The Constitution of the MIT Caribbean Club

ARTICLE I (Organization Name)

This organization shall be called the MIT Caribbean Club, hereafter referred to as The Club. This organization shall be affiliated to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

ARTICLE II (Mission)

The MIT Caribbean Club shall serve as a focus at MIT for all students and other members of the MIT community interested in Caribbean culture and affairs. The Club shall also be active in organizing activities aimed at fostering interaction among the Caribbean community and introducing the Caribbean and its culture to the rest of the MIT community as well as outside MIT. The Club shall engage in identifying, exploring and promoting technologies which will contribute to the progress of the Caribbean Region.

ARTICLE III (Membership)

Section 1:
Any MIT student (regular or special), alumni, staff or family of such person may become a member of the MIT Caribbean Club. The admission will not be based on race, creed, color, sex, sexual preference, ancestry, national origin, handicap, religion or other discriminatory criteria. A minimum of 5 members is required for The Club's affiliation with MIT, and at least 50% of these members must be MIT students. No dues are currently required of members.

Section 2:
Only MIT students, staff and alumni shall constitute the general voting body.

Section 3:
Any full time and willing MIT student may become an Executive Committee Member if properly chosen by election or appointment, but that person shall have been a member of the organization for at least one month.

ARTICLE IV (Executive Committee)

Section 1:
The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, the Vice President, the Treasurer, the Secretary, the Social Chair, and the Members-At-Large (Graduate and Undergraduate). All officers must be distinct MIT students.

Section 2:

President

· must be a registered MIT student

· call and conduct meetings

· be a liaison between the members and the university

· monitor the functioning of the organization

· effectively delegate duties and responsibilities

· visibly support the programs of the organization

· perform all duties as called upon by the organization

Vice President

· must be a registered MIT student

· coordinate and assist the programming efforts of the organization

· assume duties of President as called upon

· keep updated program file

· develop programming resources

· chair the programming and activities committee

· perform all duties as called upon by the organization

Treasurer

· must be a registered MIT student

· maintain financial reports of the organization

· keep an accurate ledger

· create and monitor the budget

· chair the finance committee

· submit a monthly financial report to the President and the organization

· perform all duties as called upon by the organization

Secretary

· must be a registered MIT student

· distribute an agenda at the start of every meeting

· keep minutes of all meetings

· notify day, time, and location of meetings to members

· assist the President in liaising with the university

· perform public relations functions

· perform all duties as called upon by the organization

Social Chair

· must be a registered MIT student

· coordinate and publicize social activities

· chair the social committee

· perform all duties as called upon by the organization

Publicity Chair

· must be a registered MIT student

· produce posters/emails advertising events hosted by the organization

· create innovative advertising methods for the organization

· perform all duties as called upon by the organization

Webmaster

· must be a registered MIT student

· keep the webpage of the organization up to date

· maintain all electronic aspects of the organization

· perform all duties as called upon by the organization

Members-At-Large (2x)

· must be registered MIT students

· supply feedback from all members to the Executive Committee

· stimulate member interaction

· assist the other members of Executive Committee as needed

· perform all duties as called upon by the organization

· liase with Caribbean Clubs of Other colleges

ARTICLE V (Voting Representatives)

Voting members' commitments shall include:

· attendance at general meetings of the organization

· service on committees as needed

· performing all duties as called upon by the organization

ARTICLE VI (Qualifications for Upholding a Voting Position)

Section 1:
The voting member should not be on disciplinary probation at any time.

Section 2:
No member of the organization may solicit money or any other favors on behalf of The Club without the prior approval of the general body. The member shall then report his/her progress to the general body.

Section 3:
If any member violates any of the attendance or the participation laws within this document, their voting privilege will be temporarily removed and their position will be re-evaluated by the general body.

ARTICLE VII (General Voting Rules)

Section 1:
Votes shall by cast by all voting members. In the event of a tie, the President shall make the decision.

Section 2:
More than fifty percent of eligible voting members of the organization must be present at a regularly called meeting for a quorum and therefore conduct legal business of the organization. All business before the organization requiring a vote shall require the approval of a simple majority (more than fifty percent) of the quorum for passage.

Section 3:
Election shall be held by secret ballot. All other votes shall be done by roll call or over email. Each member shall have only one vote.

ARTICLE VIII (Committees)

Section 1:
The organization shall have the following standing committees.

A) Programs and Activities: Chaired by the Vice-President.

This committee shall be responsible for planning programs and activities which would benefit the members of The Club, as well as realize The Club's mission. These programs can cover such areas as social, cultural, recreational, technological etc. These may include parties, socials, forums and conferences, religious and national celebrations etc.

B) Finance: Chaired by the Treasurer.

This committee shall be responsible for fund raising activities. These activities must provide a service and benefit to the MIT community.

C) Social: Chaired by the Social Chair.

This committee shall be responsible for coordinating and advertising all upcoming Club events, as well as developing and maintaining close ties amongst members.

Section 2:
A special project committee may be formed as the need arises. It shall be dissolved when that need is fulfilled. The committee chair shall be appointed by the President.

ARTICLE IX (Meetings)

Section 1:
General meetings shall be held once a month. Members shall be notified of the day, time, and location at least one week in advance.

Section 2:
Special additional general meetings may be called at the discretion of the President.

Section 3:
Chairs of committees shall establish a regular meeting time and location for their purposes.

Section 4:
Both the executives and the voting members must attend 75% of all meetings and activities. Absences shall only be accepted if they are brought before the President prior to the meeting or activity with exception in the case of emergencies. The excuse must be reasonable.

Section 5:
The President may not miss any meetings unless there is a very good excuse and the Executive Committee approves the excuse prior to the meeting or event. In the case of approval, the vice-president would run the meeting.

ARTICLE X (Election of Officers)

Section 1:
Election of the Executive Committee for the following school year shall take place in the tenth week of the spring semester.

Section 2:
Nomination for these positions should be made at least one week in advance. The voting representatives shall elect the Executive Committee.

Section 3:
All positions shall require service from the eleventh week of the spring semester until the tenth week of the Spring semester of the following year.

Section 4:
Either President or Vice-President must be enrolled at MIT for the entire term of his/her appointment.

Section 5:
The new Executive Committee must present a tentative plan of the goals and activities that they hope to accomplish. Within two weeks of their election, the new Executive Committee members should present this tentative plan to the members.

ARTICLE XI (Vacancies in Executive Offices)

Section 1:
An Executive Officer may resign by submitting a written letter to the President at least two weeks prior to the day it is to take effect. If the President wishes to resign, the resignation will be presented to the Vice-President. The resignation will be announced at the next meeting, after the Executive Committee has been notified.

Section 2:
If there is a vacancy in any of the executive positions during the course of the year, the President shall appoint a new person pending the by-election for the position at the next general meeting.

Section 3:
If the President's position should be vacated, the Vice-President shall assume the position of President for the rest of the term and appoint a new Vice-President, pending the approval of the voting members.

ARTICLE XII (Impeachment of Executive Officers)

Section 1:
Executive Officers may be impeached. The President has the right to remove any member pending approval of all other voting members.

Section 2:
Any representative or officer may bring up charges of impeachment. The charges will then be discussed at the next general meeting.

Section 3:
A quorum is required for a vote on impeachment. A three quarters majority of the quorum is required for impeachment to pass. Every voting member votes on the impeachment, by secret ballot.

Section 4:
Grounds for impeachment include the following:
Serious misuse of their position, failure to fulfill duties of office, gross misrepresentation of the organization and lack of participation or attendance.

ARTICLE XIII (The Budget)

Section 1:
The Treasurer shall keep an accurate and up-to-date ledger and record of all transactions and receipts.

Section 2:
The budget shall be submitted by the Treasurer at a general meeting at the beginning of each quarter. Voting members and executives will have two weeks to review the budget before voting on it. The Treasurer must have the final budget finished in sufficient time to meet the MIT Finboard deadlines.

Section 3:
To be reimbursed for purchases made for the organization, the person making the purchase must present the receipt to the Treasurer. The Treasurer will then reimburse the specific amount to the person, while retaining the receipt.

Section 4:
Any voting member has the right to inspect the accounts at any general meeting.

ARTICLE XIV (Constitutional Amendments and By-laws)

Section 1:
Amendments to this constitution and/or by-laws of the organization may be proposed and discussed by any voting member of the organization.

Section 2:
A quorum is required for proposed amendments/revisions of the constitution. Proposed revisions to this constitution and/or by-laws must be approved by 75% of the quorum present at a general meeting.

ARTICLE XV (Establishment of Constitution)

This document shall now be the constitution of the MIT Caribbean Club. A copy of this document may be found at the Office of the Student Activities. Any document written before this constitution shall be invalid.

ARTICLE XVI (ASA GOD Clause)

The MIT Caribbean Club agrees to abide by the rules and regulations of the Association of Student Activities, and its executive board. This constitution, amendments to it, and the by-laws of this organization shall be subject to review by the ASA Executive Board to insure that they are in accordance with the aforementioned rules and regulations.

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