Russian Club Constitution
ARTICLE I - NAME
This organization shall be called the Russian Club (Rouskayeh Obschestva) of Muhlenberg College.
ARTICLE I I - PURPOSE
The function of the Russian Club shall be to encourage and support all Russian-related studies and interests and to help acquaint students with the Russian language, culture, history, and way of life. It is the view of the Russian Club that such studies will create interest in and understanding of the peoples and policies of Russia.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Any student of Muhlenberg College who is involved in, or interested in, the Russian Studies program may become a member of the Russian Club.
Members of the Russian Club are required to observe the objective of the club, to attend meetings as often as possible, and to participate in the programs in accordance with their abilities to do so. These shall be known as active members with full voting rights.
Club activities, however, are open to all members of the Muhlenberg College community.
Matters concerning the Russian Club will be decided by a majority of the members present.
ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS
There shall be a president, a vice-president, a secretary, and a treasurer.
ARTICLE V - DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1. The duties of the President shall be...
a. to preside at all meetings
b. to represent the club on all occasions
c. to be an ex-officio member of all committees
d. to designate the time and place of meetings
e. to provide current constitution and updated list of officers to the Student Council and Dean of Students Office
Section 2. The duties of the Vice-president shall be...
a. to have the powers of the President in his/her absence
b. to coordinate committees on the request of the President
c. to be an ex-officio member of all committees
Section 3. The duties of the Treasurer shall be...
a. to keep records of all money collected and expended
b. to report financial standing at regular meetings and at the request of Student Council
c. to pay all expenses on the treasury which have been approved and signed by the President and the Treasurer
d. to preside at meetings at which the President and Vice-president are absent
e. to act as primary liaison to the Student Council Finance Committee, coordinate preparation and submission of semesterly or annual budget, and attend allocation interviews
Section 4. The duties of the Secretary shall be...
a. to keep an accurate written record of all meetings
b. to conduct all official correspondence
c. to keep a record of attendance
d. to preside at meetings at which the above officers are absent
ARTICLE VI - BY-LAWS
A. Terms of Office
Officers of the Russian Club shall be elected in April or May for a term of one year, effective upon election. B. Qualifications for Office
In order to qualify for office, a candidate must be a member of the club. A vacancy in any office shall be filled by a special election called by the officers. C. Elections
Nominations for candidate shall be from the floor, from active members and advisor(s). Elections shall be called for by the Executive Council c.f. ARTICLE VII. Elections shall occur no less than one week after public notice of intended voting through the media available at Muhlenberg College. In addition, members will be notified of intended voting through campus mail.
The President of the Russian Club will vote only in the case of a tie and at no other time. In the event that any candidate fails to attain a majority, the tow nominees receiving the highest number of votes shall be voted upon. Elections shall be held in the order in which the offices are listed in ARTICLE V, with all voting to be completed at one meeting.
ARTICLE VII - THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
The Executive Council shall be the administrative power of the club and shall consist of the officers and the advisor(s) of the club.
ARTICLE VIII - AMENDMENTS
Amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Club shall be made in a specially called meeting of the Russian Club. This meeting must be called for in accordance with ARTICLE IX but, unlike a regular meeting, it may be requested by a majority of the members of the Russian Club. In such a case, the Executive Council must schedule the special meeting.
Amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Club require a two-thirds majority of the members of Russian Club to become effective. In such cases they will become effective immediately upon passing, following the approval of Student Council.
ARTICLE IX - MEETINGS
Regular meetings of the Russian Club will be called by the Executive Council. They will be held three times a semester. Public notice will be made via the media available at Muhlenberg College, and the members will be notified by campus mail at least one week prior to the intended meeting.
ARTICLE X - FINANCES
Each year the Executive Council shall submit a budget to the members of the club. A majority vote of active members present shall be required for the passage of the budget, which is then subject to the approval of Student Council.
