Constitution of the TCNJ Japanese Club
(last revised October 10th, 2008)
Preamble
We, the undergraduate students of The College of New Jersey, in order to promote learning and understanding of Japanese culture and language, and to fulfill our duties as a member of the Pan-Asian Alliance, do hereby establish this Constitution of TCNJ Japanese Club.
Article I – Name and Effective Date
Section A: Full Name – The name of this organization shall be TCNJ Japanese Club.
Section B: Effective Date – This Constitution shall become effective immediately upon ratification by a majority of the members of TCNJ Japanese Club. Upon such ratification, this Constitution supersedes any previous documents of TCNJ Japanese Club, thereby rendering all prior Constitutions and Bylaws of TCNJ Japanese Club null and void.
Section C: Supremacy Clause – This Constitution shall serve as the official document for the purpose, membership, structure, procedure, powers, and legislation of TCNJ Japanese Club. All provisions established by the Bylaws and any other forms of legislation or Standing Rules that directly conflict with the provisions of this Constitution are unconstitutional and shall be deemed null and void.
Article II – Purpose
The purpose of the TCNJ Japanese Club is to explore and better understand traditional and modern Japanese culture through the use of film, literature, music, and language.
Article III – Membership
Section A: Inclusive Membership – All full and part-time undergraduate or graduate students, alumni, and faculty of The College of New Jersey may be members of TCNJ Japanese Club. It is hereby acknowledged that Japanese Club insures that the policies and practices pertaining to the membership of our organization do not discriminate based on sex, race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, marital status, handicap, age, sexual orientation, and lifestyle. It is also hereby understood that the only exemptions to this claim may be due to the sex or religious composition of our organization, which is allowable by law.
Section B: Elected Membership – Any member of TCNJ Japanese Club currently enrolled full or part-time as an undergraduate or graduate student at The College of New Jersey may hold an elected position in TCNJ Japanese Club. In order to hold an Executive Board position, a member must have at least one semester experience as a voting member of TCNJ Japanese Club.
Article IV – Structure
TCNJ Japanese Club shall be divided into three branches: Executive, Voting, and Associate.
Article V – Executive Branch
Section A: Membership – The membership of TCNJ Japanese Club Executive Branch who shall collectively be called the Executive Board and individually be called Executive Officers, shall include the following:
Section B: Absence of the President – In case of the absence of the President, the next remaining Executive Officers (as prioritized in Section A - Membership, in descending order) shall assume the role of the President.
Section C: Election – All Executive Officers shall be elected by a popular vote of the voting branch of TCNJ Japanese Club.
Section D: Duties – All Executive Officers shall be responsible for the following:
Section E: President – The President shall be responsible for the following:
Section F: Vice-President – The Vice-President shall be responsible for the following:
Section G: Treasurer – The Treasurer shall be responsible for the following:
Section H: Secretary – The Secretary shall be responsible for the following:
Section I: Webmaster / Historian – The Webmaster / Historian shall be responsible for the following:
Article VI – Voting Branch
The Voting Branch, whose members will be collectively called Voting Members, shall be comprised of those members currently enrolled at The College of New Jersey that meet the following requirements:
1. Have attended at least half of the regular meetings for one of the semesters of the academic year.
OR
2. Have assisted with two or more of the club events for entire year, including but not limited to: driving on trips, working on a committee for an on-campus event that TCNJ Japanese Club is sponsoring, and working on a committee for an on-campus event that TCNJ Japanese Club is co-sponsoring.
Article VII – Associate Branch
The Associate Branch, whose members will be collectively called Associate Members, shall be comprised of those members who wish to be involved in TCNJ Japanese Club but do not meet the requirements of the Voting Members.
Article VIII – Impeachment and Recall
Section A: Impeachment Defined – Impeachment shall be defined as a formal process of bringing charges to a member of TCNJ Japanese Club in order to remove that member from his / her office. Recall is defined as the removal of a member from office.
Section B: Reasons for Impeachment – Any member of TCNJ Japanese Club may be impeached for violating the TCNJ Japanese Club Constitution or Bylaws when recommended by 2/3 majority vote at an authorized meeting of TCNJ Japanese Club at which a quorum is present.
Section C: Impeachment Proceedings – All members impeached shall be notified in writing of the impeachment charges at least one week prior to the date of any hearing which will consider a possible recall. This will allow for the opportunity to refute the charges.
1. Recall shall be defined as the official removal of a student as a member of TCNJ Japanese Club.
2. No member may be recalled without first being impeached.
3. Any member may be recalled by a 2/3 affirmative vote of TCNJ Japanese Club.
Article IX – Elections
Section A: Eligibility to Vote – All Executive Board and Voting Members are eligible to vote in TCNJ Japanese Club elections.
Section B: Elections – All Executive Board positions will be open for election each spring semester.
Section C: Eligibility to Run – In order to run for an Executive Board position, the following requirements must be met:
1. Must have attended 2/3 of the meetings for the semester.
2. Must have helped out with at least two events for the year.
Section D: Nomination Process – The nomination process shall be as follows:
1. A member that is eligible to run for an Executive Board position must be nominated by any member of TCNJ Japanese Club currently enrolled as a student at The College of New Jersey; a member can nominate himself or herself.
2. This nomination must be seconded by an Executive Officer or Voting Member; the candidate cannot second himself or herself.
3. Once seconded, the candidate must accept or decline the nomination.
Section E: Election Process – The election process shall be as follows:
1. Once nominated, the candidates must write a speech and email to an appointed third-party member of TCNJ Japanese Club a week before the elections take place.
2. This third-party will compile the speeches into one document and email them to TCNJ Japanese Club.
3. The candidates must present a speech on the day of elections that is no longer than 3 minutes.
4. A 5 minute question and answer session will take place after the speeches for each position.
5. Anonymous voting will take place immediately after the speeches for all positions; votes will be collected and counted by two third, unbiased parties.
6. The results will immediately be announced to the club.
Section F: Term of Office – The term of office for all members shall commence at the beginning of the fall semester and shall expire at the end of the following spring semester, notification of resignation in writing to the President, or through the impeachment and recall process.
Article X – Meetings
Section A: Regular Meetings of TCNJ Japanese Club – All official business of the TCNJ Japanese Club shall be conducted through the Regular Meetings.
1. TCNJ Japanese Club shall meet weekly. The location and time will be determined by the Executive Board at the beginning of each academic year.
2. The agenda of TCNJ Japanese Club Regular Meetings shall be posted on the website prior to the meeting.
Section B: Quorum – The quorum for all official business of TCNJ Japanese Club shall be 1/2 plus one of its membership.
Section C: Executive Board Meetings – The Executive Board will meet once a week. The meeting time will be determined by the Executive Board at the beginning of each semester. At these meetings, club business will be discussed, which includes but is not limited to: the agenda for the upcoming Regular Meeting, plans for upcoming TCNJ Japanese Club events, plans for upcoming events for which TCNJ Japanese Club is co-sponsoring, any decisions that require an Executive Board vote, and any business that is specific to a particular Executive Officer. These meetings will be attended by Executive Board only. All Executive Officers must attend these meetings unless excused by the President.
Article XI – Amendments
Section A: Vote for Amendment – This Constitution may be amended by a vote of 2/3 of the Executive Board and Voting Members of TCNJ Japanese Club. A one-week notice will be given to TCNJ Japanese Club before voting commences.
Section B: Procedure of Amendment – To be placed on the ballot, a proposed amendment must receive a majority vote of the Executive Board.
Article XII – Veto
Section A: Veto Power – TCNJ Japanese Club President has the right to veto any Executive Board decision. The decision must be vetoed within one week of the initial decision.
Section B: Notification – TCNJ Japanese Club President shall inform TCNJ Japanese Club of a veto at the time of the original vote if the veto power is used immediately, or at the first regularly schedule Executive Board meeting following the exercise of the veto power.
Section C: Override – TCNJ Japanese Club may override a veto of TCNJ Japanese Club President by a vote of 2/3 quorum of TCNJ Japanese Club at the next Regular Meeting of TCNJ Japanese Club.
Section D: Limitation on Veto Power – The following are the limitations on veto power:
1. TCNJ Japanese President may veto any individual decision only once.
2. There shall be no power for the President to veto an override of a prior presidential veto.
We, the undergraduate students of The College of New Jersey, in order to promote learning and understanding of Japanese culture and language, and to fulfill our duties as a member of the Pan-Asian Alliance, do hereby establish this Constitution of TCNJ Japanese Club.
Article I – Name and Effective Date
Section A: Full Name – The name of this organization shall be TCNJ Japanese Club.
Section B: Effective Date – This Constitution shall become effective immediately upon ratification by a majority of the members of TCNJ Japanese Club. Upon such ratification, this Constitution supersedes any previous documents of TCNJ Japanese Club, thereby rendering all prior Constitutions and Bylaws of TCNJ Japanese Club null and void.
Section C: Supremacy Clause – This Constitution shall serve as the official document for the purpose, membership, structure, procedure, powers, and legislation of TCNJ Japanese Club. All provisions established by the Bylaws and any other forms of legislation or Standing Rules that directly conflict with the provisions of this Constitution are unconstitutional and shall be deemed null and void.
Article II – Purpose
The purpose of the TCNJ Japanese Club is to explore and better understand traditional and modern Japanese culture through the use of film, literature, music, and language.
Article III – Membership
Section A: Inclusive Membership – All full and part-time undergraduate or graduate students, alumni, and faculty of The College of New Jersey may be members of TCNJ Japanese Club. It is hereby acknowledged that Japanese Club insures that the policies and practices pertaining to the membership of our organization do not discriminate based on sex, race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, marital status, handicap, age, sexual orientation, and lifestyle. It is also hereby understood that the only exemptions to this claim may be due to the sex or religious composition of our organization, which is allowable by law.
Section B: Elected Membership – Any member of TCNJ Japanese Club currently enrolled full or part-time as an undergraduate or graduate student at The College of New Jersey may hold an elected position in TCNJ Japanese Club. In order to hold an Executive Board position, a member must have at least one semester experience as a voting member of TCNJ Japanese Club.
Article IV – Structure
TCNJ Japanese Club shall be divided into three branches: Executive, Voting, and Associate.
Article V – Executive Branch
Section A: Membership – The membership of TCNJ Japanese Club Executive Branch who shall collectively be called the Executive Board and individually be called Executive Officers, shall include the following:
- President
- Vice President
- Treasurer
- Secretary
- Webmaster
Section B: Absence of the President – In case of the absence of the President, the next remaining Executive Officers (as prioritized in Section A - Membership, in descending order) shall assume the role of the President.
Section C: Election – All Executive Officers shall be elected by a popular vote of the voting branch of TCNJ Japanese Club.
Section D: Duties – All Executive Officers shall be responsible for the following:
- Representing TCNJ Japanese Club at all functions relative to their respective positions.
- Participating in TCNJ Japanese Club activities.
- Upholding the Constitution of TCNJ Japanese Club.
- Attending all TCNJ Japanese Club Executive Board meetings, when not excused by the President of TCNJ Japanese Club.
- Attending all meetings of TCNJ Japanese Club, when not excused by the President of TCNJ Japanese Club.
- Maintaining a filing system dealing with pertinent past and current information.
- Assisting the President in developing agenda for all meetings.
- Assisting in the orientation of their respective successors.
- Voting on matters placed before Executive Board for action.
Section E: President – The President shall be responsible for the following:
- Being the official spokesperson for TCNJ Japanese Club.
- Preside over all regular TCNJ Japanese Club and Executive Board meetings.
- Sharing with the Treasurer the responsibility for all TCNJ Japanese Club finances.
- Scheduling all Executive Board meetings at least 2 days in advance.
- Coordinating the duties and activities of TCNJ Japanese Club membership.
- Appointing and removing chairs to all TCNJ Japanese Club committees.
- Formulating the agenda for all TCNJ Japanese Club meetings.
- Monitoring activities with regards to College policies, and local, state, and federal laws.
- Oversee the process of changing TCNJ Japanese Club Constitution and Bylaws.
Section F: Vice-President – The Vice-President shall be responsible for the following:
- Assuming all powers and responsibilities of the President when the President is absent or unable to perform the duties of President.
- Succeeding to the office of the President for the remainder of the term of office if the President resigns or is removed from office.
- Assisting with the administrative responsibilities of the President.
Section G: Treasurer – The Treasurer shall be responsible for the following:
- Overseeing TCNJ Japanese Club finances.
- Preparing and submitting to the SFB the annual TCNJ Japanese Club Budget, capital equipment, special appropriation requests, and reimbursement vouchers.
- Representing TCNJ Japanese Club during special appropriate requests.
- Attending required budget clinics set up by the Student Finance Board.
Section H: Secretary – The Secretary shall be responsible for the following:
- Sending out regular meeting minutes to the entirety of TCNJ Japanese Club no later than one day after the meeting.
- Maintaining TCNJ Japanese Club email account, including clearing out all spam emails, forwarding emails to the appropriate Executive Officer or Officers, forwarding emails to the membership when appropriate, and updating the club address book (these duties should be done on a daily basis).
- Retrieving mail from TCNJ Japanese Club mailbox in the Student Activities Office.
- Preparing and submitting all forms not related to finances, including but not limited to: chalking request forms, banner request forms, Signal ads, WSTR ads, copy requests, and poster approvals.
- Keeping all attendance records for regular TCNJ Japanese Club meetings and Executive Board meetings.
Section I: Webmaster / Historian – The Webmaster / Historian shall be responsible for the following:
- Updating the website at least once a week.
- Uploading the regular meeting minutes to the website.
- Uploading the agenda to the website after Executive Board meetings.
- Taking and uploading pictures of club events to the website.
- Recording all pertinent information about club events for our records, including but not limited to: name of event, date, location, time, entrance fee, number of attendees, money made, and a short description of the event.
- Recording all pertinent information about club events for the website, including but not limited to: name of event, date, location, time, entrance fee, winners of tournaments, and a short description of the event.
Article VI – Voting Branch
The Voting Branch, whose members will be collectively called Voting Members, shall be comprised of those members currently enrolled at The College of New Jersey that meet the following requirements:
1. Have attended at least half of the regular meetings for one of the semesters of the academic year.
OR
2. Have assisted with two or more of the club events for entire year, including but not limited to: driving on trips, working on a committee for an on-campus event that TCNJ Japanese Club is sponsoring, and working on a committee for an on-campus event that TCNJ Japanese Club is co-sponsoring.
Article VII – Associate Branch
The Associate Branch, whose members will be collectively called Associate Members, shall be comprised of those members who wish to be involved in TCNJ Japanese Club but do not meet the requirements of the Voting Members.
Article VIII – Impeachment and Recall
Section A: Impeachment Defined – Impeachment shall be defined as a formal process of bringing charges to a member of TCNJ Japanese Club in order to remove that member from his / her office. Recall is defined as the removal of a member from office.
Section B: Reasons for Impeachment – Any member of TCNJ Japanese Club may be impeached for violating the TCNJ Japanese Club Constitution or Bylaws when recommended by 2/3 majority vote at an authorized meeting of TCNJ Japanese Club at which a quorum is present.
Section C: Impeachment Proceedings – All members impeached shall be notified in writing of the impeachment charges at least one week prior to the date of any hearing which will consider a possible recall. This will allow for the opportunity to refute the charges.
1. Recall shall be defined as the official removal of a student as a member of TCNJ Japanese Club.
2. No member may be recalled without first being impeached.
3. Any member may be recalled by a 2/3 affirmative vote of TCNJ Japanese Club.
Article IX – Elections
Section A: Eligibility to Vote – All Executive Board and Voting Members are eligible to vote in TCNJ Japanese Club elections.
Section B: Elections – All Executive Board positions will be open for election each spring semester.
Section C: Eligibility to Run – In order to run for an Executive Board position, the following requirements must be met:
1. Must have attended 2/3 of the meetings for the semester.
2. Must have helped out with at least two events for the year.
Section D: Nomination Process – The nomination process shall be as follows:
1. A member that is eligible to run for an Executive Board position must be nominated by any member of TCNJ Japanese Club currently enrolled as a student at The College of New Jersey; a member can nominate himself or herself.
2. This nomination must be seconded by an Executive Officer or Voting Member; the candidate cannot second himself or herself.
3. Once seconded, the candidate must accept or decline the nomination.
Section E: Election Process – The election process shall be as follows:
1. Once nominated, the candidates must write a speech and email to an appointed third-party member of TCNJ Japanese Club a week before the elections take place.
2. This third-party will compile the speeches into one document and email them to TCNJ Japanese Club.
3. The candidates must present a speech on the day of elections that is no longer than 3 minutes.
4. A 5 minute question and answer session will take place after the speeches for each position.
5. Anonymous voting will take place immediately after the speeches for all positions; votes will be collected and counted by two third, unbiased parties.
6. The results will immediately be announced to the club.
Section F: Term of Office – The term of office for all members shall commence at the beginning of the fall semester and shall expire at the end of the following spring semester, notification of resignation in writing to the President, or through the impeachment and recall process.
Article X – Meetings
Section A: Regular Meetings of TCNJ Japanese Club – All official business of the TCNJ Japanese Club shall be conducted through the Regular Meetings.
1. TCNJ Japanese Club shall meet weekly. The location and time will be determined by the Executive Board at the beginning of each academic year.
2. The agenda of TCNJ Japanese Club Regular Meetings shall be posted on the website prior to the meeting.
Section B: Quorum – The quorum for all official business of TCNJ Japanese Club shall be 1/2 plus one of its membership.
Section C: Executive Board Meetings – The Executive Board will meet once a week. The meeting time will be determined by the Executive Board at the beginning of each semester. At these meetings, club business will be discussed, which includes but is not limited to: the agenda for the upcoming Regular Meeting, plans for upcoming TCNJ Japanese Club events, plans for upcoming events for which TCNJ Japanese Club is co-sponsoring, any decisions that require an Executive Board vote, and any business that is specific to a particular Executive Officer. These meetings will be attended by Executive Board only. All Executive Officers must attend these meetings unless excused by the President.
Article XI – Amendments
Section A: Vote for Amendment – This Constitution may be amended by a vote of 2/3 of the Executive Board and Voting Members of TCNJ Japanese Club. A one-week notice will be given to TCNJ Japanese Club before voting commences.
Section B: Procedure of Amendment – To be placed on the ballot, a proposed amendment must receive a majority vote of the Executive Board.
Article XII – Veto
Section A: Veto Power – TCNJ Japanese Club President has the right to veto any Executive Board decision. The decision must be vetoed within one week of the initial decision.
Section B: Notification – TCNJ Japanese Club President shall inform TCNJ Japanese Club of a veto at the time of the original vote if the veto power is used immediately, or at the first regularly schedule Executive Board meeting following the exercise of the veto power.
Section C: Override – TCNJ Japanese Club may override a veto of TCNJ Japanese Club President by a vote of 2/3 quorum of TCNJ Japanese Club at the next Regular Meeting of TCNJ Japanese Club.
Section D: Limitation on Veto Power – The following are the limitations on veto power:
1. TCNJ Japanese President may veto any individual decision only once.
2. There shall be no power for the President to veto an override of a prior presidential veto.