E-Board Nominees for the 2014-2015 School Year
ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD APRIL 8TH, 2014 IN WELLS HALL ROOM B106 AT 7:30 P.M.
EFFS BYLAWS
This Constitution contains the fundamental principles that govern the Ecological Food and Farm Stewardship Club. It serves to clarify the purpose of the club and delineate the basic operating structure. It also allows members and potential members to have a better understanding of what the organization is about. The document should be reviewed and reevaluated periodically.
ARTICLE I. NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1. The official name of this organization shall be “Ecological Food and Farm Stewardship Club”. Among individuals familiar with the club, it is simply referred to as “EFFS” or “EFFS Club”.
Section 2. EFFS Club is an inclusive group of undergraduate and graduate students striving to cultivate sustainable, local food and community. As an organization, EFFS creates opportunities for students to engage with sustainable agriculture and food.
ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Requirements for Membership
a. Any MSU student may be a member. In addition, members of the public are welcome to attend EFFS events.
b. There are no specific membership requirements and membership dues are prohibited.
c. The organization will not discriminate on the basis of age, color, gender, gender identity, disability status, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or weight.
Section 2. Right to Vote
Members who have attended three EFFS Club events since the beginning of the fall semester, and are in good standing, have the right to vote. Members will be considered in good standing with the organization if financial obligations have been paid and social commitments have been upheld. Only MSU undergraduate students may hold office, but both graduate and undergraduate students may be voting members.
ARTICLE III. OFFICERS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD (“E-board”)
Section 1. Titles and Terms
a. The E-board will consist of five elected positions: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Public Relations Coordinator. The persons holding these positions will be known individually as officers and collectively as the E-board.
b. Each officer will serve in his or her position for one year. Elected individuals will assume office at the Spring Transition Retreat.
c. An officer may serve multiple terms, either consecutively or non-consecutively, and in the same position or different positions.
d. No individual may hold multiple positions at one time.
Section 2. Nomination and Election Process
The nomination and election processes will occur during the Spring semester. Nominations will occur on the last Tuesday of March and elections will occur on the first Tuesday in April. The E-board reserves the right to alter these dates if necessary, provided: nominations will occur after spring break and elections will occur on or before the second Tuesday in April. All members must be made aware of these date changes three weeks prior to the deadline of nominations.
Only members that meet the requirements of Article II Section II are eligible to vote or accept nominations.
Nominations
a. Nominations will occur on or about the last Tuesday in March. Prior to opening nominations, descriptions of officer positions and duties will be read aloud.
b. Additional nominations should be made by email to the Secretary and Vice President by the Friday of that week.
c. Members may nominate themselves or another member, to one or multiple positions.
d. A nominee may only accept nominations for two positions.
e. An individual may not accept nomination if he or she knowingly will be unable to serve the required term, for any reason. (Example: Study Abroad)
f. Each nominee will be notified by the Secretary of his or her nomination(s) within 24 hours of being nominated. If the nominee chooses to accept, he or she will submit a short bio to the Secretary by Sunday of the nomination week.
g. On the following Tuesday, candidate bios will be presented for general members to review in advance of the election. Bios shall be posted on the club website to be made available to all members.
Elections
a. Elections will occur by anonymous paper ballot one week following the announcement of candidates. Candidates will first give speeches according to position in the following order: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, P.R. Officer. Votes will be cast for each position immediately following speeches by candidates for that position.
b. Members must vote in person at the election meeting. There will be neither online nor absentee voting of any kind. Voting rights are defined in Article II Section 2.
c. Ballots will be provided, counted, and recorded by the club advisor. Results will be announced after votes have been cast for all five offices. Ballots cast for each position are available for review by any member upon request, following the conclusion of the voting meeting.
d. If an individual is elected to two offices, he or she must accept election to one office. A new vote will take place for the other office. The individual will be removed from the ballot, and no new candidates may be added.
e. All chosen candidates must accept or refuse election to office. If an elected candidate should refuse, he or she will be removed from the ballot and another vote will be taken for that office.
Section 3. Duties
Each officer of the Executive Board is required to have read the EFFS Club Bylaws and the Student Organization Handbook. A hard copy of these two documents must be retained in the officer’s binder. Officers must also make every attempt to understand any and all regulations established by MSU Student Life, Michigan State University, and other regulatory bodies that may pertain to the club’s activities. Officers may be absent from no more than two meetings per semester.
Each officer shall: perform the position duties and delegate as necessary; communicate effectively with club and E-board; properly represent EFFS; and create and update officer position binders.
1. President
The duties of the President shall be as follows: act as the face of the club; coordinate with the VP on the strategic vision; attend all regularly scheduled meetings; create an agenda for each meeting with the help of the Vice President; serve as liaison to committees and E-board members to help them carry out their duties; file registration documents and APF forms; communicate with the faculty advisor; work with committees and E-board to program semester calendar; delegate additional duties to E-board as needed; conduct monthly meetings with advisor including updates over the summer; to understand and follow all regulations as set forth for MSU Registered Student Organizations.
2.Vice President
If for any reason the President is unable to perform his or her duties, the Vice President will perform all Presidential duties. The Vice President is also responsible for collaborating with the President to make decisions regarding meeting agenda planning. The V.P. shall manage the blog and ensure that each member of the E-board contributes at least one blog post per semester. The Vice President shall also carry out other assignments the President or club may request.
3. Secretary
The secretary is responsible for recording meeting minutes and storing them on google drive. The secretary shall manage online databases such as: LISTSERV, email inbox, and drop box; take attendance at meetings; and manage bylaws updates and amendments. He or she shall also carry out other assignments the President or club may request.
4. Treasurer
The Treasurer is responsible for fundraising, budgeting, and communicating with ASMSU. The Treasurer is responsible for member reimbursement for club expenditures. He or she shall manage accounts at MSUFCU and collect and handle money at any events. The treasurer is in charge of spending done by other E-board members who wish to be reimbursed for expenses, and carrying out other assignments the President or E-board may request.
The PR Coordinator shall manage the club’s Facebook page, website, and bulletin board. The PR Coordinator is also a media contact for newspapers, and similar institutions. He or she is also responsible for crafting flyers and handouts for the club and collecting photos from events. The P.R. Coordinator is also responsible for carrying out any other assignments the President or club may request.
Section 4. Officer Removals
An officer may be removed from office if he or she intentionally or repeatedly exhibits conduct detrimental to EFFS Club. All other officers and the advisor must agree to remove the individual from office, by unanimous vote. If a unanimous vote is not reached, as in the case of collusion, a vote may be taken by the general membership; this issue is brought to a vote if three of the four voting officers, or two of the voting officers and the advisor, wish to do so.
ARTICLE IV: FACULTY ADVISOR ROLE
The duties of the Advisor shall be as follows: to ensure that the club maintains a professional image and follows university regulations as established for Registered Student Organizations; to have frequent and substantial association with this chapter, its members and officers, so as to be a source of guidance, counsel, and objectivity in its day-to-day functions, as solicited by the club; to meet once monthly with the club President and maintain communication with the President as a link to the E-board; and to provide institutional knowledge as needed.
ARTICLE V: OPERATING PROCEDURES
Section 1: Meetings
Section 2: Rules of Order
Section 3: Committees
ARTICLE VI. AMENDMENTS
Due to the infancy of our by-laws, we expect some changes will be necessary in the coming months. For this reason, the E-board will be permitted to make changes to the by-laws without formal amendments until September 30th, 2014 (i.e. Article VI takes effect on September 30, 2014).
Section 1. Proposal: Amendments can be proposed by any voting member or E-board officer by a written document.
Section 2. Creation: The proposal must be signed by five voting members before it is brought before the E-board. The E-board shall then review the document to assess how it will affect the club and decide on a date that it shall be presented to the general assembly. The Secretary shall prepare the presentation of the amendment in a non-biased manner to the club.
Section 3. Approval: The amendment will pass with a two-thirds vote of all members in attendance, including E-board members. The amendment will be effective immediately and it is the responsibility of the Secretary to update the by-laws within 24 hours.
This Constitution contains the fundamental principles that govern the Ecological Food and Farm Stewardship Club. It serves to clarify the purpose of the club and delineate the basic operating structure. It also allows members and potential members to have a better understanding of what the organization is about. The document should be reviewed and reevaluated periodically.
ARTICLE I. NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1. The official name of this organization shall be “Ecological Food and Farm Stewardship Club”. Among individuals familiar with the club, it is simply referred to as “EFFS” or “EFFS Club”.
Section 2. EFFS Club is an inclusive group of undergraduate and graduate students striving to cultivate sustainable, local food and community. As an organization, EFFS creates opportunities for students to engage with sustainable agriculture and food.
ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Requirements for Membership
a. Any MSU student may be a member. In addition, members of the public are welcome to attend EFFS events.
b. There are no specific membership requirements and membership dues are prohibited.
c. The organization will not discriminate on the basis of age, color, gender, gender identity, disability status, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or weight.
Section 2. Right to Vote
Members who have attended three EFFS Club events since the beginning of the fall semester, and are in good standing, have the right to vote. Members will be considered in good standing with the organization if financial obligations have been paid and social commitments have been upheld. Only MSU undergraduate students may hold office, but both graduate and undergraduate students may be voting members.
ARTICLE III. OFFICERS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD (“E-board”)
Section 1. Titles and Terms
a. The E-board will consist of five elected positions: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Public Relations Coordinator. The persons holding these positions will be known individually as officers and collectively as the E-board.
b. Each officer will serve in his or her position for one year. Elected individuals will assume office at the Spring Transition Retreat.
c. An officer may serve multiple terms, either consecutively or non-consecutively, and in the same position or different positions.
d. No individual may hold multiple positions at one time.
Section 2. Nomination and Election Process
The nomination and election processes will occur during the Spring semester. Nominations will occur on the last Tuesday of March and elections will occur on the first Tuesday in April. The E-board reserves the right to alter these dates if necessary, provided: nominations will occur after spring break and elections will occur on or before the second Tuesday in April. All members must be made aware of these date changes three weeks prior to the deadline of nominations.
Only members that meet the requirements of Article II Section II are eligible to vote or accept nominations.
Nominations
a. Nominations will occur on or about the last Tuesday in March. Prior to opening nominations, descriptions of officer positions and duties will be read aloud.
b. Additional nominations should be made by email to the Secretary and Vice President by the Friday of that week.
c. Members may nominate themselves or another member, to one or multiple positions.
d. A nominee may only accept nominations for two positions.
e. An individual may not accept nomination if he or she knowingly will be unable to serve the required term, for any reason. (Example: Study Abroad)
f. Each nominee will be notified by the Secretary of his or her nomination(s) within 24 hours of being nominated. If the nominee chooses to accept, he or she will submit a short bio to the Secretary by Sunday of the nomination week.
g. On the following Tuesday, candidate bios will be presented for general members to review in advance of the election. Bios shall be posted on the club website to be made available to all members.
Elections
a. Elections will occur by anonymous paper ballot one week following the announcement of candidates. Candidates will first give speeches according to position in the following order: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, P.R. Officer. Votes will be cast for each position immediately following speeches by candidates for that position.
b. Members must vote in person at the election meeting. There will be neither online nor absentee voting of any kind. Voting rights are defined in Article II Section 2.
c. Ballots will be provided, counted, and recorded by the club advisor. Results will be announced after votes have been cast for all five offices. Ballots cast for each position are available for review by any member upon request, following the conclusion of the voting meeting.
d. If an individual is elected to two offices, he or she must accept election to one office. A new vote will take place for the other office. The individual will be removed from the ballot, and no new candidates may be added.
e. All chosen candidates must accept or refuse election to office. If an elected candidate should refuse, he or she will be removed from the ballot and another vote will be taken for that office.
Section 3. Duties
Each officer of the Executive Board is required to have read the EFFS Club Bylaws and the Student Organization Handbook. A hard copy of these two documents must be retained in the officer’s binder. Officers must also make every attempt to understand any and all regulations established by MSU Student Life, Michigan State University, and other regulatory bodies that may pertain to the club’s activities. Officers may be absent from no more than two meetings per semester.
Each officer shall: perform the position duties and delegate as necessary; communicate effectively with club and E-board; properly represent EFFS; and create and update officer position binders.
1. President
The duties of the President shall be as follows: act as the face of the club; coordinate with the VP on the strategic vision; attend all regularly scheduled meetings; create an agenda for each meeting with the help of the Vice President; serve as liaison to committees and E-board members to help them carry out their duties; file registration documents and APF forms; communicate with the faculty advisor; work with committees and E-board to program semester calendar; delegate additional duties to E-board as needed; conduct monthly meetings with advisor including updates over the summer; to understand and follow all regulations as set forth for MSU Registered Student Organizations.
2.Vice President
If for any reason the President is unable to perform his or her duties, the Vice President will perform all Presidential duties. The Vice President is also responsible for collaborating with the President to make decisions regarding meeting agenda planning. The V.P. shall manage the blog and ensure that each member of the E-board contributes at least one blog post per semester. The Vice President shall also carry out other assignments the President or club may request.
3. Secretary
The secretary is responsible for recording meeting minutes and storing them on google drive. The secretary shall manage online databases such as: LISTSERV, email inbox, and drop box; take attendance at meetings; and manage bylaws updates and amendments. He or she shall also carry out other assignments the President or club may request.
4. Treasurer
The Treasurer is responsible for fundraising, budgeting, and communicating with ASMSU. The Treasurer is responsible for member reimbursement for club expenditures. He or she shall manage accounts at MSUFCU and collect and handle money at any events. The treasurer is in charge of spending done by other E-board members who wish to be reimbursed for expenses, and carrying out other assignments the President or E-board may request.
- The treasurer is required to organize no less than two fundraising events each semester.
- The treasurer is responsible for purchasing and storing all materials used at meetings.
- The sale of promotional material (e.g. T-shirts, pins, stickers, etc), created by the PR coordinator, shall be the responsibility of the treasurer.
- The treasurer is responsible for providing food at all-member meetings and budgeting accordingly.
The PR Coordinator shall manage the club’s Facebook page, website, and bulletin board. The PR Coordinator is also a media contact for newspapers, and similar institutions. He or she is also responsible for crafting flyers and handouts for the club and collecting photos from events. The P.R. Coordinator is also responsible for carrying out any other assignments the President or club may request.
- The PR Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that EFFS is represented at Sparticipation.
- The PR Coordinator shall create Facebook events for all irregularly scheduled events no less than two weeks prior to each event.
- The PR Coordinator is responsible for designing or finding a design for t-shirts to be sold at the first regularly scheduled general meeting and stocked throughout the semester based on demand.
Section 4. Officer Removals
An officer may be removed from office if he or she intentionally or repeatedly exhibits conduct detrimental to EFFS Club. All other officers and the advisor must agree to remove the individual from office, by unanimous vote. If a unanimous vote is not reached, as in the case of collusion, a vote may be taken by the general membership; this issue is brought to a vote if three of the four voting officers, or two of the voting officers and the advisor, wish to do so.
ARTICLE IV: FACULTY ADVISOR ROLE
The duties of the Advisor shall be as follows: to ensure that the club maintains a professional image and follows university regulations as established for Registered Student Organizations; to have frequent and substantial association with this chapter, its members and officers, so as to be a source of guidance, counsel, and objectivity in its day-to-day functions, as solicited by the club; to meet once monthly with the club President and maintain communication with the President as a link to the E-board; and to provide institutional knowledge as needed.
ARTICLE V: OPERATING PROCEDURES
Section 1: Meetings
- “E-board Meetings”: E-board meetings will be held on a weekly basis at a specific, regular time and place, agreed upon by all E-board members prior to each semester. Additional meetings shall be planned as needed.
- The President shall create a meeting agenda with the help of the Vice President, to be submitted to other E-board members no less than two days before the meeting. Officers will have 24 hours to suggest changes and additions to meeting agendas. E-board officers must propose additions or changes to the agenda 24 hours prior to the meeting and the President and Vice President must make every effort to include the change in the final agenda.
- E-board officers may miss only two officer meetings each semester.
- “General Meetings”: General meetings shall be held on a weekly basis at the same time and location unless otherwise specified. No more than two times per semester may general member meetings be canceled.
- General meeting agendas will be finalized no later than the E-board meeting preceding each week’s meeting.
- Food shall be provided at each meeting, coordinated and budgeted by the Treasurer.
- The Secretary shall send out a listserv email reminding members of the meeting with a rough agenda no later than 2 days in advance.
- E-board members may miss only two all-member meetings each semester.
- Officer Retreats: All E-board members are required to attend an officer retreat held once a semester. Time and place may change, but officer retreats should last no less than 4 hours. Club funds may be used to provide food. A main focus of the Spring Retreat should be transitioning the E-board.
Section 2: Rules of Order
- Decision Making: Decisions will be made among E-board member by consensus. Should a stalemate be reached in discussion in which a compromise can not be reached, the decision shall be made by a majority vote. E-board members may not abstain from a vote.
Section 3: Committees
- Committees may be formed to carry out work that is endorsed by the club members and the E-board, but is beyond the organizational capacity of the E-board. Committees give non-office holders the opportunity to lead and accomplish meaningful work for the club. Any individual who wishes to orchestrate a specific event or series of events may present his or her idea to the E-board. If the E-board votes in favor of the proposed project, the individual will be named the leader of that committee and responsible for executing the plan.
ARTICLE VI. AMENDMENTS
Due to the infancy of our by-laws, we expect some changes will be necessary in the coming months. For this reason, the E-board will be permitted to make changes to the by-laws without formal amendments until September 30th, 2014 (i.e. Article VI takes effect on September 30, 2014).
Section 1. Proposal: Amendments can be proposed by any voting member or E-board officer by a written document.
Section 2. Creation: The proposal must be signed by five voting members before it is brought before the E-board. The E-board shall then review the document to assess how it will affect the club and decide on a date that it shall be presented to the general assembly. The Secretary shall prepare the presentation of the amendment in a non-biased manner to the club.
Section 3. Approval: The amendment will pass with a two-thirds vote of all members in attendance, including E-board members. The amendment will be effective immediately and it is the responsibility of the Secretary to update the by-laws within 24 hours.