Group Constitution

Constitution

The Constitution of Chinese Comedy Group at the University of California, Los Angeles

Article I - General Provisions
1. The name of this organization shall be Chinese Comedy Group at UCLA.
2. The membership of this organization shall consist of any UCLA student, undergraduate or graduate.
3. For the purposes of this Constitution, a registered member is defined as one who dutifully attends meetings, required practices and performances.
4. The financial records of this organization shall be made available to university administrators upon request.
5. Chinese Comedy Group does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, handicap or age in any of its policies, procedures, or practices.



Article II – Purpose
1. To organize Chinese-language comedic performances.
2. To promote Chinese comedy and language to audiences both in and out of school.
3. To enrich art and entertainment life of the student body.



Article III – Attendance
1. Cast members of the Chinese Comedy Group productions are expected to attend all practices and performances unless at least one of the board members have been informed and have given consent to the absence prior to the event.

1. Missing two (2) practices without proper notification will result in exemption from the cast.
2. Missing one (1) performance without prior notification, the cast member will be subject to a vote from board members after the fore-mentioned production closes. The vote is to decide whether to expel the member from Chinese Comedy Group, or not to expel the member when his/her reason(s) for absence are verified to be both unforeseeable and unavoidable. Result of the vote must be approved by consent of the general membership.
   

2. Registered members, while in the party of Chinese Comedy Group, shall not engage in discriminating (on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, handicap or age) speech or behavior in any activities. Violation will result in expulsion from Chinese Comedy Group.



Article IV - Organization
1. The Board

A. The board shall consist of the following offices in order of succession

a The President
b. The Vice President
c. The Secretary

B. If the president decides, under the power granted to him/her by the Constitution, that a new, appointive position is necessary for his/her administration, the appointee must be confirmed by a vote of the general membership.

C. The board is responsible for casting, hiring, direction, location, and equipment for all Chinese Comedy Group productions. Its decisions must be approved by consent of the general membership.

2. The President
A. Powers
a. Appoint members to newly-created positions
b. Fill vacancies in elective and appointive offices
c. Call special meetings of the entire organization or Board when deemed necessary
d. Act as an ex-officio member of all committees
e. Call a special election when necessary
f. Handle all financial transactions
B. Duties
a. Preside over all activities of the organization
b. Act as official representative of the organization
c. Sign all necessary correspondence
d. Coordinate external affairs
e. Coordinate internal affairs
f. Keep an accurate record of all income and expenditures
3. The Vice President
A. Powers
a. The First Vice President shall assume all the powers of the President when the President is absent or is unable to execute the duties of the office
b. Act as an ex-officio member of all committees
c. Sign all necessary correspondence
B. Duties
a. Perform the duties of the President in his/her absence or when he/she is unable to execute the duties of the office.
5. The Secretary
A. Duties
a. Keep an accurate written record of each general meeting or board meeting
b. Keep a record of all committee decisions and activities
c. Handle all correspondence, including and not limited to: announcing schedules and updating the Chinese Comedy Group website



Article V - Elections
1. Voting
A. All registered members shall be allowed to vote
B. All officers appointed by the President shall be approved by consent of the general membership
2. The Election Process
A. The election for office shall be held by secret ballot
B. Elections for office shall be held annually. They are to be held no later than Friday of the ninth week of spring quarter. The newly elected officers shall begin their terms in summer.
C. Write-in voting shall be legal and possible on all ballots for the election of officer candidate(s) for the office in question
D. A recount, and if necessary, another election shall take place if desired by the candidate(s) for the office in question
E. A simple majority (fifty percent plus one vote) of votes cast is required for election to any office. If no candidate receives a simple majority, then a runoff election between the two candidates receiving the most votes for the office (s) in question shall be held he following week
F. Completed ballots will be counted and verified by a volunteer who is 1) not running for office, 2) a registered member and 3) approved by consent of the general membership.
3. The Elected offices shall be:

President, Vice President and Secretary

4. Qualifications

Any registered member desiring to be considered a candidate, for any elective office shall meet the following requirements:

A. Be a registered member of the Chinese Comedy Group.

B. Candidates for President and Vice President must have served at least two (2) quarters as a registered member of the Chinese Comedy Group.

Article VI - Recall Elections
1. All elected officers are subject to recall by a petition signed by at least twenty percent (20%) of all registered members. Such recall elections shall be held within fifteen (15) school days after said petition is submitted to the general membership and to the officers in question, provided that the petition is found to have the required number of valid signatures.
2. The petition that is presented must state the reasons for which the officer is being recalled. All signers of the petition must know that they are requesting a recall of an officer on the specific grounds stated on the petition.
3. A two-thirds (2/3) vote is necessary for recall
4. Any officer subjected to recall shall be given the opportunity to address the organization before the election. After the officer being recalled has had the chance to address the organization, he/she must not be present during pre-vote discussion or during the vote for recall.
5. Any appointed officer may be removed by a simple majority vote of the general membership. Any stipulations form Article VI, Section IV, that are not mentioned in this section must also be adhered to.
6. If an officer is recalled, the President, under the powers granted to him/her by the Constitution may appoint a different member to fill the vacant office.



Article VII - Amendment Process
1. A constitutional amendment may be proposed by any member. It must then be present to the general membership. Proposed amendment must be made available to all members at least five (5) school days prior to voting. Any proposed amendment requires a two-thirds (2/3) approval and shall go into effect immediately, unless otherwise specified, but never later than the last day of the quarter when it was approved.