Preamble (optional):
States the reasons and intent of the following document
Article I: Name
Section 1: What is the name of your organization?
Section 2: If you will be using an abbreviation or acronym throughout the rest of the document, say so here.
Article II: Purpose
Section 1: What is your organization’s purpose?
Section 2: How does the organization fit into the College’s mission?
Section 3: Include a commitment to abide by all college policies.
Article III: Officers
Section 1: How many officers are there? What are their titles?
Section 2: Are the officers part of a designated council, such as an Executive Board? (A good idea if officers have additional power as well as responsibility)
- Are there any officer committees or sub-organization
Section 3: How long will an officer serve in his office?
Section 4: What requirements do the officers have to meet in regards to the school to hold office (minimum GPA, etc.)?
Section 5: Who will be the organization’s Advisor? How are they chosen? Will they be able to vote in organization elections/polls?
Article IV: Membership
Section 1: Who can join?
- How do they join?
- Who maintains a roster of members?
- What qualifies a voting member?
- Are there attendance or dues requirements?
Section 2: Can a member voluntarily withdraw?
- Are there different levels of membership? (Active, Inactive, Alumni, etc.)
- How does a member change status?
Article V: Election of Officers
Section 1: When will elections be held?
Section 2: Who can vote, and will each person get only one vote?
Section 3: How will votes be tallied (raise-of-hand, secret ballot, etc.)?
Section 4: How large of a majority is needed to elect an officer?
- Are all officers elected, or are some appointed?
Article VI: Meetings
Section 1: Structure of Meetings
- How often will meetings be held? When and where?
- Do a certain number of members/officers have to be in attendance to hold a regular meeting?
- Do members have to attend a certain number of meetings in order to vote/be considered active?
- List membership positions (Committee Chair, Liaisons, etc). Describe all positions which will hold power or responsibilities
Section 2: Legislative Process
- How does the organization conduct business?
- What are the guidelines for proposals? Who may approach the organization for business?
- Are there guidelines for funding issues? (Depending on stringency, can be placed in By-Laws)
Article VII: Removal/Censorship
Section 1: What are grounds for removal of an officer?
- What is the process?
- What is the timeframe of this process?
- Is there an option for appeal?
- Can members be removed? How, and under what circumstances?
Section 2: Are members bound to confidentiality or other behavior? Are there issues about which members are not to discuss outside of meetings?
Article VII: Amendments
Section 1: How will amendments be introduced, voted upon, and passed? How much of a majority is required for an amendment to pass?
By-Laws
By-laws are rules adopted by an organization for the purpose of governing its members and managing its affairs. By-laws are easier to pass or change than amendments to the organization’s constitution, so policies that are subject to change or evolve over time should be included as by-laws. Suggested articles under which by-laws could fall include:
- Election and Replacement Process – How is someone nominated? Is there an application process?
- Officer Duties – Who does what?
- Representative/Member Duties – Who does what?
- Meeting Set-Up and Duties – If food is served, who orders it?
- Agenda Structure – Is there an order always followed?
- Committee Set-Up and Duties – Are chairs nominated or appointed?
- Budget Process and Allocation – Is there a limit on expenditures? Review and Ratification – How are by-laws passed/how much of a majority is needed?
Some of these articles might be irrelevant to your organization, or you might need to introduce other articles specific to the running of your organization. You might also have noticed that some categories of by-laws are redundant to the constitution – the stringency of each policy should determine whether it is a by-law or an amendment. The constitution and by-laws should ultimately be a ‘How-to’ guide, so your organization will continue to operate in the same manner and serve the same purpose it was intended to, even after the founding officers leave.
Policy Books
Policy books serve to track the decisions of an organization over time. These decisions can become formal policies, organized in the policy book by category, when appropriate. Policies can be adopted into the by-laws or even the constitution if appropriate. Other decisions, including those regarding campus issues, can be stated through policy.
Additional Links:
http://www.robertsrules.com/ (also available in Campus Activities Leadership Library)
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