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In order to create a better America, with equality, opportunity, and freedom within a just and strong society, we dedicate ourselves to organizing the recruitment and participation of Democratic college students at Binghamton University.
Understanding the importance of participation in the Democratic Party to the preservation of our values and principles, we pledge to help organize and activate the latent people power of our nation's Democratic students in order to further the philosophy of the Democratic party.
For these ends and upon these principles, we, Democratic college students, do hereby associate ourselves and adopt this Constitution as the BU College Democrats.
ARTICLE I. Name and Purpose:
A. Name: The name of this organization shall be the BU College Democrats. (BU College Dems)
B. Purpose: The BU College Democrats, upon charting with the Association of College Democrats of America (CDA) shall be a member organization of the Democratic party, and pledges itself to support the philosophy and candidates of the Democratic party. Furthermore, the BU College Democrats declares its intention to support efforts to increase the participation of college students in Democratic part affairs. To these ends, the BU College Democrats shall work to educate students about the philosophy of the Democratic party, and assist in the election of Democratic candidates to local, state, and national office.
ARTICLE II. Membership:
A. Members: Membership will be open to any student currently enrolled at Binghamton University who wishes to be known as a College Democrat regardless of sex, race, ethnic origin, religion, physical handicap, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation. Former students, for the period of one year following undergraduate graduation, may claim membership in the BU College Democrats.
B. Members in Good Standing: Members in good standing shall be defined as any person who actively participates in the planning and execution of College Democrats meetings and activites. Members in good standing are the only members that are granted the right to vote. A member in good standing is defined as a member that has attended two (2) official club functions, such as an event or a meeting.
ARTICLE III. Executive Council:
A. Authority and Responsibility: The Executive Council shall have general authority and responsibility for the ongoing affairs of the BU College Democrats. Executive Council decisions may only be overruled if three members of the Executive Council votes to bring the issue before the Members in Good Standing (as mentioned above) vote to bring the issue before the Members in Good Standing who then vote by a 2/3 majority to overrule the decision in question.
B. Composition: The Executive Council shall be composed of the President, Executive Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Membership Director, and Social/Publicity Director. 4/5 of Executive Council will be an undergraduate at Binghamton University.
C. Meetings: The Executive Council shall meet once per week when school is in session.
D. Quorum: A quorum of the Executive Council shall be noted when a minimum of four of the Executive Council members are present in person.
E. Elections: Elections for the Executive Council shall take place in the following manner:
1. Elections shall be held on a yearly basis.
2. Eligibility for Candidacy and Voting: Only people who have been a Member in Good Standing for at least two (2) meetings shall be eligible to vote or run for office in the election.
3. Procedure: After each candidate for office has had the opportunity for not more than five minutes, the Members in Good Standing who are present and ligible to vote will elect a winner by a simple majority vote. Should no candidate receive a majority, a runoff will be held between the two candidates who received the most votes. The process will be repeated for the elections for each office.
F. Removal: Executive Council members may be removed in the following manner:
1. Cause for removal shall be defined as malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance of assigned duties, being convicted of a felony, or upon other grounds found by all of the other members of the Executive Council to constitute good and sufficient cause.
2. The process for removal of an officer from the Executive Council shall begin when another Member charges the officer in question with the reasons for his/her removal at a meeting of the Executive Council. The officer in question must be offered an opportunity at that meeting to defend his/her self. After a period of two weeks, the issue will be put to a vote. Each of the other six members of the Executive Council must vote for removal for an officer to be removed.
G. Vacancies: A vacancy shall be declared when a member of the Executive Council dies, resigns, or is removed from office. If the vacancy occurs in any other position except President, the President shall appoint a successor with the majority consent of the remaining Executive Council. If the vacancy is the President, then the Vice President is the automatic replacement.
ARTICLE IV. Duties of the Officers:
A. The President shall:
1. Be the Chief Executive of the BU College Democrats;
2. Oversee the annual process of registering the BU College Democrats with the National Office of the College Democrats of America;
3. Act as the official representative to other groups and the media;
4. Define the agenda of the organization for his/her tenure;
5. Carry out mandates, policies, and directives for the Executive Council;
6. Appoint, after appropriate consultation with and subject to reconsideration by the Executive Council at any meeting subsequent to such an appointment, standing and ad-hoc committees and directors of such committees as s/he sees fit;
7. Preside over Executive Council meetings.
B. The Executive Vice President shall:
1. Serve as the Events Director, and thereby take charge of the coordination of educational and political events and maintain a clear calendar of such activites;
2. Coordinate the participation of members involved with Democratic campaigns;
3. Assume the office of the President upon the President's death, removal, resignation, or incapacitating disability;
4. Perform such duties as the Executive Council or the President may assign.
C. The Secretary shall:
1. Make all necessary preparations for organizational meetings and record and distribute all minutes of meetings in a timely fashion;
2. Appoint a Member in Good Standing to serve as the Newsletter Editor and assist in the production and distribution of a club newsletter;
3. Perform such duties as the Executive Council or the President may assign or are customarily performed by a Secretary.
D. The Treasurer shall:
1. Direct fund-raising activities, which shall include, but are not limited to, obtaining any funding available from applicable Student Government organizations, the collection of membership dues, and additional solicitations as necessary in order to fund the club's activities;
2. Maintain complete and accurate records of all expenditures and receipts;
3. Perform such duties as the Executive Council or President may assign or are customarily performed by a Treasurer.
4. Must be an undergraduate student at Binghamton University.
E. The Membership Director shall:
1. Coordinate all membership drives;
2. Coordinate outreach to, and build relationships with, oth
er campus and community organizations;
3. Maintain an accurate list of all members and all Members in Good Standing;
4. Coordinate any outreach or recruitment efforts to maintain diversity within the group;
5. Perform such duties as the Executive Council or President may assign.
F. The Social/Publicity Director shall:
1. Organize social events;
2. Responsible for publicizing all College Democrats events and activities;
3. Perform such duties as the Executive Council or
President may assign.
ARTICLE V. Grievances:
A. Any member or member in good standing with a grievance against any member or action of the College Democrats may take the issue up with the Executive Council.
ARTICLE VI. Amendments:
A. This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Members in Good Standing.
(ratified by Executive Council on 10/7/94)
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