constitution

Young Democratic Socialists of America at William & Mary

Ratified on: August 11, 2015

Amended on: April 8th, 2020

PREAMBLE:

We the members of the Young Democratic Socialists, subscribing to the regulations and policies of The College of William & Mary, establish this Constitution to govern the matters within our organization.

Article I: Name

Section 1. The name of this organization will be known as “The Young Democratic Socialists of America at William & Mary” OR “The Young Democratic Socialists” OR “YDSA W&M” in all official documents and correspondence.

Article II: Purpose/Mission

Section 1. The Young Democratic Socialists of America at William & Mary are to provide an environment conducive to academic discussion of Socialist ideas and principles in relation to current and historical events. Furthermore, YDSA W&M shall organize events to aid and show solidarity with members of communities both local and beyond.

Article III: Membership

Section 1. In accordance with W&M’s Policy on Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation, membership in this organization shall be open to all on a non-discriminatory basis with regard to race, religion, creed, national origin, gender, provided however that, to the extent permitted by law, membership in social organizations may be restricted to members of the same gender, and membership in organizations whose primary purpose is political or religious may be restricted to those members of the College community who have similar beliefs.

Section 2. Membership to The Young Democratic Socialists at William & Mary is restricted to currently-enrolled W&M students and faculty/staff of the College; individuals without official affiliation with the College are not eligible for membership.

  1. Active Members will be currently enrolled students who participate in club activities and attend the misconduct training.
    1. Active Members have the ability to propose a vote on any and all club affairs, and to vote on said matters, in addition to the rights outlined for the other designated membership levels.
    2. Active Members may be nominated and run for a Chair position (see: Article IV).

Section 3. Removal of Membership.

  1. Resignation of membership may be pursued by contacting the Chair of Information via email.
  2. Membership may be unilaterally removed by a ¾ majority of all voting members present at the meeting in which the vote is being held.
    1. A nomination for removal may be submitted by any Active Member (including Chairpersons).
    2. The individual(s) facing removal may plead their case before the assembled Active Members and Chairpersons (who are defined in Article IV). 
    3. Should a member or Chairperson attempt to bar the individual from defending themselves, the individual(s) will themselves face a Vote for Muting (defined in Article V) or a Vote of No Confidence (also defined in Article V, applicable only to Chairpersons).

Article IV: Purpose, Election, and Positions of The Executive Board

Section 1. Purpose and Role

  1. To manage specific areas of club interest and affairs.
  2. The Chairperson of a specific area will be the primary manager in that field. Thus, should a question regarding the quorum be raised, the Chair of Information will have original jurisdiction in that matter.
  3. A position on the Executive Board does NOT come with additional benefits and rights, only specified duties. They are equal to all Active Members and their votes are weighted the same.

Section 2. Nomination

  1. An empty Chair position may be filled by nomination and a subsequent vote by all Active Members in attendance, assuming that the quorum is satisfied.
  2. Official nomination can be done by any Active Member, including the prospective candidate, but must be followed by a second.
  3. Nomination may be done in absentia, assuming that the nominee fulfills the requirements to be an Active Member.

Section 3. Campaign for Election

  1. After nomination, a candidate may present reasons why they should be elected to the position in question.
  2. Campaigns may last, at most, two consecutive meetings, including the meeting in which the nomination was made.

Section 4. Election

  1. A Vote of Election (restated in Article V) will take place between all Active Members. A candidate must win a simple majority of votes to be affirmed.
    1. Should a majority not be met, then a runoff will occur in which the candidate with the least votes is eliminated and the vote is redone.
    2. Should a 50/50 tie be found, then the abstaining Co-Chairs will flip a coin to decide who will gain one vote and break the tie.

Section 5. Positions 

  1. Co-Chairs (Two) 
    1. Tasked with representing the group, along with the Outreach Chair, in meetings with the leadership of other clubs where all Active Members are unable to attend.
    2. Tasked with maintaining the club’s standing with the appropriate authorities in the College of William & Mary.
    3. Are the only Chairpersons to not have original voting privileges. Instead, these individuals flip a coin to gain the ability, and the votes are only to break ties. 
    4. Maintains relations with other clubs at William &
    5. Mary, and coordinates all events and meetings
    6. between YDSA W&M and other organizations.
  2. Treasury Chair
    1. Tasked with maintaining the club’s finances, including the collecting of dues and donations as well as providing a monthly report of the club’s financial status.
  3. Information Chair
    1. Tasked with keeping non-Executive Board Active Members notified and updated on all club affairs.
    2. Tasked with disseminating information about the club outside of the club itself.
      1. Should the target of information be another club, then the Co-Chairs must be notified and intricately involved.
    3. Tasked with taking minutes at meetings.  If the Information chair is not present, one of the other members of the Executive Board must take minutes. 
  4. Social Media Chair
    1. Maintains the club’s image on our social media accounts.
    2. These accounts must include Facebook and Twitter, but may also include other platforms at the discretion of the Chairperson.
  5. Grievance Officer
    1. Organizes misconduct trainings, both for the general body and for the members of the Executive Board.
    2. Acts as a confidential resource for all chapter members.
    3. Responds to grievances in accordance with the wishes of survivors.
    4. Conducts at least two continuing education presentations each semester.

Section 6. Recalling a chairperson

  1. Executive Board members may be subject to recall by petition with signatures of one-third of the chapter’s membership, as listed in the last membership list submitted by the chapter to the DSA national office. Submission of such a valid petition shall trigger a recall election to be held no later than 30 days from receipt of that petition by the Executive Board. The meeting for a recall vote shall be properly noticed to the membership.  

Article V: Voting

Section 1. Types of Votes

  1. Vote of Election
    1. A vote to elect a candidate to an Executive Board position.
    2. The candidate must receive a simple majority of votes to be elected.
  2. Vote of Overruling OR Veto
    1. A vote to overrule a decision or similar action in the club’s name made by a Chairperson, assuming the Chairperson in question is not also the target of a Vote of No Confidence.
    2. Must receive a simple majority of votes to be passed.
  3. Vote to Amend the Constitution
    1. A vote to change an aspect of this constitution. See: Article X.
    2. Must receive a 2/3 majority of votes to be passed.

Article VI: Meetings

Section 1. Format and Frequency

  1. The Young Democratic Socialists of America at William & Mary will meet weekly while classes are in session. There will also be weekly auxiliary meetings which will be more informal and provide an opportunity to socialize and get involved should a member be unable to make the main weekly meetings. The Co-Chairs will preside over the meetings. 
  2. The quorum must be established by the one of the Co-Chairs at the beginning of every meeting.
    1. This number will amount to at least half of the total Active Members.
  3. Should a Chairperson not be in attendance, an Active Member may be chosen by the presiding secretary and affirmed by a simple-majority vote of the Active Members to fill that position for the duration of that meeting.

Article VII: Finances

Section 1. Dues and Collection

  1. The amount of dues and the method of collection will be decided by a majority vote of the Active Members at the beginning of each semester. 

Section 2. Management of Finances

  1. The funds of the YDSA W&M will be stored in an off-campus organization account. 
  2. One Co-Chair and the Treasury Chair will have signature authority, and all checks must be signed by both Chairpersons. 

Article VIII: Policy Compliance

Section 1. Abiding of College Policies

  1. The Young Democratic Socialists of America at William & Mary will abide by all college policies including the Student Code of Conduct and the Campus Alcohol Policy.

Section 2. Anti-Hazing Commitment

  1. The Young Democratic Socialists of America at William & Mary agrees that it will not initiate, support, or encourage any events or situations that endanger the mental or physical health or safety of a student for any purpose including but not limited to initiation or admission into or affiliation with this group or organization.

Article IX: Ratification

Section 1. Terms of Ratification

  1. This constitution will take effect immediately upon its passage by a 2/3 majority of the members of The Young Democratic Socialists of America at William & Mary.

Article X: Amendments

Section 1. Procedure

  1. Amendments may be proposed in writing by any Active Member by emailing the Co-Chairs. 
  2. The Co-Chairs will distribute a copy of the proposed amendments to all Active Members for discussion at the next regularly scheduled meeting. 
  3. After initial discussion, the amendment may be voted on by a simple up-or-down vote. 
  4. Amendments must be passed with a 2/3 majority vote.
  5. Where an amendment has been made, place “Amended on: [Insert Date]” to indicate the change.

Article XI: Committees

Section 1. Purpose

  1. Committees shall exist to direct the campaigns and initiatives that YDSA W&M will undertake during each semester.

Section 2. Committee Structure and Function

  1. Committees will each have one committee director, who shall take initiative on the actions of the committee, and shall provide committee updates at YDSA meetings.  
  2. Election of the committee director shall take place by a simple majority vote within each committee after the committee is formed.  This vote will then be confirmed by a simple majority vote of active members of YDSA at the next full body meeting
  3. Recall of the committee director shall follow the same process as recall of an Executive Board member.  
  4. No active YDSA member may belong to more than one committee at once.  YDSA members may move freely from one committee to another. If the committee director wishes to move to another committee, they will effectively resign their position as director, and a new election will take place following the same guidelines as Section 2(b) of this article. 

Section 3. Committee Formation

  1. The process for the formation of a committee will begin when four active members of YDSA W&M propose the creation of a new committee to the co-chairs. 
    1. If these four members already belong to an existing committee, their membership in said committee will be revoked when and  if the creation of the new committee is successful. 
  2. The members will be given a chance to present their committee idea at the next YDSA W&M full body meeting.  
  3. After the presentation, YDSA W&M active members must discuss and vote on whether or not to authorize the creation of a new committee.  The new committee shall be formed if the motion to create it passes by a simple majority vote.  

Section 4. Committee Renewal

  1. Within the first two meetings of each semester, YDSA members will vote on whether or not to renew existing committees.  The committee will be renewed if a motion to renew it passes by simple majority vote.