A Chapter of the Campus Freethought Alliance at The Ohio State University
ConstitutionA Chapter of the Campus Freethought Alliance at The Ohio State University
Constitution
The purposes of Students for Freethought at the Ohio State University (SFF) are:
1.2 To promote the ideals of Secular Humanism, including responsibility, rational thought, the inherent worth of humanity, and the free exploration of ideas.
1.3 To organize activities, such as forums for discussion, guest speakers, and organized debates, and to educate the OSU and surrounding community about atheism, agnosticism, Humanism, and other secular world views.
1.4 To protect and defend the rights of freethinkers on campus.
3.1 Voting membership is limited to currently enrolled Ohio State graduate and undergraduate students.
3.2 All other members of the OSU community may become non-voting members.
3.3 To become a member someone need only inform the secretary of their desire.
3.4 Members who have not attended the last eight meetings may have their membership status revoked by the secretary.
3.5 Any member whose actions are in violation of the purpose of the group may have their member status suspended by a majority vote of the executive committee until the next general meeting. At the next general meeting their member status will be reviewed, and a general vote taken to revoke their member status.
4.1.1 President
4.1.1.1 The president shall be the official representative of the organization to any other organization, to OSU, and the surrounding community.
4.1.1.2 The president shall preside over all general meetings.
4.1.1.3 The president shall be responsible for ensuring that general meetings are scheduled regularly.
4.1.1.4 The president shall be responsible for organizing and running all executive meetings.
4.1.1.5 The president shall be jointly responsible with the Chief of Staff for making sure the other executive council members perform their duties.
4.1.1.6 The President shall be jointly responsible with the Events Chair for presiding over special events.
4.1.2 Chief of Staff
4.1.2.1 The Chief of Staff shall help preside over all general meetings, and will run meetings in the absence of the president.
4.1.2.2 The Chief of Staff shall be primarily responsible for ensuring that all of the other executive council members preform their duties and will aid them in whatever way possible in the completion of their duties.
4.1.2.3 If no one is elected as Membership Chair, the Chief of Staff shall be specifically responsible for those duties.
4.1.3 Events Chair
4.1.3.1 The Events Chair shall be responsible for organizing speakers, forums, service events, and general events for meetings and special engagements.
4.1.3.2 The Events Chair shall be jointly responsible with the President for presiding over special events.
4.1.4 Advertising Chair
4.1.4.1 The Advertising Chair shall be responsible for advertising the events, presence, and ideas of SFF.
4.1.5 Finance Chair
4.1.5.1 The Finance Chair shall be responsible for the finances of the group.
4.1.5.2 The Finance Chair shall be required to sign all checks and vouchers of the group.
4.1.5.3 The Finance Chair shall maintain the SFF Student Organization Services file.
4.1.5.4 If no one is elected Fundraising Chair, the Finance Chair shall be responsible for those duties.
4.1.6 Internet Chair
4.1.6.1 The Internet Chair shall be responsible for maintaining and improving the SFF web site.
4.1.6.2 The Internet Chair shall be responsible for maintaining the email listserves SFF uses to communicate
4.1.6.3 If no one is elected Historian, the Internet Chair shall be responsible for those duties.
4.1.7 Fundraising Chair
4.1.7.1 The Fundraising Chair shall be responsible for the generation of funds for SFF.
4.1.7.2 If no one is elected Finance Chair, the Fundraising Char shall be responsible for those duties.
4.1.8 Historian
4.1.8.1 The Historian shall be responsible for documenting all SFF events.
4.1.8.2 The Historian shall take minutes at all SFF meetings
4.1.8.3 If no one is elected Internet Chair, the Historian shall be responsible for those duties.
4.1.9 Membership Chair
4.1.9.1 The Membership Chair shall be responsible for maintaining and growing the membership of SFF.
4.1.9.2 The Membership Chair shall be chiefly responsible for creating a sense of community within SFF.
4.1.9.3 The Membership Chair shall be responsible for maintaining a database of all SFF members and a personal understanding of the interests, skills, and desires of the membership of SFF.
4.1.9.4 If no one is elected Chief of Staff, the Membership Chair will be responsible for those duties.
4.1.10 Newsletter Coordinator
4.1.10.1 The Newsletter Coordinator shall be responsible for the quarterly publication of the Invisible Flying Monkey, SFF's newsletter.
4.1.10.2 In as much as possible, the Newsletter Coordinator shall be responsible for the creation of other SFF publications.
4.1.11 Any member of the executive staff may delegate his/her duties to a willing member of SFF, but the executive officer shall always be ultimately responsible for his/her duties.
4.2 Elections and Removal:
4.2.1 Elections of officers shall occur during the second to last general meeting of Spring quarter.
4.2.2 All OSU student members of this organization who have attended at least three of the last six general meetings are eligible to run for office.
4.2.3 Quorum for elections and impeachments of officers is two-thirds of the group.
4.2.4 Any member is elected if he or she wins a majority of the voting members votes.
4.2.5 If more than two people are running and no one wins a majority, then the person with the fewest votes is dropped from the ballot and votes are recast.
4.2.6 The term of office runs from the first meeting after the election until the end of the spring quarter of the following year.
4.2.7 Incumbent officers and newly elected officers shall run the last meeting of the spring quarter jointly.
4.2.8 Officers may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the members.
4.3 Executive Decisions
4.3.1 Executive decisions shall be made through non-secret voting of the executive officers.
4.3.2 If a majority does not exist, the president's vote shall be the deciding one.
5.1 The formation of a committee may be proposed by any member.
5.2 The officers shall decide by majority if a committee is to be formed. The president's vote will decide if the vote is a draw.
5.3 A committee head shall be elected for each committee by a majority vote at any general meeting.
5.4 Each committee shall submit a monthly statement report detailing the committee's completed activities, work in progress, and proposed projects.
5.5 Each committee shall hold regular meetings.
6.1 Amendments to this Constitution may be presented by any member or group of members of the organization having attended at least two meetings.
6.2 Process of Amendments.
6.2.1 Amendments must be presented at least two meetings before the meeting in which they are voted upon.
6.6.2 Time must be allowed at these meeting to read and discuss the amendment.
6.2.3 The individual or group who proposed the amendment are thereafter responsible for the reading of the amendment until the amendment is voted upon.
6.2.4 Amendments must be available in writing to all members at least four weeks before the meeting in which they are voted upon, both by request and at the meetings. This written form must be provided by those who propose the amendment.
6.3 Voting on Amendments.
6.3.1 Amendments shall be passed by a three-forths majority vote.
6.3.2 Quorum at meetings where amending this constitution is voted on shall be one-half of all members of the organization.
6.3.3 In the event that a quorum is not present, the amendment may be voted upon at the following meeting. At this meeting the amendment shall be read as outlined in 6.2.1-6.2.3.
6.4 Withdrawing of Amendement Proposals
6.4.1 At any point in this process, the proposed amendment may be withdrawn by those who proposed it.
6.4.2 Those who propose the amendment must reach consensus on this issue, and publicly state their consensus.
7.1 Ideally, meetings shall be held every two weeks while in term (including Summer).
7.2 All decisions, except where otherwise provided for, shall be made by a majority vote of all members present.
7.3 All general voting shall be done by secret ballot.
7.4 The officers shall hold an executive meeting prior to each general meeting for planning purposes.
8.1 The faculty advisor of this organization must be a full-time member of the OSU faculty or administrative/professional staff.
8.2 The role of the faculty advisor is to aid the survival and growth of SFF and its members, and in the advancement of the purpose laid out above. How this role is manifested is left up to the faculty advisor.
8.3 The faculty advisor may be changed via executive decision.
9.1 By-laws may be created to provide more detail about the proper procedures for SFF.
9.2 The by-laws shall be voted upon by a quorum of at least one-third of members.
9.3 The by-laws shall be passed by a majority.
9.4 Proposals for by-laws:
9.4.1 A proposed by-law shall be read and discussed at the meeting before it is voted upon.
9.4.2 The proposer(s) of a by-law must provided a written copy to any member upon request at any time between the proposal and the vote.
9.4.2 At the meeting following the proposal, the by-law shall be read, discussed, and then voted upon.
10.1 The organization may be dissolved upon a unanimous vote of members present where the vote is taken.
10.2 Quorum for dissolution is all members who have attended at least one of the last four meetings.
10.3 The organization may not be dissolved while in debt.
10.4 All remaining assets will be dispersed to the Campus Freethought Alliance.
If you have any questions, send email to SFF at freethought@osu.edu