SBU THE NEXT GENERATION CONSTITUTION Article I. PREAMBLE 1. This Constitution establishes a student organization, SBU TNG, also known as: SBU The Next Generation( the Organization ), and shall govern the Organization in accordance with the rules and regulations of Stony Brook University ( the University ). Article II. NAME & AFFILIATIONS 1. The name of the Organization shall be SBU TNG. 2. The name of the Organization shall be registered with the Department of Student Engagement and Activities, in accordance with University regulations. 3. SBU TNG shall not be directly affiliated with any other group or organization upon its creation, however SBU TNG maintains its right to create affiliations over time. Article III. PURPOSE 1. The purpose of the Organization shall be: a. To organize, facilitate and educate students at Stony Brook University who are interested or think they might be interested in the BDSM, M/s, fetish, leather, or any other kink lifestyle; b. To create a visible campus community of open-minded students at Stony Brook University who want to learn more and get feedback on topics concerning kink; c. To provide a venue for students at Stony Brook University to discuss and share their experiences in the BDSM (or other kink) community that is free of social pressure and judgment based on sexual orientation/interest; d. To provide a way for students at Stony Brook University to advocate for the right to promote living a BDSM, M/s, fetish, leather or any other alternate lifestyle freely without being discriminated against; e. To provide a way for students at Stony Brook University to meet each other and interact socially who have common interests;
f. To provide a venue for events to students at Stony Brook University who are interested in alternate lifestyle choices relating to kink. 2. The Organization s Statement of Purpose, as stated in this Constitution, shall be filed with the Department of Student Union and Activities, in accordance with University regulations. 3. The Organization shall not engage in any activities in violation of University regulations or federal, state or local laws. Article IV. MEMBERSHIP 1. All members must be currently registered, matriculated undergraduate students of Stony Brook University who have paid the Undergraduate Student Activities fee and must subscribe to, or be interested in the purpose of this organization. a. All potential members must abide by the SBU TNG Safety and Privacy Protocols. 2. Any person meeting the qualifications for membership who attends a general meeting of the Organization shall be asked to sign a membership roster. Upon signing, said person shall be considered a member of the organization for the remainder of the semester during which they attended the meeting, unless: a. They notify the Secretary in writing of their wishes to be removed from the membership roster; b. They cease to be eligible for membership; c. They fail to abide by the SBU TNG Safety and Privacy Protocols (as detailed in Article VI, Part 6); d. Their membership is revoked; e. They have or are under investigation of any charge of sexual harassment, rape, or any other misdemeanor. 3. Losing said membership to SBU TNG includes both losing rights to attending any SBU TNG hosted event as well as losing voting rights in quorum or elections. 4. By becoming members of the Organization, members certify that they have an interest in the Purpose of the Organization as stated in this Constitution.
5. The Organization shall not deny membership or office to, or discriminate in any other way against any member because of sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, nationality, race, sex, physical disability, political or religious beliefs, or in any other way prohibited by law or by University regulation. 6. To become an active member, you must have attended at least 1 meeting, munch, or event. 7. An inactive member is one that has been absent for (3) consecutive meetings. 8. A member is considered new if s/he has not yet attended 3 meetings or munches. 9. Any person who violates any one of the rules stated in this constitution shall have their name taken down by the Secretary, such that future e-boards will have a list of all person(s) who have violated the Code of Conduct of SUNY Stony Brook and the SBU TNG Safety and Privacy Protocols. Article V. EXECUTIVE BOARD AND OFFICERS 1. General Requirements a. All nominees for officer positions must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0; if elected, must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0; and must be registered for the semester or semesters during which they are to serve. b. All officers shall serve for one semester and may be re-elected to the same position for unlimited additional semesters as long as they maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 and are registered for the semester or semesters during which they are to serve. 2. Organization a. The Executive Board shall consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Public Relations Manager b. The total membership of the Executive Board shall not exceed the total membership of the Organization. c. The President shall be the chairperson and presiding officer of the Executive Board. d. The Executive Board shall hold at least one meeting a month during the fall and spring semesters. e. The current edition of Robert s Rules of Order shall govern all meetings of the Executive Board except where they conflict with this Constitution. f. Each officer of the executive board cannot be absent for more than three (3) consecutive meetings without notice, if an officer is observed to be in violation of this code, then they can be voted up for impeachment by quorum of the executive board. g. Any officer shall be able to resign his or her position by presenting a signed letter of resignation to the Executive Board.
3. President a. The President Shall: be the official representative of the Organization; b. Be a non-voting ex officio member of all committees of the Organization, except the Election c. Committee; d. Have the power to convene and preside over the meetings of the Executive Board and of the General Membership and prepare the agenda for the meetings of the Executive Board and the General Membership; and e. Further perform any duties that may be necessary and proper in fulfillment of their office, subject to the approval of the Executive Board. f. In the event of a vacancy of the office of the President, the Vice President shall assume all responsibilities of the President for the remainder of the year. 4. Vice President 5. Secretary 6. Treasurer a. The Vice President shall: assist the President in any way that may be necessary and proper in fulfillment of their office, subject to the approval of the Executive Board; a. Further perform any duties that may be necessary and proper in fulfillment of their office, subject to the approval of the Executive Board; and b. Assume the office of President in the event of a vacancy in that office. c. In the event of a vacancy of this office, a new Vice President shall be elected in a special election called by the President, which shall take place no less than one (1) month after the vacancy occurs. a. The Secretary shall: maintain a correct and up-to-date active voting membership roster; and b. Further perform any duties that may be necessary and proper in fulfillment of their office, subject to the approval of the Executive Board. c. Post all approved event times on the club website d. Keep a record of all SBU TNG accomplishments and activities for the year. Collect items such as pictures and news clippings about the group and its members. e. Keep attendance records and member status electronically and available upon request by a member. f. In the event of a vacancy of this office, a new Secretary shall be elected in a special election called by the President, which shall take place no less than one (1) month after the vacancy occurs. a. The Treasurer shall: maintain accurate and current financial records for SBU TNG
b. Perform any duties that may be necessary and proper in fulfillment of their office, subject to the approval of the Executive Board. c. Serve as liaison to all affiliations of SBU TNG d. Help coordinate events that cost group fundraising. e. In the event of a vacancy of this office, a new Treasurer shall be elected in a special election called by the president, which shall take place no less than one (1) month after the vacancy occurs. 7. Public Relations Manager a. The Public Relations Manager shall: Coordinate outreach campaigns for events and meet ups; b. Maintain a high level of integrity towards all public relations; c. Maintain the responsibility of recruiting new members; including d. Market the club towards any potential guest speakers and/or lecturers, as well as any potential members. e. In the event of a vacancy of this office, a new Outreach Manager shall be elected in a special election called by the president, which shall take place no less than one (1) month after the vacancy occurs. Article VI. MEETINGS 1. The Organization shall hold at least two (2) general meetings each month during the fall and spring semesters. 2. A quorum consisting of a simple majority of the Organization s members is necessary for the transaction of any business at all meetings. 3. All meetings shall have an agenda. 4. All members shall be notified at least five (5) days before a meeting. 5. Any meeting or informal gathering that is not a general body meeting must have the following two policies in effect: a. The policy of Ground Rules: All ground rules must cover all topics of maintaining the ethics of SSC (Safe, Sane, and Consensual) as well as RACK (Risk Aware Consensual Kink). This includes incorporating rule sets to maintain the integrity of all events, gatherings, meet-ups, or meetings to uphold said tenets, during any discussion, demonstration, seminar, or group activity. b. The policy of having an Authority Figure: The authority figure of any event is required to uphold and enforce these tenets listed in the previous Section VII.5.A. The authority
figure is not required to be an E-Board member, and is appointed by the two-thirds (2/3) majority of the club's membership before any said event. c. Upon the violation of any one of the tenets of SSC, RACK, and the SUNY Stony Brook Student Conduct Code, appropriate action can be taken by the authority figure to bring up said violation against the violating person(s) to the current E-Board. If the case of violation is as brought up by the Authority Figure, (as determined by the E-Board consulting the SUNY Stony Brook Student Conduct Code), to also be in direct violation of Sections: II.A.1 Respect for Persons, II.A.2 Sexual Misconduct Policy, or II.A.4 Health & Safety of the Student Conduct Code, then direct measures MUST be taken against offending person(s), which can include but is not limited to: Expulsion from club, Expulsion from SUNY Stony Brook University, and/or Filing a Case Report against said person(s). 6. All who attend SBU TNG meetings are responsible for acknowledging and abiding by the SBU TNG Safety and Privacy Protocols: a. SBU TNG exists to foster a kink-friendly community on Stony Brook campus, as well as to provide members of this community educational resources. b. SBU TNG takes no responsibility for the actions of its members. This includes: i. Actions undertaken after learning about certain activities during, or being inspired by the content of, any SBU TNG meeting. ii. Physical or emotional damage resulting from the private practice of any BDSM or other kink-related activities. iii. The violation of sexual consent by or among SBU TNG members while not present at an official SBU TNG meeting or event. c. SBU TNG meetings are a safe space. The privacy of other SBU TNG members will be respected outside of meetings, including their right not to be identified as a SBU TNG member in public. If privacy of a member is violated, SBU TNG will maintain the right to expel the violating member from the club. d. It is the moral and ethical duty of all SBU TNG members to never violate the sexual consent of another human being. If it is found that a member has violated another person s consent, SBU TNG maintains the right to expel the violating member from the club. Article VII. ELECTIONS 1. The executive board shall create a special election committee in March and November of each academic year. It shall consist of four (4) members. e. The chairperson of the election committee shall be selected by a majority vote of the executive board. 2. No person shall seek the position of President, Vice President, Treasurer, or Secretary unless they have been a member of the Organization for one semester prior to the semester when they would assume office.
3. Election shall be by majority vote of the active members. 4. Nominations shall be accepted from the floor at a general meeting prior to the election. 5. All members shall be notified at least five (5) days before an election. 6. In order to vote in an election, a member must have been considered an active member at the time of the general body meeting prior to the election. New members and inactive members will be excluded from the vote. 7. If there is no candidate running specifically for the position of vice president, the candidate who receives the second most votes for position of president will assume the office of vice president. Article VIII. IMPEACHMENT 1. Any officer of the Organization may be impeached if said officer acts to the detriment of the Organization or significantly disregards the duties of their office as stated in this Constitution. 2. If a list of charges signed by three-quarters (3/4) of the officers is submitted to the President, the President must call for an impeachment proceeding. If the President is being brought up on charges, the petition shall be submitted to the Vice President. Upon receipt of the petition, the President or Vice President shall suspend the officer and prevent them from exercising all powers and voting rights pending the outcome of the impeachment proceedings. 3. If a list of charges signed by two-thirds (2/3) of the members is submitted to the President, the President must call for an impeachment proceeding. If the President is being brought up on charges, the petition shall be submitted to the Vice President. Upon receipt of the petition, the President or Vice President shall suspend the officer and prevent them from exercising all powers and voting rights pending the outcome of the impeachment proceedings. 4. After the proper impeachment proceedings, the officer or officers so charged may be impeached by a three-quarter (3/4) vote of group members. If impeachment passes, the officer shall be removed from their position. 5. An impeached officer or officers shall be replaced in the manner described in Section V of this Constitution. Article IX. AMENDMENTS 1. Proposed amendments to this Constitution may be introduced from the floor, and must be submitted to the Secretary in writing, by any member at any general body membership meeting. 2. Upon receipt of a proposed amendment by the Secretary, the President shall call a referendum on the proposed amendment. The entire voting membership shall be notified in writing at least five (5) days before the referendum.
3. A two-thirds (2/3) majority of the membership is necessary for the passage of an amendment. Article X. DISSOLUTION 1. The Organization may be dissolved by the Executive Board with the approval of three-quarters (3/4) of the officers. 2. In the event of the dissolution of this group, all accrued funds and assets shall revert to the Undergraduate Student Government or the Office of Student Activities or The Graduate Student Organization. This all depends on the funding type of the organization at the time of the dissolution.