The Constitution of Young Americans for Liberty, Georgetown Chapter

Transcription

1 The Constitution of Young Americans for Liberty, Georgetown Chapter Mission Statement Young Americans for Liberty seeks to unite Georgetown University students to advocate for and educate about personal freedom. We hold guest lectures, attend conferences, and discuss current events and political philosophy. We welcome members of any political persuasion and are committed first and foremost to providing a setting for intellectual exchange. We advocate for liberty and emphasize the importance of freedom from government constraint. Open dialogue between libertarians of different ideological perspectives, as well as with non libertarians, is central to our mission. Article I: Membership Section 1. Any student enrolled at least part time at Georgetown University may become a member of the YAL without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, national origin, personal appearance, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation. Section 4. Students of Georgetown University may join YAL at any time during the academic year, but shall be held to the membership requirements outlined herein, and must meet the voting requirements outlined in Article V in order to vote in a YAL election. Section 5. All members of YAL must uphold the principles of the organization, abide by the rules as set forth in this Constitution, and comply with all University policies. Noncompliance with these provisions shall constitute sufficient grounds for denying membership to any individual or for revoking the membership of any individual. The Executive Board shall have supreme authority in the verification of compliance with these provisions. Non compliance on the part of a member of the Executive Board is grounds for disciplinary action as outlined in Article VI. Article II: Meeting and Event Procedures Section 1. YAL shall meet on a semi regular basis as a general body at a constant location and time throughout each semester. General membership meetings shall be held at least twice a month during the academic year, subject to cancellation by a majority vote of the Executive Board. Section 2. If, during the course of a YAL sponsored meeting or event, a disruption occurs, the Vice Chair, acting in his or her capacity as the sergeant at arms of YAL, shall have the right to take appropriate steps to maintain order, including removing disruptive persons and notifying authorities. Section 3. Special effort should be made to make events available to as much of

2 the Georgetown University community as possible. Given safety or space concerns or space limitations, the membership of YAL may be granted priority access by the Executive Board. Reservations may be required for events at which attendance is limited. Article III: Governance Section 1. The members of the Executive Board shall supervise YAL. The Executive Board shall consist of the following elected officials: Chair Vice Chair Secretary Treasurer Director of Campus Affairs Director of External Affairs Freshman Representative Section 2. The officers of the Executive Board shall meet weekly, September through April of each academic year except when such meetings are prevented due to University recess. The weekly meeting may also be waived if a simple majority of the Executive Board votes to do so. The weekly meetings of the Executive Board are open to the general membership, unless a simple majority of the Executive Board votes to go into closed session. However, only those elected officers listed above shall have the power to vote on any issue. Section 3. In case of the removal or resignation of any Executive Board member, the Chair shall appoint a successor. The only exception is the removal or resignation of the Chair, in which case the Vice Chair shall assume the position of Chair and then appoint his or her successor as the Vice Chair. The Chair s appointment of a successor must be made with the advice and consent of the Executive Board and must be approved by a majority vote of the Executive Board. The Executive Board may overrule the automatic accession of the Vice Chair to the position of Chair by a two thirds (2/3) majority vote, in which case a special election shall be held to select a replacement for the Chair. Article IV: Powers and Responsibilities of the Officers of the Executive Board Part A: All Officers Section 1. All officers shall serve for the term of one year from the first day of classes of the spring semester following their election, and shall be elected according to the provisions outlined in Article V. Officers appointed to their position or elected in a special election will serve out the remainder of the original term, until the next

3 transfer of power meeting. Section 2. All newly elected officers shall take the following Oath of Office at the transfer of power meeting, or at the next weekly Executive Board meeting if appointed or elected through a special election: I hereby affirm that I, (name), shall faithfully execute the office of (office) of Young Americans for Liberty. I shall devotedly and dependably carry out my duties as delineated in the Constitution of Young Americans for Liberty, and I will make it my duty to represent Young Americans for Liberty and Georgetown University with the highest degree of honor and integrity. Part B: The Chair Section 1. The Chair shall schedule and preside over all meetings of the Executive Board and general meetings of YAL. The Chair is vested with full authority over the agenda, order, and progress of all meetings. Section 2. The Chair oversees and delegates the planning of all YAL sponsored events and meetings. The Chair may also delegate any Chair responsibilities to the Vice Chair as deemed necessary. Section 3. The Chair appoints members to ad hoc positions and committees, and also as liaisons to other organizations, as he or she deems necessary. Section 4. The Chair shall from time to time give to the members of the YAL information on the state of the YAL and recommend to the Executive Board and general membership such measures as may be judged necessary and expedient. Section 5. The Chair shall receive all distinguished guests invited to Georgetown University by YAL, and shall act as the organization s chief spokesperson. The Chair is the head of any YAL delegation at any public or private meeting or function, and speaks, upon the advice and consent of a majority of the Executive Board, with all authority for the organization in all matters dealing with YAL relations with all other organizations and agencies. Part C: The Vice Chair Section 1. In the absence of the Chair from any meeting or event, the Vice Chair shall assume all duties and responsibilities of the Chair. Section 2. The Vice Chair shall act as the sergeant at arms of the YAL and is charged with maintaining order at all YAL meetings and events. In the event that the Vice Chair is acting as a proxy for the Chair, the Director of Campus Affairs shall act as the sergeant at arms. Part D: The Secretary Section 1. The Secretary must maintain a list of all meetings (both Executive Board and general membership), events, and activities of the YAL, as well as record minutes of all meetings of the YAL, to serve as the official record of the YAL. Section 2. Following each meeting, the Secretary must provide the members of the Executive Board with a copy of meeting minutes in an appropriate and timely fashion.

4 Part E: The Treasurer Section 1. The Treasurer shall be responsible to the Executive Board for the supervision of all financial requirements of YAL. Working with the Chair and the other Executive Board members, the Treasurer shall be responsible for the timely completion of all budgetary requirements that may be requested and/or required by the SAC or other external organization, for keeping the YAL ledger, and for making financial statements upon the request of the Chair. The Treasurer shall act as the official liaison between YAL and the SAC on all matters pertaining to YAL finances and the YAL budget. Part F: The Director of Campus Affairs Section 1. The Director of Campus Affairs shall be responsible for the supervision of all on campus administrative affairs and shall secure setup of meetings and other events in all aspects, including but not limited to: securing room reservations with the appropriate administrative office, purchasing food or other supplies as needed (with voucher or cash to be reimbursed), arranging staff and security for club events as needed and organizing student volunteers as needed. The Director of Campus Affairs must also ensure that YAL paraphernalia (banners, fliers) are hung and/or distributed with the appropriate permissions. Section 2. In the event that the Vice Chair is acting as a proxy for the Chair, the Director of Campus Affairs shall act as the sergeant at arms. Part G: The Director of External Affairs Section 1. The Director of External Affairs shall be responsible for securing speakers and guests for the YAL. With the advice and consent of the Executive Board, the Director of External Affairs shall make all arrangements with speakers and organizations that assist in securing speakers. Section 2. The Director of External Affairs shall prepare a list of contacts through which the membership may acquire internships in the District of Columbia metropolitan area. The Director of External Affairs may, with the advice and consent of the Executive Board and the approval of a majority of the Executive Board, appoint an Internship Coordinator to fulfill this duty. The Internship Coordinator shall attend weekly meetings but shall not have the power to vote. Section 3. The Director of External Affairs shall prepare a list of chief officers of all YAL organizations within the DC metropolitan area and shall also arrange such activities with the other YAL organizations as deemed appropriate by the Executive Board. Part K: The Freshman Representative Section 1. The Freshman Representative shall be a member of the freshman class responsible for recruiting and retaining freshman members of the YAL. Section 2. The Freshman Representative shall increase awareness of events though methods including, but not limited to, door to door communications and advertisement within dorms. Section 3. The Freshman Representative may appoint Dorm Captains and other

5 deputies as he or she deems necessary, in consultation with the Membership Director, for tasks related to freshman recruitment and retention. Article V: Election Procedures Part A: General Election Section 1. In accordance with SAC regulations and the advice and consent of the Executive Board, the Chair must announce the date of a candidates meeting and the date of the elections to fill the positions on the Executive Board during the second week of November. Only active undergraduate members of YAL may vote or run for election. Active members shall constitute any member who has participated in at least 50% plus one (1) of the meetings of the semester. In order to be candidates for office, all interested parties must attend the candidates meeting and submit a candidacy statement of no more than 250 words to the Election Commissioner by a deadline at least 48 hours prior to the general election as established by the Commissioner. All candidates for Chair and Vice Chair must have served as an elected member of the Executive Board for a minimum of two (2) semesters or served in an appointed position of the Executive Board for a minimum of two (2) semesters, provided that position had previously existed for two (2) semesters before the individual held it. Section 2. The Executive Board shall unanimously appoint an Election Commission consisting of three (3) members, to be headed by a Commissioner, which shall be charged with the responsibility of administering any and all elections. The Election Commission shall be charged with the responsibility of counting the ballots, with said ballots being made visible to the general membership upon request. No candidate for any office may be a member of the Election Commission, and the names of those members serving on the Commission shall be made public. The members of the Election Commission shall include: 1. A general member of YAL 2. A member of the Georgetown University College Republicans/Democrats 3. A Georgetown student involved in neither GUCR or GUCD The general member of the YAL shall serve as the Election Commissioner, unless the Election Commission unanimously selects another member of the Election Commission to serve as Commissioner. The members of the Election Commission shall be announced to the general membership at the meeting in which all election information is presented. Section 3. All candidates must give a public address before the members at the general election meeting. In all cases, the Election Commissioner shall provide for the length of time allotted for these speeches and shall monitor the same so that all candidates shall have equal time. Section 4. For each candidate seeking the position of Chair or Vice Chair, once he or she has given his or her address, the Election Commission will allot a length of time not to exceed ten (10) minutes, wherein present members may pose questions to the candidate. For all contested races not for Chair or Vice Chair five (5) minutes will be allotted. The

6 Election Commissioner will be in charge of moderating the questioning period by selecting members to ask questions, keeping track of time, and ensuring all comments and questions conform to decorum. Question and answer length shall be at the discretion of the Commissioner, but no single question should exceed 30 seconds to pose and no response should exceed 2 minutes. All members present that are not part of the Election Commission may pose questions. Questioning time shall end once the allotted time has elapsed or there are no remaining questions. Section 5. Any member receiving a simple majority of votes cast by those members who have paid their dues by the candidates meeting, which shall held no lesser than seven (7) and no greater than fourteen (14) days prior to the general election meeting, shall be elected to the office sought according to the provisions outlines herein. In the event that two or more persons run for an office, and a simple majority is not received by one candidate, the two top vote recipients shall face each other in further run off elections at the same general election meeting until a winner is determined, with the candidate receiving a simple majority winning that office. The newly elected officers shall assume office on the first day of classes of the spring semester. A transfer of power meeting shall be held on that day, at which the outgoing Chair shall administer the swearing in and Oath of Office taking of the newly elected officers. Section 6. The general election meeting shall take place during the last full week of classes of the fall semester. Section 7. Voting for candidate shall occur by secret ballot. Under no circumstances shall a roll call or voice vote be employed when a race is contested. Any candidate who runs unopposed, however, may seek unanimous acclamation. Under no circumstances may members not in attendance at the general election meeting cast votes (i.e. proxy voting). Part B: The Freshman Representative Election Section 1. An election for the Freshman Representative shall be held within the last two weeks of September. The election shall follow the general election procedures. Section 2. Only members of the freshman class may seek election to the Freshman Representative position. Part C: Special Election for the Position of Chair Section 1. If at any time a special election is required for the position of Chair as per Article III, Section 4, the Executive Board shall hold a special election following the procedures outlined for the general election. Section 2. Candidates elected to the position of Chair in a special election shall serve out the remainder of the original term, until the next transfer of power meeting. Section 3. In the event of a special election, candidates for the position of Chair need have only served as an elected member of the Executive Board for one semester.

7 Article VI: Disciplinary Procedures Section 1. Members of the Executive Board may be removed from office if said member fails to uphold the principles of the organization, fails to abide by the rules as set forth in this constitution, fails to carry out duties stipulated in the Oath of Office as delineated in this Constitution, and/or fails to comply with University policies. Section 2. Upon notification of intent to impeach an officer by a member, the Executive Board must hold a general meeting within thirty (30) days for consideration of said impeachment. Impeachment proceedings are introduced by a majority of the YAL membership in attendance at a general meeting. At the subsequent general meeting, arguments shall be offered for and against impeachment, with two thirds (2/3) of the membership in attendance at that meeting required to vote for said impeachment for it to succeed. Article VII: Amendments Section 1. Any amendment can be made to this Constitution at any time. Section 2. The procedure for amendment is as follows: Upon notification of intent to amend the Constitution by a group of at least three members or any single member of the Executive Board and receipt of text of said amendment, the Executive Board must hold a general meeting within thirty (30) days for voting upon said amendment. The Executive Board is responsible for making the text of said amendment available to the general membership via at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting. At the subsequent general meeting, debate will be in order, and two thirds (2/3) of the general membership in attendance at the meeting must vote to accept the amendment for it to pass. Adopted Wednesday, December 16th, 2015.