The Runnymede Pre-Law Society Constitution
Article I – Name and Purpose
Section 1 – Name
The official name of this organization shall be The Runnymede Pre-Law Society
Section 2 – Purpose
The purposes of this organization are to educate students about the importance of law and its
relation to fields such as politics, history, rhetoric, and philosophy; to prepare pre-law students
for the law school application and selection process and for success in their legal education; and
to promote activities that provide experience in this branch of education.
Article II – Membership
Section 1 – Qualifications for Membership
Membership in this organization is open to all Houghton College students who exhibit an
interest in and commitment to fulfilling the purposes of the organization.
Article III – Club Officers, Election Procedure, Removal Procedure
Section 1 – Cabinet
The cabinet is charged with fulfilling the purpose of the club and shall consist of a President,
Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
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President
a. Eligibility for the president of the club requires that he or she must maintain a GPA of
at least 3.0 and be pursuing a pre-law track.
b. The president:
i. is responsible for the oversight and fulfillment of the activities of the
organization,
ii. acts as chair of the meetings of the cabinet and club, and
iii. has the power to create or disband committees.
2. The Vice President:
a. shall support and assist the president,
b. shall act in the stead of the president if he or she cannot fulfill the duties of the office
and shall assume the office of the president in the case of resignation or removal.
c. must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 and be pursuing a pre-law track.
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3. The Secretary:
a. shall keep an accurate account of minutes and attendance from the club and cabinet
meetings and provide them within the following week to cabinet members and
interested club members, and
b. shall be responsible for sending out emails after their approval by the cabinet.
4. The Treasurer:
a. shall be responsible for the finances of the club,
b. shall keep an accurate account of all monetary transactions, and
c. shall give reports at the request of the president, cabinet, or advisor.
5. The Faculty/Staff Advisor:
a. must be a Pre-Law Advisor,
b. shall advise the cabinet and club as a whole, and
c. shall be an ex officio member of the cabinet, with power to vote only in case of a tie.
Section 2 – Election Procedure
1. The cabinet shall be elected by the members of the club present by a simple majority vote at
an election meeting which shall be publicized to the members of the club at least one (1)
week in advance. A ballot of the candidates shall be sent to the members at least one day
prior to the election. The election meeting after the initial cabinet election shall occur four (4)
weeks before the end of every spring semester. The transfer of powers will take effect June
1st. All documents and other pertinent information shall be passed to the new cabinet after
they are elected.
2. In the case of any vacancies, including that of advisor, the cabinet shall fill the position with
a three-quarters (3/4) vote.
Section 3 – Removal Procedure
1. If any officer be found unsuitable for his or her position, the cabinet may remove him or her
by a three-quarters (3/4) vote and a majority (%50+) of the club members. The procedure for
scheduling a removal meeting is the same as elections. If the officer is removed, the vacancy
shall be filled following Article III, Section II, Clause 2.
Article IV – Meetings
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Section 1 – Cabinet Meetings
1. Cabinet meetings shall be conducted at the discretion of president at least once a semester
and require a quorum of three-fourths (3/4).
2. Any member being absent over three (3) times shall be subject to removal.
3. Meetings will be chaired by the President.
Section 1 – Club Meetings
1. The cabinet shall be responsible for holding meetings of the club members
2. These meetings may be called by the president
Article V – Amendment Procedure
Section 1 – Proposals
Any member of the club may propose an amendment to this constitution as long as one cabinet
member brings it to the floor at a cabinet meeting.
Section 2 – Ratification Process
After the proposal of an amendment, it may be passed by a three fourths (3/4) vote of the cabinet
and a consequent two-thirds (2/3) vote of the club members.
The members of the club shall be given a one week notice of the pending amendment, and the
advisor shall set the place and time for the meeting at which the vote shall take place by a ballot
vote. The advisor shall also oversee the voting process. If this document is amended, the
amendment shall be reported to the Vice-President of the SGA.
This document written by Garrett Fitzsimmons on September 9th, 2010
This document was edited by Garrett Fitzsimmons, Megan Toombs, Kathleen Elenfeldt, William Evans,
and Peter Meilaender on Sep 18, 2010.
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Provisional Status Approved by the Committee on Student Organizations on October 28th, 2010
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Provisional Status Approved by the Student Senate on November 2nd, 2010
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