Northwestern University Club Equestrian Team Constitution 2018 2019 DATE LAST UPDATED: May 14, 2018 Table of Contents ARTICLE I INTRODUCTION 3 Section I Name 3 Section II Purpose 3 Section III Objectives 3 ARTICLE II ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE 3 Section I Executive Board 3 A. List of Executive Board Positions and General Responsibilities 3 B. Qualifications for Becoming an Officer 3 C. Terms of Office 4 D. Procedure for Filling Vacated Offices 4 Section II Advisor 4 A. Roles and Duties of an Advisor Questions 4 Section III Dissolution of Organization 4 ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP 4 Section I Membership Eligibility 4 A: Lessons 4 B: Shows 5 C: Van Certification 5 D: Cost and Dues 5 Section II Executive Board Eligibility and Qualifications 6 Section III Executive Board Resignation 6 ARTICLE IV EXECUTIVE BOARD ELECTION/SELECTION PROCESS 6 Section I Selection Timing 6 Section II Nominations 6 Section III Election and Voting Procedures 6 Section IV Notification and Posting of Elections 6 Section V Grounds for Removal 6 Section VI Procedure for Impeachment 7 Section VII Procedure for Appeal of Impeachment 7
ARTICLE V MEETINGS 7 Section I Types and Occurrence of Meetings 7 Section II Special Meetings 7 Section III Executive Board Meetings 7 Section IV Meeting Minutes and Records 7 ARTICLE VI HANDLING OF FUNDS 7 Section I Student Organization Finance Office 7 Section II Treasurer 7 Section III Dissolution of organization 7 ARTICLE VII CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS 7 Section I Amendment 8 Section II Ratification 8 ARTICLE VIII CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW 8 ARTICLE IX NOT FOR PROFIT STATEMENT 8 ARTICLE X STATEMENT OF NON DISCRIMINATION 8 ARTICLE XI STATEMENT OF NON HAZING 8 ARTICLE XII STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH CAMPUS REGULATIONS 8
ARTICLE I INTRODUCTION Section I Name The name of this organization is the Club Equestrian Team, NUET for short. It pays national dues to the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), which is a national non profit organization dedicated to allowing college students to ride and exhibit horses even if they do not own a horse. More information can be found at http://www.ihsainc.com/. Section II Purpose The purpose of our club sport equestrian team is to provide Northwestern students with a fun, affordable, safe, and exciting opportunity to ride horses on a competitive team on the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Circuit. Section III Objectives To bring together people interested in horses and riding in a safe, competitive, and fun environment. To give the opportunity to students to continue riding and being around horses something that is hard on a college campus. To compete on the IHSA circuit. ARTICLE II ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Section I Executive Board A. List of Executive Board Positions and General Responsibilities The NUET executive board shall consist of: President The President shall be the chief executive officer of the group and shall have general supervision and control of its activities and programs and plan the lesson schedule. They will be the primary contact between the trainer and the team. Show Captain The Show Captain shall be responsible for coordinating and organizing logistics for IHSA shows, including but not limited to registration, travel accommodations, and ensuring that all competing team members are equipped with proper show attire. Treasurer The Treasurer shall be responsible for working with SOFO, handling financial transactions, and creating a budget. Social Media Chair The Social Media Chair s responsibilities will also include ordering merchandise, managing social media accounts, and maintaining the website. Transportation Coordinator The Transportation Coordinator will be in charge of requesting vans, ensuring members are van certified, and communicating with Joyce Oakes at the Northwestern Office of Recreation. Safety Officer The Safety Officer will ensure adherence to Sport Club safety policies, including having CPR/AED certified staff or member(s) at all team events. The Safety Officer will also develop an emergency action plan for all events held off campus. Finally, the Safety officer will ensure all new members have completed their Health Questionnaire and will review safety protocol in horse care with all new members. Positions may be combined depending on the interest demonstrated by members. B. Qualifications for Becoming an Officer Any member who has been on the team for at minimum one quarter, is in good standing with the team, and is not in debt to the team is eligible to run for office. It is recommended that the President have been on the team for at least a
year and have prior experience in equestrian competition. The Transportation Coordinator must be eligible to get club van certified and be certified before their term officially starts. C. Terms of Office Officers transition into their positions at the end of winter quarter and officially assume their positions the beginning of spring quarter. Officers will be in their positions for an entire year, from the beginning of spring quarter to the end of the next winter quarter. D. Procedure for Filling Vacated Offices In the event of the removal of an officer, a special provision will be granted to the remaining officers to appoint an interim replacement until the next planned election. The current members on the executive board are able to step up and fill the position in the interim if they so choose. Section II Advisor The advisor is the Assistant Director of Intramurals and Club Sports at the Northwestern Office of Recreation. A. Roles and Duties of an Advisor Questions They will provide counsel and direction when asked. They will help ensure that the team stays in good standing with the university and assist in creating a budget and getting funding each year. Section III Dissolution of Organization The team will consider dissolution if membership is low enough that an executive board cannot be properly created. If that is the case, the current executive board will speak with the advisor and determine the best course of action for the team. All attempts should be made to avoid dissolution. ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP In order for the equestrian team to run as smoothly as possible, we have created a list of policies that must be followed by all members on the team. The goals of these policies are to enable team members to understand exactly what is expected of them as responsible and knowledgeable team members, reduce out of pocket costs, and keep NUET well respected by the university, Horsefeathers Therapeutic Riding, and the IHSA. As a member of the team, you agree to respect these policies and will be held liable for the outlined penalties if you do not follow them. Failure to adhere to penalties will result in you being asked to leave the team. Section I Membership Eligibility Membership in this organization is open to all Northwestern University students in Good Academic Standing who have paid their Student Activity Fee. Non voting membership may be extended to interested faculty, administrators, staff members, and alumni of the University. There is no cost to be on the listserv. However, because we are a competitive club sport, in order to be on the showing roster, you must participate in weekly lessons and have a desire to show. As the club continues to grow, priority will be given to members who prioritize competition and the team, instead of those who occasionally make it out to the barn to ride. A: Lessons Team members take lessons with our trainer Meggie Cramer at Horsefeathers Therapeutic Riding in Lake Forest, Illinois. Team members will pay $40 (subject to change) per 1 hour group lesson. A group lesson will generally consist of 2 5 people. However, if due to other team members canceling a lesson consists of 2 people, they shall not be required to pay more than the $40. If due to other team members canceling a lesson consists of a single rider, the lesson will be canceled and the rider will have the option to move to a different lesson time if it is earlier enough in the week that he or she can be added to a lesson roster. Otherwise, if a single rider has his or her lesson canceled, then he or she has priority to choose a preferred lesson time the following week.
Ideally every team member will take at least one riding lesson every week of the quarter. Lessons start the second week of the quarter. Northwestern quarters are 11 weeks total (13 in fall quarter), this equates to about 10 lessons per quarter. However, due to academic and personal reasons there may be a lesson or two each quarter that you may need to forgo. Cancellation Policy In general, the Lesson Coordinator or President will send out a Doodle with lesson times for members to sign up for a lesson that works for them. Members must sign up for a lesson slot by Friday night, after which you will have to obey the following cancellation policies: Cancellations are void of penalties for the first cancellation of the quarter. To cancel, you must email the Lesson Coordinator and team President. Subsequent cancellations will have consequences since they severely inconvenience Meggie, the team, and the riders in your lesson. You will owe the team a fine of $10 per cancellation. If you have a legitimate excuse (family death or severe and sudden illness) you may be excused from these fines at the discretion of the executive board. Excuses such as a last minute paper or a cold will not be accepted since you could have foreseen these events and cancelled with 24 hours notice. B: Shows At most shows there are limits of how many riders we can send to the show for each division. Because we are a small team, there usually isn't a problem with riders being unable to show if they wish to go. Showing priority will be given based on a combination of a rider s points, ability, and team participation. C: Van Certification Every team member who is qualified (has had a driver's license for 2 years without an at fault moving violation) is required to become certified to drive the Northwestern Club Sport vans to lessons. Certification is a two step process and information will be provided at the first meeting and is available online. The team uses these vans as well as gas for them for free, and the university, not the team member, is held liable in case of an accident. Drivers in each lesson equally alternate the picking up and returning of the vans. If you are qualified to become van certified, you must become van certified within 3 weeks of joining the team. If you are qualified to become van certified and do not complete certification, you will not be allowed to show. D: Cost and Dues Horseback riding can be an extremely expensive sport. The IHSA is designed is to offset many of the costs of this expensive sport and open it up to more individuals. However, due to the nature of the sport, being on the team involves significant expenses. Here is an outline of the expenses that you will be held responsible for while being on the team. Annual dues along with our club sport allocation and fundraising money will go towards: Team dinners, outings, and bonding events Individual and team IHSA membership fees Financial Assistance to members of the team Gas and Accommodations Team gear Emergency Funds Coaching fees at shows Any other expenses the team might incur For the 2018 2019 season, team dues will be determined and added to the constitution before the first lesson of fall quarter occurs. Dues are currently being re evaluated (they were $30 per quarter for the 2017 18 school year) based on the funds we will be acquiring for the 2018 19 school year. Returning members must pay this
before attending their second lesson of the quarter. All new members must pay by the time of his or her second lesson or first horse, whichever comes first. After a month of no dues you will be taken off of the team roster. In addition to dues, team members will be required to pay out of pocket for weekly lessons ($40), food at horse shows, and show class fees ($47/class, either 1 or 2 classes per show; the team may be able to cover this if fundraising goes well). Weekly lessons must be paid directly to the team with a check made out to Northwestern Equestrian Team or in cash. Members may pay for more than one lesson at a time. Payment is due at the time of lesson or beforehand. It must be given to a member of the executive board unless otherwise specified. Section II Executive Board Eligibility and Qualifications All candidates must be full time registered students of Northwestern University and maintained active membership for at minimum one quarter. Section III Executive Board Resignation Under exceptional circumstances, an officer may resign. Two weeks before his or her resignation, the resigning officer must submit in written reasonable reason for resigning to the Executive Board. Resignation only becomes effective after the Executive Board approves and a general discussion at the general meeting had taken place. ARTICLE IV EXECUTIVE BOARD ELECTION/SELECTION PROCESS Section I Selection Timing Applications will become available towards the end of winter quarter and be due before the quarter is over. Selections will take place annually at the end of winter quarter with selections announced before spring break. Section II Nominations There are no nominations except in the case of impeachment or resignation. Section III Election and Voting Procedures Interested members will submit their application electronically. The current executive board will then decide upon and elect the new executive board. If there is ever any conflict, elections will transition to electronic voting for all members in good standing. Section IV Notification and Posting of Elections Selected members will receive an individual email, notifying them of their position and asking for a formal acceptance within 24 hours. Once all positions have been accepted, an email will be sent over the listserv informing the team of the new executive board and posts will be made accordingly on social media. Section V Grounds for Removal Impeachment must be approved by all the other executive members and the advisor. Section VI Procedure for Impeachment Before an officer can be impeached, the concerns must be brought up with the member and they must be given at least two weeks to change or fix their mistake(s). If sufficient change has not been made, then the impeachment process can continue. Officers, Advisor, or the Officer member being impeached must be notified at least one week in advance of the impeachment hearing. The impeachment hearing must occur while classes are in session. The moderator of the impeachment hearing will be the President unless they are being impeached, in which case it will be the Vice President. The moderator cannot be the Officer being impeached. All members of the executive board must be present in order for the impeachment hearing to begin. Each side will be given the opportunity to present their case
and the active members may ask questions. A unanimous vote of executive board is needed for impeachment. Section VII Procedure for Appeal of Impeachment Any student whose position/ membership is revoked will have exactly 96 hours/four (4) calendar days to appeal the revocation. The appeal must be submitted in writing to the Executive Board, and must include any relevant information that has not already been presented. The President will then review the appeal with the executive board and advisor. They will then render a decision at the next executive board meeting or in seven (7) calendar days, whichever occurs first. If no appeal is submitted, the Board s decision is automatically binding. ARTICLE V MEETINGS Section I Types and Occurrence of Meetings Meetings are held on a necessity basis. The executive board will run the meetings. Emails will be sent about meetings with details at least one week in advance. If a member is unable to attend, they must meet with a member of the executive board to review what you missed. Section II Special Meetings Special meetings may be called before an upcoming show. All members participating in the upcoming show are required to attend, unless granted permission from the executive board at least 24 hours before the meeting. Section III Executive Board Meetings Executive Board meetings will occur weekly, at a designated time decided the first week of each quarter. At a minimum, each member will present their report from the past week and their goals for the next week. If the entire board agrees not to meet that week, the reports will be given electronically, over email. Attendance at all meetings is mandatory for executive board members. Failure to attend may result in impeachment or being barred from competition. Section IV Meeting Minutes and Records The president will record minutes at each meeting and share the notes afterward with all members or individual members of the executive board on a necessity basis. ARTICLE VI HANDLING OF FUNDS Section I Student Organization Finance Office All funds collected will be deposited in our student organization s Student Organization Finance Office (SOFO) account. Section II Treasurer The treasurer shall be the primary officer designated to handle organization finances. Section III Dissolution of organization In the event this organization dissolves, all monies left in the treasury, after outstanding debts and claims have been paid, shall be donated to Horsefeathers Therapeutic Riding. ARTICLE VII CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS Section I Amendment Amendments to this constitution may be made at any general or executive meeting provided notice of the proposed amendment was given one week prior to a vote, either in person or electronically. Amendments require a majority
vote of the voting members in attendance at the meeting, and are subject to final approval by the Center of Student Involvement. The executive board is primarily responsible for the upkeep and amendments to this constitution. Section II Ratification This Constitution shall become effective upon its ratification by a majority of the executive board. Upon ratification of this Constitution, all prior constitutions shall be null and void. ARTICLE VIII CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW As a recognized student organization, we will participate in a constitutional review process every three (3) years. It will be updated according to the new sample constitution (if necessary) and will meet with the Center for Student Involvement staff to review it. ARTICLE IX NOT FOR PROFIT STATEMENT This is not for profit organization. Any funds obtained through fundraising or other means must go back to the organization. ARTICLE X STATEMENT OF NON DISCRIMINATION As a student group seeking affiliation to Northwestern University, we hereby state that this student organization does not discriminate or permit discrimination by any member of its community against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, marital status, age, disability, citizenship or veteran status in matters of admissions, employment, housing or services or in the educational programs or activities it operates. Harassment, whether verbal, physical or visual, that is based on any of these characteristics, is a form of discrimination. This includes harassing conduct affecting tangible job benefits, interfering unreasonably with an individual's academic or work performance, or creating what a reasonable person would sense is an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment. While Northwestern University is committed to the principles of free inquiry and free expression, discrimination and harassment identified in this policy are neither legally protected expression nor the proper exercise of academic freedom. *NOTE: Recognized student organizations at Northwestern University are required to be non discriminatory in membership. ARTICLE XI STATEMENT OF NON HAZING This organization will not engage in or permit hazing. The University forbids hazing and all other activities that interfere with the personal liberty of an individual. The University defines hazing as any action taken or situation created, whether on or off University premises and whether presented as optional or required, to produce mental or physical discomfort, servitude, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule for the purpose of initiation into, affiliation with, or admission to, or as a condition for continued membership in, a group, team, club, or other organization. Hazing activities may also violate the Illinois Hazing Act 720 ILCS 5/12C 50 ARTICLE XII STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH CAMPUS REGULATIONS This organization shall comply with all Northwestern University policies and procedures, including but not limited to, those policies set forth in the Northwestern University Student Handbook and The Guide to Student Organizations, as well as local, state, and federal laws.