The UVM Geography Club

GEOGRAPHY CLUB CONSTITUTION

Article I. NAME

The name of this organization shall be the UVM Geography Club.

Article II. PURPOSE

Section A.) The purpose of this organization shall be to:
1.) Further professional and personal interests in Geography by affording a common organization for those interested in the field.
2.) Strengthen student and professional training through academic experiences other than those of the classroom.
3.) Advance the status of Geography as a cultural and practical discipline for study and investigation.
4.) Provide fellowship and guidance for those with an interest in the field of Geography.

Section B.) The major goals of this organization shall be to:
1.) Increase student involvement in departmental activities and concerns.
2.) Provide counseling for those interested in either furthering their Geographic studies or initially engaging in the field of Geography.
3.) Increase recognition and camaraderie amongst Geography undergraduates.
4.) Enhance and highlight the unique geographical experiences of UVM, Burlington, Vermont, and the surrounding region.

Article III. EXPECTATION OF MEMBERS

Section A.) Membership
1.) Membership to the Geography Club may be extended to any undergraduate student, graduate student, or faculty interested in participating in the activities and duties of the club.
2.) Any student attending any meeting of the Geography Club is considered a "Member" and will have the rights and duties bestowed upon members (See Art. III, Sec. C, Para. 1 ).

Section B.) Member in Good Standing
1.) Any person who has previously attended one meeting of the Geography Club is eligible to become a Member in Good Standing.
2.) A majority of the Members in Good Standing at any meeting must vote to recognize any person qualified as a Member in Good Standing.
3.) Any Member may submit at any meeting the name of a person to be recognized as a Member in Good Standing.
4.) This section will be waived for the first meeting of the 1997-98 Academic year. All members present at the first meeting will automatically be recognized as Members in Good Standing.

Section C.) Rights and Duties of Members
1.) All Members have the right to actively participate in the activities of the organization, to serve as a member on any committee (but cannot serve as Chair), and to submit any names, to include his or her own, of people to be recognized as Members in Good Standing.
2.) All Members in Good Standing shall have all the rights of regular Members, as mentioned in Article III, Section C, Paragraph 1. They will also have the rights to vote on matters of business, to Chair a Committee, and to hold office.

Section D.) Resignation and Revocation of Member in Good Standing status.
1.) Any Member desiring to resign from this organization, or any Member in Good Standing desiring to be disrecognized as such, or desiring to resign from this organization shall notify the president with their intention to do so.
2.) Any Member in Good Status who is absent without an excuse for two consecutive meetings, or four meetings in a semester shall be notified, by the President, that their Member in Good Standing Status is in jeopardy of being revoked. Any further unexcused absences by the Member in Good Status in question will result in their revocation of their Member in Good Standing Status.
3.) The President, with a 2/3-majority vote, may revoke the status of Member in Good Standing for any reason he or she deems necessary.

Section E.) Miscellaneous Items regarding Membership
1.) Throughout the rest of this Constitution, the term "member" (with a lowercase "m") may be used interchangeably with the term "Member in Good Standing" where appropriate.

Article IV. Officers, their Duties, and Elections.

Section A.) Officers and their Duties
1.) President. The President is the Chief Executive for the club. S/He is responsible for anything the Club does or fails to do. The President's primary job is to serve as a representative of the Club and be the liaison between the Club and outside organizations. The President's duties include, but are not limited to:
a.) Keeping the Faculty Advisor, Geography Department Chair, and/or the Geography Department Secretary informed of the Geography Club's actions and intended actions.
b.) Maintaining relations with the Student Government Association(SGA) by: informing the SGA Student Activities Committee of changes in the Geography Club's Constitution, Faculty Advisor, and Officers of the Club, informing the SGA Student Activities Committee of all fundraising projects, submitting to the SGA Finance Committee the Club's annual budgets (alongside the Club's Treasurer) and submitting to the SGA Finance committee any requests for additional financing (alongside the Club's Treasurer).
c.) Establishing and maintaining relations with any other organizations, offices, or departments at or outside of the University of Vermont which the Club deems necessary to further its endeavors.
d.) Presiding over meetings and maintaining order at all Geography Club meetings and events.
e.) Filling vacancies when they occur in other offices.
f.) Establishing Committees and assigning Committee Chairs.

2.) Vice President. The Vice President shall preside over the Executive Committee. The Vice President is primarily responsible for coordinating between committees and ensuring the execution of the Club's internal tasks and duties. The Vice President's duties include, but are not limited to:
a.) Fulfilling the duties of the President in the President's absence.
b.) Reporting to the President the intentions, actions, and accomplishments of the Executive Committee.
c.) Presenting, at any meetings, amendments to the Constitution.
d.) Keeping accountability of members at the meetings.

3.) Treasurer. The Treasurer is responsible for all monetary actions of the Club. S/He is a member of the Executive Committee. The Treasurer's responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
a.) Maintaining a record of the Club's expenditures and income.
b.) Purchasing and maintaining the invoices of goods and services which the Club uses.
c.) Authorizing and keeping authorization records of what members are allowed to purchase goods and services with the Club's account.
d.) Chairing the Fund-Raising Committee.
e.) Reporting to the Vice President all Club financial transactions and the intentions, actions, and accomplishments of the Fund-Raising Committee.
f.) Assisting the President in securing funding from the SGA Finance Committee.

4.) Secretary. The Secretary serves both as a minute-taker, as well as Club records-keeper and parliamentarian. The Secretary's duties include but are not limited to:
a.) Maintaining a permanent record of the minutes of every meeting, along with writing any relevant notation to clarify the minutes. This record will also include notation from any events, outside of meetings in which the club participates.
b.) Producing, copying, and distributing the agenda(s) of upcoming meetings.
c.) Obtaining and keeping a copy of members' records and member lists.
d.) Chairing the Public Relations Committee.
e.) Reporting to the Vice President any necessary member information and the intentions, actions, and accomplishments of the Public Relations Committee

5.) Social Director. The Social Director is responsible for planning and organizing events other than regular meetings. As the Social Director may need to interact with an organization outside of the Geography Department, s/he may by-pass the Executive Committee and directly address the President on these matters.
6.) A Vice Treasurer, Vice Secretary, or Assistant Social Director may be appointed, if the Treasurer, Secretary, or Social Director, respectively, deem it necessary.
7.) All Committee Chairs, with the exception of those listed above, will be chosen by the President.

Section B.) Elections
1.) Elections shall be held during the first full week of April, and the meeting shall be at least one meeting before the final meeting of the year.
2.) Terms begin at the first meeting of the academic year, in September of that year, and shall be held for a period of one year.
3.) Only Members in Good Standing are allowed to run for office.
4.) The final meeting of the academic year will be a transitional meeting, with the officers-elect leading the meeting except when their outgoing counterparts deem it necessary to intervene.

Section C.) Impeachment
1.) Officers may be impeached through a Vote of No Confidence by ž of the members attending an "Impeachment Meeting".
a.) This meeting shall take place one meeting after a majority of members vote to have such a meeting.
b.) At the Impeachment Meeting, an elected individual (chosen by the group which voted for such a meeting) will state the case for impeaching the specified officer(s).
c.) The specified officer(s) will then get to make their case against their impeachment.
d.) After both cases have been made, a vote will be taken by secret ballot, with both the specified officer and the leader of the opposition counting the ballots.
e.) Equal time will be given to hear both sides.

Section D.) Resignation
1.) Officers may resign their office by announcing their intention, at a regular meeting, to do so, and submitting a written resignation to the President.
2.) If the President resigns, the Vice President will become President, and shall select a new Vice President.
a.) If a majority of the members present at the meeting during which the President resigns vote "No Confidence" in the Vice President, an emergency election may be held to elect a new President (the Vice President may, of course run).
b.) If the Vice President does not wish to hold the office of President, the Vice President may hold elections for a new President.

Article V. Meetings and Quorum.

Section A.) Frequency of Meetings
1.) The Geography Club shall meet no less than once a month, during the regular Academic Year.
2.) Time and Place of regular meetings shall be standard for a semester. This will be determined at the first meeting of the semester.
3.) Committee meetings will be determined by the Committee Chairs.
4.) Emergency meetings may be called by the President or the Executive Committee. Time and place will be determined by the President or Executive Committee.
5.) Minutes of each meeting will be kept for permanent record, as well as distributed, either in print copy or by a listserv, to all members of the Geography Club.

Section B.) Quorum
1.) The President or Vice President must be present for Club business to take place.
2.) In addition to the President or Vice President, three other members must be present, for a total of four members.
3.) If any officers cannot be present at a meeting, either an individual which they select or the Vice President will assume their duties.

Article VI. General Provisions

Section A.) Committees
1.) Standing committees will be formed when deemed necessary by any member of the club.
a.) A standing committee may be recommended to the President by any member.
b.) The President will consider the recommendation and decide the structure and concerns of the committee.
c.) Members will be appointed to the committee and a Chair will be appointed by the President, except for those committees to which the chairs have already been assigned by this Constitution.
d.) Each standing committee will report at each meeting their intents, actions, and accomplishments.
e.) Standing Committees, with the exception of those committees which are established by this Constitution, may be abolished if it is deemed that they no longer serve a purpose.

2.) Those committees which are established by this Constitution are the Executive Committee, the Fund-Raising Committee, the Public-Relations Committee, and the Events Committee.

3.) The Executive Committee:
a.) The Executive Committee consists of the Vice President, the Treasurer, the Secretary, and the Social Director.
b.) The Vice President is the Chair of the Executive Committee, and will report all of the Executive Committee's intentions, action, and accomplishments to the President.
c.) The Executive Committee is responsible for maintaining the Club's foundations by handling the internal day to day Club business.
d.) The Executive Committee will serve as a chief advisory to the President.
e.) The President does not have to be present for a meeting of the Executive Committee.
f.) The Executive Committee shall meet no less than once a month, during the regular Academic Year.

4.) The Fund-Raising Committee:
a.) The Fund-Raising Committee shall consist of the Treasurer and at least one other member.
b.) The Fund-Raising Committee shall plan and execute all fund-raising, whether at UVM, or abroad.
c.) The Treasurer shall be the chair of the Fund-Raising Committee and will report all of the Fund-Raising Committee's intentions, action, and accomplishments to the Vice President.
d.) The Fund Raising Committee will meet no less than two times a semester.
e.) At least one fund raising effort must be executed by the Fund Raising Committee per semester.

5.) The Public-Relations Committee:
a.) The Public-Relations Committee shall consist of the Secretary and at least one other member.
b.) The Public-Relations Committee shall design, print, and post all posters.
c.) The Public-Relations Committee shall use whatever other forms of media it can to inform the UVM Campus and other relevant areas or places of the actions of the Geography Club.
d.) The Public-Relations Committee shall maintain a permanent record of all members, minutes from each meeting, notes from Geography Club events, and other relevant information, as an historical record of the Club.
e.) The Public Relations Committee will have one member assigned as the "Web-master" in order to maintain the Club Web-page and listserv.
f.) The Secretary shall be the chair of the Public-Relations Committee and will report all of the Public-Relations Committee's intentions, action, and accomplishments to the Vice President.
g.) The Public-Relations Committee shall meet no less than twice a semester.

6.) The Events Committee:
a.) The Events Committee shall consist of the Social Director and at least one other member.
b.) The Events Committee is responsible for organizing and planning all events which are not regular meetings.
c.) The Social Director is the chair of the Events Committee and will report to the Vice President all of the Events Committee's intentions, actions and accomplishments.
d.) The Events Committee will meet no less than once a semester.

Section B.) Presidential Powers
1.) The President may veto any proposals, actions, motions for Impeachment or legislation (By-laws).
a.) The Presidential Veto is overturned by a 2/3 majority vote of members present during a meeting when the President exercises his/her veto.
2.) The President has the sole power to adjourn meetings.
a.) A meeting may be adjourned if a motion to adjourn is made and 2/3 of the members present vote to adjourn.
b.) A meeting will be adjourned if the number of members at that meeting falls below quorum.
c.) No Impeachment Meetings or Amendment Meetings may be adjourned until the issue(s) of Impeachment or Amendment, respectively, is resolved.
3.) The President has the sole power to establish committees.
a.) A committee may be established if 3/4 of the members present during the meeting at which a committee is recommended vote to overrule the President.
4.) The President will determine the agenda of meetings. The President is also given the sole power to "enforce" the agenda.
5.) These powers are given to the Vice President when s/he is acting in the President's absence.

Section C.) By-Laws and Amendments
1.) The By-laws will be determined by the club, as need be, and placed under Article VIII, By-laws, in this Constitution.
2.) Amendments.
a.) This Constitution may be amended by affirmative vote of 2/3 of the members at an Amendment Meeting.
b.) Amendment proposals must be submitted to the Vice President, who will be held responsible for drafting and circulating a copy of the amendment to all members.
c.) An amendment will be proposed at a regular meeting, by the Vice President. Following that meeting, the amendment will be circulated to all members of the Club, along with arguments for and against the amendment.
i.) If there is no argument against, no argument for has to be submitted.
d.) The next regular meeting will be an Amendment Meeting. During this meeting, the Club will vote on the amendment.
e.) If the amendment is passed, it shall be added under Article IX, Amendments.
f.) The President may veto any amendment (as listed in Art VI, Sec. B, Para. 1), but such a veto may be overturned by a ž vote of the people present at the meeting.
i.) If the Presidential Veto is successful, a new election of all officers will occur at the following meeting to determine a vote of confidence.
ii.) If the Presidential Veto fails, a new election of the Presidency will occur at the following meeting to determine a vote of confidence. The amendment will be added under Article IX, Amendments.

Section D.) Discontinuance of the Geography Club
1.) In the event that this organization shall be discontinued, the President shall inform the Faculty Advisor, the Geography Department Head, and the SGA Student Activities committee of the effective date of this action. The Treasurer shall transmit all excess funds in the Treasury to the Faculty Advisor, who shall hold them for a period of not more than two years. If the Club is not reestablished during this period, the Advisor shall use these funds to purchase equipment and supplies for the UVM Department of Geography.

Article VII. Ratification.

Section A.) Ratification
1.) This Constitution must be approved by a 2/3 majority vote of the members present at the second meeting of the Geography Club, School Year 1997-98.

Section B.) Disrecognition of the Constitution
1.) If the Club votes to disrecognize this Constitution, it will effectively, discontinue the UVM Geography Club, as it stands.
2.) The SGA Student Activities Committee must be notified.
3.) A constitutional Convention may be held, and a new Geography Club may be formed.

Article VIII. By-Laws.

Section A.) Policy of Non-discrimination
1.) This club shall neither discriminate nor give preferential treatment to anyone based on race, creed, religion, ethnicity, sex, age, sexual orientation, or major.

Section B.) Policy on Alcohol
1.) Recognizing that the Geography Club may have functions where alcohol is present, this Constitution will set parameters as follows:
a.) There will be no official Geography Club function where the main theme is the alcohol.
b.) Minors are prohibited from being served alcohol at Geography Club functions.
c.) Anyone caught serving a minor alcohol, or any minor who is a member of the Geography Club caught drinking alcoholic beverages at a Geography Club function will lose their office, if they hold one, and their Member in Good Standing status. They shall not be allowed either of these privileges for no less than one semester.
d.) Geography Club members are discouraged from imbibing high amounts of alcohol, or consuming alcohol rapidly.
2.) Section B, Paragraph 1, Sub-paragraphs a, b and c do not apply to Geography Club members at non-Geography Club functions.
3.) Neither the Geography Club, nor any member of the Geography Club, shall use the name or position in the Club to endorse alcoholic beverages.

To be added as necessary.

Article IX. Amendments.

To be added as necessary.

Drafted January 23, 1998. Signatories:

Brian P. Luti
Interim President

Melinda Vinelli
Vice President

Sarah Heumann
Treasurer

Travis Bose
Secretary

Mike Rubin
Social Director

Joe Peters
Glen Elder
Matt Traiman
Anthony Turi
Founding Members

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