Salem Geographical Society — SGS

  Constitution

Preamble

We, the people of the world, are all passengers of this earth traveling through space and time. We are all neighbors bound to this spaceship, sharing the lands, the oceans, and the air. We also share beliefs, views, and cultures. All of these relations are more commonly known as geography. The purpose of this organization is to expand and pursue the academic field of Geography. This organization will academically explore the disciplines of Cartography, Geology, and other disciplines that deal with the geography of our spaceship earth. 

Article I – Name

This organization shall officially be named the “SALEM GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY”. “S.G.S”, or “SGS”, hence will serve as the acronyms used to represent the Salem Geographical Society, as well as its official name, in reference within this and other future documents pertaining to the Salem Geographical Society. 

Article II – Membership

Section 1.   All undergraduate day students enrolled at Salem State College shall be eligible for membership in the Salem Geographical Society.

Section 2.   Voting members shall be designed as those persons in Section 1 who sign a membership roster that will be posted on the SGS bulletin board outside the Geography department office at all times.

Section 3.   To maintain Voting privilege, members must attend at least two meetings of the S.G.S each semester.
a.  Roll call shall be taken at each meeting.
b. If extenuating circumstances arise and a voting member is not able to be present at a S.G.S. meeting; He/she may before the meeting notify the President verbally or in writing of his/her situation. The President will have sole power to excuse a person from a meeting, if the circumstances are deemed valid.
c. If a person is excused from a meeting his/her voting status will not be affected.
d. If the President is not present at the meeting then the Vice-President shall have the power to excuse a person from the meeting, if he/she deem the circumstances valid.

Section 4.   Faculty, staff, administration and alumni are all eligible for honorary membership in that S.G.S.
a. An honorary membership is that members may enjoy all activities of the S.G.S., but they are not allowed to vote in any elections or to serve as officers or advisors and will not be eligible for any students government funds.

Article III – Officers

Section 1.   The officers of the Salem Geographical Society shall be:
a. President
b. Vice-President
c. Treasurer
d. Secretary

Section 2.   The term of office for the officers of the Salem Geographical Society shall be from September of the regular academic year to May of the following year.

Section 3.   The officers shall be elected by a majority of the voting members of the Salem Geographic Society casting ballots at
the annual elections held no later then the second academic week in the month of April. 

Section 4.   Vacancies of offices with the exception of President, shall be filled by holding a special election within two (2) weeks of the date of vacancy. In the event the Presidency is vacant than the Vice President will assume the position.

Article IV – Executive Board

Section 1.   The Executive Board shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary. 

Section 2.   The Executive Board shall be empowered to recommend priorities for various projects and to plan activities for the Society. 
a. The Executive Board will meet regularly to plan and vote on activities and functions for the S.G.S.

Section 3.   The Executive Board shall appoint three advisors for the Society.
a. The advisors appointed by the Executive Board will not be allowed to vote on matters recommended by the  Executive Board, but can give input.
b. Advisors are not required to be present at every Executive Board meeting.
c. Advisors can not receive funding by S.G.S.

Article V – Meetings

Section 1.   Meetings shall be held at dates and times deemed appropriate by the Executive Board and shall be posted at least three (3) academic days in advance.
a. The S.G.S. shall meet at least twice a semester.

Section 2.   Special meetings of the Society shall be called by the President if requested by at least half plus one of all voting members of the Society.

Section 3.   A quorum for the conduct of official business shall consist of half plus one voting members of the Society.

Article VI – Impeachment, Sanctioning and Removal

Section 1.   Officers and/or advisors may be impeached on the basis of not fulfilling the purposes and policies of the Society as outlined in the Constitution and By-Laws. 

Section 2.   Impeachment proceedings may be initiated by any 5% voting members of the Salem Geographical Society who concurrently give notice to the President. If the President is being impeached notice shall be given to the Vice-President.

Section 3.   Upon formal notification the President (or Vices-President) shall nominate one member of the Executive Board and three (3) voting members of the Society to serve on an as-hoc committee of inquiry. No individual who is a party to the impeachment proceedings may serve on the ad-hoc committee.

Section 4.   If an advisor is being charged then notification shall come from the President or another advisor. Any individual who impeachment proceedings will act upon shall be given full notice of the allegations against him/her within forty-eight (48) hours of the allegations being filed in writing. He/She  shall have an opportunity to respond to them.
Section 5.   The ad-hoc committee of inquiry shall convene within three (3) weeks following initiation of impeachment proceeding. The accused individual is no required to be present at committee meetings but may do so in response to charges. 

Section 6.   The ad-hoc committee will investigate the allegations and determine the validity of the charges. Recommendations regarding sanctioning shall be based on a majority vote of the committee. The impeachment process will end if the committee fails to reach a majority in favor of the impeachment or if the charges are withdrawn.

Article VIII – Amendments

Section 1.   Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by voting members of the Society.

Section 2.   Two-thirds of the voting members present at a meeting shall be necessary to approve amendments to this constitution.

Section 3.   Amendments to this Constitution shall be recommended for approval to the Student Government Association and Student Activities Office.

Salem Geographical Society By-Laws

Articles I – Duties of Officers

Section 1.   The duties of the President shall be to:
a. Schedule and preside at all meetings.
b. Appoint assisting officers as necessary.
c. Appoint all temporary committees.
d. Keep all members informed of activities, events, etc. through notices, newsletters and bulletin boards.
e. Assume all extra responsibilities, which may arise during his/her tenure of office.
f. To notify the Student Government Association and the Student Activities Office of any changes in the Constitution and By-Laws as voted upon.
g. To assist the Treasurer with the development of the budget and sign financial documents.

Section 2.   The duties of the Vice-President shall be to:
a. Preside at meetings in the absence of th