CMU-SFFS Constitution

Article 1 -- Name

The name of this organization shall be the Carnegie Mellon University Science Fiction & Fantasy Society, abbreviated CMU-SFFS. (Herein referred to as "the Society". Carnegie Mellon University will be referred to as "the University".)

Article 2 -- Purpose

To assemble people who are interested in science fiction and/or fantasy,

To promote the appreciation of science fiction and fantasy,

To provide members with opportunities for the discussion and enjoyment of science fiction and fantasy.

Article 3 -- Membership

Membership in this Society shall be open to the students, staff, and faculty of Carnegie Mellon University, and other members of the campus community.

In accordance with the Statement of Assurance of the University, members shall not be discriminated against on the basis of species, race, color of integument, creed, religion, planet or nation of origin, age, size, abilities or disabilities, gender(s), sexual orientation (if any), genetic make-up, or internal chemistry.

The requirements for membership shall be:

1. Interest in science fiction and/or fantasy
2. Attendance at two Society meetings or activities

To retain membership, a member must

1. Participate in one or more Society activities each semester.
2. Pay dues and fees promptly, in accordance with the Bylaws.

Article 4 -- General Assembly

The General Assembly shall consist of all members present at a regularly scheduled meeting, and shall be empowerd to conduct all business in the name of the Society.

Meetings of the General Assembly may be called by the Executive Board or by two-fifths of the Membership.

Action of the General Assembly shall be made by simple majority. Any powers not specifically delegated to the Executive Board are vested in the General Assembly.

Article 5 -- Offices

The offices of the Society shall be the President, the Vice, the Honorable Secretary, the Lord High Embezzler, and the Magpie.

Officers shall be elected at the first meeting of each semester, and their terms of office shall be one semester. Terms shall begin immediately following the election. Vacancies shall be filled by special election at the first regularly scheduled meeting following a resignation or removal.

All officers shall have been members of the Society for at least one semester prior to their election. No one may hold more than two offices concurrently, and the President shall not hold another office concurrently. A member holding two simultaneous offices constitutes a single officer and is not thereby entitled to an additional vote.

Officers may be removed from office by a 3/4 vote of the General Assembly.

The Faculty Advisor of the Society shall be elected yearly by a majority vote of the Executive Board.

Article 6 -- Duties of the Officers

The President shall:

1. Preside over meetings of the Executive Board and the General Assembly.
2. Represent the Society in relations with the Student Body and the Administration of the University. (The President may choose to delegate this responsibility.)
3. Execute the decisions of the Executive Board.
4. Appoint committees to consider any special matter.
5. Ensure that the Executive Board enforces the Constitution and Bylaws.

The Vice shall

1. Carry out the duties and act in place of the President during any temporary absence or incapacity of the President.
2. Arrange all meetings and programs, including room reservations.
3. Perform all other duties the President may require.

The Honorable Secretary shall

1. Maintain a record of the proceedings of all Society meetings.
2. Maintain a roll of the Membership.
3. Conduct, and maintain a record of, the general correspondence of the Society.
4. Provide notice of meetings to all members as specified in the Bylaws.
5. Maintain up-to-date copies of the Constitution and Bylaws and any other governing documents of the Society.
6. Report all actions of the Executive Board to the Faculty Advisor.
7. Perform all other duties the President may require.

The Lord High Embezzler shall

1. Handle all monies, funds, bills, and accounts of the Society.
2. Present a financial report at each meeting.
3. Perform all other duties the president may require.

The Magpie shall

1. Be responsible for all physical properties of the Society, and the security thereof.
2. Maintain a record of Circulating Properties on loan, as specified in the Bylaws.
3. Perform all other duties the President may require.

Article 7 -- Executive Board

The Executive Board shall consist of the officers of the Society. The Executive Board shall have the power to:

1. Authorize all Society activities
2. Enforce the Constitution and Bylaws
3. Authorize expenditures totalling less than $50.00 (fifty dollars) between any two regular meetings of the General Assembly.
4. Designate properties of the Society as Circulating Properties

Meetings of the Executive Board may be called by the President or by any three members. To transact business, the President and at least two other officers must be present. All action shall be taken by a simple majority.

Members may be removed from the Society by the Executive Board for failure to comply with the Constitution or Bylaws. In this case, the Executive Board must notify the membership of this action and the reasons for it as soon as is practical, and in any case no later than the next meeting of the General Assembly. Membership may be reinstated by a majority vote of the Membership.

Article 8 -- Meetings

Article 9 -- Dues and Fees

The General Assembly may include in the Bylaws provisions for borrowing the Circulating Properties of the Society, including penalties for losses or late returns.

Article 10 -- Amendments

A vote of at least 2/3 of the General Assembly is necessary to amend the Bylaws.

In order to amend the Constitution or the Bylaws, each member in good standing must be mailed or given written notice of intent to amend at least two weeks in advance. The amendment must also be read into the minutes at a prior meeting of the General Assembly.

CMU-SFFS Bylaws - Draft

1. Notification

Notification of regular meetings shall be made at least two days in advance, and may be issued by electronic mail to the members of the club or by a notice posted on the electronic bulletin board of the club.

Notification of special meetings of the General Assembly shall be made at least two days in advance, and shall be issued by electronic mail to the members of the club.

Notification of intent to amend the Constitution or Bylaws shall be issued by electronic mail to the members of the club.

2. Meeting Schedule

Regular meetings shall be held on the second Tuesday of every month, at 6 pm. The location for each meeting shall be determined prior to, and included in, the notification.

3. Dues

Dues shall be one dollar ($1) per semester.

4. Circulating Properties

• Only members in good standing may borrow Society properties.
• Only those properties of the Society that are designated by the Executive Board as Circulating Properties may be borrowed.
• A circulating property may be borrowed for up to twenty-one (21) days.
• A member may have no more than eight (8) circulating properties in circulation at any one time.
• In order to borrow a circulating property, a member must sign it out in the Magpie's record of circulating properties, indicating that he/she takes responsibility for its safe return. This entry must also be initialled and dated by an officer of the Society. Any person may return the circulating property. Upon return of the property, the entry must be signed by the person returning it, and initialled and dated by an officer of the Society.
• Fines for the late return of an item that a member has signed out shall be as follows. During periods when the University is in session, the rate shall be ten cents per item per day. During periods when the University is not in session, such as spring break, the rate shall be five cents per item per day. In the event of uncertainty the Executive Board shall determine which of these two rates to use.
• A member who loses a circulating property shall replace it with an identical item of equal or greater quality, or shall be assessed a fine equal to the cost of the item's replacement plus a ten dollar ($10) restocking fee. This penalty shall take the place of late-return fees for the lost item.

5. Budget

The Lord High Embezzler shall submit a budget each year for the approval of the General Assembly.

Any expenditure which appeared in the approved budget for the year can be jointly authorized by the Lord High Embezzler together with one other officer.

6. Standing Committees

The Society has no standing committees. This article shall be amended as necessary to create standing committees.

7. Base Case

Upon approval of the Constitution and Bylaws, the newly formed Society shall immediately elect officers who shall serve out the remainder of that semester. The constitutional requirement that officers shall have been members of the Society for at least one semester prior to their election shall be waived until the end of the semester following the approval of the Constitution and Bylaws.