Rutgers Ballroom - Constitution

Last Updated:

Saturday, October 24, 2009


	Constitution

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	CONSTITUTION OF RUTGERS BALLROOM Name The name of this organization shall be “Rutgers Ballroom” Mission Statement The purpose of Rutgers Ballroom is to provide an open atmosphere where members have the opportunity to learn and improve as social and competitive ballroom dancers Structure and Governance Rutgers Ballroom is a student based organization, however membership shall be open to all Rutgers University students and affiliates regardless of their level of experience and must comply with federal laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, disability, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, or veteran status This organization shall abide by all applicable laws of the State of New Jersey and the United States This organization shall abide by all applicable rules and regulations of the University and under the privileges as granted by the Office of the Rutgers Recreational Services where charted This organization shall abide by the rules and regulations of the Board of Governors, the University, and the colleges as provided by the Board of Governors and the Deans of the Colleges Rutgers Ballroom is composed of the Club and a subgroup within the Club referred to as the Team Membership Club Membership Responsibilities of all Club members: Pay semesterly Club dues Follow the Constitution and policies of Rutgers Ballroom Benefits for all Club members who meet Club Membership Responsibilities: Club members may participate in scheduled meetings led by a professional instructor Club members may compete at the competition hosted by Rutgers Ballroom, provided that they: Meet the attendance requirement Dance in the categories and at the levels approved by the coach(es) Club members may represent Rutgers Ballroom in performances, provided that they receive approval from the coach(es) Team Membership Becoming a Team member: All prospective Team members must first be approved by the coach(es) Responsibilities of all Team members: Pay additional semesterly Team dues Benefits for all Team members who meet Team and Club Responsibilities Team members may participate in scheduled meetings led by the coach(es) Active Team Membership Additional Responsibilities of all Active Team members: Maintain 75% attendance at Competitive Ballroom Dancing practices Maintain 50% attendance at Social Ballroom Dancing practices Additional Benefits for all Active Team members: Active Team members may represent Rutgers University at approved and budgeted away intercollegiate ballroom competitions, provided that they dance in the categories and at the levels approved by the coach(es) Practices and Board Meetings Practices There shall be at least one hour per week of practice time dedicated to Social Ballroom Dancing There shall be at least one hour per week of practice time dedicated to Competitive Ballroom Dancing Practices are open only to paid members with the exception of their first practice per semester Board Meetings Board meetings must be held at a separate time from practices Board meetings are open to all Club members, provided that the board does not need to close the meeting for individual privacy reasons Dues and Finance Sources of Funds Rutgers Ballroom’s main sources of funds include: Membership dues Club and Team dues shall be set for the year by the beginning of the fall semester, provided that the amounts are approved by the Rutgers Recreational Services Funds allocated by the Rutgers Recreational Services Donations Funds raised as miscellaneous generated revenue Appropriate Uses of Funds All expenditures must follow University, the Rutgers Recreational Services, and SABO guidelines All expenditures not previously outlined in the budget and approved by the Rutgers Recreational Services may be paid using generated revenue, provided that there is an affirmative 2/3 majority vote of Club members present at a scheduled practice Officers Executive Board: The following positions constitute the Executive Board: President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Away Competition Coordinator Home Competition Coordinator Events Coordinator Eligibility and Requirements for all Executive Board members: Each Executive Board member serves for a term of one year The term of office begins and ends the day after Spring finals Executive Board members are trained for their positions in the time leading up to their term Executive Board members are elected once a year during the Spring semester, before the Spring break Executive Board members must be Undergraduate students during the entire term Current and incoming Executive Board members are expected to attend Executive Board meetings Each current Executive Board member has an equal vote in Executive Board decisions Current and incoming Executive Board members are expected to maintain 75% attendance In case of a vacant position, the highest-ranking officer must appoint a replacement with the approval of the majority of the remaining Executive Board members Committee Members The following positions are Committee Members: Webmaster Graphic Designer Additional Committee Member positions may be added as needed Eligibility and Requirements for all Committee Members: Committee Members are appointed by the Executive Board Committee Members do not have a vote in Executive Board decisions Committee Members are only required to attend Executive Board meetings when needed Roles and Responsibilities of Officers All Executive Board and Committee Positions Direct the activities of Rutgers Ballroom Must be familiar with the rules and regulations specified in the Rutgers Sport Club Handbook, this Constitution, and the policies of Rutgers Ballroom President Provides overall leadership for enthusiasm, coordination of all practices, performances, and events Ensures that the mission statement of Rutgers Ballroom is implemented in all actions, events, and documents Serves as a liaison among the Rutgers Recreational Services, all Rutgers Sports Clubs, the coach(es), Rutgers Ballroom members, and other cooperative groups or persons Attends Presidents’ meetings for Sports Clubs as needed or appoints an appropriate replacement if necessary Stays informed of all activities regarding Rutgers Ballroom Keeps track of deadlines for paperwork and works with the Vice-President to submit all paperwork on time Conducts Executive Board meetings weekly or as needed Plans additional meetings or forums for Rutgers Ballroom members as needed Prepares grant proposals and budget with the Treasurer for the Allocations Committee Plans at least one fundraising event per semester, with help from the Vice President and/or Events Coordinator Reserves the room for practices at the beginning of each semester Counter-signs documents such as attendance records, timesheets for coach(es), and Treasurer’s records Vice-President Works closely with the President Works with the President to ensure that all required documentation is submitted to Rutgers Recreational Services by appropriate deadlines Assumes duties of any Executive Board Member if he/she is unable to perform his/her duties Assists all Executive Board Members in fulfilling their duties as needed Works with Events Coordinator to organize and run Rutgers Ballroom socials Coordinates lessons, including finding teachers and sending out reminders Facilitates communication between the Executive Board and general members Treasurer Attends the Treasurer’s workshop held by the Rutgers Recreational Services at the beginning of each year Follows all rules and responsibilities outlined in the Treasurer’s Handbook and has a copy in possession for reference Prepares and submits annual budget to the Rutgers Recreational Services for funding for upcoming year, in consultation with the President Maintains an updated balance sheet of the organization’s expenses and all other budget paperwork Maintains cash box Keeps a record of all receipts Analyzes budget throughout semester to recommend course of action Works with Secretary to collect and check dues at the beginning of and throughout the semester Works with Competition Coordinators in handling contracts, payments, invoices, reimbursements, and all other money related issues for all competitions Assists with arrangements for transportation and lodging for away competitions Manages Rutgers Ballroom inventory and renting/borrowing of inventory Secretary Takes minutes during Executive Board meetings and releases them to all members via e-mail and/or on website in a timely manner Keeps records of all important paperwork Takes attendance of Club and Team members at all practices Manages attendance records and makes them available to all Rutgers Ballroom members Prepares attendance reports every week Works with Treasurer to collect and check dues at the beginning of and throughout the semester Makes sure there are no unpaid members attending their second or later practices Manages all Rutgers Ballroom mailing lists, including but not limited to the Club and Team mailing lists Creates and maintains updated contact list for all Club members Creates and maintains updated contact list for all Team members, which includes names, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and emergency contact information Away Competition Coordinator Provides appropriate information for upcoming competitions Keeps an updated record of the categories and levels for which all Team members have been evaluated and approved to compete Registers competitors for away competitions Works with the coach(es) to manage competition pairings Arranges transportation and housing for away competitions Ensures all required transportation forms are submitted to the Rutgers Recreational Services on time Creates a list of competitors going to each away competition, along with emergency contacts, and submits the list to the Rutgers Recreational Services Attends at least one competition with Rutgers Ballroom per semester Home Competition Coordinator Coordinates the annual intercollegiate competition hosted by Rutgers Ballroom Holds an informational session with all attending Rutgers Ballroom members before the competition to ensure that all duties have been assigned all assigned duties are clear to the appropriate members Works with the coach(es) to complete contracts with the Master of Ceremonies, the DJ, the judges, the scrutineer(s), and the performance couple(s) Attends at least one competition with Rutgers Ballroom per semester Events Coordinator Seeks out and arranges social activities for Rutgers Ballroom members that: Match the organization’s mission statement Give members opportunities to socialize Fosters and maintains friendly relations with other ballroom clubs and teams, organizations, studios, and other Rutgers organizations Seeks out and arranges performance and volunteering opportunities Coordinates all socials organized by Rutgers Ballroom Publicizes Rutgers Ballroom and its events, including the socials Ensures that all practices proceed on schedule and in accordance with Rutgers Ballroom policies Webmaster Maintains and updates the website Maintains and updates the calendar of events Graphic Designer Designs promotional materials including but not limited to: fliers, banners, T-shirts, and website material Elections Eligibility to vote: Only Club members who have paid dues may vote In order to vote for a particular position, a member must be present while all candidates for that position are giving their speeches Eligibility to run: Only Undergraduate members may run for Executive Board positions Candidates must have been dues-paying members for a minimum of one semester prior to running for Executive Board. Each candidate must declare in advance the following: His/her intent to run for Executive Board Primary position he/she is seeking Alternative position(s) he/she intends to drop down to Election Process Elections shall be facilitated by the highest-ranking outgoing officer present Separate elections must be held for each Executive Board position Club members may elect members to additional positions as necessary Candidates may give a speech before voting takes place; speeches are limited to 3 minutes for Presidential candidates and 2 minutes for other candidates Questions are limited to 1 minute in addition to any time left over from the candidate’s speech Candidates must leave the room during opposing candidates’ speeches as well as during the counting of the votes Members vote for only one candidate per position or abstain Absentees shall automatically be considered as abstaining Votes are counted by the two highest non-returning officers present A candidate receiving more than half of the votes for a particular position wins that election. Each presidential candidate who does not win the presidential election may drop down twice to run for alternative positions Each non-presidential candidate who does not win the election for his or her primary position sought may drop down once and run for an alternative position If more than two candidates are running and no one secures more than half of the votes, then the candidate receiving the least number of votes is dropped and a revote takes place among the remaining candidates Results of the elections must be made known immediately to all Club members, the coach(es), and the Rutgers Recreational Services Removal of Officers Failure to meet the duties stated above or otherwise assigned to the officer is grounds for a warning Warnings may be initiated by any Club member with the support of at least one other Club member In order to initiate a warning, a Club member must speak to the highest ranking officer who is not a subject of the warning A verbal warning must first be issued to the officer who is the subject of the warning If subsequent infractions occur, the Executive Board shall vote on issuing the officer a written warning Written warnings must be signed and dated by the Executive Board, and are issued to the officer immediately A second written warning constitutes grounds for removal of the officer pending a 2/3 majority vote by Club members Coach(es) Each semester, the coach(es) must sign a contract found in the Sports Club Handbook The coach(es) are expected to show up to all scheduled practices on time As employees of Rutgers Ballroom, the power and responsibilities of the coach(es) are given by the organization, and therefore are not inherent in the contract Approval of the coach(es) is required for members to: Represent Rutgers Ballroom in performances Represent Rutgers Ballroom at competitions Teach Club practices Become Team members Amendments Constitutional amendments require: A 2/3 majority vote of the Club The approval of the Rutgers Recreational Services Constitutional amendments go into effect the following semester.