Texas A&M University
Aggie Shields
2014-2015 Constitution
Mission Statement
Aggie Shields is a service organization committed to supporting our nation’s heroes. This will be achieved through planning of various events and
fundraisers in order to serve the Aggie Veteran population.
Article I
Name and Membership
Section 1
This organization will be formally recognized as Aggie Shields.
Section 2
All male and female students at Texas A&M University and on Blinn Team may apply for admittance into Aggie Shields.
Section 3
The leadership of Aggie Shields is comprised of an officer committee made up of the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and
Historian/Webmaster positions.
Section 4
All members of Aggie Shields, upon acceptance to the organization, are subject to pay membership dues, of which the amount is up to the President’s,
Vice-President’s, and advisor’s discretion. This amount must be decided before recruitment begins every semester.
Section 5
Discrimination and harassment based on the age, ethnic background, social standing, gender, disability, national origin, race, religion, sexual
orientation, or veteran status of individuals or any other subgroup will not be accepted.
Article II
Purpose and Goals
Section 1
To create a well-organized group of college students who will better the community by serving veterans and participating in multiple service
opportunities on campus and in the Bryan/College Station community.
Section 2
To provide a safe and enjoyable environment where students can come together to support the local community.
Section 3
To provide an avenue for establishing lifelong relationships through service and social events.
Article III
Core Values
Section 1
SERVICE- Aggie Shields’ main purpose is to be a service organization to the local community with emphasis on those who are/have served in the
United States armed forces and their families.
LEADERSHIP- Aggie Shields will provide leadership opportunities for its member through various delegation of tasks and an open discussion
environment that allows members to take part in the decision-making and brainstorming process.
COMMUNITY- Aggie Shields will build community by promoting relationships within the organization. Aggie Shields as a whole will also build
relationships within Texas A&M as well as in the Bryan/College Station area.
RESPECT- Aggie Shields will exemplify respect by upholding a positive image of the university, its affiliates, and those it serves. Aggie Shields will also
create an environment of respect within the organization.
ACCOUNTABILITY- Aggie Shields will build accountability by being committed to our goals and the community it serves.
Article IV
Organization
Section 1
The leadership of Aggie Shields will be comprised of the advisor, followed by the president and vice-president, a treasurer, a secretary, a
historian/webmaster officer, then the executive team, and finally the general members.
Section 2
The organization of Aggie Shields is made up of tiers. The first tier consists of the president and vice president. The second tier consists of the
treasurer, secretary, and historian/webmaster. The first and second tier make up the officers. The third tier consists of the executives. The first, second,
and thrid tier make up the staff. The fourth tier is the members.
Section 3
The organization will be divided into five (5) different committees, each one headed by two executives and overseen by one officer: Philanthropy,
Veteran Support, Public Relations and Fundraising, Service, and Internal Relations. Members will be split as needed to best support the organization.
Section 4
The members of the philanthropy committee will be paired and each partnership will head a subcommittee. Each subcommittee will be comprised of
the rest of the Aggie Shields members including all staff except for the philanthropy executives.
Article V
Advisor
Section 1
The advisor to Aggie Shields shall be available for consultation by requesting a meeting or stopping by his office if he is there.
Section 2
The advisor is allowed to participate as much or as little as he or she likes in order to promote involvement, and is permitted to contribute as a general
member of the organization.
Article VI
Staff Selection Process
Section 1
Anyone who has been in Aggie Shields for a year may apply for any tier 2 or tier 3 position. In order to apply for a tier 1 position, they must be hold a
tier 2 or tier 3 position for at least a year.
Section 2
Staff positions may be held for a max of three years. One of those years must be spent as a tier 2 or tier 3 staff member. No one may exceed 2 years
in the same tier position.
Section 3
All staff positions are reopened to apply for each year, however incumbent staff who remain unopposed may keep their position given they are
following the guidelines laid out in Section 2.
Section 4
For any position that someone applies for, the person currently in the position currently does not re-apply but deliberations are based on their work for
that year, and an interview. The person applying for their position is deliberated based on their application and interview.
Section 5
The new president will be chosen by the incumbent president and vice president. If a staff member is running against the incumbent president then the
incumbent officers will become the selection committee and must have a majority vote following the application and interview process.
Section 6
The vice president will be chosen by the incumbent president, vice president and new president. In the event of a vice president re-running for office
and facing opposition the incumbent president and new president will choose the new vice president following the application and interview process
Section 7
For any tier 2 staff position that is either open or that someone is applying for will be chosen by the new president, vice president, and all current
officers after a formal application and interview process.
Section 8
For any tier 3 staff position that is either open or that someone is applying for will be chosen by the officers for the next year after a formal application
and interview process.
Article VII
President & Vice-President
Section 1
The responsibilities/duties of the President and Vice-President are to:
a) Select the executive team from a pool of applicants.
b) Decide which philanthropies to pursue and the continuation of previous years’ philanthropies.
c) Be the official voice of Aggie Shields to the university and other organizations.
d) Risk management.
e) Be accountable to and hold accountable the entirety of Aggie Shields.
f) Create and maintain group unity.
g) Be a resource to the executive team.
h) Create the executive applications.
i) Create the officer applications.
Article VIII
Treasurer
Section 1
The Treasurer will be responsible for financial issues within Aggie Shields.
Section 2
The Treasurer will be responsible for all dealings with the SOFC.
Article IX
Secretary
Section 1
The Secretary will be responsible for keeping records and information coordination throughout Aggie Shields.
Section 2
The Secretary will be the initial point of contact between Aggie Shields and Texas A&M University and other outside organizations.
Section 3
The Secretary will be responsible for sending emails and messages to the organization, Texas A&M University, and/or outside organizations.
Article X
Historian & Webmaster Officer
Section 1
He/She will be responsible for compiling photos, videos, etc. from all Aggie Shields events.
Section 2
The Historian/Webmaster Officer will be responsible for all internet based activities for Aggie Shields. He/She will also be responsible for upkeep of the
organization website.
Article XI
Executives
Section 1
The executive team will be composed of five (5) partnerships. There will be a Philanthropy partnership, a Veteran Support partnership, a Public
Relations/Fundraising partnership, a Service partnership, and an Internal Relations partnership.
Section 2
A)The Philanthropy executives will be responsible for meeting with the President, Vice-President, and Treasurer on philanthropy issues in addition to
leading the Philanthropy committee in planning for and runThe main goal of this committee is to ensure full success of the annual Philanthropy event.
The Executives will be in charge of each individual sub committee and all administrative work in regards to the event. You must help members work
with different ideas, delegate tasks, and have final say in all decisions regarding the event. You will share theses responsibilities with a fellow
Executive, and must learn to allocate different tasks with each other. The objective of this event is raise funds for Aggie Rings, and bring awareness to
the mission of Aggie Shields.
B) The main objective of the Fundraising/ Public Relations committee is to create effective ways of promoting Aggie Shields in the Bryan/ College
Station community, as well as finding creative ways to raise funds for Aggie Rings. The Executive will also be in charge of annually co-programming an
awareness booth with the Service committee, and various amounts of administrative work regarding fundraisers and other events.
C) The main objective of the Service committee is to create to uphold one of the core values of Aggie Shields: Service. This committee is in charge of
several projects throughout the year involving supporting local members of Texas A&M University and Bryan/ college Station area. Service to coprogram the annual awareness booth with FR/PR, find service opportunities around campus, organize one monthly event all Shields members can
partake in and organize one service project put on by the committee.
D) The main objective of the Veteran Support committee is to ensure Aggie Shields is successfully involving us in the Texas A&M Veteran community.
The Executives will be in charge of tours for incoming Veteran transfers, organizing different social events in order for veterans in our community to
assimilate into the student population, organize baby-sitting events for “veterans’ night out,” and develop a checklist to help with the Veteran transfer
process.
E) The main objective of the Internal Relations committee is to keep all member up to date, and promote the core value of community. The committee
will be in charge of all apparel, conducting weekly meetings, planning retreats and monthly socials for members.
Section 3
All executives will be required to attend a weekly staff meeting.
Article XII
General Members
Section 1
Members will apply and be accepted into Aggie Shields in the beginning of each Fall semester.
Section 2
General members will preference a committee (Philanthropy, Veteran Support, Service, Public Relations/Fundraising, and Internal Relations). They will
be put into each committee based on preference based on seniority.
Section 3
General members will attend weekly general meetings. There they will be addressed by the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Historian
and executives on current issues, projects, and up-coming projects/events. They will meet with their respective committees weekly to give input on
committee activities and/or work on their committee’s current project.
Article XIII
Committees
Section 1
There will be five (5) committees, Philanthropy, Public Relations/Fundraising, Service, Veterans Support, and Internal Relations. Each committee will
be headed by its respective executive.
Section 2
A) The Philanthropy committee will be responsible for putting on a large event once a school year to raise money for Aggie rings for veterans.
B) The Veteran Support committee will be responsible for veteran related projects and events. They will also be responsible for the book drive that will
be held at the end of each semester.
C) The Service committee will be responsible for finding various service activities and finding a monthly Shields service project that we can all work
on together.
D) The Public Relations/Fundraising committee will be responsible for recruitment of new members, relationships with other organizations and events
to raise funds for Aggie Rings.
E) The Internal Relations committee will be responsible for planning the general meetings, the spring and fall retreat, all social activities, and apparel
designs.
Article XIV
Meetings and Point System
Section 1
A meeting of the entire organization will be held each week to discuss organizational matters of importance. Attendance is mandatory for every
member of the organization, unless the absence falls under the list of university-excused absences and absences approved by the president and vicepresident.
Section 2
For general members, two unexcused absences per semester will be allowed. A third absence will result in probation along with a notification. Any
subsequent absences will result in a meeting with the president and vice-president and possible expulsion from the organization.
Section 3
For the leadership team, including the president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, historian/webmaster officer, and executive team, only university
excused absences will be accepted. An appeal to miss a meeting can be written and turned in to the president as soon as one is notified of the conflict.
Section 4
There will be a weekly staff meeting to discuss important committee matters. Each committee will be responsible for having the next committee
meeting planned for their members.
Section 5
There will be a service point system in place for general members. Members must attain a certain amount of points by the end of the semester. The
amount will be set by the discretion of the current staff members.
Article XVI
By-Laws
Section 1
The president, vice president/treasurer, all members of the executive team, and all general members must maintain an overall GPR of at least 2.00 and
maintain it in the semester prior to joining Aggie Shields and throughout the terms of their membership.
Section 2
Be in good standing with the University. Be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student at Texas A&M University. Students enrolled in the Blinn
Team program are also eligible to hold an office, as long as the student is meeting all applicable Blinn Team requirements and is in good standing with
the program.
Section 3
Abide by the attendance policy to remain in good standing with the organization.
Section 4
There will be no alcohol consumption or drug use at any Aggie Shields event or by anyone wearing Aggie Shields apparel.
Article XVII
Finances
Section 1
All monies belonging to this organization shall be deposited and disbursed through a bank account established for this organization at the Student
Organization Finance Center and/or the Fiscal Office. All funds must be deposited within two business days after collection.
Section 2
Whenever a member of the organization is responsible for collecting money, they are also responsible for giving that money to the director in charge of
finances (treasurer) by midnight two business days after collection.
Section 3
Either the president or the vice president or treasurer will be required to sign off on the exchange of money.
Section 4
Any member desiring a reimbursement for an expense benefiting Aggie Shields will be required to provide a receipt to the treasurer.
Article XVIII
Additions and Amendments
Section 1
If this constitution must be amended at any time, all executives, the president, and vice-president, treasurer, Secretary, Historian, and IT Officer will be
notified. The changes will be discussed openly amongst all members and the final decision will be made by a majority vote of the entire officer team.
Section 2
This constitution must be revised annually and is subject to approval by the Department of Student Activities.
Article XIX
Conformity
Section 1
No provision of this Constitution shall be presented contrary to the rules and regulations of Texas A&M University or the Department of Student
Activities
Article XX
Activation
Section 1
This constitution was activated on November 5, 2012 and last amended on April 2, 2014