Scrutinize Article:
CONSTITUTION OF THE MIT MUSLIM STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION Article I: Name The name of the organization shall be the MIT Muslim Students' Association. It shall be a non-profit organization. It shall be a chapter of the Muslim Students' Association of the U.S. and Canada. It shall also be a member of the MIT Association of Student Activities. Article II: Purpose SECTION 1 -- Goals The purposes of the organization shall be to: 1. bring the Muslims of MIT together and to help them in their practice of Islam. 2. make Islam better understood by the MIT Community and to promote understanding between the Muslims and people of other faiths. SECTION 2 -- Means In order to reach its goals, the activities of the organization include, but are not limited to: 1. arranging religious activities including prayers, celebrations of Islamic occasions, meetings, and discussions. 2. organizing educational, social, and athletic activities involving both Muslims and people of other faiths. 3. extending help to Muslim students in pursuit of their educational and spiritual endeavors. 4. making a library of books, periodicals, and audiovisual material accessible to all members. 5. issuing publications and statements on Islam or regarding issues of concern to Muslims.
Article III: Definitions The following terms are used in this constitution and pertain to the organization. Allah - the Arabic name for the One God, Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. Islam - the way of life, embodying peace and willing submission to Allah, which is enjoined on us by Allah. Muslim - one who follows Islam. Muhammad - the last prophet of Allah, after a line of prophets including Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus, peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all. Qur'an - the final revelation of God to mankind, after the Torah and the Gospel.
Article IV: Membership SECTION 1 -- Eligibility 1. Muslim students at MIT, their spouses, and Muslim faculty and staff at MIT are eligible for Regular Membership. At least one half of the regular members must be MIT students. 2. All Muslims who are alumni of MIT or reside in the Greater Boston area are eligible for Honorary Membership. 3. Members identifying with faiths other than Islam from the MIT Community are eligible for Associate Membership. SECTION 2 -- Fees All regular members are required to pay a membership fee of two dollars per annum to the organization. Only those eligible for Regular Membership and who have paid their membership fee shall be eligible to vote and to be nominated for any office in the Executive Committee.
Article V: Executive Committee SECTION 1 -- Definition The Executive Committee shall be the administrative body of the organization and is elected from among the Regular Membership of the organization. The President must be an MIT student. SECTION 2 -- Composition The Executive Committee shall consist of the following elected members. 1. President 2. Vice-President 3. General Secretary 4. Treasurer 5. Social Coordinator 6. Da'wah Coordinator 7. External Relations Officer 8. Masjid Officer SECTION 3 -- Function and Powers of the Executive Committee 1. The executive power shall remain in the Executive Committee and it may delegate any of its powers to any specific officer(s) or subcommittee(s). 2. The function of the Executive Committee shall be to discuss and deliberate on questions of general policy and to vote upon matters of executive policy to be presented by the President. The Executive Committee shall also collectively carry out the policies formulated and assist the President in the fulfillment of his duties. 3. The Executive Committee shall present the annual budget within one month of the election to the organization and shall carry on the activities of the organization according to the approved budget. 4. The Executive Committee shall present a written agenda to the present members at a general meeting. 5. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the interpretation of this constitution and enactment of policies of the organization, subject to overrule by vote of the regular members present and voting at a general meeting. SECTION 4 -- Voting and Quorum 1. The meetings of the Executive Committee shall be called by the General Secretary with the approval of the President with at least one week's notice. 2. Six members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum. 3. Each member of the Executive Committee shall have one vote. 4. In case of a tie the President shall exercise the deciding vote. 5. Absences may be excused by a majority vote of the Executive Committee in the following meeting. The member who was absent cannot participate in the vote. SECTION 5 -- Vacancies If a vacancy occurs in any office of the Executive Committee, it shall be filled by election by the Executive Committee for the remaining term. SECTION 6 -- Term of Office The members of the Executive Committee shall hold office until the following annual elections. SECTION 7 -- Functional Committees The Executive Committee shall form functional committees, as deemed necessary, to assist it in carrying out social, religious, and cultural activities. Any individual in any of the classifications of membership can be a member of a functional committee. SECTION 8 -- Removal of Officers 1. Voting members of the Executive Committee who accumulate three or more unexcused absences for Executive Committee meetings may be removed by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. 2. Officers may be removed by a two-thirds majority vote of the regular members present and voting at a general meeting. SECTION 9 -- Election of New Officers 1. The out-going Executive Committee shall act as the Election Committee and shall supervise the elections. 2. The election shall be held at the annual general/election meeting, called by the Executive Committee, by May 1st, each year. 3. The election shall be by secret ballot. 4. To be elected to an office, the candidate must carry the votes of a majority vote of the regular members present and voting. In the event that no candidate has a majority, the candidate with the least number of votes shall be stricken from the ballot and a new vote taken. 5. In case there is only one nominee for a given position, that nominee must be confirmed by a majority vote of the regular members present and voting. 6. The out-going and in-coming Executive Committees shall work jointly for a period of two weeks.
Article VI: Functions of the Officers SECTION 1 -- The President 1. shall manage and coordinate the affairs of the organization. 2. shall preside at the meetings of the Executive Committee and the general meetings of the organization. 3. shall be responsible to promote its activities and to fulfill its objectives with the cooperation of the other members of the Executive Committee. 4. shall be authorized to form special committees as deemed necessary. 5. shall call general meetings as necessary. SECTION 2 -- The Vice-President 1. shall assist the President in his duties and shall take over his duties in case of his absence. 2. shall be responsible for arranging prayers, celebration of Islamic occasions, and religious meetings as approved by the Executive Committee. 3. shall be responsible to organize charitable and civic activities along with lectures and discussions pertaining to the objectives of the organization, as approved by the Executive Committee. SECTION 3 -- The General Secretary 1. shall be responsible for the records and files of the organization. 2. shall be responsible to record the minutes of all meetings and to make reports on activities of the organization. 3. shall handle the correspondence and notify the members about meetings and other activities. 4. shall call Executive Committee meetings as necessary. SECTION 4 -- The Treasurer 1. shall, with the sanction of the Executive Committee, administer the finances of the organization and shall have the power to receive and make payments in the name of the organization with the approval of the President. 2. shall maintain records of all financial transactions of the organization. 3. shall make periodic and annual reports of the finances of the organization to the Executive Committee and the annual general meeting of the organization, respectively. 4. shall deposit the funds of the organization in a federally insured financial institution. SECTION 5 -- The Social Coordinator The Social Coordinator shall plan and organize social and athletic activities that involve the members of the organization. SECTION 6 -- The Da'wah Coordinator The Da'wah (outreach) Coordinator shall plan and organize educational events and publicity on behalf of the organization for the MIT Community. SECTION 7 -- The External Relations Officer 1. shall correspond with non-MIT organizations. 2. shall organize activities that help the Muslims of the MIT Community be a part of the solution for the problems of Muslims at large. SECTION 8 -- The Masjid Officer 1. shall plan and oversee maintenance of the masjid (prayer room) and the wuduu` (ablution) room. 2. shall, with approval from the Executive Committee, plan and arrange for masjid furnishings, layout, and message posting. 3. shall be responsible for the schedule of events in the masjid and shall ensure that no schedule conflicts occur. 4. shall be responsible for enforcing Executive Committee policies regarding the use of the masjid.
Article VII: General Meetings SECTION 1 -- Definition A general meeting is a business meeting of the organization in which the General Assembly of the organization is invited to discuss, deliberate, and vote upon affairs related to the organization. The General Assembly consists of all membership classifications. SECTION 2 -- Rules for Calling a General Meeting 1. General meetings shall be called by the President. 2. General meetings shall be held a minimum of once a semester. 3. For any general meeting, the members must be notified at least two weeks in advance. 4. Emergency meetings shall be called by the General Secretary, subject to the concurrence of the President, at any time with at least twenty-four hours notice. SECTION 3 -- Rules of Order 1. The President is the chairman of the general meeting and shall recognize a member before the member provides his input. 2. A written agenda of the meeting must be presented by the Executive Committee before any business occurs and it must be approved by the General Assembly. The chairman shall ask for modifications to the agenda at the start of the meeting. 3. Any modification of the agenda must be approved by a majority vote of the regular members present and voting. 4. No business shall be in order unless it appears on the agenda for the meeting at which it is brought forward. The agenda for each meeting shall be considered closed after it is approved by the General Assembly at the start of the meeting. Items to appear on the written agenda may be submitted to the Executive Committee 10 days before the general meeting. 5. Any business to be discussed or voted upon must wait until the pertinent item is reached on the agenda. 6. Business not mentioned on the approved agenda must wait until "new business" is reached on the agenda. SECTION 4 -- Quorum and Voting 1. Twenty regular members or half of the Regular Membership, whichever is less, besides the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum. 2. Each regular member shall have one vote. 3. Only regular members who are present at the time of a vote may vote. 4. In case of a tie, the chairman of the meeting can call for further discussion and a re-vote, or, the issue may be tabled for a later meeting or until the end of the current meeting. 5. A simple majority vote of the regular members present and voting shall determine the vote on any matter except revisions or amendments to the constitution and removal of officers.
Article VIII -- Constitutional Amendments and Revisions SECTION 1 -- Requirements Any amendment of the constitution must not violate: 1. any laws in Islam as derived from the Qur'an, authentic sayings of Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the consensus of Muslim scholars. 2. any rules imposed by the Muslim Students' Association of the U.S. and Canada. 3. any rules or regulations of MIT, in letter and spirit. 4. any laws or rules of the MIT Association of Student Activities. SECTION 2 -- Procedure 1. The proposal for an amendment or revision must be made in writing by at least one of the regular members. 2. The proposal for the amendment or revision must be circulated among all the regular members one week prior to the general meeting. 3. The amendment or revision must be approved by a three- fourths majority vote of the regular members present and voting at a general meeting. 4. The amended and ratified constitution immediately supersedes the previous constitution. Ratified Saturday, October 13, 1990 This constitution was approved by three-fourths of the regular members present and voting at a general meeting on Saturday, October 13, 1990. It is henceforth effective from that date. The total number of regular members as of that date was 22 and the number of regular members present at the meeting was 18.
See also: Executive Committee