PREAMBLE
The WPI Pep Band is chartered by and eligible to request funding from the WPI Student Government. We hereby accept any financial or organizational regulations established by the Student Government. Our membership is open to all WPI undergraduate students and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disability.
ARTICLE 1: NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1 - This organization shall be known as the WPI Pep Band.
Section 2 - The WPI Pep Band is a student-run organization subject to the rules and regulations of the SGA. Its purpose shall be to support the WPI athletic department with music and spirit at home football and basketball games, and other athletic events as the band deems appropriate to attend.
ARTICLE 2: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 - Any student of the College of Worcester Polytechnic Institute who plays an appropriate instrument and fulfills the rules and regulations set forth by the Dean of Students Office pertaining to clubs may become a member of the WPI Pep Band.
Section 2 - Membership shall also be contingent upon the contribution of a positive attitude and input toward the fulfillment of the purpose as stated in Article 1, Section 2.
Section 3 - The membership will be divided by activity (active/partial/attending) and by level of participation (marching/stands).
a. An active member will be defined as a member who has attended two-thirds (2/3) of his required events for two consecutive seasons. These seasons may include the current season but cannot include those for which the member was away due to off-campus school work or other similar situations.
b. A partial member will be defined as a member who has attended two-thirds (2/3) of his required events for one season. This season may include the current season, but cannot include those for which the member was away due to off-campus school work or other similar situations.
c.A member who is neither an active nor a partial member is an attending member.
d.Currently active and partial members who cannot attend pep band events due to off-campus schoolwork or similar situations will not lose membership status due to such absences.
e.A marching member will be defined as a member who participated in the field show during a football season and all subsequent football seasons, excepting those for which the member was unable to participate due to off-campus school work or other similar situations.
f.Members who are not marching members are stands members.
g.The Executive Board shall have final authority on any membership issue.
ARTICLE 3: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Section 1 - The governing body of the WPI Pep Band shall be called the Executive Board, which shall consist of the officers as listed in Article 3, Section 5.
Section 2 - The officers will be chosen yearly by the band per the procedures outlined in Article 3, Section 7.
Section 3 - The recognizing advisor shall be a WPI faculty or staff member who sponsors the Pep Band for the sake of SAO recognition.
Section 4 - Selection of music shall be done by the Executive Board.
Section 5 - The officers of the band will consist of a president, a vice president, a secretary, a treasurer, a membership coordinator, the drum majors, and a color guard captain.
a. President - The president is responsible for being the liaison to external contacts and runs meetings.
b. Vice President - The vice president is responsible for the inventory of uniforms and equipment, field time and booking rooms, and public relations and recruiting.
c. Secretary - The secretary is responsible for all correspondence, taking minutes at formal meetings, and handling all the distribution, organization, and collection of all musical pieces.
d. Treasurer - The treasurer is responsible for the budget, reimbursements, and fundraisers.
e. Membership Coordinator - The membership coordinator is responsible for the taking of attendance at rehearsals, performances, and other required events, tracking grades, organizing social events, and gauging the attitude of the general membership.
f. Drum Major - All Drum Majors are responsible for planning and running rehearsals. The head Drum Major is responsible for coordinating all drum major activities. The number of Drum Majors needed will be determined by the officers prior to the drum major elections.
g. Color Guard Captain - The Color Guard Captain is responsible for choreography, coordinating color guard practices, and other color guard related activities.
Section 6 - 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.
Section 7 - Election Procedure
a. Officer Eligibility:
i. The President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership Coordinator must be currently active marching members whose qualifying seasons are the most recent fotball and basketball seasons.
ii. The Drum Major(s) must be an active or partial marching member whose qualifying season is the most recent football season.
iii. The Color Guard Captain must be an active or partial marching member whose qualifying season is the most recent football season.
b. Elections shall be held every year. There will be a two (2) week period of nominations preceding the election. Only members eligible for a position may be nominated for it. Members may be nominated for multiple positions, but no member may be elected to more than one position.
c. A quorum of 2/3 is needed for a vote. The vote is majority (half of the votes plus one (1)) of the votes cast. In the event that majority is not reached, a second vote will be taken with choices between the two candidates receiving the most votes. In the event of another tie, the Executive Board will vote to break the tie. All active and partial members may vote on officers.
d. Absentee ballots may be sent in before the election is held, and count towards quorum. Absentee ballots may be sent in by members who have a legitimate excuse for missing the election, such as off-campus academic work, classes, or medical reasons. Final decisions on the validity of absentee ballots are up to the Executive Board.
e.The nomination period for President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Coordinator, and Color Guard Captain will begin the last week of January.
f.The nomination period for Drum Major will begin after a reasonable period following the last home football game of the season, and prior to the beginning of C-term.
g.Drum major elections will be preceded by Drum Major auditions. The auditions will consist of three components: a marching component, a conducting component, and an interview component. The marching component will test skill at controlling the band on the field. The conducting component will test skill at conducting the band. During the interview component, members of the band will be allowed to ask the drum major candidates questions to help to further ascertain the candidates' ability to fulfill the duties of drum major.
h..If multiple Drum Majors are to be elected, two votes will be held in accordance with Article 3, Section 7, Subsection c. The first vote will determine which candidates will be Drum Majors. The second election will determine the head Drum Major.
i.The Color Guard Captain election consists of a sample of choreography in addition to the election procedures listed in Article 3, Section 7, Subsection b.
j.Newly elected officers shall begin their term of office with a transition period, in conjunction with the outgoing officers, immediately after election. These officers will assume full responsibility at the beginning of the next term following their election.
Section 8 - Administrative decisions are made by a majority vote of all the officers, with the President's vote counting twice in the event of a tie.
Section 9 - Impeachment - Any active member of the band can activate impeachment proceedings against any member of the Executive Board by means of a petition with ten signatures of present members. The petition will then be brought up before the band by the Executive Board. A two-thirds majority vote of the active membership of the band will constitute removal.
Section 10 - Vacation of Office
a. Should an officer choose to resign, he/she shall submit a letter to the Executive Board outlining his/her decision. The Executive Board shall take the appropriate actions thereafter.
b. Should an officer choose to vacate his/her office for a specified period of time, he/she shall submit a letter to the Executive Board outlining his/her decision. The Executive Board shall take the appropriate actions thereafter.
c. In the event of a vacation of office, elections for the vacated position(s) shall be held within two (2) weeks from the vacation of the office. The elections shall follow the rules outlined in Article 3, Section 7, Subsection c. In the event that the criteria for elections cannot be met in the two (2) week period, the Executive Board shall have the power to shorten the nomination period or make an interim appointment until elections can be held.
ARTICLE 4: FINANCES
Section 1 - The budget, as allocated by SGA, shall be used to finance the activities of the band pertaining to the purpose, including purchase and maintenance of equipment.
Section 2 - Any band expenditure shall be subject to the approval of the Executive Board.
ARTICLE 5: AMENDMENTS
Any member of the WPI Pep Band may propose an amendment to these by-laws by informing the Executive Board in writing of the proposed amendment. The Executive Board will then bring it to the band for discussion and vote. The amendment requires a three-quarters vote of active and partial members to pass.
ARTICLE 6: SOC Enabling Clause
The WPI Pep Band agrees to abide by the policies of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, as well as all federal, state, and local laws. Any changes to this Constitution and/or by-laws will follow, in word and spirit, all WPI policies and all federal, state and local laws.
