Constitution

Updated: May 2016
The Pre-Optometry Club at Ohio State Constitution

I.) Name
A)    The name of this organization shall be The Pre-Optometry Club at Ohio State.

II.) Purpose
A)    The purpose of this organization shall be to acquaint its members with the many aspects of the field of optometry, as well as to familiarize them with the college, the faculty, and other fellow students.


III.) Membership
A)    Membership shall not discriminate on the basis of national origin, religion, sex, sexual
orientation, age, or handicap.
B)    Membership shall comply with all University rules and regulations.
C)    Members of the club shall consist of persons interested in the field of optometry that are located within a reasonable distance that allows them to attend meetings and events.
D)    Each member shall pay an annual fee for dues for the amount deemed unanimously by the Executive Board. Dues for the 2010‐2011 school year shall be $30.00 for all students. Paid members will be considered “members in good standing.”
E)    The majority of members must be enrolled at The Ohio State University.


IV.) Officers and their Duties

A)    The President shall:
i.      Preside over all general member meetings.
ii.     Preside over all meetings of the executive board.
iii.    Plan all club meetings and speakers.
iv.     Have the final say on budget allotments.
v.      Uphold the constitution to the best of his or her power.
vi.     E-mail members about club meetings and other upcoming club events.
vii.    Set up and maintain a list of club members.

B)    The Vice President shall:
i.      Preside over meetings in place of the president, should the president be absent.
ii.     Assist the president with the planning of club meetings and special events.
iii.    Coordinate and oversee all committee activities.
iv.     Plan refreshments for the meetings when necessary.
v.      Organize club’s attendance at EastWest Eye Conference each year.
vi.     Plan the cow-eyeball dissection every fall semester.

C)    The Secretary shall:
i.      Maintain correspondence for the club, including thank you notes to speakers.
ii.     Perform the duties of the committee chair in the event that a committee chair is unable to perform his or her duties.
iii.    Record the minutes at each meeting and email them to the Historian to post on the website. If unable to attend the meeting, find a replacement to record the minutes.
iv.    Keep attendance and membership records for the club.
v.     Uphold responsibilities of a committee chair should a committee chair be absent

D)    The Treasurer shall:
i.      Maintain the records of the treasury of the club.
ii.     Register the club with the University at the beginning of each year for university funding.
iii.    Attend the mandatory training session by the University.
iv.     Announce membership dues to new or unpaid members at each general meeting.
v.      Deposit all funds including membership.
vi.     Pay all bills.
vii.    Inform recording secretary of all members that have paid their dues.

E)     The Historian shall:
i.      Preserve all written records of the club.
ii.     Take photographs at all club events, post them on the club’s website.
iii.    Maintain the club website.

V.)   The Executive Board
A)    The chairperson of the Executive Board shall be the club president.
B)    The Executive Board Members shall consist of all officers and the club advisor.
C)    Its function shall be to organize all programs of the club and to set the agenda.
D)    Executive Board meetings shall be called by the president, at least once a semester.
E)    Committee chairs should attend Executive Board Meetings and can vote.
F)    Constitution should be edited at the end of each president’s term (the end of a full school year

VI.)  Committee Chairs
A)    Committee chair elections shall take place during a meeting in spring semester.
B)    Committee chairs should attend Executive Board Meetings.
C)    Committee Chairs include the following:

 

i.      The Social Chair shall:
1.       Set up at least one social event each semester.
2.      Have events and costs approved by the President.
3.      Maintain the club’s Facebook page
4.      Sign up and organize the Involvement Fair each semester.
5.      Encourage club activity in any upcoming community service events
6.      Plan and organize at least one community service event per semester.

ii.     The Fundraising Chair shall:
1.      Be responsible for club fundraising.
2.      Plan, organize, and encourage activity in at least one fundraising event per semester.


VII.)  Meetings
A)    Meetings shall be scheduled by the President and Club Advisor.
B)    There shall be a minimum of three general meetings each semester.
C)    There shall be at least one of each event per semester including social, fundraising, clinical, AND community service
D)    The day of the week shall be chosen based on club survey and may be changed semesterly if necessary.
E)     The meetings shall be open to all those interested in the field of Optometry.


VIII.) Elections
A)    Elections shall take place on or before the second to last meeting of Spring Semester.
B)    Elections shall be announced at the first general meeting of spring semester.
C)    Only “members in good standing” can run for an office in the election.
D)    The order for the election shall be as follows: President, Vice‐President, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, followed by the chair elections: Social and Fundraising
E)    The current officers shall discuss the duties for their office on the election date.
F)    The President shall take nominations from the floor for each office independently.
G)    Nominees must accept or decline nomination.
H)    If a nominee is unsure of his or her plans for the coming year (such as on a wait list for Optometry School), he or she may still accept the nomination and the office if elected. If the newly elected officer is unable to fulfill his or her position, a re‐election shall occur according to these procedures. If the position of President becomes vacant the Vice‐President shall become President and a re-election for Vice President shall take place.
I)     All nominees must introduce themselves and their reasons for running for that specific
office.
J)     In the event that there are four or more nominees for a position, a preliminary vote will
occur. A second vote shall then be taken with the two nominees with the most preliminary votes.
K)    Election to an office shall result when a candidate receives a majority of the votes. In the
case of a tie, the Executive Board and chairs shall vote to decide.
L)    The term of office shall begin at the end of Spring Semester the year elections take place (in May).


IX.) Removal of Officers
A)     In the case that an officer must be removed from their duties. The executive board must meet and discuss the issue. The standing officer must present their case to the executive board if needed and the executive board must come to a unanimous decision.
B)     Elections will be held during Spring Semester and will allow for the new officers to be sworn in at the last meeting of the year.


X.) Selection and Removal of General Members
A)     General members will be recruited at the Involvement Fair and give their contact information to be notified about organization details. General members may also join by contacting an executive board member.
B)     General members are also required to uphold the standards of the club. In the case that a general member must be removed from the club. The executive board must meet and discuss the issue. The member must present their case to the executive board if needed and the executive board must come to a unanimous decision.
C)     Article III Section A shall protect members from removal based on discrimination against any individual(s) for reasons of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.


XI.) Dissolution of the Club
A)    In the event of the club’s dissolution, all remaining funds will be donated to The Ohio State University College of Optometry.