Constitution

 

 
 
 

Constitution of the Romanian Graduate Club at Harvard University

 

  • Article 1 - Name
    • The name of the organization will be the Romanian Graduate Club at Harvard University, referred in what follows as RGC, or the Club.

 

  • Article 2 - Purpose

The purpose of RGC shall be:

    • To promote fellowship among the Romanian student community at Harvard and other students interested in Romania, its language, history and culture.
    • To welcome and counsel all newly arrived or prospective Harvard Romanian students.
    • To promote social and educational activities among the Harvard community related to Romania and its culture.

 

  • Article 3 - Membership
    • Members of the Club can be anybody from the Harvard community who is interested in Romanian culture.
    • All officers and the majority of members must be students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
    • Members have the duty to comply with the Constitution of RGC.
    • Admission shall be made upon request and shall be approved by the Executive Committee.
    • Membership can be temporarily withheld by the Executive Committee, but it can only be withdrawn at the beginning of the next General Meeting. Temporarily excluded members have the right to vote on their own exclusion.

 

  • Article 4 - Structure
    • Policy decisions are made by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is composed of the following officers elected from the members of RGC:
      1. President,
      2. Vice-President,
      3. Secretary,
      4. Treasurer.
    • The term of office for all members of the Executive Committee shall be one year and no member can hold more than two consecutive terms.
    • No members shall hold two or more offices simultaneously.
    • The decisions of the Executive Committee are taken with the approval of at least three of its members. The President has vote of quality in case of tie.
    • Each year, the Executive Committee shall present a complete report of the RGC activities during the past year to the members of the Club.
    • The Executive Committee may appoint/revoke other committees.
    • The members of the Executive Committee share the responsibility of organizing RGC events. In addition, they have the responsibilities described below:
      • The President shall be the chair of the Executive Committee and the official representative of RGC. During the absence of the President, he/she is temporarily replaced by the first available person from the following list: RGC Vice-President, RGC Secretary, RGC Treasurer. Any RGC member may temporarily represent the Club with the approval of the Executive Committee.
      • The Secretary shall keep record of the members and of the decisions taken by the Executive Committee and by General Meetings.
      • The Treasurer shall be responsible for the RGC funds and shall pay the bills under the direction of the Executive Committee.
    • RGC members are encouraged to organize RGC events. To organize an RGC event, they should consult first with the Executive Committee about event organization and coordination with other RGC activities.

 

  • Article 5 - Meetings
    • The Executive Committee shall meet at least once per month.
    • General Meetings shall be held at least once per year. General Meetings shall be scheduled during the Spring or the Fall Term and should be announced at least seven (7) days in advance.
    • The majority of the Executive Committee or 25% of the members may call a General Meeting.

 

  • Article 6 - Elections
    • General elections for the Executive Committee shall be held once per year, during a General Meeting.
    • Only Harvard graduate students can candidate for positions in the Executive Committee.
    • Only Harvard graduate students have the right to vote.
    • If there are at least two candidates for the same position, the voting process shall be open.
    • General elections for the Executive Committee must be held with a quorum of at least the majority (half plus one) of the RGC voting members. If a quorum is not obtained at the election meeting, general elections shall be postponed by no more than fifteen (15) days. A quorum shall not be required for the rescheduled general elections meeting.
    • To be elected, a candidate shall obtain the absolute majority of the votes. If a first round vote does not produce a winner by absolute majority, a second round shall be held between the two (2) most voted candidates.
    • Voting by proxy, mail, e-mail or telephone is allowed with proper authentication.

 

  • Article 7 - Resignation and Removal from Office
    • The removal from office of an Executive Committee member can be pursued with the approval of the majority of the RGC members, during a General Meeting specially organized for this purpose.
    • New elections for an open Executive Committee position shall be held at the next General Meeting of the Club.

 

  • Article 8 - Constitutional Amendments
    • The majority of the Executive Committee or 25% of the voting members may propose a constitutional amendment. The proposed amendment has to be posted two weeks in advance of the General Meeting which will discuss it.
    • The amendment can pass by the vote of two thirds of the RGC members.
    • The voting process for constitutional amendments shall be open.
    • Voting members unable to attend a General Meeting that will discuss constitutional amendments shall be able to vote by sending a letter to the Executive Committee.

 

  • Article 9 – Constitution Validation
    • This document shall become the constitution of RGC if voted by two thirds of the founding members.

 

  • Article 10 - Clause
    • RGC agrees to abide by the rules and regulations of the Graduate Student Council and its Executive Committee. This Constitution, amendments to it, and the by-laws of the Club shall be subject to review by the Dudley House Office to insure that they are in accordance with the aforementioned rules and regulations.