UNF Philosophy Club Constitution Revised 8/09/96 Articles I. Name and Purpose of Organization. A. The name of the organization shall be the UNF Philosophy Club. B. The purpose of the UNF Philosophy Club shall be to provide a forum outside of the classroom for those interested in philosophical study and debate. To further this purpose we propose: 1. "Circles," formal and informal, which allow students to present philosophical views and allow for philosophical discourse. 2. Club meetings designed to inform members of upcoming events, plan events, address relevant issues, discuss club financial matters and club standing, as well as to decide club policies. 3. Lectures by resident and visiting professors. II. Requirements for Membership and Means of Selection of Members. A. Primarily a student group, the club shall be open to any UNF community member, including current and former students, faculty, staff, alumni, family members, and friends. Although the Executive Committee shall have the authority to remove any person whose behavior is clearly inconsistent with the purpose of the club, in no case shall this be based on considerations of race, sex, age, national origin, personal creed, sexual orientation, or physical infirmity. III. Officers. A. Qualifications for Officers. 1. Elected officers must be full-time or part-time students of the University of North Florida during their term in office. Elected officers must be Philosophy Club "active" members as defined in the by-laws. Elected officers shall hold a term of one semester, except officers chosen by special election to serve out an unexpired term of office resulting from the resignation, incapacity, or death of the officeholder. Officers may be reelected to office as long as they remain qualified to serve. 2. Offices. a. Fall and Spring Terms. (1) Elected officers shall include a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. b. Summer Term. (1) Elected officers shall include a President, Vice-President, and Secretary/Treasurer. IV. Membership Fees. A. The club membership fee will be $10.00 per academic year, and $7.00 per semester. V. Rules for Amending the Constitution A. This constitution may be amended or replaced by a two-thirds majority of the members present or voting by proxy at a scheduled general meeting. Such constitutional amendments or replacements must be presented by the Executive Committee. Any revisions made to the constitution shall be considered null and void if the constitution is not rewritten to include this amendment in the semester the amendment was made. VI. Frequency of Meetings. A. General meetings shall be held not less than once per semester. Notification of the meetings will take place as set forth in the by-laws section. Parliamentary procedure will be employed. B. The Executive committee and other committees will meet as necessary to carry out their responsibilities. VII. Provisions for the Executive Committee and Means of Selection A. The members of the Executive Committee will receive no provisions, financial or otherwise, for fulfilling their elected duties. B. The Executive Committee shall be comprised of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, or the Secretary/Treasurer, depending on the semester. VIII. Committees A. Standing. 1. Standing Committees of the club shall be: a. Executive (1) Chair: President (2) As well as conducting general business, this committee shall be responsible for planning of club functions and the spending of club monies. b. Election (1) Chair: President (2) This committee shall be in charge of acknowledgement of "active" members as defined in the by-laws and recorded by the Treasurer. This committee shall introduce the candidates for each position and be in charge of counting the ballots for elections. The Chair shall also be responsible for announcing the new Executive Committee of the club. Applications for candidacy of an officer of the club must be presented to this committee at least one week prior to the election. c. Fund-raising (1) Chair: Treasurer (2) This committee must plan and execute at least one fund-raiser per semester, excluding summer, when this committee will be defunct. d. Public Relations (1) Chair: Vice-President (2) This committee will direct any efforts the club will take in regard to increasing membership and all outside representation of the club must be approved by this committee. 2. Ad Hoc a. All committees shall be appointed by the Executive Committee as the need arises. By-laws Section I. Officers. A. The President shall preside at general meetings of the club, meetings of the Executive Committee, circles, and any lectures given by visiting or resident professors on behalf of the club. The president shall serve as the chief spokesperson for the club. The President shall also be the Chair of the Election Committee. The President's vote shall be considered only in the case of a tie in any Philosophy Club resolutions, at which point the President's vote shall be the deciding one. The President shall be allowed to vote in the UNF Philosophy Club general elections. B. The Vice-President shall preside in the absence of the President and shall succeed to the office of President in the event of the President's resignation, permanent incapacity, or death. C. The Secretary shall keep minutes at all meetings, as well as be responsible for the club's general correspondence. General correspondence shall include contacting members in regard to club functions as well as retaining and updating the club's membership list. D. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all club funds, as well as recording the income and expenditures of the club. The Treasurer shall be the Chairperson of the Fund-raising Committee. The Treasurer must also be responsible for collecting club dues and keeping current records of who has paid dues and informing the executive committee of the "active" and "inactive" members. E. The position of Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for the duties of both the Secretary (see by-laws section I, part A, item 3), and the Treasurer (see by-laws section I, part A, item 4). F. Executive Committee 1. These elected officers shall comprise the Executive Committee of the UNF Philosophy Club. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for implementing UNF Philosophy Club policy and carrying out ordinary business of the club. G. Election Process. 1. Election Dates a. Fall Term (1) Elections for the Fall Term officers shall be held at the second general meeting of the Fall Semester, preferably by the third week of the Fall Semester. b. Spring and Summer Terms (1) Elections for the Spring and Summer Terms shall be held at the final UNF Philosophy Club meeting of the previous semester. 2. Election Procedures a. Elections for UNF Philosophy Club officers shall be elections by majority vote. The votes should be cast by secret ballot at the announced general meeting scheduled for elections. Votes will be counted by the Chair of the Election committee and the Secretary, and are to be verified by the faculty advisor. This included votes by proxy. b. The results of this vote will be announced at the end of the scheduled meeting prior to adjournment. c. Voting by Proxy (1) Any member voting by proxy shall receive from the Chair of the Election Committee a ballot and be informed of the candidates for the available positions. These ballots must be handed to the Chair of the Election Committee no later than one day prior to the election, and must be received in an envelope with the club member's name on the outside. These ballots will be verified by the Chair of the Election Committee and added to the votes at the general meeting. 3. Outgoing Officers a. Outgoing officers have the responsibility of leading the Executive Committee until the first meeting following the club elections. At this time the outgoing President shall introduce the newly elected officers at the beginning of the meeting. II. Dues A. The club will collect from each member dues of $10.00 per academic year, or $7.00 per semester for the right of a club member to be considered "active." An active member is allowed such privileges as the right to vote in club elections, as well as the right to participate in Philosophy Club events in which Philosophy Club money has been used to fund the event. "Non- active" members include all those who were recognized as "active" in prior semesters but who have not paid dues for the current semester. III. Faculty Advisor A. Selection Process 1. Each Spring semester the Executive Committee shall be required to solicit applications from any faculty member interested in the position of faculty advisor of the UNF Philosophy Club. Each department chair should receive copies of the solicitation for Faculty Advisor and each professor in the Department of History and Philosophy should receive a notice in their respective mailboxes. 2. The Faculty Advisor shall be chosen by an open election of the "active" members of the UNF Philosophy Club. The election shall be held at the final meeting of the Spring Term, and the Faculty Advisor shall be chosen by the majority of members present and voting by proxy. IV. Quorum A. A quorum of the club will be considered to be twenty-five percent of the active members plus one additional active member. (25% + 1)