HSO Constitution!2017-2018 Haitian Student Organization Preamble Constitution We the members of the Haitian Student Organization, and subscribing to the regulations and policies of Temple University, establish this Constitution to govern the matters within our organization. Article I Name The name of this organization shall be Haitian Student Organization (HSO). Article II Purpose The purpose of this organization shall be to provide the students of Temple University with the knowledge and importance of Haitian history, culture, and people by: 1. Holding programs and lectures for educational purposes 2. Coordinating and carrying out social events 3. Having meetings and membership to all who wish to be educated about the culture 4. Assisting with the promotion and awareness of Haitian culture to the Philadelphia community, and 5. Strengthening and extending the system of support to all fellow Haitians here and in Haiti Article III Membership Members must be Temple students or affiliated with the university. Membership is NOT exclusive to students of Haitian decent. Any student who wishes to become a member can do so by paying the membership fee. Article IV Membership Fee Section 4 All members must pay an annual fee of $15. The annual membership fee can be paid at any point in the fall or spring semester. If the annual fee is paid in the spring semester, it will roll over until the following fall semester. Members who wish to be active for one semester must pay a fee of $10 for that semester. Members who are current on their dues payment shall be classified as active members. Only active members can vote in the organizations elections and receive discounts for entry to events hosted by HSO. Article V Officers Executive board members shall pay $35 dollars as membership fee.
HSO Constitution!2 The officers for this organization shall consist of: 1. President: Moderates all meetings of the executive board. Is the spokesperson of HSO in the presentation of the positions and the policies of HSO concerning matters affecting HSO. Executes and supervises the actions taken by the board, and the general membership and should also, when needed, establish procedures that will enable policies to be carried out. Can withdraw or deposit money into the organization s bank account and release expanded funds Appoints the head of all special committees, subject to a final review by the exec. board 2. Vice President: Assumes the duties of the President in his/her absence Fulfills the duties delegated to him/her by the President 3. Secretary: Responsible for all records and correspondence of HSO including attendance. Maintains the List-Serve and sends emails about weekly meetings, upcoming events, etc. Takes minutes at all general assembly and executive board meetings. Is a voting member of the executive board and the general body 4. Treasurer: Responsible for handling the organization s budget and all HSO funds. Keeps the executive board updated with financial reports on a weekly basis. Attends the bi-weekly allocations meeting or whenever necessary for an event. Completes allocations applications when needed as well as applications that require a fee for University provided equipment, rooms, tables, etc. Responsible for withdrawing or depositing money into the organization s bank account. Has the power to release expanded funds 5. Temple Student Government (TSG) Representative: Must be available every Monday from 4:00-5:00 p.m. to attend TSG meetings. Relays any relevant information regarding TSG deadlines or new legislation to the executive board. Is a voting member of the executive board and the general body 6. Creative Design Chair:
HSO Constitution!3 Brainstorms/creates designs for flyers and poster boards for upcoming meetings, programs, and events. Responsible for ordering the necessary flyers. Distributes flyers between members and the public 7. Events Coordinator: Responsible for organizing any programs or events held by HSO (i.e. decorations, DJ, contact with acts, assigning responsibilities to others who want to help, etc.) Consults executive board and members on any ideas for any event to ensure everyone takes part in the planning of the event 8. Community Service Representative: Responsible for looking up community service opportunities for the organization. Keeps a record of people who volunteer to participate in community service events. Directs the community service committee. 9. Public Relations Chair: Maintain a relationship with other organizations by attending their meetings and informing them of HSO's forthcoming events Maintains all of HSO's social media platforms, including the dissemination of flyers and events In the event that the he/she cannot attend the meetings, he/she must find a member of the executive board or general body to attend in his or her place. Section 4 Qualifications for each office are the following: President and Vice President: o Priority is given to officers of the current executive board. All other positions: o Any members who wish to run for any other position on the executive board must be active and fill out an application. Term of office shall be for the following school year (fall and spring semester). Provisions for removal of an officer shall be: 3 or more unexcused absences from executive board and general body meetings Failure to complete any delegated work without stating prior scheduling conflicts. President or Vice President shall approach the officer about his/her prior to presenting it to the executive board. The officer shall be removed if there is a majority vote.
HSO Constitution!4 Section 5 Provisions to be removed from the executive board shall be: The officer must present a formal letter at the beginning of the semester stating why he/she can no longer be on the executive board. He/she must find a prospective replacement for the position Article VI Elections Elections for officers of the Haitian Student Organization will be conducted in the manner of: Application Submission Speech Presentation Current executive board cast votes A combination of candidate application, member votes, and executive board votes determines who is elected. Elections are held at the end of the spring semester. Article VII Meetings Current executive board members that are graduating or wish to relinquish their positions give members of the current board priority for their positions. However those who wish to remain in their current position have the option to do so. Their position will not be included as an option to the upcoming candidates. Those who wish to run for the President or Vice President Position must have at least one year of prior experience on the executive board. All those who wish to run for a vacant executive board position must inform whoever is in charge of elections of their intent to run. After a name is recorded the applicant will be sent an application via email. This application will include a description of all available positions and their job specifications. Regular meetings of the Haitian Student Organization will be held every Tuesday at 6:00PM during the school year. It is the responsibility of the secretary to notify all members of all upcoming meetings and future events through the Temple University Listserv A quorums shall consist of 10 voting members other than the executive board present at a meeting for the official start of business
HSO Constitution!5 Article VIII Advisors All meetings start with announcements and any information that we believe to be beneficial to our members. Following the announcements a brief overview will be given of the day s topic. After the overview there is either an ice breaker exercise or a question to get the conversation started. There shall be one faculty/administration advisor who shall be a member ex-officio with no voting privileges. The advisor for the Haitian Student Organization is Terry Rey. The advisor shall be selected following a majority vote by the executive board. In the case that an officer would like to change the current advisor, a former proposal shall be presented. The duties of the advisor are provide assistance to the officers of the organization when it is needed. Article IX Disbursement of Funds Section 4 Section 5 All disbursements of funds must first be approved by the President. In the absence of the President the Vice President and Treasurer must approve all disbursements of funds. Following his/her approval, the Treasurer must verify that the funds can be removed from the account. Reimbursement of expenditures will only be accepted for officers and members who have had a prior agreement with the President, Vice President, and Treasurer. Members must also retain original, itemized receipts and a description of the expenses incurred. Any expenditure in excess of $100 must be approved by a majority of the organization officers. All financial transactions of the organization will be managed through PNC Bank, whereby the President and Treasurer can open and close accounts and deposit and withdraw money Only the club officers shall have the ability to charge expenses to the organization via Temple University s account charge system. Article X Amendments The constitution may be amended by a majority vote. An official written proposal must be given to the Secretary by the deadline to be added to the executive board meeting agenda.
HSO Constitution!6 Signature Date Signature Date