Constitution of the University of South Dakota School of Law
St. Thomas More Society
PROLOGUE
The University of South Dakota School of Law St. Thomas More Society (“USD STMS”) is a Catholic student organization organized under approval of the St. Thomas More Newman Center, the regulations of the University of South Dakota, and The University of South Dakota School of Law. The USD STMS honors, the
Catholic Church. ARTICLE I
SECTION I
MISSION
The mission of the St. Thomas More Society of South Dakota School of Law is to foster full integration of our Catholic faith into the daily practice of law, striving to emulate Saint Thomas More, the patron saint of attorneys. We strive to fulfill this mission by:
• Facilitating access to the sacraments of the Church
• Providing a forum for Christian fellowship, prayer, and growth
• Working alongside other inter-faith organizations to promote unity under one God
• Offering lectures and discussion opportunities on matters of faith and morals, especially as they pertain to our vocations in the law
• Offering opportunities to participate in community service projects
• By living lives worthy of the title Christian and by holding fast to and proclaiming the teachings of the Gospels and the Magisterium of the Church, in the likeness of our patron, Saint Thomas More. SECTION II
MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the USD STMS is open to any student at USD as well as any faculty or administration member. USD STMS will not discriminate in membership on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability. SECTION III
FACULTY ADVISOR
The Faculty Advisor of the USD STMS will be a faculty member of USD. ARTICLE II
SECTION I
OFFICERS
The USD STMS shall have the following officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. SECTION II
DUTIES
The USD STMS Officers shall have duties described below and any other duties that the President shall from time to time deem expedient for the Society. President – The President shall be the chief executive of the USD STMS. The President shall call and preside over all USD STMS meetings and Executive Board meetings. The President shall supervise all club activities. The President shall have veto power concerning Society expenditures which can be overturned by a two-thirds vote of all members. The President shall serve as a liaison to any such other organizations as the Executive Board deems necessary. The President shall have the power to appoint any such assistants as the President deems necessary to assist him in fulfilling the duties of his office. The President shall present all activities to the Faculty Advisor. Vice President – The Vice President shall assist the President and shall preside in case of his or her absence or disability. The Vice President shall rule on all matters of parliamentary procedure. The Vice President shall reserve rooms for USD STMS meetings. The Vice President shall maintain all official records of the Society, including a mailing list of all members and alumni. The Vice President shall supervise the committees through their respective Chairmen. Secretary – The Secretary shall take minutes of all Society meetings, maintain all Society correspondence, and notify USD STMS members of upcoming meetings. The Secretary shall notify the members of upcoming meetings in any manner the Executive Board may deem appropriate, including posting notice of such on the bulletin board, and using posters, notices, or other communications. Treasurer – The Treasurer shall be responsible for the finances of the USD STMS and shall present and supervise the budget. The Treasurer shall be responsible for any fund raising activities. Membership Chairman – the Membership Chairman shall maintain the list of members of the USD STMS. The Membership Chairman shall focus on actively recruiting new members and making recently added members feel welcome. The Membership Chairman shall be appointed by the President. Faculty Advisor – the Faculty Advisor shall provide guidance to the USD STMS. The Faculty Advisor shall be presented with all activities before they are voted on and shall advise The President about the activity. The Lawyers Chapter Liaison – the Lawyers Chapter Liaison shall maintain contact with the local St. Thomas More Society Lawyers Chapter, informing the chapter of upcoming meetings and events. Every May, the Lawyers Chapter Liaison will inform the Lawyers Chapter which graduating 3Ls will remain in the area to practice law. SECTION III
VACANCIES IN OFFICE
In the event that any officer is unable to fulfill his term for any reason, an election for that office shall be held during the next regularly scheduled USD STMS meeting following the vacancy. During the vacancy, the office may be filled on an interim basis by the Executive Board. ARTICLE III
EXECUTIVE BOARD
The members of the Executive Board shall be the four elected officers and the chairpersons of the committees. The Executive Board shall administer all routine business of the Society. A majority vote of the Society members is sufficient to overturn a decision of the Executive Board. ARTICLE IV
SECTION I
COMMITTEES
Committees shall be organized to administer various facets of the USD STMS. The Executive Board shall, as the need arises, establish committees consisting of Society members at large. The President shall appoint Committee Chairpersons, to take effect upon approval of the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall chair any committee formed concerning the finances of the USD STMS. SECTION II
RESPONSIBILITY
All committee chairmen shall be immediately responsible to the Vice President who shall coordinate the committees and shall assign to the committees any responsibilities delegated by the Executive Board. ARTICLE V
SECTION I
ANNUAL MEETING
The Annual Meeting shall be held in April of each year. The Treasurer shall report the status of the budget at that time. Officers for the next year shall be elected at this meeting. The newly elected officers shall assume their responsibilities on June 1. SECTION II
ELECTIONS
The procedure of all elections of the USD STMS shall be as follows:
A. Two weeks before the election, the Secretary shall post notices announcing the upcoming election and application deadline on appropriate bulletin boards around the USD. Any member interested in elective office must notify the current President by the stated deadline. Any member may run for the offices of Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The President shall prepare ballots with candidates’ names, organized by the offices they seek. Nomination from the floor shall be only for candidates on the ballot. Each candidate on the ballot for President shall have four minutes to make a campaign speech. All other candidates on the ballot will have two minutes to make a campaign speech. The President shall time each speech. Each person desiring a ballot must first be verified by the Treasurer as a member, before receiving a ballot. No proxies shall be allowed, and any member arriving after the commencement of campaign speeches may not vote. All voting is by secret ballot. All voting for the offices of President shall take place before speeches and voting for the office of Vice President, and so on. The President shall excuse the candidate before each vote to allow the members to discuss the candidate’s merits. The President and two members, selected by those attending the meeting, shall tabulate the ballots. No write-in candidates shall be allowed. For any office for which there are two or fewer candidates, the race is decided by a plurality. If there are more than two candidates, a simple majority must be achieved. Absent a majority, a run-off election shall be conducted between the top two vote recipients. In the event of a tie, the President shall cast the deciding vote. No candidate for office shall preside over an election meeting. ARTICLE VI
AMENDMENTS AND BYLAWS
Any member of the USD STMS may propose amendments or bylaws to this Constitution. Amendments shall take effect upon ratification by two-thirds of the members. Bylaws shall take effect upon approval of a majority of the members. ARTICLE VII
PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained in the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern the USD STMS in all cases to the extent that such do not conflict with any express provisions, policies, or procedures of this Constitution. ARTICLE VIII
RATIFICATION AND EFFECTIVE DATE
This Constitution shall take effect immediately upon ratification by two-thirds of the members present at a meeting called for the purpose. Each member of the USD STMS may receive a copy of the Constitution as well as any amendment or bylaws subsequently adopted in accordance with Article VIII.
