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Kinaesthetics Lab Constitution

Article I: Purpose

The purpose of Kinaesthetics Lab is to provide choreography opportunities to MIT students and community members of all dance backgrounds and levels, and to contribute to an awareness on campus of dance as an art form.  The group's primary focus is choreography, not technique or repertoire. The majority of group activities shall therefore be directed toward choreography and/or the development of members' individual "voice" through choreography.

Article II: Membership

1. Any member of the MIT community is eligible to become a member of Kinaesthetics Lab.  One is considered a member of Kinaesthetics Lab in any given academic term if s/he meets the following conditions:

    A. pays any membership dues that may apply for the term in question unless s/he is excused according to Section 5 below.
    B. attends at least one Kinaesthetics Lab activity and one official meeting in the preceding or current term.
    C. actively choreographs as part of Kinaesthetics Lab activities.

2. MIT community members may become members of Kinaesthetics Lab at any time by fulfilling the above conditions.

3. At all times, the membership of Kinaesthetics Lab shall include at least 5 MIT students, and more than half of current members shall be MIT students.

4. Kinaesthetics Lab shall not discriminate based on any characteristic listed in MIT's Nondiscrimination Statement.

5. A member or prospective member who cannot afford to pay the membership dues shall be excused from this responsibility for the term in question.  Such consideration must be approved by all Kinaesthetics Lab officers for person and for each term during which it is extended.

6. All members are encouraged to take dance technique classes on a continuous basis in order to develop strength in discipline and body.

Article III: Officers

1. Kinaesthetics Lab shall have the following officers:

    A. President

      1) The president must be an active member of Kinaesthetics Lab for at least one school year prior to her/his election.
      2) The president shall be the official representative of the group to other organizations and to MIT.
      3) The president shall preside over all meetings.  In the event that the president is unable to attend a meeting, the vice president will preside at that meeting.
      4) The president is responsible for scheduling meetings and for notifying the group in advance of such meetings. 
      5) The president shall be responsible for scheduling workshops and guest choreographers, as well as other Kinaesthetics Lab activities.
      6) The president shall be responsible for communicating with the Kinaesthetics Lab faculty advisor.
      7) The president, together with the vice president and treasurer, shall be responsible for the allocation of Kinaesthetics Lab funds and for determining membership dues.

    B. Vice President

      1) The vice president shall help the president in fulfilling her/his duties.
      2) The vice president may be appointed by the president to preside at official meetings in the event that the president is unable to attend.  Such appointment must be made in writing (e-mail is acceptable) and must be announced at the beginning of said meeting.
      3) The vice president, together with the president and treasurer, shall be responsible for the allocation of Kinaesthetics Lab funds and for determining membership dues.
      4) The vice president shall be responsible for disseminating to the group any decisions or announcements made at meetings.
      5) The vice president shall be responsible for keeping and updating as appropriate a record of past Kinaesthetics Lab performances and activities, including a record of official meetings and any decisions or announcements made therein.

    C. Treasurer

      1) The treasurer, together with the president and vice president, shall be responsible for the allocation of Kinaesthetics Lab funds and for determining membership dues.
      2) The treasurer shall be responsible for keeping track of the finances of the group.  It shall be the treasurer's responsibility to ensure appropriate communication with organizations that provide funding for Kinaesthetics Lab.
      3) The treasurer is required to sign all checks/vouchers of the group.
      4) The treasurer shall be responsible for keeping an up-to-date record of Kinaesthetics Lab membership.
      5) In the event that a member does not fulfill her/his responsibilities in a given term, the treasurer shall immediately notify the executive board of the situation.  In such cases the treasurer shall also notify that member of the responsibilities that must be fulfilled.

2. All officers of Kinaesthetics Lab must be distinct persons and MIT students.

3. The Kinaesthetics Lab executive board shall include all current officers.

4. Elections:

    A. Elections of officers shall occur at the end of the spring term.
    B. Only members of Kinaesthetics Lab may vote at elections.
    C. Any member of Kinaesthetics Lab is eligible to run for office.
    D. Quorum for elections is two-thirds of total number of members.
    E. Any member is elected if he or she wins a majority of the votes at the time of the elections.  Abstentions shall not be considered in the calculation of a majority. 
    F. If more than two people are running and no one wins a majority, then the person with the fewest votes is dropped from the ballot and votes are recast.
    G. Elections must be held during an official meeting.  Voting may be held by show of hands or by secret ballot, as determined by the executive board at the time of the elections.

5. Each officer's term of office shall extend from the beginning of the summer following the meeting at which s/he is elected until the end of the following spring term.  Outgoing officers shall collaborate with incoming officers following elections to ensure a smooth transition between executive boards.

6. The executive board may appoint members to additional positions, including but not limited to performance coordinator, technical coordinator, and/or publicity chair.  Members appointed to such positions shall not be officers and shall not form part of the executive board.

7. Removal from office:

    A. If an officer does not fulfill her/his duties, s/he may be removed from office. 
    B. A member of the executive board or a group of five (5) Kinaesthetics Lab members must recommend the removal of such officer, and removal must further be approved by two-thirds of the members of the group.  Abstentions shall not be considered in the calculation of a majority.  Only members may vote on an officer's removal from office.
    C. The officer in question shall be notified at least twenty-four (24) hours before such vote.
    D. A vote for the removal of an officer shall be held by secret ballot at an official Kinaesthetics Lab meeting. 
    E. Members who are unable to attend such a meeting shall be given the opportunity to cast their vote by e-mail within twenty-four (24) hours of the official meeting at which the vote was held.  All e-mailed votes shall be sent to one officer who must not be the officer affected by the vote and who shall be named in advance.  Such officer shall be responsible for counting all e-mailed votes, for ensuring their confidentiality, and for reporting the results to the executive board.
    F. The results of such a vote shall be made public to the group within 48 hours of the vote.
    G. In the event that an officer is removed from office, the executive board shall appoint a new officer in her/his place.  The new officer shall remain in office until the next regularly scheduled elections.

Article IV: Meetings

1. Meetings shall be held at least once every term.

2. Meetings shall be presided over by the president.  If the president is unable to attend, the vice president shall preside.

3. All decisions shall be made by a simple majority vote of all members present. Abstentions shall not be considered in the calculation of a majority.

4. Quorum for a meeting shall be one-half of the members of the organization.

Article V: Amendments

1. Amendments to the Kinaesthetics Lab constitution may be proposed by any member.

2. Any member who wishes to propose an amendment must secure the consent of the president or vice president in advance of such proposal.  After receiving the president or vice president's consent, the proposing member(s) must notify all Kinaesthetics Lab members of the proposed amendment and of the date of the meeting at which it will be presented for a vote.

3. The proposing member(s) must be present at the meeting during which the amendment is presented for a vote.

4. The president and vice president must be notified of all proposed amendments. The president must be present at any meeting in which an amendment is presented for a vote. If the president cannot attend such a meeting, s/he may appoint the vice president to preside.

5. Amendments must be passed by a two-thirds majority of the members present. Abstentions shall not be considered in the calculation of a majority. Only members may vote on a proposed amendment.

6. Quorum for amending this constitution shall be one-half of all Kinaesthetics Lab members.

Article VI: Miscellaneous

1. Kinaesthetics Lab 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 Kinaesthetics Lab shall be subject to review by the ASA Executive Board to ensure that they are in accordance with the aforementioned rules and regulations.

2. Allocation of funds

    A. Only members may request Kinaesthetics Lab funds.
    B. Allocation of funds must benefit Kinaesthetics Lab members.
    C. Funds shall be allocated with the benefit of the majority of members in mind.
    D. Any member may suggest uses for Kinaesthetics Lab funding.  Suggestions must be e-mailed to the treasurer and must include all relevant information (including, but not limited to, proposed use of funds, projected cost to the group, benefit to the group, date(s) applicable, and exclusion criteria).
    E. In the event that funding for an event (e.g., for a performance or for participation in a festival) is limited and can not cover the full cost of the event, Kinaesthetics Lab funds must be allocated to members' benefit. Any remainder may be used to benefit non-members (e.g., non-member dancers).

3. Mailing list

    A. Only members may be on the Kinaesthetics Lab mailing list.
    B. Members are not required to be on the mailing list.  If a member chooses not to be on the mailing list, s/he is responsible for acquiring any information that may be sent to the mailing list, including but not limited to meeting times and dates, proposed activities, proposed amendments, and general announcements.
    C. A member of the Kinaesthetics Lab executive board shall be responsible for administering the mailing list.  The executive board may decide to appoint a non-officer member to this position.

4. Members may include non-member dancers in their pieces.  Such dancers shall be able to attend open studio times to work on the member's piece(s) in which they are participating.

 
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