Club Creole

ARTICLE I: Name of Organization

Section A: The name of this organization shall be Club Creole.

Section B: The official emblem shall be used for endorsement of all official materials.

ARTICLE II: Statement of Purpose

Section A: The purpose of Club Creole is to promote the culture of the Haitian people, increase its awareness throughout the University and the State of Florida and to establish a strong positive image of the Haitian people by the following objectives:

• • • Increasing academic excellence amongst Haitian and other students

    • Establishing annual cultural activities on campus to educate the student body about Haiti

    • Assisting members of the student body interested in learning about the Haitian culture

    • Recruiting Haitian and other students of the University of Florida

    • Supporting the effort of achieving diversity on campus

Section B: To ensure that the organization attains its goals, the following activities shall be the responsibilities of the Executive Board:

• • • Creation of a test file

    • Tutorial services

    • Counseling of members

    • Seminars

    • Workshops

    • Recruiting of new members

    • Cultural Appreciation activities

 

ARTICLE III: Compliance Statement

Upon approval by the Center for Student Activities and Involvement, Club Creole shall be a registered student organization at the University of Florida.  Club Creole shall comply with all local, state and federal laws, as well as all University of Florida regulations, policies, and procedures.  Such compliance includes but is not limited to the University’s regulations related to Non-Discrimination, Hazing, Commercial Activity, and Student Leader Eligibility.

 

ARTICLE IV: Non-Discrimination

In compliance with the University of Florida Non-Discrimination Policy (Regulation 6C1-1.006), Club Creole will not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations, and veteran status as protected under the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act.

 

ARTICLE V: Member

Membership in this organization is open to enrolled students at the University of Florida. Non-students, spouses, faculty, and staff may be associate members; however, they may not vote or hold office. All members and associate members are free to leave and disassociate without fear of retribution, retaliation, or harassment.

Section A: Membership is divided into two categories:

I.            Active (voting) members: Members that are registered students of the University of Florida, who have attended at least three (3) General Body Meetings per semester prior to the voting period.

II.          Associate (non-voting) Members

Section B: Club Creole shall not associate itself with, voice public support for, or oppose any political organization or party. This includes, but is not limited to UF Student Government, local, state, or national political parties.

Section C: The powers of the voting members of Club Creole are, to propose and enact legislation, and to override a President’s veto with a 2/3 vote, provided there is a quorum.

Section D: The quorum shall be established as 10% of all active members.

Section E: Any active member that cannot maintain his/her attendance requirements will immediately lose their voting rights.

Section F: Each member must keep the Club Creole Secretary informed of new phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

 

ARTICLE VI: Powers & Duties of the Executive Board

Section A: The Executive Board shall consist of the following elected officers: the President, the Internal Vice President, the External Vice President, the Treasurer, the Public Relations Executive, the Secretary, the Parliamentarian, and the Webmaster.  The term of office for the Executive Board shall be one academic year, beginning the summer following the election and ending in the spring semester.

Section B: The Executive Board shall act as the governing body of the organization and shall conduct all business it deems valuable and necessary, including filling vacancies, in accordance with  Article XIII, Section C, preparing an annual budget and authorizing expenditures.

Section C: The Executive Board shall hold a minimum of two (2) meetings per month to discuss upcoming events and prepare the next general meeting’s agenda.  Only an elected officer can call an unscheduled board meeting.

Section D: The Executive Board is responsible for attending all organizational meetings. Each Executive member must attend meetings as follows:

I.            Must be present for at least seventy-five percent (75%) of Executive Board meetings per semester.

II.            Must be present for at least seventy percent (70%) of General Body Meetings per semester.

Section E: The duties of the President shall be to oversee all activities of Club Creole, organize and preside at all Club Creole meetings, appoint Directors and fill vacant positions, act as the representative in the interest of Club Creole, in other organizations, and meet monthly with the Faculty Advisors. The President shall be an ex- officio member of all committees.

Section F: The duties of the Internal Vice President shall be to coordinate the activities of the committees, assume the duties of the President  in   his/her absence, until he/she returns. The Internal Vice President shall serve as an ex-officio member of all committees.  The Internal Vice President shall also submit a semesterly report of Club Creole’s activities to Club Creole’s advisor, which must incorporate the reports of the other Executive officers.

Section G: The External Vice President shall be in charge of all programs taking place off campus, and serve as the delegate and liaison for Club Creole, to other organizations outside of the University of Florida.

Section H: The Treasurer shall be responsible for the Club Creole Account, keeping accurate records of all financial transactions of Club Creole and its committees, for receiving and expending funds in concurrence with the VISA Treasurer as authorized by Student Government. The Treasurer, with the advice and assistance of the Executive Board shall prepare the annual budget. The Treasurer shall be chair of the Fundraising Committee.

Section I:  The Public Relations Executive’s duties shall be to inform the membership of future campus events, attend meetings of other organizations, and announce Club Creole’s events at other meetings.  The Public Relations Executive shall be responsible for the general promotion of Club Creole.  The Public Relations Executive shall be chair of the Communications Committee.

Section J: The duties of the Secretary shall be to keep minutes and records of all meetings, and report them at the General Body Meetings, to prepare a written agenda for all meetings in accordance with the President, to distribute all information of interest to the members, and to coordinate recognition.

Section K: The Parliamentarian shall direct constitutional updating, and keep the members updated on parliamentary procedures, according to the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.  The Parliamentarian shall ensure proper voting procedures are followed, keep a record of all votes, and maintain order at all meetings.

Section L: The Webmaster shall be responsible for updating and maintaining the Club Creole website, managing the online newsletter and the Club Creole listserv, and creating multimedia presentations for meetings and events.

Section M: In the event of a vacancy of an Executive Board position, the President shall appoint an active member he/she deems capable provided there is a 2/3 vote of approval by the Executive Board.

 

ARTICLE VII: Elections

Section A: Any active member who is in good academic standing (GPA 2.5 and above) at the University of Florida, is eligible for an elected position.

Section B: Eligible members interested in an Executive position must inform the present Executive Board of  their intentions at least two weeks prior to the elections, so that their qualifications may be reviewed, by the entire body of the organization, before the voting process.

Section C: Elections for officers will be held in the spring of each academic year, during the month of April.  This voting must be done by secret ballot. Tenure of all elected and appointed officers shall be one academic year.

Section D: During the period between elections and the Club Creole induction ceremony, the newly elected officers shall be known as Executives-elect.  During this time, they must have, and maintain a 2.5 minimum GPA, be registered as full time students as defined by the registrar, and be in good standing with the University of Florida, and as Executives-elect, work with the current counterpart in order to make for a smooth transition.

Section E: Events requiring secrecy will be voted upon by secret ballots.  All other votes will be produced either by verbal consent or raised hands.

Section F: Only active members, as defined in Article V, Section A-1, are entitled to vote.

Section G: No elected officer has the right to vote during General Body Meetings except during elections.

Section H: The President can never vote unless there is a tie. In the event of a tie, the President will break the tie.

 

ARTICLE VIII: Mode of Selection & Duties of Advisors

Section A: Selection of any advisors shall be by contacting faculty members interested in Club Creole.

Section B: The Faculty Advisor, and all appointed members of Club Creole shall be selected by the President, but must be approved by at least a 2/3 vote by the Executive Board.

Section C: The duties of the advisor shall be to provide advice to Club Creole in all rules and regulations of the University relevant to upcoming events, advice on all financial matters, and advice in all conflicts, internal and external to Club Creole.

Section D: In the event that an advisor has to step down, Club Creole shall appoint a new advisor, in accordance with Article XIII, Section B.

 

ARTICLE IX: FINANCE

Section A: Club Creole will not require any membership fees.  Fundraisers will be conducted year-round.  Club Creole will apply for Student Government funding, and shall also receive funding from Volunteers For International Student Affairs (VISA).

 

ARTICLE X: DISSOLUTION

Section A: In the event that Club Creole dissolves, all monies left in the treasury, after outstanding debts and claims have been paid, shall be donated to Volunteers For International Student Affairs (VISA).

 

ARTICLE XI: Powers & Duties of Directors

Section A: The primary Directors of Club Creole are the Academic, Community, Outreach, Cultural, Dance Choreographer, Dance Director, Fundraising, Gala, Historian, Liaison, Pageant, Social, Solicitations, and, Sports Director.

I.            The Academic Excellence Director shall coordinate the academic affairs and see to the needs of the members. He/she shall handle tutoring, counseling, updating of the test file and present academic seminars.

II.            The Community Outreach Director shall coordinate all community   services of the organization.

III.            The Cultural Director shall coordinate the cultural activities of the organization, and assist anyone interested in learning about Haiti and its culture.

IV.            The Dance Choreographer shall choreograph and oversee the dance routines of the Dancers.

V.            The Dance Director shall be responsible for all the administrative and managerial tasks of the Club Creole Dancers.

VI.            The Fundraising Director shall coordinate all fundraising activities for the organization.

VII.            The Gala Director shall oversee all the aspects of the annual Gala Ball.

VIII.            The Historian shall keep a running record of the past and present events of the organization.

IX.            The Liaison Director shall oversee all publications, advertising, and general public relations of the organization.

X.            The Pageant Director shall oversee all aspects of the annual Mr. & Ms. Club Creole Pageant.

XI.            The Social Director shall coordinate all the social activities of the organization.

XII.            The Solicitations Director shall coordinate all the soliciting of the organization.

XIII.            The Sports Director shall oversee the athletic activities of the club. The Director shall handle all the athletic competitions of the organization.

Section B: All Directors have the power to appoint Assistant Directors and to create Committees as seen fit, and upon approval of the Internal Vice President.  The Director’s duties include coordinating all functions of committees, supervising all events, implementing new programs, renovating old programs, carrying out any assignment designated by the Executive Board, and submitting semesterly reports to the Internal Vice President.

Section C: Each Committee shall hold a minimum of two (2) meetings per month to discuss upcoming events.

Section D: The Internal Vice President shall oversee the work of the Directors  and committees.

 

ARTICLE XII: Powers & Duties of Alumni

Section A: Alumni shall consist of a Board of Advisors and past members. The Board of Advisors will consist of the actual President and a selection of past officers of the organization. 

Section B: The Board of Advisors shall meet at least once a year and shall coordinate all alumni activities.

Section C: Alumni members shall be allowed voting rights, except during elections, and appropriation of funds.

 

ARTICLE XIII: Impeachment & Removal from Office

Section A: Grounds for impeachment of the officers of Club Creole shall be misfeasance, malfeasance, and nonfeasance.

Section B: Any officer shall be relieved of his/her duties by a 2/3 vote of the active membership for non-performance of duty and/or inappropriate use of administrative authority.

Section C: To initiate the removal of an officer, a member must submit a detailed written statement of the charges against the officer to the Faculty Advisor, and Secretary.  The Secretary shall then bring the statement to the attention of the Executive Board for discussion.  The officer shall be notified of the charges, and he/she  must submit a written statement to the Faculty Advisor and Secretary within a week in his/her defense or acceptance of the charges brought against him/her, and be placed on suspension by the President.  The motion shall be brought forth in front of the general membership for review and a vote.

Section D: Notification of the proceedings to remove and replace an officer shall be sent to all members two weeks prior to the designated voting time.

Section E: An Executive Board member shall provide two weeks written notice to the Executive Board if he/she desires to be relieved of their duties.

 

ARTICLE XIV: Membership in National, Regional and State Organizations

Section A: Club Creole reserves the right to join one state and/or national Haitian student organization, to be decided by the Executive Board.

 

ARTICLE XV: BY-LAWS, REGULATIONS & POLICIES

Section A: By-laws, regulations and policies not conflicting with any provisions of the Constitution shall be approved as defined in Article XVI, Section B.

Section B: Higher-numbered by-laws shall supersede lower-numbered by-laws that they pertain to. A higher-numbered by-law shall state which lower numbered by-law(s) it supersedes.

ARTICLE XVI: Amendments

Section A: All proposed amendments to this Constitution must be read at two consecutive meetings of Club Creole.

Section B: For passage, an amendment requires a majority vote on the first reading, and a 2/3 vote of the second reading by the general membership.

Section C: This Constitution shall take full effect upon approval by a majority vote on the first reading, a 2/3 vote on the second reading.

Section D: This Constitution, and any amendments thereafter, shall take full effect after approval from the Center for Student Involvement and Activities.

Section E: This Constitution must undergo a review at least every two years by Club Creole’s Executive Board.

Section F: This Constitution supersedes all previous constitutions of Club Creole and renders them null and void.

 

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