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Columbia Japan Society Constitution

Purpose of Columbia Japan Society:

To disseminate Japanese culture to the Columbia University community and bring together all those with an interest in Japan or Japanese culture.



Article I. Name

The name of the organization shall be Columbia Japan Society (hereon referred to as CJS).



Article II. Membership

Section 1: CJS shall be open to all members of Columbia Universityfs four undergraduate institutions (Columbia College, School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of General Studies, and Barnard College), as well as to the members of the respective graduate schools.


Section 2: All members who are not a part of the Executive Board shall hereon be collectively referred to as the general membership.


Section 3: Anyone may join the general membership, given that they register through the appropriate means (webpage, email, or through any one of the Executive Board Members).



Article III. Governance

Section 1: CJS shall be governed by an Executive Board consisting of the following positions:

  • President
  • Columbia Vice-President
  • Barnard Vice-President
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Events Coordinator
  • Webmaster
  • Graphics Designer
  • Organizational Committee Members (OCMs)

Section 2: Executive Board Members shall meet until they are able to come to a consensus regarding all decisions. These decisions include those that affect the supervision and coordination of Club activities so that they may run smoothly and efficiently.


Section 3: The general membership shall be responsible for bringing up ideas and activities at general member meetings. General members have the power to veto any decisions made by the Executive Board. Anything less than two-thirds approval shall be considered a veto at which point the Executive Board shall reconsider their decisions. The Executive Board shall contact the general membership by e-mail and the Club website to inform them of updates on decisions and/or agenda for general meetings in order to ensure that the general membership will be adequately informed.


Section 4: Official Duties of Executive Board Officers

The President shall preside over all meetings of CJS. The President shall make sure that the purpose of CJS is always respected and serve as a representative of CJS. The President shall oversee all activities and ensure a smooth course of activities.


The Columbia Vice-President shall maintain all off-campus liaisons with other school clubs, business corporations, and the Columbia University administration. In the case that the President is unable to be present at a meeting, the Columbia Vice-President shall substitute the President and address all concerns.


The Barnard Vice-President shall address the concerns of the Barnard College members in CJS. She shall ensure that the club acknowledges and abides to all relevant rules and regulations set forth by Barnard College, and that CJS serves the best interest of Barnard members and the Barnard community. The Barnard Vice-President shall also be responsible for sending the CJS newsletter to the general membership.


The Secretary shall ensure that contact amongst members will be maintained. This shall include taking minutes at all meetings, notifying Executive Board Members of all Executive Board decisions, and notifying general members of all Board decisions. They shall also forward phone messages and email messages, as well as maintain an updated general membership listing.


The Treasurer shall manage all financial transactions between CJS members and all external entities. The Treasurer shall report to the Columbia University administration as necessary and update the Executive Board Members on all expenditures and the Club monetary balance.


The Events Coordinator shall coordinate all Club activities in order to maintain a smooth and efficient course of activities. The Events Coordinator shall recruit new members throughout the academic year and shall organize programs for such recruiting efforts. When suggesting ideas for events, the Events Coordinator shall keep the members, the students, and the general school community in mind. The Events Coordinator shall always keep the best interest of the Club and the community in mind.


The Webmaster shall create, maintain, and update the CJs website as necessary. The Webmaster shall also serve as the Club historian and compile a record of events every academic year.


The Graphics Designer shall be responsible for maintaining CJSf image, which include collaborating with the Webmaster on the website, as well as event flyers and the like.


Organizational Committee Members (OCMs) shall assist the other members of the Executive Board in any way required to achieve the mission of CJS.



Article IV. Meetings

Section 1: Executive Board Meetings shall be held weekly. Minutes shall be taken by the Secretary, who shall send the minutes to all Executive Board Members and post it on the Club website for the general membership.


Section 2: General membership meetings shall be held twice a semester. These meetings shall be organized into two sections. General members shall present their ideas in the first half. In the second half, decisions made by the Executive Board shall be open to the floor. They may be vetoed if two-thirds of the membership present at the meeting vetoes against it.



Article V. Elections of Executive Board Members

Section 1: Executive Board Members, with the exception of OCMs, shall be elected by the Executive Board Members and general members of the previous academic year at the time of election. Candidates not nominating themselves must be nominated by one general member in order to be eligible. A general member may nominate him/herself, but s/he must have another general member second his/her motion for him/her to become a candidate.


Section 2: OCMs shall be selected by the Executive Board Members in the fall of each academic year and are thus exempt from the election process.


Section 3: A candidate shall be elected if s/he receives a majority of the votes of the general membership present at the meeting.


Section 4: The time of election shall occur during the month of April. Changes to this date shall be made only if two-thirds of the general membership deem it necessary.



Article VI. Amendments to the Constitution

A motion may be submitted to become an amendment at a general membership meeting. At that time, the motion maybe discussed. At the following general membership meeting, the general members present shall vote on the proposed amendment. An amendment shall pass with a minimum of two-thirds of the present general membershipfs approval.



Article VII. Dismissal of Officers

Executive Board Members shall be dismissed on the following conditions:


Two-thirds of the general membership comes to the consensus that a certain officer is not acting in accordance to their designated role, as specified in the CJS Constitution.


Three Executive Board Members, other than the Executive Board Member in question, come to the consensus that the particular officer should be dismissed under the premises that the officer is not acting in accordance to the CJS Constitution; two-thirds of the general membership must approve of this motion.


If a particular Executive Board Member decides that s/he is, for some reason, unable to uphold their position as an Executive Board Member, s/he shall state his/her reason for resignation at an Executive Board meeting. At that time, s/he must recommend a general member to occupy the vacant Executive Board position; for that recommended person to be officially appointed to the vacant spot, two-thirds of the Executive Board must approve. Until a new officer is appointed, the remaining Executive Board Members shall divide the duties amongst themselves to compensate for the empty position.



Article VIII. Activities

Ideas for activities may be submitted at any time, including general membership meetings, Club events, and contacting the Executive Board Members via email, telephone, or in person. If the event is approved by the Executive Board, the Events Coordinator shall be in charge of the event and Executive Board members shall assist in any way.



Article IX. Bylaws

A general member may call for a bylaw during a meeting if s/he sees it fit. A separate member must second the notion. For a bylaw to go through, it shall require the vote of three-fourths of the general membership present at the meeting. If a bylaw passes, it shall be recorded by the Secretary in a separate bylaw book, which shall be referred to at future meetings.



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