constitution

last updated Oct 1, 2003



	The Constitution of the University of Manitoba Swing Dance Club Preamble: The purpose of the club is to: 1) Form an active community of Swing dancers at the U of M that is welcoming to students as well as non-students. 2) Provide an encouraging and social atmosphere to learn and practice Swing dancing 3) Provide affordable dance lessons to students and non-students 4) Provide opportunities for advanced levels of dancing through workshops, demonstrations and competition. Located at the University of Manitoba Fort Garry Campus, the U of M Swing Dance Club offers a fun and exciting atmosphere for those interested in Swing dancing. Open to everyone, UM Swing not only offers lessons but also holds workshops, practice sessions, dances, movie nights, and other social events for its members. At the U of M Swing Dance Club, members not only have the opportunity to learn, socialize, and share with others their knowledge and interest in Swing dancing but also to keep fit and enjoy themselves. UM Swing is a non-profit organization whose aim is to provide dance instruction at a reasonable cost to students and non-students. Article I: Name This club shall be named the U of M Swing Dance Club, and its acronym UM Swing. Article II: Purpose To establish and nurture an active, fun and social Swing dance community within the University of Manitoba. This would involve: · Regular instructional lessons of various levels · Occasional specialized workshops that may invite different instructors · Occasional social swing “jams” and dances · Opportunities to form demonstration groups and join competitions · Other activities with dancing themes such as movie nights, etc. Article III: Definition of Swing Dance This club shall specialize in Swing dancing. Swing dances include Jive, Lindy Hop, Charleston, East-Coast Swing, West-Coast Swing, Shim-Sham and Lifts as well as other less known Swing dances that fall under the term “Swing dance” such as Black Bottom, Blues and Balboa. Although UM Swing will make information regarding Latin or Ballroom dances available to its members, it is not required to promote or offer classes featuring those dances. Article IV: Membership i) The U of M Swing Dance Club is open to all U of M students as well as non-students, but U of M students must make up at least two thirds of the group’s members at all times. ii) To become a member, one must pay a fee at the beginning of a session or anytime thereafter. One session lasts four months, corresponding to the school year terms: from September to December, January to April, and IF meeting over the spring/summer, from May to August. Drop-in is tolerated, for which a fee will be charged. However, drop-in people would not be official “members” of the Swing Dance Club. iii) Executives are waived from paying membership fees for the term(s) within which they are acting executive members. iv) All members taking Swing dance lessons must sign a waiver stating that he/she is solely responsible for any injuries that may be incurred at any time during a lesson. v) All UM Swing members have voting rights. vi) There shall be a maximum of 75 people in each swing dance lesson. Article V: Executive and Governing Structure i) The Executive shall consist of the following: Administration: · President · Vice President · Director of Administrative Affairs Promotion: · Director of Promotions and Publicity · Social Coordinator · Fundraiser · Graphic/Web designer ii) All the Executive members must be students of the University of Manitoba and members of the UM Swing. iii) All decisions must be consistent with the purpose of the U of M Swing Dance Club as outlined in Article II. iv) Leadership and decisions will be provided by consensus of the executive members, who in turn represent and act for the benefit of all club members. Should no clear consensus be stricken, a vote may be called for within the Executive group, of which all members have a right to vote. If it is felt that a matter requires further input in order to reach a fair decision, a general meeting with all club members may be called, in which any member of the club may vote. Financial Structure: iv) All membership moneys shall be deposited in the U of M Swing Dance Club account. Instructors shall be paid by cheque from this. v) Purchases made on behalf of UM Swing will be reimbursed with executive approval. vi) An ongoing budget/inventory must be kept by the Director of Administrative Affairs and made available to all Club members. vii) There must be a minimum of two co-signers for all withdrawals and cheques made in the name of the U of M Swing Dance Club. The eligible signers within the club shall be the President, Vice President, and Director of Administrative Affairs. Article VI: Duties of the Executive team All Executive members must: · Provide leadership within the club in all areas of the club’s activities, especially in the areas pertaining to his/her executive position · Meet on a monthly basis (or as frequently as required). · Attend all meetings relating to their responsibilities and vote on all related issues · Participate in Club activities as much as reasonably possible · Act responsibly and respectfully regarding the mission of the Club during all UM Swing events and in situations in which one is representing UM Swing. Each Executive Member has a voting right regarding all decision-making issues. The individual duties of each Executive position are according to Appendix A. If an executive member is absent from more than 50% of the meetings, the executive team has the right to vote that member out of his/her position. Should this happen, a nomination and election process for this position must follow and be completed within one month of the member’s dismissal. Article VII: Elections: i) All Executive Council members are elected by UM Swing members with the exception of Graphic/Web designer, who is chosen by the Executive Council following the election based on credentials. All applicants to this position must fulfill requirements as stated in Appendix B. ii) The Executive Council shall be chosen by members of Um Swing during the month of March (no later than the last day of the month). This shall take place by the process of nomination and election. iii) Nominations will be accepted between the months of January and March. A nomination form as found in Appendix D shall be completed by all nominees. Those nominated will be informed of the responsibilities of the corresponding executive position(s). They will have the freedom to submit and remove their name from the ballot up to and including the fifth day before the election. iv) Elections will take place on or before the class day in March. Voting will be held in a general meeting by secret ballot. Ballots are to be counted by the Director of Administrative Affairs and overlooked by two additional club members, both chosen at random. v) Nominees are allowed to run for a maximum of two positions. In the event that he/she is elected for both, he/she must chose one or the other. The position that he/she declines will be given to the first-runner up. vi) Official changeover will occur on May 1st of each year. As the club may want to remain active over the summer months, responsibilities of the new executive council are to begin as of May 1st, and this should be considered by each member prior to the election. However, it is understandable that it is not always possible for an executive member to be available throughout the summer. Thus, he/she may be temporarily excused from the post during this time without further penalties, though it will be at the expense of the club’s level of activity throughout the summer. Article VIII: Gatherings i) The Swing Dance Club shall gather to Swing dance weekly as is possible, but must meet a minimum of four times per year. ii) One gathering, one at the beginning of each term shall be specified as an “open house” meeting open to everyone, regardless of membership. This gathering must meet the minimum advertising requirements for meetings as specified by UMSU. Article IX: Amendments Amendments may be proposed in writing by any member of the Executive Council. Such amendments to the constitution will only take effect if a majority vote is reached by the Executive Council.