Constitution of HKSBS

Hong Kong Student Bible Study Group @ MIT

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Constitution

Chapter 1. TITLE

Name of the organization:
Hong Kong Student Bible Study Group (official acronym: HKSBS)

Objective:
As a Christian group, we carry out the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20) given by our Lord Jesus Christ:

-	To spread the Gospel;
-	To lead people to the Lord and make disciples of all nations;
-	To learn, obey and teach the Bible.

Chapter 2. BASIC BELIEFS

The Holy Bible: We believe that all the sixty-six books in the Bible are inspired by God. Therefore, it is inerrant and is the final authority in all matters pertaining to our faith and Christian conducts.
The Trinity: We believe that there is only one living and true God, who exists in three persons, namely, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who are equal in their divine perfection.
Jesus Christ: We believe in Jesus Christ, who is God's only begotten son. He was given birth by Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit. He lived a sinless life although he was tempted by the Devil. He died on a cross to save us from our sin. He was buried, resurrected after three days, ascended to heaven and is sitting on the right side of the Almighty God. He will return in power and glory, and judge all who are living and dead.
The Holy Spirit: We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is the protector of all believers. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin; inspires, guides and sanctifies the believers.
The Salvation: We believe that all men have sinned against God and we cannot redeem ourselves by our own efforts. Our salvation has been accomplished by the grace of the God, as well as our faith. The grace refers to the forgiving of sins through the death and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The faith refers to our repentance towards God and the commitment to accept him as our Lord in our lives.

Chapter 3. AFFILIATION

Advisory Board:
The joint pastoral staff of local Chinese churches: New England Pastoral Co-workers Prayer Group
1. Responsibility: advises the group (through an appointed advisor)
2. Rights:
  1. has its advice respected by the group
  2. has authority to dissolve the group (refer to 5:4.2)
Advisor
1. Qualification: appointed by the advisory board
2. Responsibilities:
  1. represents the advisory board to advise the group
  2. reports to the advisory board of the decisions and activities of the group
  3. observes and helps the spiritual growth of the members
3. Rights:
  1. inherits the right of the advisory board in having his/her advice respected by the group (refer to 3:1.2.1)
  2. gets notified of any executive committee meeting, any term assembly and any decision made at these meetings and assemblies (refer to 4:2.5 and 4:3)
4. If there is no appointed advisor for a term, the group will still run according to this constitution without an advisor. The advisory board will assume all the roles of the advisor written in this constitution. The executive committee (refer to 4:2) is responsible to communicate directly to the advisory board.
5. In the event of a conflict between the advisor and the executive committee, the executive committee may consult the advisory board directly.

Chapter 4. INTERNAL ORGANIZATION

MEMBERSHIP
1. General Member
  1. Qualifications:
    1. is a reborn Christian
    2. actively participates in his/her church and have the consent from the pastoral staff of his/her church to participate in the group
  2. Responsibilities:
    1. observes the objective and basic beliefs of the group
    2. is willing to help in the group activities upon request by the executive committee
    3. respects the executive committee and the advisor
    4. is not disruptive to the group activities
  3. Rights:
    1. participates in the group activities for all members
    2. leads the group activities with the consent of the executive committee
    3. can be nominated and elected to hold a position in the executive committee or to become a core member (refer to 4:3.7 and 4:3.9)
    4. 1.1.3.4 declines his/her general membership
2. Core Member (another official name: Senior Member)
  1. A core member is a general member, thus fulfilling the qualifications, bearing the responsibilities and having the rights of a general member. (Refer to 4:1.1)
  2. Additional Qualifications:
    1. is a baptized Christian
    2. is an MIT affiliate
    3. has frequently participated in the activities organized by the group for at least one term
    4. is invited by the group of core members of a previous term
  3. Additional Responsibilities:
    1. attends the term assembly when he/she is present in the area
    2. withdraws his/her core membership by notifying the current executive committee and other core members when he/she can no longer participate in overseeing the group
  4. Additional Rights:
    1. attends the term assembly where he/she has the right to vote
    2. calls and attends the special term assembly (refer to 4:3.13) where he/she has the right to vote
3. Guest Member
  1. Qualification: is interested in Christianity
    (The executive committee and the advisory board reserve the right to disqualify a guest member who does not take up his/her responsibilities.)
  2. Responsibilities:
    1. respects the executive committee and the advisor
    2. is not destructive to the group activities
  3. Right: participates in the group activities for all members
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
(official abbreviated name: Exco
official name for the Exco members: Staff)
1. Specific Position Descriptions:
  1. Chairperson: convenes executive committee meetings and represents the group in outside activities
  2. Spiritual Director: proposes term program to the executive committee and encourages members to carry out the objective of the group (refer to 1:2).
  3. Internal Co-ordinator: co-ordinates the whole executive committee and makes sure each activity of the group is taken care of
  4. Secretary: prepares letters, executive committee meeting memos and other publications of the group
  5. Treasurer: book-keeps all the financial transactions of the group and generates the monthly financial statement of the group
  6. General Manager: takes care of refreshments of meetings, group's athena locker, group's inventory and other miscellaneous work of the group
2. Composition:
  1. Minimum Size:
    one chairperson, one spiritual director and one internal co-ordinator
    1. If a staff cannot carry out his/her role, the responsibilities of his/her position should be temporarily shared by or assigned to other staff.
    2. If there are fewer than three staff capable of carrying out their duties, a special term assembly should be called to discuss the continuation of the current executive committee and the possibility of electing a new executive committee.
  2. Maximum Size: refer to guidelines (refer to 5:3)
  3. Size Determination: to be decided at the preceding term assembly
3. Term: There are three terms a year, Fall, Spring and Summer, according to the MIT calendar of each academic year. During any transition period between two terms, for example, the independent activities period, the executive committee of the preceding term holds responsibilities until a new executive committee is elected in a term assembly. Once a new executive committee is elected, it takes over the executive committee responsibilities after the term assembly concludes.
4. Consecutive Terms:
  A staff cannot run for office for more than four consecutive terms (not counting the Summer term). This rule is not enforced when a new executive committee of the minimum size cannot be formed.
5. Meeting
  1. Date and Time: to be decided by the executive committee
  2. Convene and Chair: executive committee chairperson
  3. Composition: executive committee and advisor, anyone from the advisory board is welcome
  4. Voters: staff
  5. Validity: attendance of 2/3 of the whole staff with no fewer than three staff and a notice to the advisor in advance
  6. Contents: discussing and deciding on the group activities and other administrative matters; appointing ad-hoc committees composed of general members to help in group activities
  7. Generally, the executive committee meeting is not open to people other than those in the composition (refer to 4:2.5.3), but anyone is welcome if he/she is invited by the advisor or at least two staff.
6. Qualifications and Responsibilities of Staff:
  1. A staff is a general member, thus fulfilling the qualifications, bearing the responsibilities and having the rights of a general member. (Refer to 4:1.1)
  2. Additional Qualifications:
    1. is baptized (except with a given reason accepted at the preceding term assembly)
    2. in the current term or the past term, has frequently participated in the group activities for all members
    3. is elected at the preceding term assembly or special term assembly (refer to 4:3.9)
  3. Additional Responsibilities / Rights:
    1. actively helps in the objective of the group (refer to 1:2)
    2. is responsible for communicating to the advisory board (through the advisor) and reporting to the advisor or the advisory board upon request
    3. respects the advice of the advisory board
    4. attends the executive committee meetings
    5. decides and carries out the term program for all members
    6. faithfully carries out his/her position descriptions (refer to 4:2.1)
    7. participates in the group activities
    8. is allowed to vote during the selection of new staff during Term Assembly (refer to 4:3), even if he or she is currently not a core member
TERM ASSEMBLY
1. Date and Time:
  1. before the start of a new MIT term
  2. the executive committee of the current term decides the specific date and time
  3. announcement of the term assembly day should be made known to the group one week in advance; core members, executive committee and the advisor of the current term should be specifically invited
2. Convene and Chair: chairperson of the current executive committee
3. Composition: core members, executive committee and the advisor of the current term, eligible nominated new core members, eligible nominees to the new executive committee; any general member and anyone from the advisory board is also welcome
4. Voters: core members, exco members (for new staff selection only) and advisor (for new staff selection only) of the current term
5. Validity: attendance of 2/3 of all eligible voters, and sent out notice to all voters and the advisor one week in advance
6. Contents:
  1. announcing the new advisor appointment or reporting the searching process of a new advisor
  2. discussing and deciding changes to the constitution of the group
  3. discussing and deciding the new core members
  4. discussing and deciding the removals of inactive core members
  5. discussing and deciding the new executive committee composition
  6. discussing and deciding the new staff
  7. discussing and deciding the guidelines and directions for the new term
  8. any other matter which the executive committee or the advisor of the current term finds appropriate to present in the term assembly for discussing and deciding
7. New Core Member Acceptance
  1. A general member who is interested in becoming a core member should get sponsorship from at least two existing core members and notify the current executive committee of his/her intention before the term assembly begins.
  2. Any two core members who are interested in inviting a general member to become a core member should notify their nominee and the current executive committee of their intention before the term assembly begins.
  3. The executive committee and the advisor of the current term should check the eligibility of the nominee (refer to 4:1.2.1, 4:1.2.2.1, 4:1.2.2.2 and 4:1.2.2.3).
  4. A 3/4 vote of approval is needed for accepting an eligible new core member.
8. Inactive Core Member Removal
  1. Any two core members who are interested in proposing a removal of an inactive core member should notify the current executive committee of their intention before the term assembly begins, and if possible, should also notify the inactive core member proposed for removal.
  2. A 3/4 vote of approval is needed for accepting the proposed removal of an inactive core member.
9. Executive Committee Election
  1. A general member who is interested in helping in the new executive committee should get sponsorship from at least two among the core members, the current executive committee and the advisor; and notify the current executive committee of his/her intention before the term assembly begins.
  2. Any two among the core members, the current executive committee and the advisor who are interested in inviting a general member to help in the new executive committee should notify their nominee and the current executive committee of their intention before the term assembly begins.
  3. The executive committee and the advisor of the current term should check the eligibility of the nominee (refer to 4:2.6.1, 4:2.6.2.1 and 4:2.6.2.2).
  4. A 2/3 vote of approval is needed for deciding the new executive committee composition which must fulfill the executive committee composition requirements (refer to 4:2.2).
  5. A 2/3 vote of approval is needed for an eligible nominee to hold a position in the new executive committee.
  6. If any new executive committee position is left empty after the first round of executive committee election, the current core members attending the term assembly are responsible for deciding to eliminate the position in the new executive committee or to find a holder to the position through a new nomination and a follow-up election for the unheld position within the term assembly.
  7. If the current core members attending the term assembly decide that a new executive committee of the minimum size cannot be formed in the Fall or the Spring term, the group rest for the term.
  8. If the current core members attending the term assembly decide that a new executive committee of the minimum size cannot be formed in the Summer term, a 2/3 vote of approval is needed for extending the Spring term executive committee to the Summer term; otherwise, the group rest. The extended executive committee is responsible for planning a Summer term program for the group and appointing a sub-committee composed of general members staying at MIT over the Summer term to carry out out the program. The advisor should advise to both the extended executive committee and the special Summer sub-committee.
10. Constitution Revision
  1. The basic beliefs (refer to chapter 2) cannot be changed and this rule itself cannot be changed.
  2. A general member or the advisor who is interested in proposing a change to the current constitution (except the basic beliefs) should get sponsorship from at least two core members and notify the current executive committee of the proposed change before the term assembly begins.
  3. A 3/4 vote of approval is needed for accepting a proposed change to the current constitution.
11. Any decision made by the majority of attendance in a term assembly takes effect at the conclusion of the term assembly. All decisions should be made known to the advisor within two weeks after the term assembly.
12. Generally, the term assembly is not open to people other than those in the composition (refer to 4:3.3), but anyone is welcome if he/she is invited by the advisor or at least two staff.
13. Special Term Assembly: At any time when 1/3 of all the current core members sponsor a special term assembly, a special term assembly can be called. A special term assembly does not need to follow the rules on the date and chairing of a term assembly (refer to 4:3.1 and 4:3.2).

Chapter 5. MISCELLANEOUS RULES

Any member of the group, the advisor and the advisory board must observe the current constitution.
Dissolving the Group:
1. The group is dissolved when 3/4 of all current core members approve to dissolve the group.
2. The group is dissolved when the advisory board unanimously decide to dissolve the group.
3. When the group is dissolved, the inventory and credits turn to the advisory board.
The group may refer to "The Guidelines and Memorandum of Hong Kong Students Bible Study Group" for operating guidelines not violating the rules of the current constitution.
The group may refer to "The Founders' Visions of the Hong Kong Students Bible Study Group" for further guidelines not violating the rules of the current constitution.

Chapter 6. AMENDMENTS

As of February 3, 1999:
The following changes were made to Constitution 4:1.2 (core member) and 4:2.6 (exco member):
1. In addition to the current qualification, the person:
  1. is invited by the advisor.
  2. is a full-time student from another university in the Great Boston area.
  3. is voted by two-third of the core members present at the term assembly.
2. At least two-third of the core members and exco members are MIT affiliated.


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Last Update: October 23, 2004