Official Club Constitution

Ratified ______________________________

Matthew Morrissey (Convention Chair)

Connor Wolfarth (Sitting Club President)

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The Constitution of the Fairfield University College Republicans

Constitutional Convention Committee 2010-2011

Matthew Morrissey ’13 (Chair)

Connor Wolfarth ‘12

Greg Boornazian ‘11

Ray Lynch ‘11

Ben Franco ‘13

Preamble Founded in 1973, the Fairfield University College Republicans shall exist to promote both the fiscal and social conservative values that the greatest country in the world, the United States of America, was founded upon. Through fundraising and advocacy the Fairfield University College Republicans shall attempt to educate the campus community, students and faculty alike, about the Republican principles that club members hold dear. The Fairfield University College Republicans shall always work, in both words and actions, to embody, protect, and defend the laws laid down by our founding fathers in the United States Constitution.

Article I – Name Section 1 - This organization shall be named the “Fairfield University College Republicans”, and this title shall be written in the aforementioned fashion on all official club documents and correspondence.

Article II – Club Leadership Section 1 – Those chosen to lead the Fairfield University College Republicans shall be members of the “Board of Directors”. This board is tasked with managing and overseeing all facets of the club which are vital to the continuation, growth, and development, of the Fairfield University College Republicans.

Article III – Board of Directors Section 1 – The Board of Directors shall consist of the following positions: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Director of Operations, Director of Finance, and Director of Public Relations. Section 2 – Any member of the Fairfield University undergraduate student body that holds a position with the Connecticut Union of College Republicans

and/or with the College Republican National Committee shall be asked to attend Fairfield University College Republican Board of Directors meetings. However, these individuals are not required to attend and do not have a vote when club decisions, which require a voting procedure (Voting procedure guidelines found in: Article VIII – Section 3), are made by the Board of Directors.

Article IV – Responsibilities of Board of Directors Members Each member of the Board of Directors has specific responsibilities which are outlined in Article IV - Sections 1 through 5. Any additional responsibilities that arise over the course of a semester can be delegated amongst Board of Directors members on a voluntary basis or at the discretion of the Fairfield University College Republican Chairman. Section 1 – Chairman – The Chairman of the Fairfield University College Republicans shall serve as the primary figurehead of the club and shall provide oversight during the clubs meetings, events, and activities. The Chairman, although the holder of the preeminent position within the Board of Directors, is required to discuss major issues and club decisions with the entire Board of Directors before the decision is made. In the event of a tie among Board of Directors members on any given issue, the Chairman has the final say in regards to the dispute. Section 2 – Vice Chairman – The Vice-Chairman of the Fairfield University College Republicans must be capable of performing all duties tasked to the sitting Chairman and will be entrusted with these responsibilities in the event of the Chairman’s physical absence. The Vice-Chairman may also be assigned tasks pertaining to fundraising on behalf of the club and club sanctioned charities, as seen fit and at the discretion of the Chairman and/or Board of Directors. Section 3 – Director of Operations – The Director of Operations of the Fairfield University College Republicans shall be tasked with managing “day to day” operations of the club and will take point on orchestrating Fairfield University College Republican sanctioned events. In addition, the Director of Operations will work with students, faculty, and administration alike, to develop the operational capability of the Fairfield University College Republicans.

Section 4 – Director of Finance – The Director of Finance shall be tasked with keeping accurate records of all monies earned, distributed, donated, and paid. The Director of Finance shall be prepared to, and may be asked to, present a statement on the financial condition of the Fairfield University College Republicans at any given general meeting or Board of Directors meeting. The Director of Finance shall make no decisions regarding club monetary funds without the direct awareness of the Board of Directors. Section 5 – Director of Public Relations – The Director of Public Relations of the Fairfield University College Republicans shall be responsible for maintaining the image of the club, as well as working to provide material support and publicity for all sanctioned club events and meetings. The Director of Public Relations shall attempt to establish and maintain a working relationship with pertinent administrators and campus media outlets, as well as assure the clarity of the Fairfield University College Republicans message through merchandise and publicity.

Article V – Resignations, Line of Succession, and Removal of Club Leadership Section 1 – In the event that a member of the Board of Directors must resign from their position before the term has expired (Term guidelines found in: Article VIII – Section 2), the individual must submit a formal letter of resignation to the sitting Chairman. The Chairman must inform the Board of Directors of the resignation in a timely fashion. Section 2 – In the event of the resignation of a member of the Board of Directors, all responsibilities, initiatives, and titles shall be inherited by the Board of Directors member that is next in the line of succession. Official Fairfield University College Republicans Line of Succession 1. Chairman 2. Vice-Chairman 3. Director of Operations

4. Director of Finance 5. Director of Public Relations If a Board of Directors member does not wish to inherit the open position, the club officer that immediately follows in the line of succession may assume the vacant position. If a vacant position cannot be filled, the sitting Chairman must, in a timely fashion, conduct a special election, held in the same manner and following the same procedure as that which elected the sitting Board of Directors. If the Board of Directors can find no suitable replacement, responsibilities may be delegated to the remaining members of the Board of Directors. Section 3 – In the event that a member of the Board of Directors must be removed from their position for dereliction of duty, a member of the Board of Directors may levy this charge, in formal writing, and submit this to the sitting Chairman. The Chairman will in turn call a Board of Directors meeting at the earliest possible date and at this meeting will read the charges against the given member. The member in question must be given the opportunity to address the Board of Directors at this meeting, after which the Board of Directors will hold a vote (conducted via secret ballot and counted by the highest ranking club officer not in question) to determine the future of the club officer against whom the charges were levied. Votes regarding a member’s possible dereliction of duty are final and results of such a vote take effect immediately. Section 4 – A member of the Board of Directors that is found guilty of dereliction of duty and is removed from their post may not hold a position on the Board of Directors in any capacity for one academic year, beginning on the day of their removal. Article VI – Fairfield University College Republicans Members Section 1 – Any full time, actively enrolled, undergraduate student at Fairfield University may be a member of the Fairfield University College Republicans. It is highly encouraged that all members be registered to vote in the state of Connecticut or in their respective state of residence and it is highly recommended that club members have the labeled party affiliation of “Republican” on their voter registration. It is also expected that members attend club events whenever possible

and will assist as best they can throughout the school year with any and all club initiatives and programs.

Article VII – Meetings Section 1 – The Fairfield University College Republicans shall hold regular meetings, open to all regardless of membership status, and publicize the date, time, and location, so that any member of the Fairfield University campus community has the opportunity to attend. Section 2 – All members of the Board of Directors are required to attend all meetings. Each member of the Board of Directors will be expected to provide an update regarding their area of responsibility. Board of Directors members unable to attend must notify the Chairman and provide the Chairman with their weekly update to be shared at the meeting. Section 3 – The Chairman is expected to call weekly Board of Directors meetings, so that the club leadership is aware of all pertinent club information. Frequency of Board of Directors meetings may be altered based on the discretion of the sitting Chairman. Section 4 – The Chairman of the Fairfield University College Republicans is responsible for giving a “State of the Club” address, to be held during the second club meeting of the first semester in a given academic year. The Chairman’s “State of the Club” address must recap the clubs first semester work and assess the financial situation of the club, as well as provide an update on any upcoming initiatives and detail the clubs overall strategic plan.

Article VIII – Elections, Terms, and Voting Section 1 – Democratic styled voting shall be the process by which the Fairfield University College Republicans Board of Directors is elected. The election of the Board of Directors shall occur during the second to last club meeting of the second semester of the academic year. At the last meeting of the academic year, any outgoing Board of Directors members are permitted to address the club. Any

member of the Fairfield University College Republicans is permitted to run for a Board of Directors position. The Board of Directors election shall be held at an open, general club meeting with as many club members present as possible. Section 2 – All Board of Directors positions have a term limit of one academic year, meaning, at the end of each academic year, the Board of Directors, in its entirety, is up for reelection. There are no pre-requisites required to hold the positions of: Vice-Chairman, Director of Finance, Director of Operations, or Director of Public Relations, although, one full year of membership before holding a Board of Directors position is highly encouraged. To hold the position of Chairman one may not be a member of the current freshman class, and must have at least one year of service on the Board of Directors. Section 3 – All club business which requires an official voting procedure may be conducted by way of hand, or secret ballot. Official procedure for Board of Directors elections mandate that a secret ballot method be employed. The default voting procedure shall be by way of hand, unless the secret ballot method is requested by the minority party. The request for the implementation of a secondary method shall be honored unless the sitting Chairman, or the most senior ranking club officer presiding over the meeting, finds sufficient reason to deny the request.

Article IX – Constitutional Convention Section 1 – Any member of the Board of Directors has the ability to request a constitutional convention, and the request must be approved via typical voting procedure. After the request has been approved, a constitutional convention chair must be selected, by means which are at the discretion of the sitting club Chairman. The convention chair will form a constitutional convention committee, the process of composure being under their prescribed powers as convention chair. The convention chair will lead the review and revision process and will give an update at each meeting, if such an update is necessary or requested, throughout the entirety of the convention. After the review and revision process is completed the constitution must be approved by the constitutional convention committee and then by the sitting Board of Directors. After approval by both bodies the revised constitution goes into effect immediately. Until both bodies have approved the new

constitution, the existing constitution of the Fairfield University College Republicans is the supreme governing document. Section 2 – There will be no specific guidelines for how often a Constitutional Convention will be called by a member of the Board of Directors but it is highly recommended that every two years the Board of Directors review the constitution and determine if a convention is necessary.

Article X – Constitutional Interpretation Section 1 – Any questions regarding the official constitution of the Fairfield University College Republicans shall be brought to either the sitting Chairman and/or the last Chair of the constitutional convention, if a finite solution can not be reached, a solution can be found via typical voting procedure in a Board of Directors meeting.




Resolution No. 1 of the Fairfield University College Republican Constitution Sponsored By: Benjamin Franco, Director of Public Relations Dated: November 14, 2011 Passage: November 16, 2011 Whereas Article VIII, Section 2 of the Official Constitution of the Fairfield University College Republicans reads “To hold the position of Chairman, one may not be a member of the current freshman class, and must have at least one year of service on the Board of Directors”, the rules shall be suspended if by majority vote the Board of Directors chooses to do so on an individual basis. The non-qualified candidate must be exceptionally accomplished within the club and make their case before the Board of Directors before a vote is held. If the individual is already a voting member of the Board of Directors, they are to recues themselves from the vote to avoid a conflict of interest. Any other members of the Board of Directors who are also running for Chairman must also recues themselves to avoid a conflict of interest. In the event of a tie, the sitting faculty advisor of the club will cast the tie-breaking vote.