Columbia University Badminton Club Constitution

[Draft]

Article I. Name of Organization
The name of the organization shall be the Columbia University Badminton Club.

Article II. Mission Statement
The mission of this organization is to provide the opportunity for members to develop and improve their skills in badminton, and to participate in training and competitive matches in intercollegiate and open tournaments.

Article III. Membership
1. Membership is open to all students, faculty, staff and alumni of Columbia University, and family members.

2. All members must pay dues each semester (spring, fall semesters or summer) to attend practice. A one-visit tryout is allowed.

3. All members are expected to follow the club rules and fulfill duties to the club. For example, each member must help setting up or closing the courts and cleaning up the shuttlecocks after practice. Players who are capable and willing can coach other members on an informal basis.

4. All members are expected to act in a professional and sportsmanlike manner and follow the customs of the club, for example, play two games and come off; and reserve new shuttlecocks for games only.

Article IV. Meetings
1. The club meets regularly during the school year and the summer for practice. The time and location of club meetings are announced at the beginning of semesters and summers through email and on the web. Any variations from the announced schedule will be notified in advance through email.

Article V. Officers
1. There shall be four positions on the executive board: President, Vice President, Captain, and Treasurer. The officers shall coordinate with each other to arrange the practices during general club meetings. At least one officer shall be present at all times.

A. Duties of all officers:

i. On a schedule to be arranged among the officers, at least one officer must be present to open and close each practice session.

ii. Explain club rules and customs to new members.

iii. Watch out and resolve for disturbances caused by players of other sports.

iv. Recruit and assist in training new members.

B. The duties of the president and the vice president are as follows:
i. Represent the club on the Club Sports Governing Board and act as a liaison.

ii. Request gym time for each semester and summer and email the schedule to all members.
iii. Know the contents of the Club Sports Representative Handbook.
iv. Make sure the club has an up-to-date constitution.

v. Maintain a current team roster in collaboration with the treasurer and submit it to the Club Sports Office.
vi. Respond to e-mail inquiries about the club.

vii. E-mail sudden schedule changes to members as early in the day as possible.

viii. Pass the first aid clinic training required and offered by Club Sports Office.

C. The duties of the Captain are as follows:
i. Represent the team at all tournaments.
ii. Coordinate registration, transportation and lodging for tournaments.

iii. Arrange coaching to develop a strong team.

iv. Develop any interclub matches and make arrangements.

v. Announce tournaments to all members.

D. The duties of the treasurer are as follows:
i. Determine the amount of dues for each semester according to the club budget and collect dues at the beginning of each semester. See that all members have paid their dues.
ii. Collect waiver/release forms from all members and submit them to the Club Sports Office.

iii. Coordinate fundraising.
iv. Keep records of dues, expenses, donations and receipts.
v. Submit budget requests to Director of Club Sports.

vi. Maintain equipment supply, including shuttlecocks, racquets, and nets. Order shuttlecocks when the supply is low and order club racquets and nets when needed.

2. There shall also be a non-executive position: webmaster.

The duties of the webmaster are as follows:
i. Develop and maintain the club website.
ii. Post announcements, practice and tournament schedules, tournament results and photos.

3. All executive board positions must be held by full-time students, postdocs, or faculty members.

4. The same officer may hold more than one position, but there must be at least three officers on the executive board.

5. The captain must be a full-time student in order to represent the club at tournaments.

6. The non-executive webmaster position can be hold concurrently by officers in the executive board and it should be held by no more than two members.

7. The executive board may create non-executive positions and committees as needed.

Article VI. Elections
1. Elections will take place during the fall semester in November.

2. Members may nominate any member for an executive position, as long as he or she meets the requirements for that position. All present members may vote. The candidate with the most votes wins the position. The executive board will break ties.

3. The newly elected executive board will assume position after the election.

4. Any member may assume a non-executive position with the approval of the executive board.

5. If a position is vacant, the executive board may appoint an interim officer to serve until the next election.

Article VII. Funds
1. The budget shall be allocated along the following guidelines: equipment, tournament registration fees, transportation and lodging for tournaments, and a coaching stipend (upon approval of the Club Sports Office).

Article VIII. Coaching
1. The coach will serve as a volunteer to the club.

2. If the coach believes that a member is not prepared to compete, he or she may disallow that member from participating in tournaments until the member has completed a sufficient amount of training.

3. The club may pay for the coach’s registration fees and travel arrangements at tournaments that the team attends.

4. The club may also grant the coach a stipend at the end of the year with the approval from the Club Sports Office.

5. If necessary, there may be an assistant coach with the same duties and privileges as the head coach.

Article IX. Ratification
This constitution will be available for all members to approve during the first general body meeting of the academic year. If a member disagrees with the contents of this constitution, he or she may discuss the disagreement with the executive board. If the executive board determines the claim to be legitimate, the club will discuss the claim, and all present members may vote on a resolution. A simple majority is needed to accept a resolution, and the executive board will break ties. After all resolutions have been agreed upon, or if there are no disagreements by the end of the meeting, then this constitution will be considered to be ratified.

Article X. Amendments
Amendments to this constitution may be suggested at the end of the academic year. All present members may vote on the amendment. A simple majority is needed to accept the amendment, and the executive board will break ties.

Article XI. By-Laws
By-laws may be suggested at any point during the academic year. The officers will arrange a general body meeting during which all present members may vote on the by-law. A simple majority is needed to pass the by-law, and the executive board will break ties.