Charter

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I am currently editing the article to make it legible. I am currently in the 4m. -Wilma

  1. Name
    1. The name of this organization shall be the Science Fiction Forum (SF4M).
  2. Purpose
    1. The purpose of the SF4M is to make science fiction and fantasy available to all those who are interested.
    2. This is to be accomplished by running the science fiction and fantasy library, showing films and videotapes, and by organizing various science-fiction related activities and events whenever possible.
    3. The SF4M's true purpose is to take over the world.
  3. Membership
    1. Membership Requirements
      1. Membership shall be open to students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, students, faculty, staff and alumni of Brookhaven National Laboratories, and members of the surrounding community.
      2. Membership is obtained by registration with the SF4M secretary.
    2. Shift Holders
      1. Assist the Head Librarian in maintaining the library by checking in and out books
      2. The requirements for being a shift holder are
        1. Being a member of the SF4M
        2. Officially signing up for at least five hours per week.
  4. The benefits of being a shift holder are
    1. Receiving a key for maintaining the security of the forum.
    2. Receiving access to the library computer
    3. Activities Coordinator
      1. Assist the Head Activities Coordinator at running events and maintaining A/V equipment.
      2. Requirements for activity coordinators are
        1. Being a member of the SF4M
        2. Holding at least 1 monthly activity in the lounge or on campus
      3. Benefits of being an activity coordinator are
        1. Receiving a door key and a key to the A/V cabinet for maintaining security of the forum.
    4. Responsibilities
      1. The SF4M is not responsible for any individual and or unauthorized activities by any of its members.
      2. All members of the SF4M shall act responsibly for the security of the SF4M Library and SF4M property when in, or when utilizing SF4M facilities.
      3. Members are also responsible for locking up the Forum’s facilities when they are done using them.
      4. All members are responsible for the extinguishing of any burning substances (i.e. cigarettes) in the Forum office/lounge/library.

IV. Officers A. Titles and Eligibility 1. The officers of the Science Fiction Forum shall be in order of the chain of command from highest to lowest: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Head Librarian, Head Activities Coordinator(s), and Historian. 2. The above officers shall form the Executive Board. 3. Only students who have paid for the undergraduate student activities fee are eligible for the USG signatory positions of the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, or Secretary. 4. No person may hold more than one signatory position. B. Duties 1. The President a. Shall run both the Executive Board and general body meetings b. Will promote order, smooth operation, and continuity of the Science Fiction Forum c. Shall assist the Treasurer in drawing up the annual budget. d. Shall act as sole spokesperson for the SF4M in matters involving other organizations, and all administrative functions/personnel. e. May appoint spokespersons to act on his/her behalf. f. Has signatory powers as described by USG. 2. The Vice-President Shall fulfill, in the absence of the President, the duties of the President Shall fulfill those powers and duties delegated to him/her by the Forum President, which may include assisting other officers with their duties when necessary. Shall be responsible for the upkeep of the lounge area. Shall be responsible for maintaining the order during general and Executive Board meetings. Has the ability to substitute for another signatory officer acknowledged by USG. The Vice-President will be required to choose a pet project that they will focus on. 3. The Treasurer Shall keep an accurate record of all SF4M expenditures and income. Shall draw up the annual budget with the assistance of the President and present it for approval by the membership. Shall be prepared to make a financial report at least once a month and when requested by the membership (within one week of said request). Shall be responsible for proper completion and submission of all financial paperwork ensuring that USG’s financial guidelines are followed. Has signatory powers as described by USG. 4. The Secretary Shall take minutes at all meetings Shall be responsible for keeping updated membership/address lists and all SF4M correspondence. Shall publicly post all minutes from Executive Board, general, and emergency meetings. Has signatory powers as described by USG. 5. The Head Librarian a. Shall be responsible for the day-to-day functioning of the SF4M library by: i. Keeping the catalog of SF4M open during regular operating hours, which shall be defined as 8AM to 8PM, Monday through Friday. ii. Keeping the catalog and library database up-to-date. iii. Following up on overdue books. iv. Acquisition of new books v. Maintaining library supplies vi. Maintenance of the library computer(s) and related items. vii. Appointing and supervising Assistant Librarians and shift holders. Appointing and supervising one or more System Administrators, whose duties include maintaining the lounge’s computer(s) and related equipment, maintaining the library computer(s) and related equipment, assisting the librarian with software and hardware needs including installation, inventorying and maintaining a catalogue of computer equipment and software available to the Forum, maintaining the SF4M’s website at http://sf4m.org, and whose appointment can be overturned by a simple majority vote of the SF4M Executive Board. 6. The Head Activities Coordinator(s) a. Shall arrange for films, SF4M publications, and various other activities of interest to the SF4M. b. Shall ensure that all films viewed in the SF4M are either public domain or are parts of an educational program constituting Fair Use of said film(s). c. Shall encourage members to actively participate in those activities. d. Shall re responsible for the maintenance of the Video library and all Audio/Visual equipment except equipment that is designated as Library equipment or as lounge computer(s) or computer equipment. e. Shall appoint Activity Coordinators to assist in the above duties. 7. The Historian a. Shall maintain the upkeep of the SF4M timeline b. Shall inform members of important dates and events in SF4M history c. Shall inform members and participate in planning of traditional SF4M events. d. Shall, during reports given at the general meeting, tell stories of SF4M history and tradition. e. Shall maintain the storage and accessibility of the collection of Logs.

V. Elections and Terms of Office A. Election Times 1. Vice-President, Head Librarian, Head Activities Coordinator, and Historian a. At the first meeting of the spring semester, nominations will be accepted for the position of Vice President, Head Librarian, and Activities Coordinator. b. At the second meeting of the spring semester, further nominations will be accepted for said positions. c. At the end of the second meeting, elections will be held. 2. President, Treasurer, and Secretary a. At the second to last meting of the spring semester, nominations will be accepted for the positions of President, Treasurer, and Secretary. b. At the last meeting of the semester, further nominations will be accepted. c. At the end of the last meeting, elections will be held. B. Elections 1. The candidate with the highest percentage of the vote shall be the newly elected officer. 2. The elections shall be held in order from highest to lowest in chain of command. C. Terms of Office 1. The candidate shall take office as of the end of that meeting, and shall retain that position for one year or until removal or replacement is necessary. VI. Removal, Replacement, and Resignation A. Removal 1. If the Executive Board or the membership charges that (an) officer(s) has not been doing his/her job properly, they may petition to impeach said officer(s). a. In order for the Executive Board to impeach (an) officer(s), the petition must be signed by two-thirds majority of the Executive Board excluding the officer(s) in question. b. In order for the membership to impeach (an) officer(s), the petition must be signed by at least twenty active members. 2. The officer under impeachment has two meetings to defend him/herself after being notified that he/she is under impeachment, before a vote is taken on this issue. 3. If the membership agrees with the charges that an impeached officer has not been doing his/her job properly, they may remove that officer from office with a two-thirds majority vote by secret ballot at a general meeting. B. Replacement 1. Nominations for replacement shall be taken at the first meeting in recognition of a need for that officer, and the meeting of the week thereafter. (With respect to removal, this takes place after the officer(s) have been removed.) 2. Elections shall be held directly after the nominations at the meeting of the second week of nominations. 3. The replacement officer will serve out the term of the original officer. C. Resignation 1. Officer shall be allowed to resign from position at any time, pending that the officer officially declares their resignation at the start of the next general meeting and/or writes a letter of resignation. VII. Meetings A. General Meetings 1. The Science Fiction Forum shall meet once a week in the Spring and Fall terms. 2. The meeting place and time shall be decided on by the membership. 3. Meetings may be cancelled in event of emergencies, holidays, or other similar events. 4. Cancellations will be announced in advance when possible. B. Executive Board Meetings 1. The purpose of Executive Board meetings is to conduct business that would disrupt or unnecessarily lengthen the general meetings, such as organization, planning, and brainstorming. 2. The Executive Board is strictly advisory in that it may propose solutions and decisions, by may not implement them without the consent of a simple majority of the membership. 3. Shall be called by the President or upon the request of another officer 4. Shall be open to all members of the SF4M 5. Shall be held in advance of General Meeting C. Emergency Meetings 1. The purpose of Emergency Meetings shall be to discuss matters of dire importance to the SF4M, which must be handled prior to the next general meeting. 2. May be called by the President 3. Must be called by the President upon petition of twelve members of a simple majority of the remaining officers. 4. Must be called within twenty-four hours of said petition. D. Quorum 1. An official general meeting shall consist of at least eight active members, and two signatory officers. 2. A Quorum for the Executive Board meetings shall consist of at least three Executive Board members and any number of non-officer members of the SF4M. 3. A Quorum for Emergency Meetings shall consist of twelve members and two signatory officers. E. Operation 1. Both the Executive Board and general meetings shall be run by the highest ranked officer (as ranked in Article IV; usually the President), who shall determine the rules of order for such meetings, unless he/she is under impeachment. In such a case, the next highest ranked officer will officiate. VIII. Committees A. The President may make proposals to form committees and suggest a Chairperson for each B. Committees require approval of the purpose and Chairperson by a simple majority of the SF4M membership C. These committees will be open to all interested SF4M members, and will report to the membership at general meetings. D. Committees will be dissolved when their goal(s) have been reached or a simple majority of the membership favors dissolving it. IX. The Budget A. The annual budget shall be drawn up by the Treasurer (with the assistance of the President), presented for approval by the membership, and must be submitted before the deadline set by USG. B. Every effort should be made to ensure that the SF4M receives full funding. X. Statement of Non-Discrimination A. This organization fully endorses the principle of equal opportunity, and believes that every member of the SF4M shall have equal protection under the laws as guaranteed them by the Constitution of the United States of America. B. No member of the SF4M shall, on grounds of race, religion, sex, sexual preference, creed, age, skin color, handicap or national origin; discriminate, by excluded from participation in, or be denied the benefits of this organization. C. To ensure that all members of the SF4M have equal opportunity, the SF4M shall be obligated to: 1. Keep the recruitment practices of the SF4M on file, which shall be open to public inspection at regular hours. 2. Hold general and Executive Board meetings in locations accessible to all students and give due notice of said meetings. XI. Amendments A. The membership may amend this charter at any meeting by a two-thirds majority vote. B. An announcement of specific proposed changes has been made at the two previous meetings and has been posted publicly for those two weeks. XII. Mandatory Statement A. As members of our organization we fully understand that we are not authorized to enter in any contractual agreements. B. In the event of the dissolution of this group, all USG funds and assets of this organization shall revert to the USG. This charter was ratified at a regular meeting of the Science Fiction Forum on September 24, 2009; it modifies the charter of March 12, 2008 which completely replaces the Charter of May 2, 2007, May 3, 2005, March 3, 1999, February 21, 1996, October 1994, the Charter of 1988, Charter of January 1978, Amendment 1 of September 1980, Amendment 2 of march 1988, and Amendment 3 of March 1988. Article IV, Section 2 sub 7 was ratified at a regular meeting of the SF4M on December 6, 1994.