Constitution
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Society (SFFS)
Original: November 1, 2006
Revised: March 30, 2015
Article I – Club Name
Section I – Current Name
The name of this organization shall be The Science Fiction and Fantasy Society (“SFFS”).
Section II – Change of Name
The official name of the club may only be changed or altered if the change or alteration is voted
upon as official club business, as outlined in Article V, and is in accordance with the TCUJ rules.
Article II – Purpose
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Society is a means of exposing the Tufts community to various
aspects of the science fiction and fantasy genres and subcultures. It is an open forum for viewing,
exploring, exchanging, and discussing science fiction and fantasy in all its manifestations.
Article III – Membership
Section I – Membership Requirements
All Tufts undergraduates who have paid the student activities fee may be members of The
Science Fiction and Fantasy Society.
Section II – Non-Discrimination Clause
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Society does not discriminate based on race, religion, system of
beliefs, political views, gender, properness of grammar, nationality, handicap, sexual orientation, gender
or species identity or expression, age or any other group protected by law.
Article IV – Meetings
Section I – Authority to Schedule
The President will schedule all official meetings. Weekly meetings will be scheduled at the
beginning of each semester. If the President is unable to fulfill this duty, the Vice President will schedule
meetings, and so on in accordance with the hierarchy outlined in Article VI.
Section II – Meeting Schedule
SFFS will have one official meeting per week for every week of each semester.
One organizational meeting will be held for the Executive Council at the beginning of each
semester. The day of the week for all regular club meetings throughout the semester will be determined at
this organizational meeting. This shall also be a forum in which the Executive Council discusses further
official events and additions to the club library.
One general interest meeting will be held for Executive Council, returning members, new
members, and guests at the beginning of each semester.
Section III – Special and Unofficial Meetings
One special meeting will be called for official elections, in accordance with procedures outlined
in Article V Section III and Article VI Section II.
Two members of the Executive Council may call an unofficial meeting at a different time or place
from usual club meetings. These unofficial meetings may only be associated with SFFS if they align with
the purpose outlined in Article II. No official club affairs may be conducted at an unofficial meeting. If
any two SFFS members (who satisfy the requirements of Article III and Article V Section I.2) object to
the unofficial meeting’s affiliation with SFFS, the issue will be considered commonplace and a vote will
immediately be held, in accordance with Article V, as to whether the unofficial meeting may retain its
affiliation with SFFS. A simple majority in favor of affiliation is sufficient to allow the unofficial meeting
to retain its affiliation with SFFS.
Article V – Voting
Section I – Voting Eligibility
1. There shall be recognized two types of club affairs: “official” and “commonplace”. Any affairs
which are not official shall be by definition commonplace. Official club affairs consist of items
which permit the club to function properly and include:
a. Issues related to the content of the constitution, including changes therein and additions
thereto;
b. Issues related to the structure and organization of the club, such as sub-group formation
or elimination;
c. Issues related to the Executive Council, such as election or impeachment;
d. Any other issues which two or more members of the Executive Council consider vital to
the conduct of the club.
2. The following guidelines shall dictate which members may vote for official and commonplace
club affairs:
a. Members who fulfill the requirements of Article III, including members of the Executive
Council, must have attended 3/5 of all semester meetings, as well as at least one meeting
relevant to an official club affair, to vote on official club affairs.
b. Non-members are excluded from voting in official club affairs. Guests of members, as
well as Tufts graduates who were members of SFFS during their studies at Tufts, may
vote on commonplace issues, but not on official club affairs.
Section II – Vote Count
1. All people present at meetings who fulfill the requirements outlined by Article V Section I
shall be given one vote for all commonplace club issues, including the President.
2. All club members, besides the President, who fulfill the requirements of Article III and
Article V Section I.2a shall be given one vote for official club affairs. The President may only
be given one vote in the case of a tie, in which case the President’s vote shall act as the
tiebreaker.
3. If a fractional vote is required, i.e. in order to allow some legislation to pass into effect, the
voting numbers shall be rounded down.
a. Example: if a three-quarters majority is required in favor, and 11 of 15 people vote in
favor, the required majority is not reached.
Section III – Legitimate Presentation of Vote
1. Votes for commonplace club issues, such as media selection for the following week’s
meeting and any other non-official business, may be announced the day of the vote.
a. The President shall present any information pertinent to the commonplace vote. If the
President is not present, the next highest-ranking Executive Official present will
present the information, in accordance with the hierarchy outlined in Article VI
Section I.
2. Votes for official club business must be announced at least two meetings in advance.
a. Every member who satisfies the requirements of Article III may speak regarding
announced official business. These members are limited to seven minutes of speaking
time per meeting leading up to the vote. This does not include response to legitimate
questions presented by members of the club body.
b. The combined speaking time of any persons not directly related to the issue, i.e. not
running for a Council position or personally proposing an amendment to the
Constitution, shall not exceed four minutes per meeting. This does not include
presentation of legitimate questions to speakers.
3. One member may not monopolize the speaking time of either the speakers or the club body.
Monopolizing behavior includes or causes the following:
a. Unreasonably exceeding the allotted time for speaking;
b. Preventing other club members from speaking through dubious and/or outrageous
methods;
c. Interrupting, heckling, or overrunning any club members, including members of the
Executive Council.
If two voting members of the club, including members of the Executive Council, deem that
one person is monopolizing the meeting, a brief unofficial vote may be announced to silence
the monopolizing member until the official business is over.
d. The monopolizing member must comply with the silence vote or be expelled from
the room until the official business is over. This rule is meant to maintain respect and
equal speaking opportunity for all members of the club.
4. An election on official club business may be held with only one week of notice if and only if
the club cannot function without holding the election. Such situations may include:
a. Impeachment of an Executive Officer (official and in accordance with Article VIII)
b. Need for emergency change in constitution, sub-group status, or club meeting time
(emergency status must be decided by a quorum, in accordance with Article V
Section IV).
Every member of the club may speak for or against the issue at the start of the vote meeting,
with time limited in the same manner as in Article V, Section III.2b.
Section IV - Quorum
A quorum consists of at least three Executive Council members and three additional non-guest
members who have attended at least 3/5 of the present semester’s meetings. Only when a quorum is
present may votes for official club business be conducted.
Section V – Absence of quorum
1. If there is no quorum in a meeting wherein official business was to be voted on, the vote must be
suspended until the next meeting at which there is a quorum.
2. Even if there is no quorum during the discussion of commonplace business, all present who fulfill
the requirements of Article V Section I may vote.
Section VI – Absentee Voting
If a member of the club who fulfills the requirements of Article V Section I.2a will be absent for a
vote on official club business and still wishes to cast a vote on the issue:
1. EITHER the member must have attended at least one meeting pertinent to the official business
under vote in accordance with Article V Section I.2a;
2. OR, if the member cannot attend at least one meeting pertinent to the official club business, for a
legitimate reason, materials shall be made available to him/her that will equate to presence at the
meeting.
a. These materials may include transcripts of speeches, copies of legislation under question,
and any other materials the Executive Council and the members directly involved deem
pertinent to the issue.
b. The absentee member must prove his/her understanding of the issues with a brief
summary, which must be approved by a member of the Executive Council, before casting
an absentee vote.
3. The member must physically deliver his or her vote in advance to the Secretary (or other club
official if the Secretary is unable to perform the duty, or is directly involved with the issue under
vote). This physical vote must be handwritten and signed.
4. If 1 [or 2] and 3 are satisfied, the absentee vote will be counted as though it were a normal vote
delivered in person, in accordance with normal voting laws.
Section VII – Legitimacy of vote
If a quorum votes on official club business, or if any number of members satisfying Article V
Section I votes on commonplace club business, the vote is valid and official. Its decision cannot be altered
or changed except by another vote that follows the guidelines in Article V Sections II and IV.
Article VI – Elections and Officials
Section I – Officers
1. The officers of the organization, in order of descending authority, shall be the President, Vice
President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the Public Relations Dragon.
2. These members shall comprise the Executive Council of the organization. Individually they may
be referred to as Executive Officials.
a. No one person may hold more than two positions in the Executive Council.
b. No one person may hold the titles of President and Vice President simultaneously.
3. The normal terms of all officers shall be two academic semesters.
4. Two different members of the Executive Council must have signatory powers in the
organization’s financial account with the TCU Treasury.
Section II – Elections and Terms
1. Elections for officers shall be held in the month before the end of the spring semester (typically
April).
2. All elections shall be held by secret ballot.
3. A special meeting shall be dedicated to elections.
4. Elections for any position must be announced at least two weeks before taking place, in
accordance with Article V, Section III.2.
a. The speaking rights of all persons regarding the election are outlined in Article V,
Section III.
b. All candidates for Executive Council must present their candidacy and deliver at least
one speech, in accordance with Article V, Section III, in order to be considered official
candidates.
5. Candidates may nominate themselves or may be nominated. Nominees/candidates must satisfy
the requirements outlined in Article III and should ideally also satisfy the requirements outlined
in Article V, Section I.2a.
6. The meeting of the vote must have a quorum of members present, in accordance with Article V
Section IV, or an election cannot take place (see Article V Section V.1).
7. A simple majority vote, among a quorum of members (Article V Section IV) who fulfill the
requirements of Article III, is required for the election of any officer.
8. In the event of a tie vote in an election, the current presiding President shall act as the tie breaker.
9. New terms for all officers will begin the academic semester directly following the election.
Article VII – Duties of Officers
Section I – President
1. The President shall be the highest ranking member within the club and on the Executive Council.
2. The President shall:
a. Preside over and schedule all meetings.
b. Have the power to call the Executive Council into session at times other than official club
meetings in order to discuss official club business.
c. Act as the official representative of the club to the Student Activities Office and all other
organizations.
d. Have signatory powers in the organizations financial account with the TCU Treasury. If
the President is unable to fulfill this duty, the duty descends along the hierarchy until an
Executive Officer other than the Treasurer can fulfill it.
e. Have the power to act as tie breaker within votes on official club affairs. Otherwise the
President shall not have a vote in official club affairs. The President shall have one vote
in commonplace club affairs.
Section II – Vice President
1. The Vice President shall be the second highest ranking member within the club and on the
Executive Council.
2. The Vice President shall:
a. Assist the President with all administrative duties.
b. Be responsible for procuring all materials for official club meetings and events.
3. The Vice President Shall not have signatory powers unless the President is unable to fulfill the
duty himself or herself (Article VII Section I.5)
4. The Vice President shall take over the responsibilities of the President if the President is
incapacitated
Section III – Secretary
1. The Secretary shall be the third highest ranking member within the club and on the executive
council.
2. The Secretary shall:
a. Manage all administrative records;
b. Keep attendance at meetings;
c. Make record of quorums in the case of a vote on official club affairs;
d. Manage club media, including suggestions for media to view during regular club
meetings and a record of which media the club has and has not recently used
3. The Secretary shall not have signatory powers unless the Vice President is unable to fulfill the
duty himself or herself (Article VII Section I.5).
4. The Secretary shall take over the responsibilities of the Vice President if the Vice President is
incapacitated.
Section IV – Treasurer
1. The Treasurer shall be the fourth highest ranking member within the club and on the executive
council.
2. The Treasurer shall:
a. Keep all financial records and monitor all financial transactions of the organization.
b. Assist in the preparation of the budget for the The Science Fiction and Fantasy Society
organization.
3. The Treasurer shall have signatory powers in the organization's financial account with the TCU
Treasury.
5. The Treasurer shall take over the responsibilities of the Secretary if the Secretary is incapacitated.
a. If the Secretary has signatory powers and becomes incapacitated, the signatory powers
must move to another member of the Executive Council; two different members of the
Executive Council must be signatories.
Section V – Public Relations Dragon
1. The Public Relations Dragon shall be the fifth highest ranking member within the club and on the
executive council.
2. The Public Relations Dragon shall be responsible for posters, logo design, and all promotional
materials relevant to The Science Fiction and Fantasy Society.
3. The Public Relations Dragon shall not have signatory powers unless the Secretary is unable to
fulfill the duty himself or herself (Article VII Section I.5).
4. The Public Relations Dragon shall take over the responsibilities of the Treasurer if the Treasurer
is incapacitated.
Section VI – hierarchy
1. The hierarchy of the club’s Executive Council shall be established as:
a. President
b. Vice President
c. Secretary
d. Treasurer
e. Public Relations Dragon
2. This hierarchy shall constitute the Executive Council of SFFS.
Article VIII: Impeachment
1. Impeachment procedures may be brought up against any member of the Executive Council for
committing any of the following serious transgressions:
a. Distorting the purpose of the club for his or her own needs or desires.
b. Using dubious and/or outrageous methods to influence votes in his or her favor.
c. Enacting changes to the club constitution or by-laws without following the mandated
procedures outlined in Article V or without accordance with the hierarchy established in
Article VII.
d. General negligence of duties delineated within the Constitution.
2. If a legitimate and official complaint along these lines is filed against an Executive Officer by any
member of the club who fulfills the requirements of Article III and Article V Section I.2a, an
impeachment vote will be announced for at least two weeks in the future.
3. Impeachments are considered by position, not by person.
a. If one person holds two offices in the Executive Council, impeachment (if applicable)
must occur separately for each office, though the complaints may be announced and
processed simultaneously.
4. There shall be a time at the start of each meeting leading up to the impeachment vote in which
members may bring arguments for or against the impeachment, in accordance with Article V
Section III.
5. A quorum for an impeachment vote shall be a regular quorum with the exception that the officer
under question of impeachment may not vote regarding his or her own impeachment. The three
officers that constitute a quorum must not include the impeachable officer.
a. If there are only three members of the Executive Council, then and only then may a
quorum consist of two Executive Council members and four voting members.
6. At the announced voting meeting, or at the first meeting thereafter at which a quorum is present
(in accordance with Article V, Section V.1), a vote shall occur. Any voters who cannot be
present must submit their votes according to the procedure outlined in Article V Section VI.
7. A 2/3 vote of all voting members is required to impeach an officer.
8. If a 2/3 vote is attained, then the officer is impeached and must step down from his or her
position.
9. A new election for that position shall be held the first week thereafter in which a quorum is again
present, in accordance with Article V, Sections III.3 and IV.
10. The newly elected official shall hold the position until the end of that academic year, when
normal elections shall occur (in accordance with Article VI Section II).
Article IX: Amendments to the Constitution
1. Amendments to the Constitution are considered official club business (Article V Section I.1).
2. Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed by any member of SFFS who fulfills the
requirements in Article III and Article V Section I.2a.
3. The President shall call the Executive Council into session (in accordance with Article VII
Section I.3) to review the amendment and determine whether it is valid. An amendment is valid if
and only if:
a. It adds something to or rectifies the constitution in a way that is logical and/or necessary;
b. It does not infringe any of the rights of its members or any members of the Tufts
community;
c. It will not cause redundancy in the constitution;
d. There are no loopholes or barriers in the amendment that would allow it to be used for
other, subversive, or negative means;
e. The means of enactment it outlines are plausible;
f. The amendment itself and the means of enactment it outlines follow Tufts, SFFS, and
TCU policy
4. If the amendment is valid, the Executive Council may hold a vote. The results of this vote will
determine whether the amendment is presented to the club body, excluding the Executive
Council, and how much of a majority will be required to pass the amendment in such case, thus:
a. If the Executive Council vote for the amendment is unanimous, the amendment may be
passed on to the TCUJ for enactment.
b. If the Executive Council vote is in favor of the amendment, but not unanimous, then
voting rights go to the club body, excluding the Executive Council. A simple majority in
the club body may allow the amendment to pass to the TCUJ for enactment.
c. If the Executive Council vote is tied, voting rights go to the club body, excluding the
Executive Council. A ¾ majority vote is required to allow the amendment to pass to the
TCUJ for enactment.
d. It the Executive Council vote is against the amendment, voting rights go to the club body,
excluding the Executive Council. A 9/10 majority vote is required to pass the amendment
to the TCUJ for enactment.
5. If voting rights for the amendment transfer to the club body, excluding the Executive Council, a
vote shall be announced for a regularly scheduled meeting at least two weeks in the future and
voting procedure shall follow the guidelines in Article V Section III.2.
6. A vote among the club body can only be conducted if a “quorum equivalent” is present. Because
the Executive Council is excluded from votes among the club body, this special “quorum
equivalent” shall be constituted of six voting members, as defined in Article V.
7. All amendments must be approved by the TCUJ prior to their enactment.
Article X: Sub-groups
Section I – Process
1. Sub-groups are defined by the TCUJ as semi-autonomous organizations under the auspices of the
SFFS umbrella organization.
2. Formation and inclusion of sub-groups is considered official club business (Article V Section
I.1).
3. Sub-groups shall be approved by consent of the SFFS Executive Council and the TCUJ.
4. Sub-groups may be proposed by any three members who fulfill the requirements in Article III,
including Executive Officials.
5. A two-week period of argument for and against the formation of a sub-group will occur in
accordance with Article V Section III.2. Decision on the enactment of the sub-group shall follow
the same guidelines as the decision on the enactment of an amendment, as outlined in Article IX.
6. Each sub-group will be delineated under Section II of Article X of the Constitution. A
constitutional section shall be allocated for the group by majority approval of the sub-group
leadership and the SFFS Executive Council.
7. The first board of sub-group leadership shall be established according to SFFS rules, after which
the sub-group may operate autonomously to create its own constitution, election and voting
procedures, and other pertinent procedures and documents.
8. Sub-group members must fulfill the requirements of Article III and Article V Section 1.2 to vote
within general SFFS elections and on voting matters.
9. Unless otherwise indicated by Treasury rules, the SFFS signatories shall serve as the monetary
administrators for all sub-groups.
10. If a quorum of SFFS voters (Article V Section IV) object at any time to the sub-group’s
affiliation with SFFS, an official vote may be announced for the upcoming meeting, and vote
procedure shall follow the procedure outlined in Article V Section III.3.
a. If the vote in favor of the sub-group’s SFFS affiliation achieves a majority vote, the subgroup may remain part of SFFS.
b. If the vote in favor of the sub-group’s SFFS affiliation falls short of majority, the
Executive Council must work with the TCUJ and the sub-group to eliminate the subgroup’s affiliation with SFFS.
Article XI – Club Library
Section I – Obtaining Media
The club shall allot a portion of its budget each semester for the purchase of new science fiction
and fantasy media. Suggestions may be made by any person who attends meetings. The President shall
compile a list of plausible media from these suggestions. The Treasurer and the other signatory shall
oversee the purchase of media and balance the budget once the purchase has been made.
Section II – storing media
SFFS’s purpose is to make science fiction and fantasy media available to all members of the Tufts
community. As such, all the movies and other media SFFS purchases for club business shall be donated to
the Tufts University media collections at the end of each semester.