CONSTITUTION

 

of the

 

RPI Intercollegiate Sailing Club

 

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ARTICLE I – Name of the Organization

 

The name of this organization shall be the RPI Intercollegiate Sailing Club, herein called the club.

 

ARTICLE II – Purpose

 

The purpose of the club shall be to promote interest in the sport of sailing and to foster intercollegiate sailing competition.

 

ARTICLE III – Membership

 

Membership in this club shall be open to all members of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Community.

 

Also, students from other colleges wishing to become affiliated with the club can do so only with the approval by a two thirds majority vote of the Executive Committee.

 

Voting members are RPI student members only.  Non voting members are all other members.

 

The Executive Committee will select an Advisor who will be a non student member of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Community, exempt from paying membership dues and shall act in an advisory role to the Executive Committee in particular and to the club in general.

 

A student may be expelled from the club by a two thirds majority of the voting membership.

 

It is the responsibility of the Secretary and the Treasurer to maintain accurate membership lists.

 

ARTICLE IV – Officers

 

RPI student members only are eligible to serve as officers of the club.

 

The term of office will be for one year beginning immediately following the election.  The election is to be held at the Annual meeting.

 

The officers must be elected by a two thirds majority of the voting membership during the election at the Annual meeting.  The Nominating Committee will submit to the members a slate of officers one week or more before the Annual meeting.  In addition, nominations from the floor will be accepted prior to the election.  Election will be either by ballot or show of hands, whichever is deemed appropriate.

 

An officer may be impeached by the Executive Committee only.  At the first business meeting following the impeachment a vote to remove the impeached officer will be held.  A two thirds majority of the voting membership is required to remove the impeached officer.  If a two thirds majority is not obtained the officer must be impeached again by the Executive Committee before another vote to remove may be held.

 

The resignation or removal of an officer will normally call for an upward succession of the first six officers noted below with the lowest officer (Assistant Fleet Captain) being appointed by the Commodore with approval from the Executive Committee.  The highest ranking officer remaining however may ask that the officers retain their positions and that only the positions left vacant after resignation or approval be filled.  If the remaining officers agree to retain their positions then the highest ranking officer will appoint individuals to the vacant positions with the approval of the Executive Committee.

 

The Commodore shall preside at all general and Executive Committee meetings.  Shall be the club spokesperson and representative.  Shall have power to create and disband special committees.  Shall act as chairman of the Executive Committee.  Shall oversee the budget committee, the Constitution Committee, the Nominating Committee and the Special Projects of the Commodore.

 

The Vice Commodore shall assume the duties of the Commodore in his absence.  Shall act as chairman of the Media Committee.  Shall oversee the Instructional Committee, the Publicity Committee and the Special Projects of the Vice Commodore.

 

The 1st Rear Commodore shall be in charge of intercollegiate team racing which will include RPI’s participation in the Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (MAISA), the selection of the teams to participate, transportation to and from racing location and lodging arrangements.  Shall oversee with the 2nd Rear Commodore the Regatta Committee and the Transportation Committee.

 

The 2nd Rear Commodore shall be in charge of the sailing site operations, which is to include recreational sailing, interclub racing, and any intercollegiate RPI sponsored races.  Shall oversee with the 1st Rear Commodore the Regatta Committee and the Transportation Committee.

 

The Fleet Captain shall be in charge of maintenance of club boats.  This includes membership maintenance participation as well as contracting for professional work to be done, maintenance of boat storage and work room, the transporting of boats to and from sailing location.  Shall direct and authorize the Assistant Fleet Captain to perform such duties as necessary to expedite the required maintenance.

 

The Assistant Fleet Captain shall assist the Fleet Captain in all his duties and shall serve as Fleet Captain in his absence.  Shall be in charge of the club library.

 

The Secretary will take minutes at all meetings, maintain files on club activities; handle all correspondence and keep a complete membership listing.  Shall act as chairman of the Publicity Committee.

 

The Treasurer shall collect all dues and act as agent in the collection and disbursing all funds as directed by the Executive Committee, the officers, and the Budget Committee.  Shall make a report on the finances of the club at the Annual Meeting, Fall Meeting, and Spring Meeting.  Shall act as chairman of the Budget Committee.

 

ARTICLE V – Meetings

 

General Meetings are all meetings held for the general membership.  A minimum of ten General Meetings will be scheduled for each, fall and spring term.

 

A Business Meeting will be any General Meeting where at least two thirds of the voting membership is in attendance.

 

The Fall Meeting will be the first General Meeting of the fall term.

 

The Annual Meeting will be the first Business Meeting of the spring term.  The purpose of the Annual Meeting includes:

1.      To elect officers to serve for one year.

2.      To receive reports by the Treasurer, and the chairman of each committee.

3.      To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting.

 

The Spring Meeting will be the first General Meeting following the Annual Meeting.

 

A simple majority shall be sufficient to decide any question, except approval on amendments to the Constitution and election of officers, when a two thirds majority of the voting membership shall be necessary.

 

Meetings will be in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order and the RPI Intercollegiate Sailing Club Constitution and any subsequent amendments to the Constitution.

 

ARTICLE VI – Committees

 

The term of office for members of all standing committees will be from the time of appointment until the Annual Meeting.  Whereupon they will be reappointed or replaced by new appointments.  Exceptions to this are the previous officers still active in the club who will retain their positions on the Executive Committee unless their status changes.

 

The Commodore shall have the power to create and disband such ad hoc committees as necessary to execute the work of the club.

 

All committees shall have the power and right to conduct their business as they deem appropriate as long as they remain within this constitution and the amendments to it.  The officers shall act as an advisory body to all committees and do not have the power nor the right to require any committee to abide by any regulations unless explicitly stated or implied by the tone and beliefs of this Constitution and its amendments.

 

The Executive Committee shall consist of the Constitutional officers and any previous years officers still active in the club.  The Commodore of the club will serve as chairman.  The Committee shall act in an advisory role to the officers.  In addition the committee has the following specific powers and duties:

1.      Shall have the power to impeach an officer.  A two thirds majority of the committee is necessary.

2.      Shall have the power to and must impeach an officer that the Executive Committee has received a “request for impeachment” about.  This “request for impeachment” shall come from the general membership and will include the name and title of the officer being impeached, the reason(s) for the impeachment and shall bear the signatures of at least 50% of the voting membership.

3.      Shall be responsible for administering, reviewing, and reporting to the officers on any long range plans.  These are those plans undertaken by the club that will require in excess of one and one half fiscal years of the Rensselaer Union to reach completion.

4.      Shall have the power to call special meetings.

 

There will be a minimum of three meetings scheduled for each, fall and spring terms.  Robert’s Rule of Order and the Constitution and any subsequent amendments to the Constitution will be adhered to during these meetings.  A quorum shall consist of one half of the meetings.

 

The Budget Committee shall consist of a chairman and four members.  The chairman shall be the Treasurer who will appoint four members, one of which shall be from the previous Budget Committee.  These appointments are to be made within two club meetings following the Executive Board of the Rensselaer Union’s acceptance of the club’s budget.  The Committee shall prepare a budget for the next fiscal year and shall make recommendations to the Executive Committee and the officers as it deems necessary.  The final budget proposal of the Budget Committee shall be presented to the Executive Committee and the officers prior to submission to the Executive Board of the Rensselaer Union for approval.  A quorum shall consist of three of the five members, one of which is to be the chairman.

 

The Constitution Committee shall consist of a chairman and two members.  The Committee shall meet a minimum of once for each term, fall and spring.  The Committee has the following powers and duties:

1.      Shall have the power to enforce the constitution and its amendments.

2.      Shall have the power to enforce the bylaws of the club.

3.      Shall hear all cases related to and contesting either the Constitution or the amendments to the Constitution.

4.      Shall receive all “requests for amendment to the Constitution.”  The Committee shall present these requests to the voting membership at the first business meeting following the Committee’s receiving of the request.

 

A quorum shall consist of two of the three members, one of which is to be the chairman.

 

The Nominating Committee shall consist of a chairman and two members to be appointed within four club meetings prior to the Annual Meeting by the Commodore from the voting membership.

 

The Committee will meet as often as deemed necessary to prepare a slate of officers for the following year.  This slate is to be submitted to the members one week or more before the annual meeting.  A quorum shall consist of two of the three members, one of which is to be the chairman.

 

The Regatta Committee shall consist of a chairman and six members.  The Committee will meet as often as necessary to conclude the business of running RPI’s interclub regattas and any intercollegiate regattas that RPI may host.  The Committee shall choose an ad hoc Race Committee that will run each of these regattas.

 

The Transportation Committee shall consist of a chairman and two members.  The committee will meet as often as necessary to locate and secure transportation for the team to travel to and from its regattas.  The Committee will also arrange for transportation to and from the sailing site for recreational sailors.

 

The Instructional Committee shall consist of a chairman and six members.  The Committee will meet as often as necessary to draw up plans for instructing beginners in the fundamentals of sailing, the beginning racer in the fundamentals of racing, as well as the more advanced racers in advanced techniques.  The Committee shall also be responsible for the execution of these plans.

 

The Media Committee shall consist of a chairman and two members.  The Vice Commodore shall act as chairman.  The purpose of the committee is to arrange for films, seminars, and lectures to be presented as part of the General Meetings.  This includes the reserving and running of necessary audio-visual equipment and the locating and securing of films and speakers.

 

The Publicity Committee shall consist of a chairman and two members.  The Secretary shall act as chairman.  The Committee will be responsible for all publicity, both local and national.

 

ARTICLE VII – Organizational Structure

 

The Organizational Structure of the club is outlined on page _____ of the Constitution.

 

ARTICLE VIII – Financial

 

The Executive Board of the Rensselaer Union sets the minimum dues structure for the club.

 

The Budget Committee may recommend that dues be set at a figure in excess of the minimum.  Any figure in excess of the minimum must be approved by the Executive Committee and the officers and shall be set only at the Fall Meeting, Annual Meeting or Spring Meeting.

 

All members are subject to dues with the exception of the Advisor.

 

ARTICLE IX – Bylaws

 

A set of bylaws shall exist for the protection, safety, and security of club members and the property of the club.  In addition, they may include any specific rules and/or regulations necessary to maintain the success and well being of the club.

 

The bylaws shall not be in conflict with the Constitution.  The Constitution takes precedence over the bylaws in all cases and situations.

 

Approval of the bylaws and amendments to the bylaws require a 7/8’s majority vote of the officers.

 

Members may contest any and all bylaws by requesting the Constitution Committee hold a hearing for the voting membership to voice their views and opinions.  This hearing shall be held no later than three weeks following the request for said hearing.  If following the hearing it is deemed necessary, a vote shall be held at the next Business Meeting.  A two thirds majority against the specific shall be necessary to remove it from the bylaws of the club.

 

Once a bylaw has been contested, it cannot be contested or amended to the bylaws (depending on the case) again for a period of one year.  This is to say, should the first contest fail, it cannot be contested again for a period of one year, and should the first contest succeed, the specific bylaw cannot be amended to the bylaws by the officers for a period of one year.

 

ARTICLE X – Approval and Amending the Constitution

 

Approval of the Constitution and Amendments to the Constitution requires a two thirds majority of the voting membership.

 

Approval of the Constitution and Amendments to the Constitution become effective upon approval by the Executive Board of the Rensselaer Union.

 

 

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This Constitution was written by William E. Howell on March 21, 1977 to replace the Constitution approved by the Executive Board of the Rensselaer Union during1968.  This Constitution was subsequently approved by the Executive Board of the Rensselaer Union on April   , 1977.

AMENDED & REVISED CONSTITUTION DATED 1977

OF THE RPI INTERCOLLEGIATE SAILING CLUB

 

 

ARTICLE III – Membership

 

Paragraph II à Also, students from other schools wishing to become affiliated with the club can do so only with the approval by unanimous vote of the Executive Committee.

 

Paragraph IV à The Executive Committee will select an Advisor who will be a non student member of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Community, exempt from paying membership dues and will become a voting member of the Executive Committee.

 

Paragraph V à A student may be expelled from the club by a unanimous vote of the Executive Committee.

 

Paragraph VI à It is the responsibility of the Secretary to maintain an accurate membership list.

 

ARTICLE IV – Officers

 

RPI student members only are eligible to serve as officers of the club.

 

The term of office will be for one year beginning immediately following the election.  The election is to be held at the Annual meeting.

 

The officers must be elected by a two thirds majority of the voting membership during the election at the Annual meeting.  The Nominating Committee will submit to the members a slate of officers one week or more before the Annual meeting.  Election will be either by ballot or show of hands, whichever is deemed appropriate.

 

An officer may be impeached by a unanimous vote of the remaining Executive Committee.  The decision may be vetoed by a two thirds majority of the voting membership.

 

The resignation of an officer will call for an upward succession of the first six officer noted below with the lowest officer (Assistant Fleet Captain) being appointed by the Commodore with approval from the Executive Committee.