Constitution of the Joint Senate of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societes
1. Official Name
2. Latin and English
Motto
3.
Purpose/Philosophy
1. Classes of
Membership
2. Membership Status
3. Active Membership
4. Inactivity
5. What defines
Suspended Status?
6. Effects of
Suspended
Status/Reinstatement
7. What defines Lapsed
Status?
8. Effects of Lapsed
Status/Reinstatement
9. Notification of
Suspended/Lapsed
Status
10. Definition of
Student Membership
11. No Petitioning in
Final Semester
12. Associate
Membership
13. Alumnus Membership
14. Faculty Membership
15. Honorary Membership
16. Alumni/Honorary
restrictions
17. Alumni Senators
becoming Student
Members
18. Alumni/Honorary
becoming Associate
Members
19. If Alumni/Honorary
becomes active,
they retain prior status
20. Student/Associate
Member implies
Associate/Student Member
21. Requirements for
Membership
22. Di’s to the West,
Phi’s to the East
23. Secret Induction
Ceremony and
Petitioner’s Executive Sessions
1. Succession of
Officers
2. Voting Procedure
3. President
4. President Pro
Tempore
5. Critic
6. Clerk
7. Treasurer
8. Sergeant-At-Arms
9. Historian
10. Eligibility for
Joint Senate Offices
1. Definition of ‘two
sessions’
2. Meetings held once
a week
3. One debate between
societies, one with
outside speakers (if possible)
4. Executive sessions
5. Last meeting of
each session
6. Attendance of
visitors
7. Special meetings
8. Additional business
meetings
1. Executive Committee
(members)
2. Executive Committee
(duties)
3. List of standing
committees
4. Membership Committee
5. Program Committee
6.
Social
Committee
7. Finance Committee
8. Constitution
Committee
9. Special Committees
1. Handling of checks
2. Dues of membership
3. Non-payment of dues
4. Long-term
outstanding debts
5. Finance Committee’s
audit
VII. Fines, Censure, Impeachment,
and Expulsion
1. Indecent behavior
2. Grounds for
impeachment
3. Censure
4. Bill of impeachment
5. Trial for
impeachment
6. Bill of expulsion
7. Trial for expulsion
8. Readmission after
expulsion
9. Proceedings for 3,
5, and 8 to be
secret
VIII.
Resolutions and Legislation
1. Societies may pass
legislation
2. Internal
resolutions and bills
1. Possibility of
Summer Sessions
2. Election of officers
3. Summer is one term
4. Usage of funds
5. Restrictions of
Summer Session
1. Definition
1. Petitioning for
diploma
2. Vote on petition
3.
Prior members
may petition
4. Fees for diploma
1. Standard Method
2. Validity of proxy
votes
3. Nature of proxy
votes
4. Counting of proxies
5. Attendance and
voting on major issues
6. Requirements for
voting on a
petitioner
1. Definition
1. Collective Name
2. Societal Laws
3. Offices of separate
Societies
4. Dissolving the
Joint Senate
5. If resolution of
dissolution passes
1. Robert’s Rules of
Order
1. Procedure
1. Constitution
becomes law
Preamble
WE, the members of the Dialectic and Philanthropic
Societies, in order to promote the ideals of our Societies; namely
to stimulate and advance interest in parliamentary
discussion,
to encourage public speaking, culture, and the
arts,
to facilitate a free interchange of ideas,
to encourage rational thought,
to promote the welfare of the University of North
Carolina
at Chapel Hill, and
to promote the study of the history of this
University,
do ordain and establish this Constitution for the Joint Senate of the
Dialectic
and Philanthropic Societies.
1. This organization shall be known as the Joint
Senate of
the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies at the
2. The motto of the Joint Senate shall be "Ad
Virtute, Libertatem, Scientiamque", which, in English, means "Towards
Virtue,
3. The purpose and philosophy of the Societies
shall be
defined as the diligent pursuance by all members of the ideals in the
Preamble
of this Constitution. No philosophy inconsistent with these ideals can
be
considered the philosophy of the Societies.
Article II. Membership
1. There shall be five classes of membership:
student,
associate, alumnus, faculty, and honorary. Student and associate
members are
subject to further classification as active, inactive, suspended, or
lapsed.
2. Membership in the Societies is permanent except
in the
cases of resignation, expulsion, expiration of lapsed membership, or
graduation
while lapsed.
3. Active membership shall entitle the member to
vote and
participate in all matters concerning the Societies except as provided
elsewhere in this Constitution, as well as to hold the title of Senator
of the
Societies, and shall carry with it the requirements of attendance at
all
regular meetings, payment of all dues, payment of all outstanding
fines, and
other duties as this Constitution, the By-Laws, and the Societies shall
determine.
4. An active member who desires inactive
membership shall
petition the Societies, showing good cause for the request. Upon
acceptance of
the petition by a majority vote, the member shall be reclassified as an
inactive member, for a period of one regular session or as specified in
the
vote. At the end of this term of inactive membership, the member shall
be
reclassified as active.
5. Any member who is absent without a valid excuse
for
three consecutive regular meetings shall be declared suspended, and
shall be
notified of this action. An excuse shall be considered valid only if it
is
presented in writing and accepted at the discretion of the chair, and
shall be
valid for one meeting only.
6. An inactive or suspended member may attend
meetings and
participate in all proceedings of the Societies, save that he shall not
be
eligible to vote or hold office. The member will be reinstated to
active status
following formal announcement of appropriate intentions to the
Societies at any
regular meeting. A suspended member shall be requested to show good
cause why
he should not be fined or otherwise disciplined for his extended
absence.
7. Any member who has been suspended during a
regular
session of the Societies and who has attended fewer than three regular
meetings
in that session shall be reclassified as lapsed at the final meeting of
that
session, unless this declaration is over-ridden by a two-thirds
majority vote
at that meeting. The President, with a two-thirds majority vote, has
the
discretion to move any Senator in suspension into lapsed status.
8. A lapsed member shall retain only the right to
petition
for restoration of active status, showing good cause for the request,
at any
regular meeting of the regular session immediately following that in
which his
membership became lapsed. This petition shall be approved by standing
vote, a
simple majority being necessary for approval. At the end of this
session,
lapsed membership shall expire, and the expired member shall no longer
be a
member of the Societies. Afterwards, this person may reapply for
admission to
the Societies, being required to again fulfill all minimum requirements
for
admission as if he had never been a member. Should an expired member be
readmitted, the normal procedure shall be followed, save that he shall
not
again go through the induction ceremony.
9. All suspended members shall be notified at the
middle
and at the end of each regular session of their suspended status. All
lapsed
members shall be advised of the time remaining before the expiration of
their
memberships at the middle of each regular session. All active,
inactive, or
suspended members who have not attended three regular meetings of a
regular
session shall be so informed before the third-to-last regular meeting
of that
session. Failure to so notify members, however, does not nullify their
suspension, lapsing, or expiration; it is the responsibility of each
member to
attend meetings of the Societies or to present a proper excuse.
10. Any student of the University shall be
eligible for
student membership in the Societies. A student wishing such status
shall
fulfill all requirements for active membership and shall then have all
the
rights, privileges, and responsibilities thereof.
11. Petitions for student membership shall not be
heard or
accepted in the final semester of a graduating student's enrollment at
the
University, unless the petitioner will continue coursework at the
University in
the following term. In the event that the petitioner plans to graduate
during
either summer session, the spring semester shall be considered the
Petitioner's
final semester.
12. Any person who is neither a student nor a
member of
the faculty of the University shall be eligible for associate
membership in the
Societies. A person wishing such status shall fulfill all requirements
for
active membership and shall then have all rights, privileges, and
responsibilities thereof, except the right to hold office or to vote on
amendments to the Constitution.
13. Any active, inactive, or suspended members of
the
Societies shall become alumni members upon receipt of a diploma from
the
Societies.
14. Any member of the University faculty shall be
eligible
for faculty membership in the Societies. A member of the faculty who
petitions
the Societies and is accepted by standing vote of a majority of the
active
members present shall become a faculty member of the Societies. Faculty
membership shall entitle the member to the title of Senator of the
Societies,
and to vote and participate in all matters concerning the Societies,
save the
right to hold office or to vote on election of officers, approval of
new
members, or amendments to the Constitution. It shall carry with it the
requirements of attendance at a minimum of four meetings during a
session,
payment of all dues, and other duties as this Constitution, the
By-Laws, and
the Societies shall determine.
15. Honorary membership may be conferred by the
Societies
upon any worthy person who is not a registered student in the
University. This
shall be done by unanimous concurrence of the members present at two
consecutive regular meetings of the Societies.
16. Alumni and honorary members may attend
meetings and
may participate in debates and discussions; they may not vote or hold
office in
the Societies.
17. Any alumnus member who continues coursework at
the
University, or returns to the University after graduation, may petition
the
Societies for active student membership and shall become active one
week
following the acceptance of the petition by a majority vote of the
Societies.
18. Any alumnus or honorary member who is not a
student at
the University, but wishes to participate in the Societies, may
petition the
Societies for active associate membership at any regular meeting and
shall
become active one week following the acceptance of the petition by a
majority
vote of the Societies.
19. Any alumnus or honorary member who attains
active
status in this way shall remain, respectively, an alumnus or honorary
member,
even though the member also holds the status of active student or
associate
membership and all the rights and duties this entails. Should
circumstances
require such a member to become inactive, upon formal presentation of
this
request to the Societies the member shall revert to his former status
as an
alumnus or honorary member. Should such a member be classified as
suspended,
his status shall revert in the same way.
20. Should a student member find that his studies
at the
University are interrupted, for graduation or any other reason, so that
he is
no longer eligible to be a student member, he may petition for
associate
membership and shall become an associate member upon the acceptance of
his
petition by a majority vote. If an associate member enrolls in or
returns to
the University as a student, thus becoming ineligible for associate
membership,
he shall be given student membership. In either case, his
classification as
active, inactive, suspended, or lapsed shall remain unchanged. If an
active
member, no longer being a student, finds that he cannot attend the
meetings of
the Societies, he may petition for inactive status in the usual way,
and the
Societies are encouraged to grant it. If a student member leaves the
University
without being granted alumnus or associate status, he shall expire at
the end
of that semester.
21. The requirements for membership other than
honorary or
faculty shall be (1) an original, oral presentation to the Societies,
(2)
attendance of at least three meetings of the Societies, (3) sponsorship
by a
non-lapsed member of the Societies who has agreed to sponsorship at
least one
regular meeting prior to the night of the petition, (4) approval by
standing
vote of a two-thirds majority of the active members present, and (5)
proper
induction.
22. Prospective members shall petition to join one
of the
two Societies, to be determined as follows:
23. The Societies shall keep secret all their
proceedings
during consideration and acceptance or rejection of applicants for
membership,
and all induction ceremonies.
Article III. Officers
1. The elected officers of the Societies, in order
of
succession, shall be President, President Pro Tempore, Critic, Clerk,
Treasurer, Sergeant-At-Arms, and Historian.
2. All officers shall be elected by a secret
ballot at the
second to the last meeting of each semester, a majority of those
present being
necessary for election. The officers shall be inaugurated and shall
take office
at the last meeting of the semester.
3. The duties of the President shall be: a) to
preside at
all meetings of the Societies, b) to appoint all standing committees as
shall be
deemed necessary, c) to fill by appointment any temporary vacancies in
the
administration, d) when presiding, to call to order, fine, or admonish
any
member at his discretion, e) to decide, when presiding all, questions
of order
and interpretation of the Constitution subject to veto by the
Societies,
requiring a majority vote in the case of a question of order and a
three-fourths (3/4) majority in the case of a question of
interpretation, f) to
direct the Treasurer, upon authorization of the Societies, to pay out
any
money, g) to deliver, at the time of inauguration, an original written
address
which shall be filed with the Clerk, h) to serve as an ex officio
member of all
committees, but ex officio without vote on all committees save the
Executive
Committee, i) to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the
Dialectic
and Philanthropic Societies Foundation, Inc., and j) to serve as
official representative
of the Societies. k) The
President of the
Joint Senate is permitted, but not required, to vote if, after the
votes of
Senators are tallied, his vote would affect the outcome of the vote. In cases where the President's vote would
have no effect on the outcome of said vote, then he shall not be
suffered a recorded
vote.
4. The duties of the President Pro Tempore shall
be: a) to
assume the duties of the President at his request, or in his absence or
disability, b) to serve as Parliamentarian, c) to serve as Chairman of
the
Constitutional Committee, d) to keep members supplied with current
copies of
the Constitution and By-Laws, and e) to serve as Chairman of the
Executive
Committee.
5. The duties of the Critic shall be: a) to make
an oral
evaluation at each meeting of speeches given by members, including
newly
elected members, during public discussions and debates, b) to present
the
resolutions for the Societies' debates, other than the Centennial and
Bicentennial Debates, and c) to serve as moderator during debates
involving
speakers invited by the Societies for that purpose.
6. The duties of the Clerk shall be: a) to keep
neat,
accurate, and complete records of all meetings and transactions of the
Societies, and to read the minutes of the previous meeting at the
direction of
the President, b) to read to the Societies records of all meetings of
the
Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies Foundation, Inc., Board of
Directors, c)
to handle all official correspondence, d) to maintain the current files
of the
Societies, and to turn over all current files and records to the
successor in
office, e) to turn over to the University Archivist all records no
longer
needed for current business for deposit with the Societies' archives,
and f) to
compose a letter to petitioners of the Societies informing them of the
Joint
Senate’s decision within a week of their petition.
7. The duties of the Treasurer shall be: a) to
keep true
and accurate records of the finances of the Societies, b) to collect
all dues,
fines, and assessments, c) to pay out money when authorized by the
Societies
and directed by the President, d) to report at each Executive Committee
meeting
on the condition of the treasury, when requested by the Chairman of the
Executive Committee, e) to serve as a member, but not as chairman, of
the
Finance Committee, f) to submit at the end of the session a detailed
account of
the condition of the treasury, and g) to turn all records and funds
over to his
or her successor.
8. The duties of the Sergeant-At-Arms shall be: a)
to keep
a roll of all members, and to call the roll of active members at the
commencement of each meeting, b) to determine the presence or absence
of a
quorum at the beginning of each meeting, or upon request of the chair,
c) to
tabulate and record all votes of the Societies, d) to distribute to all
members
a roll of the members with home and University addresses and telephone
numbers,
and to update it periodically, e) to notify all members and interested
parties
of special meetings at least a day in advance, including the time,
place, and
purpose of the meeting, f) to keep a list of those having keys to the
Di and
Phi chambers and the New East and New West buildings, g) to be
responsible for
the condition of the properties of the Societies, and for the
cleanliness of
the chambers h) to enforce order in the Chambers and to eject members
at the
President' s discretion, and i) to conduct a yearly census of the
portraits of
the Societies and to compose a written index of their condition for
restoration
purposes. This census shall be conducted prior to the first Foundation
meeting
of the year and a copy of this report shall be given to both the
Societies and
the Foundation.
9. The duties of the Historian shall be: a) to
prepare and
to report to the Societies at least twice during the term of office on
some
incident, event, or member of interest in the long history of the
Societies, b)
to prepare a paper on the activities of the Societies during his or her
term of
office, to be delivered before the Societies, c) to be responsible for
maintaining order in the Societies' papers and archives with recent
additions, d)
to research and propose a resolution for the Societies' Centennial and
Bicentennial Debates, and e) to prepare for the Mangum Medal
competition and
the Kemp Plummer Battle Lecture.
10. A candidate for the office of President or
President
Pro Tempore must have been a member of the Societies at the beginning
of the
first regular meeting of the current session and the two previous
sessions.
These requirements may be relaxed, by no more than one regular session,
only if
no active senator meets these requirements or if no active senator
meeting
these requirements wishes to run for the office in question.
Article IV. Meetings
1. The Societies shall meet in two sessions
yearly, the
first session being the fall semester, and the second session being the
following spring semester. The summer session shall be designated a
Special
Summer Session, as described in Article IX of this Constitution.
2. The Societies shall meet regularly every week
in the
collegiate year, the first meeting of each session convening not later
than the
third week of the semester.
3. At least one meeting each session shall be
devoted to a
full debate between the two Societies, and when possible at least one
meeting
each semester shall be devoted to a debate before the Societies by two
or more
outside speakers.
4. The President may call the Societies into
executive
session for the conduct of business at his discretion.
5. The last regular meeting of each session shall
be held
on the last regular meeting night before the first day of semester
examinations. This last meeting shall be a business meeting, and all
members
shall be required to attend on pain of fine and reprimand. At this
meeting all
unfinished business shall be finished, all committees and officers
shall make
final reports, and the inauguration of officers for the following
session shall
be held.
6. Attendance of visitors shall be regulated at
the
discretion of the President.
7. Special meetings of the Societies may be called
by the
President or by any three officers at any time, provided at least
twenty-four
hours' notice is given to all active members.
8. The Societies may hold additional business
meetings for
the consideration of lengthy or extraordinary items of business, to
avoid
extended debate during weekly regular meetings. Such business meetings
shall be
considered regular meetings regardless of their time or location, and
shall
follow the same order of business as the weekly regular meetings except
for the
elimination of the program. Any active member failing to attend a
business
meeting is subject to fine or reprimand. Notice of such additional
business
meetings must be given to all active members at least one week prior to
the
meeting.
Article V. Committees
1. There shall be an Executive Committee of the
Societies,
chaired by the President Pro Tempore and composed of all officers of
the Joint
Senate, together with the presidents of the Di and Phi as
representatives of
the two Societies. It should meet at least once every month during the
collegiate year at a time apart from the regular meeting of the
Societies.
2. The Executive Committee shall be charged with
the
preliminary consideration of matters of the Societies' business and
reporting
its findings. It shall also be empowered to conduct business for the
Societies
in situations where decisions must be made but consultation with the
Societies
is impractical. Such actions are subject to review and veto by the
Societies,
requiring a majority vote.
3. The standing committees of the Societies shall
be the
Membership, Program, Social, Finance, and Constitutional Committees.
There
shall be a chairman and at least two members appointed by the President
to each
committee, unless provided otherwise in the Constitution. They should
meet at
least once every session, and be able to make reports upon the request
of the
President or the Joint Senate.
4. The Membership Committee shall be charged with
finding
prospective members and making them acquainted with the purposes and
goals of
the Societies and with the qualifications for membership.
5. The Program Committee shall be charged with
proposing,
and, upon the Societies' approval and in coordination with the
President,
developing and enacting program activities for the Societies during
regular
meetings as well as for such programs and activities outside the
regular meetings
as the Societies shall approve.
6. The Social Committee shall be charged with
strengthening the bonds of friendship by coordinating social events and
gatherings.
7. The Finance Committee shall have the Treasurer
as a member,
but not as chairman, and shall be charged with overseeing the finances
of the
Societies, and developing and proposing means of revenue. All proposals
for
major expenditures by the Societies shall be referred automatically to
the
Finance Committee for study and recommendation before consideration by
the
Societies.
8. The Constitutional Committee shall be chaired
by the
President Pro Tempore, and shall be charged with keeping members
supplied with
current copies of the Constitution and By-Laws, with discussing and
reporting
on all proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws submitted or
referred to it, and with proposing from time to time such amendments as
may be
necessary. It shall also keep a volume of internal resolutions passed
by the
Societies, and shall see that these resolutions are enforced until
amended or
rescinded. It shall pass all papers and records on to the succeeding
committee.
9. The President may appoint Special Committees of
the
Societies, and their members, at his discretion or at the discretion of
the
Societies. These committees shall be appointed for a specific purpose,
upon
completion of which the committee shall be dissolved.
Article VI. Finances
1. The Treasurer shall be solely empowered to sign
checks
for the Societies, upon authorization by the Societies and direction of
the
President.
2. Dues for active membership shall be determined
by
general motion approved by the Societies. New members admitted after
the
beginning of the semester shall pay their dues on a pro rata basis. In
addition, new members shall pay a one-time fee to cover the cost of
their
individual Society’s pin. This fee is not covered by the pro rata dues.
3. Members who persist in the non-payment of dues
beyond
the roll call of the fourth meeting of the session shall lose the right
to vote
in meetings of the Joint Senate. They shall retain this right
immediately upon
paying the Treasurer the amount they owe in full.
4. Members who have outstanding debts to the
Societies as
a result of fines exceeding in total ten dollars for more than one
academic
semester may be considered in gross neglect of duty. This constitutes
grounds
for expulsion as noted in the following article.
5. It shall be the responsibility of the Finance
Committee
to conduct an internal audit of the Societies’ accounts within the
first three
(3) weeks of every session. All information and records must have been
surrendered to the Finance Committee Chair at least three (3) days
prior to the
date of the audit. The audit shall include the monetary dealings of the
Societies over the previous two (2) regular sessions.
Article
VII.
Fines, Censure, Impeachment, and Expulsion
1. Rowdy, obscene, unseemly, inebriated, or
otherwise
indecent, disrespectful, or ungentle displays of behavior are subject
to fine
at the discretion of the chair or by a majority vote of the Societies.
The
maximum fine shall be ten dollars per count. If a member feels that a
fine was
levied unjustly, that member may appeal the fine to the Societies and a
majority vote of members present shall sustain the fine.
2. Grounds for impeachment of officers or
expulsion of
members shall consist of extravagant breaches of decorum, gross neglect
of
duty, or any overt act or attitude reprehensible to the interests of
the
Societies. Grounds for the censure of members shall consist of similar
offenses, but of lesser severity not meriting impeachment or expulsion.
3. A resolution of censure, listing all
particulars, may
be brought by any two active members against any member. A two-thirds
vote of
the members present shall be necessary to pass such a resolution,
provided that
the member in question shall be provided with the opportunity to
present his defense,
and that the members bringing the charges shall be present, at the time
the
resolution is debated. The member shall also receive at least one
week's notice
of the consideration of the resolution of censure against him.
4. A bill of impeachment for misconduct in office,
listing
all charges, may be brought by any three active members against any
officer.
The merits of all impeachments shall be decided by the Joint Senate of
the
Societies. In the event that the President is impeached, the President
Pro
Tempore shall preside.
5. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of the active members
of the
Societies shall be necessary for removal from office, provided that a
fair
trial shall have been held, at which the officer in question has the
opportunity to present a full defense, and that such officer shall have
received written notice at least one week in advance of both the trial
and the
presentation of the charges against him, and that the members bringing
the
charges shall be present at the trial.
6. A bill of expulsion, listing all charges, may
be
brought against any member by any three active members of the
Societies.
7. No member may be expelled from the Societies
without a
fair trial, during which time such member shall have the opportunity to
present
a full defense, and at which time those members bringing the charges
shall be
present. He or she shall receive written notice of the trial and the
charges
against him or her at least one week in advance of the trial. A
two-thirds
(2/3) vote of all active members is necessary for expulsion.
8. Any member expelled from the Societies may
reapply for
admission to the Societies no sooner than one semester following
expulsion,
provided that the conditions of the expulsion do not require a longer
time, or
specify that the expulsion shall be permanent. At that time such member
shall
be required to fulfill all minimum requirements for admission as if he
had
never been a member.
9. All proceedings during the consideration of a
resolution of censure, or during a trial for impeachment or expulsion,
shall be
kept secret.
Article VIII.
Resolutions and Legislation
1. The Societies may pass at any time such
resolutions and
legislation as they shall deem necessary for their continued
operations.
2. Internal resolutions and bills intended to
govern some
aspect of the Societies, and not incorporated into the By-Laws as
amendments
shall, upon passage, be filed with the Clerk and the President Pro
Tempore as
chairman of the Constitution Committee. It shall be the latter's duty
to ensure
observance and compliance with such resolutions and bills.
Article IX.
Special Summer
Session
1. At the final meeting of the spring session, the
Societies may deliberate upon the possibility of conducting a summer
session.
Any motion to conduct such a session must carry a majority vote to
become
effective.
2. If it is the will of the Societies to conduct a
summer
session, the next order of business shall be the election of officers
for the
summer session according to the regular terms of the Constitution.
3. The entire summer shall be considered one term.
It
shall be designated the Special Summer Session.
4. The Summer Session of the Societies shall not
have the
use of any funds of the Societies except such as they collect from fees
and
assignments during that session. Any funds remaining at the beginning
of the
fall session shall be added to the regular Societies' funds.
5. The Summer Session of the Societies shall not
have the
authority to change or amend the Constitution or By-Laws in any manner,
and it
shall not have the power to take anyone into full membership in the
Societies.
Participation in a Summer Session shall not be counted towards tenure
for
election to office, and absences from a Summer Session shall not be
counted
towards suspension for absences.
Article X. By-Laws
1. The By-Laws of the Societies shall supplement
the
Constitution and shall be second to the Constitution.
Article XI. Diplomas
1. Any non-lapsed member who is leaving the
Societies, for
whatever reason other than expulsion, shall have the right to petition
the
Joint Senate for a diploma of his Society.
2. Upon receipt of the petition, the Joint Senate
shall
consider the petition and award the member a diploma by a majority
vote. The
diploma is to be signed by the President and Clerk of the Joint Senate.
3. Any member of the Joint Senate, or of the
Dialectic
Society, or of the Philanthropic Society, who left prior to the
enactment of
this Constitution shall have the right to petition for a diploma.
4. There shall be a fee for the diploma, to be
determined
by the Joint Senate and to be collected by the Treasurer.
Article XII. Voting
1. All voting in the Societies not otherwise
provided for
in this Constitution shall be by voice vote, unless directed otherwise
at the
discretion of the chair or of the Societies.
2. Proxy votes may be
accepted as valid provided
that the proxy for an active member empowering another active member to
vote
shall be presented in writing to the chair, and that a valid excuse of
absence
has been presented and accepted by the chair. Proxies
are not valid during the election or impeachment
of officers or
in votes to admit or expel members.
3. Proxies may be of a
general nature or may
specify exactly to what issue the vote pertains and/or the nature of
the vote.
4. Proxies shall be counted
as members present
and voting. In the case of specific
proxies they shall be so for the particular issue(s) for which the
proxy was
issued.
5. No member shall vote in elections or on
Constitutional
amendments who has not attended as a member at least four of the
regularly
scheduled meetings in a regular session of the Senate, inclusive of the
night
the member was inducted and the night of the vote.
6. No member shall vote on
the acceptance of a
petitioner who has not attended at least one executive session on a
petitioner.
A petition that occurred the night the member was inducted cannot count
for this
executive session unless the member began the session as a member.
Article XIII. Quorum
l. A quorum for the conduct of all business shall
consist
of a majority of the active membership.
Article XIV.
The
Individual Societies
l. As provided in Article I of this Constitution,
collective names such as the Societies shall always refer to the Joint
Senate.
2. Each Society may establish such laws as it
wishes for
the regulation of its affairs, subject to the supreme authority of the
Joint
Senate, and shall adopt no provisions contrary to the laws of the Joint
Senate.
3. Each Society may create and fill such offices
as it
wishes, but must have a presiding officer, to be known to the Joint
Senate as
its president. This president shall have the duty of representing that
Society
before the Joint Senate and all other organizations.
4. If and when a motion is made to dissolve the
Joint
Senate of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies and to return to
the two
separate Societies, it shall be necessary for this motion to be
supported by a
majority of the total membership in each Society. Failure to obtain
such
majorities shall make any such resolution of dissolution null and void.
Should
any members of a Society separate themselves despite the failure of a
motion of
dissolution, the remaining members may, at the discretion of the
president of
the other Society, continue as a rump Senate.
5. If a resolution of dissolution is successfully
passed,
it shall not take effect until a committee composed of an equal number
of
members from each Society and elected by a majority vote of each
Society
determines the legality, feasibility, and practicality of the
dissolution of
the Joint Senate, particularly as regards membership and property
rights.
Article XV.
Parliamentary Procedure
l. Whenever the Constitution and By-Laws are
silent to a
point of order the procedure of the Societies shall be governed by
Robert's
Rules of Order. The latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order as of the
first
meeting of each session shall be the edition used for the duration of
that session.
Article XVI. Amendments
1. All proposed amendments to the Constitution,
except
those originated by the Constitutional Committee, shall be presented to
the
Clerk, who shall read them before the Societies at a regular meeting.
The amendment
shall then be referred to the Constitutional Committee for
consideration, after
which the committee shall return the amendment, together with its
report, to
the Clerk at the next regular meeting. This report and the proposed
amendment
shall be read to the Societies and the floor opened up for discussion.
Amendments originating in the Constitutional Committee shall be
presented,
together with the report of the committee, to the Clerk for reading to
the
Societies after which the floor shall be opened up for discussion as
above. A
two-thirds (2/3) majority vote at two consecutive regular meetings
shall be
necessary for adoption of the amendment.
Article XVII. Legality
1. This Constitution shall become law of the Joint
Senate
of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies upon its adoption at the
second
reading by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present and shall
supersede
all previous Constitutions of either Society or of the Joint Senate.
Any future
Constitutional adoption must follow this procedure to become law.
Last adopted in full on the second reading, Fall
2006.