Constitution

Article I: Name

The name of this organization shall be the African Percussion and Dance Ensemble.

Article II: Purpose

The goal and purpose of the African Percussion and Dance Ensemble shall be educating students in the practice of traditional African instruments and dances, as well as introducing the rich variety inherent in African music to the larger population of the Worcester area.

Article III: Membership

Section 1: Eligibility

Membership shall be open to all WPI undergraduate and graduate students, as well as staff and faculty. We encourage members of the community to participate in all of our activities.

Section 2: Open Membership

The WPI African Percussion and Dance Ensemble will not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, age, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, marital status, or national origin.

Section 3: Active Membership

Active members shall be those who have attended two-thirds of all practices and performances. Active membership will include the privilege to vote, run for office, and borrow drums.

Section 4: Hazing

The Ensemble will ensure that its membership will not practice any physically or psychologically abusive behaviors (hazing) at any time.

Section 5: Membership Requirements

There shall be no requirements for membership except a willingness and desire to learn more about African music and culture.

Article IV: Officers, Duties, and Requirements

Section 1: Executive Board

The governing body of the Ensemble shall be called the Executive Board, and shall consist of the Ensemble’s director and elected officers.

Section 2: Director

The elected officers shall appoint a director who shall be solely responsible for the musical performance and direction of the Ensemble.

Section 3: Officer Duties

The officers of the Ensemble will consist of a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer, and shall have the following duties.

President. The president shall organize and coordinate the Ensemble’s activites, and shall act as the Ensemble’s primary spokesperson.

Vice President. The vice president shall be responsible for scheduling the Ensemble’s events (meetings, performances, etc.) and for handling all paperwork regarding SAO recognition.

Secretary. The secretary shall be responsible for receiving all correspondence to the Ensemble and presenting it to the Executive board, for taking attendance at rehearsals and performances, for taking minutes at formal meetings, and for the storage and loaning of drums.

Treasurer. The treasurer shall manage all funds for the Ensemble, coordinate all of the Ensemble’s fundraising activities, and ensure that payments and reimbursements are made in a timely manner.

Section 4: Requirements for Officership

Officers must be full-time WPI students who qualify as active members and are in good academic standing.

Article V: Elections and Officer Replacement/Removal

Section 1: Election Procedure

During the second week of February, the Ensemble shall accept nominations from active members for the Executive board. Nominees are allowed a week beyond the end of the nomination period (that is, through the end of the third week of February) to accept or decline their nominations. If any office has no nominations at the end of the acceptance period, the Executive board shall meet to nominate a candidate, who shall be allowed three days after being nominated to accept or decline his/her nomination. Should this nomination be declined, the Executive board shall continue to nominate candidates until a nomination is accepted, following the method described above. At the first meeting after candidates have been nominated for all offices, the Ensemble shall hold a vote of the active membership, requiring a quorum of two-thirds of active members to be present, and for a two-thirds majority vote for each office. If only one candidate has been nominated for an office, the vote may be decided by a simple majority if no active members voice concern about the candidate’s ability or suitability for the position. If only one candidate has been nominated for each office, the four officers may be elected by one vote, requiring a two-thirds majority vote to pass. Should this vote fail, the candidates must be elected singly, as in a normal election. Votes are to be submitted by secret ballot, to be counted by the current Executive Board after the vote has been taken.

Section 2: Transfer of Officership

Newly elected officers shall begin their term of office with a transition period, in conjunction with the outgoing officers, immediately after their election. The newly elected officers will assume full responsibility of their office beginning D term.

Section 3: Chain of Command

Should the president vacate his/her office, the vice president shall assume the responsibilities of the president and a new vice president shall be elected. If any other office is vacated, the president assumes responsibility of the vacated office until such time as an election can be held. In either case, the election of the new officer shall follow the procedure described in Article V, §1 above.

Section 4: Impeachment

Any active member of the Ensemble can activate impeachment proceedings against any member of the Executive Board by means of a petition with the signatures of either five active members or five percent of the active membership, whichever is larger. The Executive Board will then bring the petition before the Ensemble. A two-thirds majority vote of the active membership of the Ensemble will result in the removal of the impeached member of the Executive Board from his/her office, at which point the procedures for replacement of officers, described in Article V, § 3, will take effect.

Article VI: Meetings

Section 1: Formal Practices

Formal practices are to be held once a week with the director in attendance. The day and time is to be decided by the Executive Board at the beginning of every term. The secretary shall take attendance at each formal practice, announcing if any member has newly achieved active status.

Section 2: Informal Practices

Informal practices can be held at any time that is appropriate. Attendance is not mandory, and attendance will not be taken.

Section 3: Formal Meetings

The president may call a formal meeting whenever there are matters for the Executive Board to discuss that would take up too much of a practice to be feasible. Other executive board members may request a formal meeting as well, and the president shall again call the meeting if necessary.

Article VII: Finances

The budget, as allocated by the SGA, shall be used to finance the activities of the Ensemble pertaining to its purpose, including purchase and maintenance of equipment and for payment of the director’s salary. Any Ensemble expenditure shall be subject to the approval of the Executive Board. Any additional monetary resources shall serve the same purposes as budgeted expenses.

Article VIII: Amendments

Any member of the WPI African Percussion and Dance Ensemble may propose an amendment to this Constitution by informing the Executive Board in writing of the proposed amendment. The Executive board will then bring it to the Ensemble for discussion and vote. The amendment will be passed by a three-quarters majority vote of the active membership.

Article IX: Enabling Clause

The WPI African Percussion and Dance Ensemble agrees to abide by the policies of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, as well as the federal, state, and local laws. Any changes to this Constitution will follow, in word and spirit, all WPI policies and all federal, state, and local laws.