Constitution



Article I.

Title of the organization: The Poetry Society of Georgia State University

Article II.

Purpose: To workshop poems with the aims of improving poetry writing; to learn more about the creative process; to promote better understanding of poetry; to engage in educated discussions about poetics and poetry.

Article III.

Membership requirements: All students of Georgia State University are eligible to join the organization barring inappropriate or excessively hostile behavior during meetings.

Article IV.

Officers:

Section 1.

President: Responsibilities include leading meetings on a regular basis, presiding over and approving financial transactions along with the treasurer, acting as the spokesperson for the organization, ensuring the society is maintained in a professional manner, selecting the advisor for each Presidential term. The President also has the option to select a Vice-President.

Each Presidential candidate must be nominated by another member other than his or herself. The President will be selected from the candidates by a majority vote; in the advent of a tie between two candidates, a coin will be flipped to determine the winner. This process will be the tie-breaker for all elected positions.

Section II.

Vice-President: Responsibilities include those of the President. If the President is unable to attend a meeting the Vice-President will act as standing President.

The Vice-President is selected by the President. If the President chooses not to select a Vice-President, then the Vice-President is selected by a call for nominations and, subsequently, by a majority vote. In this case, at least two members will decide who fills the position.
Section III.

Treasurer: Responsibilities include keeping financial records of transactions and dues, ensuring that monies collected by the club are in safe keeping, and creating a budget agreed upon with the other officers.

The Treasurer position is open to anyone who is willing to perform the duties that this position entails. In the event that there are two or more candidates for the position, then the position will be filled by selecting one of the candidates by a majority vote.

Section IV.

Secretary: Records the minutes of each meeting, number of people attending meetings, and important issues brought forth in meetings. The Secretary is also responsible for any important documents that pertain to the functions of the organization.

The Secretary position is open to anyone who is willing to perform the secretarial functions. In the event that there are two or more candidates for the position, then the position will be filled by selecting one of the candidates by a majority vote.

Section V.

The advisor(s) will be selected by the President and confirmed or rejected by a two-thirds vote from members of the organization. The term for the Advisor is one calendar year. There are no limitations on re-electing advisors.

Section VI.

Meetings: The organization will meet on a basis decided upon and directed by the President, in accordance with the needs of members of the organization. Officers will meet and communicate on a regular basis before or after meetings, or on a decided upon time. Meeting dates and times are subject to change. Only officers can call for special meetings.

Section VII.

Referendum: Any member has the right to approve or disapprove the passage of any ordinance or amendment attached to the Constitution. A petition signed by members equaling at least fifty percent of the membership of the organization may be presented to the President in order to repeal the passage of an ordinance or amendment.

Recall: An elective officer may be recalled if he or she fails to perform the duties required of his or her position. A petition signed by members equaling at least fifty percent of the membership of the organization may be presented to the President in order to recall an officer.

Article IX.

Amendment process: Only officers may call for amendments. The amended proposed must be approved by three-fourths of the officers. The amendment must then be approved by two-thirds of the members of the organization in order to pass.

Article X. [Cannot be changed]

ANTI-HAZING POLICY: The Poetry Society of Georgia State University shall abide by the Georgia State University policy on hazing and prohibits its members, both individually and collectively from committing any acts of hazing. Per sections “Prohibited General Conduct” and “Definitions”, Georgia State University strictly adheres to state legislation outlawing hazing. Hazing means any intentional, negligent or reckless action, activity or situation that causes another pain, embarrassment, ridicule or harassment, regardless of the individual’s willingness to participate. Such actions and situations include, but are not limited to, the following: forcing or requiring the drinking of alcohol or any other substance; forcing or requiring the consumption of food or any other substance; calisthenics (push-ups, sit-ups, jogging, runs, etc); treeings; paddle swats; line- ups; theft of any property; road trips; scavenger hunts; causing fewer than six (6) continuous hours of sleep per night; conducting activities that do not allow adequate time for study; forcing or requiring nudity at any time; performing acts of personal servitude for members (driving them to class, cleaning their individual rooms, serving meals, washing cars, shopping, laundry, etc); forcing or requiring the violation of University policies, federal, state or local law.

Article XI. [Cannot be changed]

The Poetry Society of Georgia State University agrees to abide by the Georgia State Student Code of Conduct. Furthermore, The Poetry Society of Georgia State University agrees to abide by all Student Life and Leadership policies as outlined in the student handbook; to attend an annual student organization orientation session; to keep all content accurate on the Club Manager website; to check the organization’s mailbox regularly; to communicate via email upon request; to update the organization’s records whenever there is a change and submit a petition for renewal by May 1st of each year.