The Constitution of the Global Women’s Oral History
Club
Article I.
Name:
Section 1:
This organization shall be formally known as the Global Women’s Oral
History Club, and will be abbreviated as the GWOHC and/or the GWOH
Club.
Article II.
Purpose:
Section 1:
The GWOHC’s purpose is to develop a range of programming
supporting interaction with women from the Middle East, Africa, Asia and
the United States. This programming will include retreats, one day
conferences, film showings, oral history theater, maintaining a blog, and
connecting with various women’s and student’s groups around the world.
The GWOHC also intends to connect to other Colleges in the area to
coordinate programming. And the GWOH Club also connects to
grassroots organizations concerned with issues addressed.
Article III.
Intent:
Section 1:
The GWOHC shall invite students of all races and genders to engage in
discussion and programming about women's involvement globally in the
critical issues of our times. The Global Women's Oral History Club is an
oral history project that brings women from the Middle East, Africa, and
Asia together with women from the U.S. to engage in discussion about
issues of common concern and to learn about one another's histories.
Article IV.
Goal:
Section 1:
The goal of the GWOHC is to support women and men around the globe
working for world peace. We seek to educate our College community by
bringing folks from the regions addressed to tell us in their own words
how they understand their histories and what their visions are. We support
all of our students, and particularly those from or intimately connected to
the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, in telling their stories and connecting to
roots.
Article V.
Membership:
their
Section 1:
Membership shall be open to all full-time and part-time undergraduate
students of Westfield State University who have paid their student
activities fee for the current academic semester.
Section 2:
To be considered active members, GWOH Club members shall be
required to attend and/or participate in fifty percent (50%) of all club
meetings, activities, and scheduled events.
Article VI.
Officers:
Section 1:
The officers of the Global Women’s Oral History Club shall be, in
order of rank: The President, the Vice-President, the Treasurer, and
the Secretary. The officers are the face of the GWOH Club and as such
will be expected to attend all meetings and events that have been
scheduled. Exceptions will include but not be limited to, illness, family
issues, etc. Officers can only be excused from events by an advisor.
A.) The duties of the President shall include going to all meetings
and presiding over them, helping to plan and overseeing all of the
events and activities or appointing committees or members to do
so, and representing or choosing a representative to represent the
GWOHC at college and/ or community functions. The President
can also, with the advisor’s guidance, approve or disapprove of
events and activities or tasks suggested by other members.
B.) The duties of the Vice-President include assisting the President
in their duties, filling in for the President in case of absence, and
helping to plan and oversee scheduled events and activities for the
GWOHC.
C.) The duties of the Treasurer include tracking and maintaining
accountability of all of the money that the GWOHC both spends
and takes in, and helping to plan and oversee the scheduled events
and activities.
D.) The duties of the Secretary include the setting up and
maintaining of a member roster that includes names and contact
information of all GWOH Club members, helping to plan and
oversee the scheduled events and activities.
Section 2:
Officers shall be nominated and elected at the second (2nd) from last
meeting every spring semester.
Section 3:
Any undergraduate student who intends to become an active member of
the GWOHC and is in good academic standing may hold office
Section 4:
The term of office for each officer shall be one (1) school year; beginning
with election at the beginning of the fall semester and lasting until the end
of the spring semester.
Article VII.
Advisors:
Section 1:
Active club members or current advisors shall nominate potential
incoming advisors. All nominated advisors shall be interviewed by the
current GWOHC officers and after deciding upon the top two candidates
a vote will be cast. The position of advisor will be given to the candidate
that obtains at least a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the vote.
Section 2:
The duties of the advisor shall include but not be limited to, taking an
active role in the running of the GWOHC, ensuring that the officers are
executing their duties and responsibilities, to help with the planning and
carrying out of the scheduled events and activities, including the elections,
and to help secure funding and other administrative duties associated with
running a club at Westfield State University.
Article VIII.
Elections:
Section 1:
Any active member of the GWOHC may nominate any other active
member or themselves for a position. The positions shall receive
nominations and then vote candidates in using the same order. That order
will be President first (1st), Vice President second (2nd), Treasurer third
(3rd), and Secretary fourth (4th). Following the sociocratic method of
voting, members who wish to nominate a candidate shall stand and say
their nominee’s name and cite a reason why they are being nominated.
A.) Any nominee who wishes to decline their nomination will be
permitted to do so at any time before the voting process begins.
Section 2:
After all nominees have been named and all present have heard reasons to
vote for each candidate, all members will write the first and last name of
the candidate of their choosing on a piece of paper.
A.) All voting members will take turns standing and reading the
name they have written on their paper, again citing a reason why
their nominee should be elected.
B.) All voting members will once more write the first and last
name of the current candidate of their choosing on a piece of
paper and take turns standing and citing reasons to choose their
candidate.
C.) All voting members will write the first and last
name of the current candidate of their choosing on a piece of
paper for a third (3rd) and final time.
D.) The votes will be collected up by the GWOHC’s advisors
who will tally them up at the end of each offices election within
view of all present, active members. After all the offices have been
voted on, the advisors shall announce the results to the GWOH
Club.
Section 3:
No election may be held if there is not a quorum of fifty percent (50%) of
the club members plus one (1) present at the meeting.
Section 4:
Ties shall be broken by having the two (2) or more nominees who have
received the same number of votes stand and cite reasons why they should
be nominated. All voting members will cast another vote in the manner
described above and the member who receives the most votes shall be
declared the elected official.
Article IX.
Meetings:
Section 1:
The GWOHC will meet no less than one (1) time every month
during the academic year on a date decided upon by the club officers and
advisors.
A.) The date of the meetings can be changed with a two-thirds
(2/3) majority vote in the event that less than half (½) of the active
members can attend the on the planned day. Any member may
request a vote to have the date changed if they perceive a conflict
in scheduling.
Section 2:
The officers may call for special meetings in addition to the regularly
scheduled monthly meetings. These meetings may include just the officers,
the officers and the advisors, the officers and special committees within
the GWOHC, or the officers, advisors, and special committees within the
GWOHC. The club advisors may also call for special meetings in
addition to the regularly scheduled monthly meetings. These meetings may
include just the advisors, the advisors and the officers, or the advisors, the
officers, and any special committees within the GWOH Club.
Section 3:
If needed, special meetings may be called by an advisor, an officer, or the
appointed chair of any special committee.
Article X.
Vacancies:
Section 1:
If an officer resigns or is removed from their position a special election
will be held to elect a new officer into the position at the next scheduled
meeting, with the exception of the office of the president. The vice
president will take over the president’s position and an election will be
held to elect a new vice president. The election will follow the guidelines
described above in Article VIII.
Section 2:
If an advisor resigns or is removed from their position, new advisor
candidates shall be nominated by active club members or remaining
current advisors and voted in following the steps outlined in Article VII.
Article XI.
Amending Procedure:
Section 1:
This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority
vote of the voting members of the GWOHC and approval by the Rules
and Regulations Committee of the Student Government Association.
Article XII.
Removal from Office:
Section 1:
Elected officers may be removed from office upon a two-thirds (2/3)
majority vote of the other officers and the advisors. A vote to do so may be
called by any of the other officers or one (1) of the advisors if the officer in
question is perceived to be lacking commitment or not performing
their duties and responsibilities. Once removed from office, the member
may still participate as an active member in the GWOHC, but may not be
nominated for, or elected to any other office until the next fall election.
A.) The member will be permitted to chair any special committees
formed within the GWOHC if chosen to do, the same semester
they are removed from office.
Section 2:
Global Women’s Oral History Club advisors may be removed
from office by two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the elected officers of the
GWOHC. A vote to do so may be initiated by one of the officers if the
advisor in question is perceived to be uncommitted or not
performing their duties and responsibilities.