.
Director of Programming:
Prepares meeting activities and agenda, plans and coordinates club events and activities to meet the needs and desires of club members.
Tea Guru:
Responsible for the acquisition of tea, the education of members about tea, and the preparation of tea at meetings.
Communications Director:
Takes and distributes minutes of all club meetings, record keeper (current and past members, files minutes, etc), club historian, notifies members of meetings, maintains and operates club e-mail account.
Section 4: Vacancy in Office
In the event of an officer vacancy, the Administrative Liaison will assume the duties of the vacant officers, and will hold such powers until the vacancy is filled by special election. The Financial Director must schedule a special election to fill said vacancy within two meetings time.
Section 5: Removal of Officers
If an officer is failing to uphold his or her duties to The Tea Club, a petition to remove the officer in question must be submitted to another officer. This petition must contain the signatures of one-third of the voting members. When such petition is received, the officer shall call a meeting of the club to determine whether or not the officer should be removed.
Grounds for removal are then presented by the officer in charge at a regular or special club meeting. The officer in question shall be provided an opportunity to present a defense either in person or in writing. A quorum shall be present, and a two-thirds majority vote of the voting members shall decide upon removal.
Section 6: Appeal of Removal of Officers
A removed officer may appeal his or her eviction from office to the club advisor. If the club advisor finds that the removal appears to be unwarranted, the club must hold an appellate vote in which the reinstatement of the officer is considered. A simple majority vote will consider the officer for reinstatement under the direction of the remaining officers and club advisors. The club officers and advisor must unanimously approve the reinstatement otherwise the appeal motion fails and the original decision of the club members will stand.
Article IV: Elections
Section 1:Nomination Process
All club members deemed fit to hold office shall be nominated by the current officers for election. Officers are not obligated to nominate applicants for a position that is currently occupied and will not be vacant during the upcoming academic year. Nominations shall not be made before the beginning of the spring semester and must occur at least two meetings before the date of the election.
Section 2:Election
A quorum must be present for an election to proceed. The method of voting shall be secret ballot. An officer is not limited to the number of terms he/she can serve. Once elected, an officer may be removed by a challenger through the regular election process or by the officer removal process outlined Article 3, Section 5. The election will be held during the spring semester, and the Financial Director will set the date of the election.
Selection of club leaders should be democratic in nature; all official club members should have a voice in the club election process. The election process for the Tea Club has been designed in order to have sustainable leadership structure.
Section 3: Special Elections
The Financial Director will appoint a time to hold a special election within two meetings time of the officer vacancy. The special election shall follow all procedures as the regular election. A special election may be held to fill a temporary vacancy, which includes vacancies created by study abroad. The temporary officer shall return power to the regularly elected officer at the end of the temporary vacancy.
Article V: Advisor
Section 1:Selection
The board of officers shall choose an advisor unanimously. If the board of officers fails to reach a unanimous decision, The Tea Club shall decide by simple majority vote.
Section 2: Duties
The advisor shall fulfill all roles designated to her or her him in the constitution. In addition, the advisor shall serve as a mentor to the board of officers and to the entire membership of the club.
Article VI: Meetings
Section 1:Regular Meetings/Club Activities
Meetings shall occur no more than once a week and no less than once a month. The Administrative Liaison and the Director of Programming shall determine the frequency and content of meetings and activities. As meetings and activities are scheduled, the Communications Director will email members of the club.
Section 2: Special Meetings
A special meeting of the club officers may be called at the request of any officer with the approval of the majority of officers. The content of the meeting will be determined at the time of scheduling, however a special meeting should not be called unless extraordinary circumstances require it. The club officers will decided at the time of the meeting who shall be allowed to attend; this decision will be based on the content of the meeting. A special meeting may not be called if the business of the special meeting could be accomplished in a regular meeting.
Section 3: Parliamentary Authority
The Administrative Liaison will run the meetings at his or her discretion.
Section 4: Quorum
A Quorum is defined as 2/3 of all club members. A quorum is only required for activities explicitly mentioned as requiring a quorum in this constitution.
Article VII: Committees
Section 1: Committee Structure
The Tea Club shall have the following standing committees:
- Tea Committee: Directed by the Tea Guru. This committee shall be responsible for all tea-related activities.
- Activities Community: Directed by the Programming Director. This committee shall be responsible for all service, educational, and recreational activities.
Section 2: Special Committees
With the approval of the club officers, additional committees may be formed.
Article VIII: Finances
Section 1: Co-Funding Board
The Tea Club will apply for funding from the Co-Funding Board. The Tea Club will follow all Co-Funding Board and institutional regulations.
Section 2: Honorariums
There shall be no honorariums for members of the Tea Club.
Article IX: Amendments
Section 1: Ratification
A proposal to amend the constitution may be submitted by any club member. The amendment must gain the unanimous approval of the club officers. After gaining such approval, a quorum of members must be present for a vote in which 2/3 of all members present must approve the amendment to the constitution.
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 Tea 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 following is a required statement for all clubs and organizations)
The Tea Club considers hazing to be a degrading and destructive activity which is inconsistent with the standards of this student organization. The Tea Club recognizes the dignity of every person and opposes all forms of hazing.