HOW TO PREPARE A CONSTITUTION

The following has been prepared to assist you in writing a constitution for your new organization. You may choose to follow another specific format. To be recognized by the student governments, however, you must include articles that contain the information found in articles I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, and X.

Article I: The name of the organization is stated in article I. Be descriptive to promote campus community awareness of the organization. In all cases, it is wise to check with the Office of Campus Life to see if the name is already registered with another organization.

Article II: This consists of a few sentences outlining the purpose of the organization. The organizations’ goals and meaning are the most important part of the campus community. Clearly defined purposes help to increase active membership.

Article III: Qualifications for membership should be stated here. Membership should be limited to those people officially connected with the university community. Membership may be "open" (anyone can join) or "selective" (membership is limited and/or voted upon). Only clubs that are open in membership can receive funding from SGA. This article is also an appropriate place to elaborate on the amount of annual dues and the specific terms of payment (monthly, yearly, etc.).

Article IV: This article specifies the organization’s officers and their duties. The number and types of each office will vary in each organization, but all organizations must have at least a president/chairperson and a treasurer. Many will also have a vice-president and a secretary. Be specific as to their duties; do not be vague. This is very important in order to avoid future procedural problems. Many organizations have become inactive because of disputes about unclear responsibility. Also, specify any qualifications necessary for each office (year in school, GPA, minimum membership time in the organization, etc.).

Article V: Any committees that are a permanent function of the organization should be specified with the chairperson’s duties. It may be stated whether the chair sits on the organization’s executive board. Such committees may include membership, newsletter, or publicity.

Article VI: A traditional constitution sets definite rules and procedures for elections in this article. Article IV has already established who can run for an office. Specify a definite procedure for filling, nomination, election and percentage of membership votes necessary for electoral validity appeals. You may want to have elections in the spring. This insures people will be there in the fall, and it gives the officers time to plan and have events ready for the fall.

Article VII: Every student organization is required to have a full-time faculty or full-time staff advisor. The nomination and selection procedure should be specified as well as the removal process.

Article VIII: This article specifies procedures for removal from office. The benefit of this is to give the organization an escape clause for ineffective, incompetent, or unethical officers. Most organizations require a 2/3 majority vote for removal of an officer.

Article IX: Because an organization must change in accordance with the environment and community, this article permits the constitution to be amended. As in case of impeachment, a 2/3 majority vote is usually implemented for amendment ratification.

Article X: This final article specifies the procedure for the initial ratification of the constitution by the organization itself. If all procedures have been followed as outlined, there should be no difficulty in gaining the approval of a usual 2/3 majority vote of members in the organization.

For help in the creation of your constitution, feel free to contact Sean Adams in the Office of Campus Activities at sadams@msmary.edu