Constitution

 

 

Article I:  Name

 

The official name of this organization shall be the H.O. Lund Entomology Club.

 

 

Article II:  Purpose

 

The constitution of the H.O. Lund Entomology Club (hereafter referred to as Lund Club) in the Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia sets forth the rules that will serve as the guiding principles of the organization.  The Lund Club is a service- and social-oriented student organization composed of entomology undergraduate and graduate students that will not deny membership to any persons for any discriminatory reasons.  The purpose of the Lund Club is to provide educational outreach services to schools and organizations from the communities within and around Athens-Clarke Co., as well as special requests outside of that area.  The Executive Council of the Lund Club serves as the administrative body for the club and is directly responsible for organizing all club outreach and social activities, as well as serving as the official voice of the graduate students to the faculty of the Department of Entomology, the Graduate and Professional Student Council of the Graduate Student Association, and the administration of the University of Georgia.

 

 

Article III:  Membership and Responsibilities

 

            Section 1:  Membership

 

The Lund Club is composed of all the graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, and/or staff members in the Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia but is open to anyone interested in the study of insects and their allies.  However, voting shall be limited to enrolled students in the Department of Entomology.  Membership shall not be denied to any person because of age, race, sex, religion, handicap, or national origin.

 

            Section 2:  General Member Responsibilities

 

All members of the Lund Club are encouraged to participate in the Lund Club’s activities and community outreach efforts.  Participation in these activities is strictly voluntary.  All voting Lund Club members are responsible for exercising their voting privileges on issues pertinent to the Lund Club and the Department of Entomology.  Members are direct representatives of the Department of Entomology at all events and activities, and as such, are expected to conduct themselves accordingly, as well as serving as educators and conduits of information between the Department of Entomology and the public.

 

Section 3:  Executive Council Responsibilities

 

All elected officers of the Lund Club, by virtue of their individual positions, are considered part of the Executive Council.  The Executive Council also includes a staff representative and a faculty advisor, both appointed by the Chair of the Department of Entomology.  All officers are expected to attend meetings of the Lund Club and of the Executive Council, as well as to participate in outreach, fundraising, and social activities.  In the event that an officer is unable to attend a meeting, it is his/her responsibility to appoint a proxy who will attend the meeting in his/her place and be prepared to make a report to the Club on his/her behalf. 

 

Section 4:  Standing Committees

 

In addition to any ad hoc committees formed for a special purpose, there are two standing committees which will be constituted each academic year, corresponding with officer elections. 

 

The Constitution Review Committee, chaired by the Secretary of the Lund Club, will only be convened as needed.  When amendments to this constitution are deemed necessary, volunteers will be solicited from among the Executive Council and all members of the Lund Club at a regular club meeting.  All members of the Review Committee must agree before a draft of the amended Constitution is read before the Lund Club and voted upon as indicated in Article IX.     

 

The Awards Committee, chaired by the President of the Lund Club, will be convened each year for the purpose of handling all of the correspondence, procedures, and regulation of selection criteria for all awards given out by the Lund Club during the year.  Each lab in the Department of Entomology may have one representative sit on the Awards committee.  The awards distributed by the Lund Club include, but are not limited to, the 1st, 2nd, and Honorable Mention Awards given away at the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair, the awards for 1st and 2nd place for the oral, poster, photo, and art competitions of the Lund Week Festivities, and the outstanding faculty and Irreplaceable Lund Club Member awards given out during the End of the Year Party.

 

 

Article IV:  Dues and Payment

 

The Lund Club is a local organization with no regional or national ties; therefore, the Lund Club remains committed to supporting interest and participation in the science of entomology by not requiring collection of membership dues.  The Lund Club maintains an independent financial structure and generates its annual operating budget through fundraising activities, outreach donations, and compensatory funding from the Department of Entomology.

 

 

Article V:  Officer Removal, Replacement, or Resignation

 

Section 1.  Selection/Replacement of Officers

 

The officers will be elected by a simple majority of the full membership of the Lund Club by paper ballot for on campus students and electronic ballot for off campus students in an open election to be held during the fall semester of each academic year.  Officers take office immediately upon election and serve until the election the following year.  In the event that any office becomes vacant, the President has the power to nominate a replacement who must be approved by ¾ majority of the remaining members of the Executive Council.  If for some reason, the President is unable to continue in his/her post, the Vice-Presidents will share the President’s responsibilities for a one-month interim period to allow time to organize a special election to officially fill the position.

 

Section 2.  Impeachment and Removal of Officers/Advisors

 

If an officer fails to perform the specific duties of his/her office, either by malfeasance/misfeasance or repeatedly operating outside the capacity of his/her office, the Executive Council may be convened for the purposes of pursuing impeachment of that officer.  Impeachment proceedings will be handled in a three-step process.  First, the Executive Council will convene without the accused officer present to ascertain whether impeachment should proceed.  If deemed necessary, a second meeting of the entire Executive Council, including the accused officer, will be convened to allow him/her the opportunity to defend his/her actions.  Finally, the decision to remove the impeached officer from office must be decided as a unanimous vote of no confidence by all remaining members of the Executive Council without the impeached officer present.  If impeached and subsequently removed from office, he/she is required to remit all Lund Club related materials to the Executive Council for transfer to a suitable replacement who will serve in that office for the remainder of the term.

 

In the event that the Executive Council finds itself at odds with either the faculty or staff advisors, the Council may be convened to discuss replacement of the advisor.  If the decision to remove one of the advisors is unanimous, the President is responsible for meeting with the Chair of the Department of Entomology for the purpose of discussing and appointing a new advisor.  He/she is further empowered to approach other faculty and staff prior to meeting with the Department Chair to assess willingness to accept the position if appointed.

 

Section 3.  Resignation of Officers

 

In the event that an officer feels that he/she can no longer serve in the full capacity of his/her office, he/she may submit a letter of resignation effectively vacating his/her respective position.  The letter of resignation should include the reason for the vacancy and should be submitted either on paper or electronically to the Secretary for forwarding to all members of the Executive Council.  Resignees must consult with the faculty advisor prior to submission of a letter of resignation.  Upon receipt of the letter of resignation by all members of the Executive Council, the resignation is complete and a notice of office vacancy must be sent to the entire Lund Club membership.  Replacement of the resignee will proceed as outlined in Article V, Section 1 of this Constitution.

 

 

Article VI.  Officer Duties and Responsibilities

 

Section 1.  President

 

The President of the Lund Club is responsible for coordinating the Executive Council and oversees all Lund Club meetings.  The President or his/her designee is the primary spokesperson for the Lund Club in working with the Department of Entomology, University administration, and the community at large.  The President will serve as one of the two departmental representatives to the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Graduate Student Association.  The President is responsible for identifying sources of funding to be used on behalf of the Lund Club and forwarding those funding sources to the Treasurer for formal application.  The President is responsible for organizing and coordinating H.O. Lund Week activities and the U.E. Brady Seminar Reception, with the assistance of the Publicity Chair and any other members of the Executive Council as needed.  The President is responsible for communicating directly with the Lund Club faculty advisor and keeping him/her apprised of all Lund Club activities.  The President is also empowered to form ad-hoc committees, as needed, by appointment of Executive Council and general Lund Club members, as well as designating chairpersons to oversee these committees.  On matters of dispute requiring a vote by the members present at a meeting convened for that purpose, the President will not vote except in the event of a tie. 

 

Section 2.  Vice-President for Outreach and Extension

 

The Vice-President for Outreach and Extension (VPOE) of the Lund Club serves as the primary contact person for the Lund Club in matters pertaining to outreach activities.  The VPOE is responsible for coordinating and organizing all aspects of the outreach program, including solicitation of volunteers and transportation of people and materials to and from each outreach location.  The VPOE will develop a general format for all outreach activities of the Lund Club and take an active leadership role in running each event.  The VPOE is responsible for designating someone to be in charge of any outreach activity if he/she is unable to attend.  The VPOE is also expected to encourage sufficient assistance from Lund Club members so as to allow all members of the Lund Club to have an equal opportunity to participate in outreaches and avoid conducting all outreach activities by him/herself.  As part of this effort, the VPOE will ask for a general list of volunteers at the beginning of his/her term, who are willing to participate in outreach activities and are willing to provide him/her with available days so that the VPOE can quickly identify potential participants based on their schedule. 

 

Section 3.  Vice-President for Insect Curation

 

The Vice-President for Insect Curation (VPIC) of the Lund Club is the primary curator of the live insect and arthropod zoo, as well as special dry-specimen collections maintained by the Lund Club.  The VPIC is responsible for the daily maintenance of all live zoo specimens, as well as improving the collections with new arthropods.  The collections and exhibits will be kept in a centralized location for easy access by the VPOE for outreach purposes.  The collections should contain both a representative collection of common and rare Georgia insects and exotic arthropods.  The VPIC is also responsible for setting policy regarding the handling and use of materials from the insect and arthropod zoo (See Appendix A).  The VPIC will be responsible for training all outreach volunteers who wish to handle fragile or potentially dangerous insects and arthropods.  The VPIC will work closely with the VPOE in coordinating use of all insect and arthropod materials used in the outreach program.  The VPIC is expected to encourage sufficient assistance from Lund Club members, as he/she deems necessary, to allow other members of the Lund Club to have an opportunity to participate in the care and rearing of zoo specimens.  

 

Section 4.  Secretary

 

The Secretary of the Lund Club is responsible for recording minutes at all Lund Club meetings and forwarding those minutes to all club members prior to the following meeting.  The Secretary is also responsible for coordination and dissemination of ballots, surveys, memos, letters, electronic mail, and all other forms of communication pertaining to matters relevant to the Lund Club membership or of general interest to all members of the Department of Entomology.  The Secretary is the administrator of the Lund Club mailing listserv.  It is also the responsibility of the Secretary to serve as Historian and Parliamentarian.  As such, he/she is responsible for carefully archiving all Lund Club materials and publicity, as well as upholding proper parliamentary procedure on issues of contention.  As Club Parliamentarian, it is the duty of the Secretary to serve as the Chair of the Constitution Committee to ensure all officers and members are abiding by the guidelines set forth in this document, and, in instances of argument and/or debate, to suggest amendments as needed.

 

Section 5.  Treasurer

 

The Treasurer of the Lund Club is the primary fiscal officer for the Lund Club and is responsible for maintaining and documenting all financial accounts and fiduciary paperwork generated by the Executive Council and the membership during the academic year.  The Treasurer will provide brief reports on the state of the Lund Club’s accounts at each general meeting, as well as providing an annual report of the Lund Club’s budget including all transactions, donations, and fundraising to the Executive Council.  It is the responsibility of the Treasurer to coordinate all fundraising activities including solicitation of volunteers, planning, setting up, and provisioning of sufficient petty cash to run the event.  The Treasurer is responsible for applying for funding from sources identified by the President to be used on behalf of the Lund Club.  This includes preparation of the annual budget allocation request form to be submitted to the Ag Hill organization each spring for funding the following fiscal year.  Finally, it is the responsibility of the Treasurer to approve all transactions conducted by members of the Lund Club specifically related to club activities and functions.  No other officer is empowered to approve financial transactions, and failure to obtain approval from the Treasurer prior to purchase will result in denial of reimbursement.  In the event that the Treasurer is absent for a period exceeding 3 weeks in continuous duration, it is his/her responsibility, prior to departure, to provide a complete report of accounts to the President who will be temporarily empowered to approve transactions by Lund Club members until such time as the Treasurer returns.

 

Section 6.  Social Chair

 

The Social Chair is responsible for planning, coordinating, and overseeing all social events held by the Lund Club and the Department of Entomology.  The Social Chair is primarily responsible for organizing the Beginning of the Year party, the Holiday/Winter party, and the End of the Year party.  The Social Chair should attempt to plan other social events throughout the academic year to promote a more open and congenial atmosphere within the Department of Entomology and among its graduate and undergraduate students.  The Social Chair is empowered to solicit volunteers and form an ad hoc committee of his/her choosing to assist with any or all of the aforementioned club activities and functions. 

 

Section 7.  Publicity Chair

 

The Publicity Chair is responsible for planning, coordinating, and overseeing all announcements, flyers, and electronic publicity for the Lund Club.  The Publicity Chair is responsible for forwarding all electronic announcements to the Lund Club Secretary for distribution to the Lund Club listserv or forwarding to the departmental secretary to be sent out to the entire department.  It is also the responsibility of the Publicity Chair to work closely with the Social Chair on all organized social events and assisting the President in the planning stages of Club events not covered under the auspices of the Social Chair, specifically, the H.O. Lund Week Activities/Spring Banquet and the U.E. Brady Fall Lecture and Reception.  The Publicity Chair is also the webmaster for the Lund Club webpages and is responsible for providing detailed updates to those webpages.  Finally, the Publicity Chair is responsible for organizing and regularly updating the Lund Club bulletin board provided to the Club by the Department of Entomology.  

 

Section 8.  Representatives

 

Two Representatives will be elected each year to serve as liaisons to the undergraduate Ag Hill organization.  One of these individuals will also be designated to serve as the Department of Entomology representative to the Graduate and Professional Student Council of the Graduate Student Association.  The other representative will also serve as one of the two departmental representatives to the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Graduate Student Association.  Representatives are responsible for serving as the primary mode of communication between the Lund Club and other legislative groups at the University of Georgia by presenting issues raised by the Executive Council and the general membership of the Lund Club to these organizations.  Therefore, attendance at meetings called by any of these other groups is considered mandatory.  In the event that a representative is not able to make one of these meetings, it is his/her responsibility to designate a proxy to attend instead and brief him/her after the meeting so that he/she may make a report to the Lund Club at the next scheduled meeting.  Failure to perform any of these duties may result in removal from office.

 

 

Article VII.  Meetings

 

Section 1.  Schedule

 

The Lund Club will meet a minimum of four (4) times each semester and as needed during summer term.  Meetings are convened and presided over by the President.  These meetings will be held approximately monthly and spread evenly throughout each term.

 

Section 2.  Model for Meetings

 

Meetings will be conducted as a cross between a democratic and town council format.  Most issues will be dealt with on a consensus, town council format, while contentious issues will be voted upon by the membership in attendance with each eligible, voting member allowed a single vote.  Matters pertaining to approval of the previous meeting minutes or the allocation of funds by the Lund Club must be handled according to proper parliamentary procedure.  The President does not vote except in the event of a tie. 

 

Section 3.  Open Meetings

 

Meetings of the Lund Club are open to all entomology undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff.  However, voting privileges are restricted only to entomology students.  While most meetings are open, the Lund Club reserves the right to convene closed sessions, excluding all faculty and staff members from attendance.  In addition, the Executive Council may be convened by any member of the Executive Council, as needed, in a special meeting without the full membership for the purpose of coordination of activities, soliciting advice in matters pertaining to normal operation of the Lund Club, and to address issues dealing with Lund Club administration.

 

 

Article VIII.  Robert’s Rules of Order

 

For procedures not covered in this constitution and addressing controversial topics that cannot be resolved by consensus, Robert’s Rules of Order will be implemented.  Any questions of proper procedure should be directed to the Secretary for clarification and implementation.  The Secretary will bring a copy to each meeting that may be consulted at any time by any member of the Lund Club regarding questions of procedure during the meeting.

Article IX.  Ratification and Amendments

 

This Constitution is a “living” document that must be ratified by 2/3 majority vote of the members of the Lund Club, excluding the President, and may be amended only by 2/3 majority vote of the full voting membership at a general meeting or by electronic vote if a 2/3 quorum can not be convened.  Proposed amendments will be read by the Secretary at a general meeting of the Lund Club but cannot be approved until the subsequent meeting to allow time for discussion, debate, and revision.

 

 

 

Appendix A:  Use of Lund Club Zoo Holdings

 

Infractions or violations of the following policies that result in the death or endangerment of specimens borrowed by any member of the Lund Club, the Department of Entomology, or any other persons will result in immediate restriction of access and may also result in complete loss of borrowing privileges and a possible fine to cover the cost of replacing the lost animals. 

 

Scheduling

 

Requests to borrow items belonging to the Lund Club must be submitted in writing (preferably by email) to the V.P.I.C. and copied to the V.P.O.E.  Requests must be made a minimum of 2 business days prior to desired delivery/ pick up.

 

Responsibilities

 

While in possession of live or preserved specimens, the person(s) leading the outreach is personally responsible for the welfare of the live animals and preserved specimens (for care information, refer to the care sheets available in the zoo).  These responsibilities also extend to include improper exhibiting and/or handling.  If death or harm that results in diminished use of a specimen occurs from neglect or mishandling, the person(s) in charge of the outreach/activity will be responsible for replacing the specimen and/or habitat.

 

Returning Items

 

Items borrowed must be returned within 36 hrs of being removed.  Exceptions will be scarcely granted and largely based upon the borrower’s previous interactions with the zoo and the reason an extension is needed.

 

Upon returning of live specimens, all water vessels must be replenished and all tropical species must be misted.  If the animals’ traveling habitat differs from its permanent habitat, it must be returned to its permanent habitat.

 

Any and all altercations occurring during an outreach or activity must be reported promptly to the V.P.I.C. and the V.P.O.E.  This includes any bites, stings, unusual behavior (on the arthropods’ behalf) or presumed natural death.

 

 

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