University of Helsinki Debate Society

Constitution

I. Name: The society shall be known as the University of Helsinki Debate Society (hereafter UHDS)

II. Language: This Document shall be made available at all times in English and Finnish. In case of disagreement between the two documents, the Finnish text shall be deemed authoritative.

III. MISSION STATEMENT: The UHDS exists for the purpose of promoting and facilitating debate, both within and without the society, on as wide a variety of topics as is possible. In accordance with this aim the society shall remain apolitical and shall remain focused on the development of the rhetorical and analytical skills of the membership. Additionally, the society shall endeavour to provide a welcoming environment for like-minded individuals to share ideas and beer.

IV. MEMBERSHIP 1. Eligibility: There shall be three classes of membership, as follows: a. Regular membership, available to members of [full name of HYY here] (hereafter HYY) b. Associate membership, available to the community at large. c. Honorary membership, available only upon decree by majority vote of the board. Honorary members shall not be subject to the membership fee outlined in section IV.2 2. Fee: The annual membership fee of the society shall be the sum of 5 Euro. Failure to pay the fee shall result in forfeiture of membership. Reinstatement shall be automatic upon payment of the annual membership fee. 3. Participation: Participation in the non-public events of the society shall require paid membership beyond the 3rd such event attended by the participant.

V. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 1. Structure: The board of directors (hereafter the board) shall comprise 9 members. These nine members, listed here in order of seniority, shall be the President, Vice President – Internal, Vice President – External, Vice President – Finance, Vice President – Development, Secretary, Webmaster, Social Coordinator and Novice Representative. 2. Role: The role of the board of directors shall be to conduct the administrative affairs of the society in accordance with the wishes of the membership. 3. Eligibility: Any member in good standing (i.e. fully paid) of the society may offer their candidature for any of the positions on the executive council, provided they have attended at least 3 events hosted by the society (the election itself can be counted as one of these events), subject to the restrictions outlined below. 1. The position of novice representative must be occupied by a member who has not held a membership to the society in any previous year. Additionally, any individual who has participated in any university-sanctioned tournament in Finland or elsewhere shall not be eligible for this position. 2. A majority of the board (i.e. at least 5 positions) shall be composed of regular members of the society. In the event that the elections produce an outcome that does not satisfy this requirement, the following procedure shall be followed: 1. The officer conducting the elections shall ask for any voluntary resignations from the new board. If one is received, a new election for that position shall be held with candidature open only to regular members of the society. 2. In the event that no resignations take place, the least senior non-regular member of the executive shall be deemed to have resigned. A new election for that position shall be held with candidature open only to regular members of the society. In the event the new election does not produce any candidates, or does not produce a result, the following procedure shall be followed: 1. The individual forced to resign shall be reinstated as the victorious candidate. 2. The next least senior non-regular member of the board will then be deemed to have offered their resignation, and a new election in accordance with Article V.3.2.2 shall be held. This process shall be repeated until a majority of the board is composed of regular members of the society. 3. In the event that the processes outlined above fail to produce a majority of regular members on the board, section V.3.2 of the constitution shall be suspended until the next general election of the society 3. Honorary members shall not be eligible to offer their candidature unless they agree to pay the membership fee outlined in section IV.2. 4. Responsibilities: The responsibilities of the various members of the executive shall be as follows, subject to the explanations and definitions found in section V.5. 1. The President: The president shall act as the official representative of the society at official functions both integral and external to the society, and shall additionally oversee the activities of the board as a whole through his role as board chairperson. 2. Vice President – Internal: In addition to the conduct of elections, the VP Internal shall be responsible for the following portfolios: 1. Meeting Chair: Oversees the orderly conduct of weekly meetings, specifically including the booking of rooms and the collection of keys that facilitates them. 2. In-House Tournaments: Ensures the proper advance planning and day-of execution of in-house tournaments held by the society. 3. Vice President – External: The VP External shall be responsible for the following portfolios: 1. Public Relations: The coordination of communication between the society and the general public 2. Public Events: Ensures the proper advance planning and day-of execution of public events held by the society. 3. External Tournament Coordinator (hereafter ETC): Maintains a list and informs the membership of any and all tournaments that might be of interest. Additionally, the ETC coordinates the registration of members of the society for external tournaments. 4. Vice President – Finance: The VP Finance shall be responsible for the following portfolios: 1. Treasurer: Acts as the official accountant of the society. In particular, the treasurer is responsible for fulling any administrative requirements imposed upon the society by bodies of which it is a member, and shall additionally maintain the accounts of the society. It should be noted that in order for the treasurer to disperse funds, at least one other member of the executive must authorize the expenditure. 2. Fundraising: Coordinates the fundraising activities of the society. 3. Budgeting: Prepares and updates the annual budget in accordance with the directions of the executive. 5. Vice President – Development: The VP Development shall be responsible for the following portfolios: 1. Recruitment: Coordinates and executes the recruitment exercises of the society. 2. Training: Develops and executes the training activities of the society, including the various workshops and seminars that should be offered throughout the year. 3. Policy Development: Develops society policy based on the instructions of the board. In particular, the following shall be maintained: 1. External tournament selection policy 2. Constitutional Updates 6. Secretary: The secretary shall ensure that accurate minutes of the meetings of the board are taken, and shall additionally maintain an orderly record of the past activities of the society. Wherever possible, this should be done in both physical and electronic formats. Regardless, minutes of all board meetings shall be provided to the society within 1 week of the meeting taken place, and are subject to acceptance and the following board meeting. Additionally, the secretary shall be responsible for maintaining a list of members in both good (paid) and bad (unpaid) standing of the society 7. Social Coordinator: The Social Coordinator shall be responsible for the following portfolios: 1. Social Events Coordination: Coordinates the social activities of the society, and in particular both plans stand-alone social activities for the club and acts in support of tournament directors in ensuring the smooth execution of social events held as part of the various tournaments organized by the society. 8. Webmaster: The webmaster shall be responsible for the following portfolios: 1. Website Maintenance: Ensures the timely and accurate update of the website in accordance with the instructions of the board. The webmaster is expected to keep in especially close contact with the VPs Internal and External to ensure that accurate information about the society is provided at all times. 2. Mailing List Administrator: Ensures that all mailing lists are properly configured in accordance with the wishes of the executive. 9. Novice Representative: The Novice Representative shall represent the particular concerns of new members in relation to the conduct of the affairs of the society. 5. Portfolios 1. Purpose: The purpose of the portfolio system as described above shall be to facilitate the inclusion of the widest possible segment of the membership in the affairs of the board 2. Execution: The presence of a portfolio within the responsibilities of an executive member shall be seen as indicating that individual's ultimate responsibility for accomplishment of the broad objectives of the society rather than the specific execution of all affairs relating to that position. The following guidelines should as such be followed: 1. A member offering assistance in the execution of a given portfolio should be turned away only if absolutely necessary. 2. Acceptance of assistance in execution of a portfolio shall be at the discretion of the board member responsible for that portfolio. 3. The administration of a portfolio can be handled by a person other than the board member responsible for it. In cases where this occurs, however, it shall not transfer the vote on the board to that individual, nor shall it mitigate the oversight duties of the responsible board member. 3. New Portfolios: Where deemed appropriate by the executive, a new portfolio can, by majority vote of the board, be created and a club member appointed to fill it, also by majority vote of the board. This shall not confer voting rights on the board upon said member, although they shall be highly encouraged to participate in the affairs of the board wherever possible 1. Abolition of a portfolio not specifically mentioned in the constitution, or revocation of responsibility for a given non-constitutional portfolio shall also be facilitated by a majority vote of the board. 6. Impeachment 1. A board member may be removed from their position by any of the following means: 1. Non-Attendance: In the event a member of the board does not appear at any meetings of the society for a period of 60 days without informing the president of his or her absence, they shall be deemed to have resigned. A 2/3 majority vote of the board is required to activate this section of the constitution. 2. Dereliction of Duty: Where a member of the board is believed not to have fulfilled their duties as prescribed in the constitution, a 2/3 majority of either the general membership present at a regular meeting of the society or of the board at a board meeting. 1. Where the general membership of the society is the acting party, quorum shall be 1/3 of the entire membership in good standing, rounded up. 2. Where the board is the acting party, quorum shall be at least 2/3 of the board (6 members). VI.ELECTIONS 1. Administration of Elections 1. Administering Officer: The election shall be conducted by the Vice President – Internal, with two members of the society who are not members of the board supervising the counting of ballots. 1. In the event of a disagreement over the vote count, the ballots shall be destroyed, and a new election held. 2. In the event that a new election in accordance with section VI.1.1 does not yield a conclusive result, a new election shall be held by role call, with each member of the society stating their vote aloud for the membership at large to hear. 2. Counting of Ballots: 1. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes in the first round, a second round of voting shall be held with only the top two candidates from the previous round advancing. 1. Should two or more candidates be tied for second place in the first round of voting, all will advance to the second round. In this case a simple plurality of votes shall ensure victory 2. Ties: In the event of a tie during either a first round ballot with only candidates or any second round ballot, the (outgoing) Vice President – Internal shall cast a tie-breaking vote. 2. Election Dates 1. General elections for all members of the following year's board except the Novice Representative shall be held during the Annual General Meeting (as outlined in section VII). 2. The election of the Novice Representative shall be held in the month of October, the exact date to be set by the executive. If it is not scheduled by October 1st, it shall be deemed to have been called for the first Wednesday on or after October 15th 3. Balloting 1. All voting shall be done by secret ballot, collected and counted by the VP Internal subject to section VI.1.1 2. The final vote counts shall not be disclosed; only the winner will be announced.

VII. The Annual General Meeting and General Meeting 1. The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held during the first two weeks of December. 2. An email shall be sent to the official society email list not less than one week before the meeting giving the date, time and agenda of the meeting and the fact that elections to the Board will take place thereat. 3. The meeting shall be open to all, but only members of the Society shall be entitled to vote. 4. A general meeting of the Society may be called by the Board or by five members of the Society presenting a signed petition to the Board, or by the President. Two weeks notice as provided for in the case of an Annual General Meeting shall be given.

VIII. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING: An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society may be called following the procedure set out above for General Meetings.

IX. AMENDMENTS 1. This constitution may be amended by a vote of a two-thirds majority of those present at any regular meeting of the society. 2. Notices of such amendments must be given to the Board by email at least two weeks before the day of that meeting.

X. ABOLITION: If the Society is dismantled or abolished, the funds in its possession shall be donated to the Baltic Association of Debating or used for the cause of debating, as decided upon by a majority vote of the board.

University of Helsinki Debating Society October 2005