Article I. Name
Article II. Purpose
Article III. Affiliations
Article IV. Membership
Article V. Officers
Article VI. Advisor
Article VII. Meetings
Article VIII. Amendments
The name of the club shall be Japanese Connection, hereafter referred to as “JCON”.
JCON's purpose is to expose the local community and Ohio University to aspects of Japanese culture such as the Japanese language, culture, animation, music, food, cinema, and literature. JCON exists to make all of these available to any who wish to experience Japanese culture. The club is also a base in which students and the public with a similar interest in one of the categories above can meet, and facilitates the development of friendships and educational/personal growth through involvement in the club.
Section 1: Technical Affiliations
JCON shall always be a member of the International Student Union (ISU)
as well as maintain relations to similar clubs to our own .
Section 2: Sister Clubs
A sister club shall be defines as a club that JCON shared close
relations with. They shall follow the following stipulations.
In order to be nominated, a club must be a public institution or one based in a college setting. Sister clubs shall not be considered 'members' of JCON. In order to be nominated, a club must have some relation to Ohio University or an Ohio University alumni/faculty member. In order to be nominated, a club must have a strong tie to Japanese culture.
A committee shall be formed to be the liaison with the sister clubs, and they must maintain contact with the clubs on a regular basis. A renewal of sisterhood with any club shall be voted on by 3/4ths of the present general body.
Hosting an event and inviting clubs to attend shall count as participation. Aiding another club with an event shall count as participation.
Sister clubs shall be nominated and selected by the general body by a vote of 3/4ths of the present general body. Clubs may be nominated at any time. A representative of a club is required to send a letter of contact or make an appearance at JCON before the general body votes on whether they are or are not to become a sister club. A sister club must, if they have a webpage, add a weblink to the Japanese Connection main page. JCON must add a weblink to their website, as well. These sister clubs must also renew their sisterhood with JCON on a yearly basis.
Section 1: Ability to Join
Membership is open to the public, faculty, staff, and students alike.
Section 2: Limitations
No more than 30% of the club can be made up of non-Ohio University students/faculty unless special provision is made with a unanimous decision of the Executive Committee.
Section 3: Nondiscrimination Policy
JCON will not discriminate against its members on reasons of race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, sex, age, handicap, or veteran/marital status or any other quality which differentiates individuals from each other.
Section 4: Member Constitutional Majority A constitutional majority consists of a three-fourths majority of General Body members present at the time of voting.
Section 1: Positions & Responsibilities
The Executive Committee shall consist of President, Vice President,
Treasurer, Secretary, Librarian, and Webmaster.
In the event that an officer is not able to do their duties, a line of succession is in place. The officer below them is then asked to do the duty. Failing that, the officer below is contacted - et cetera. After Webmaster, the cycle loops back to President.
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Librarian
Webmaster
All officers shall be subject to constitutional changes that will apply for the following year. The responsibilities of the Executive Committee are as follows:
A. The President is in charge of:
B. The Vice President is in charge of:
D. The Treasurer is in charge of:
C. The Secretary is in charge of:
E. The Webmaster is in charge of:
F. The Librarian is in charge of:
Section 2: Attendance Requirements
Officers are highly encouraged to attend meetings/showings/events.
An event is anything where JCON is used as a public name that is not
included in our 'regular schedule' of events. However, an event may be
only something covered by member dues.
An executive may miss no more than two meetings per quarter unless
valid excuse supplied (valid is determined by a unanimous executive
decision or OU policy).
Section 3: Shared Responsilbilities
It is the job of every executive regardless of position to be available to listen and advise any member of the General Body at reasonable times should it be asked of him/her. An executive must be fair but prudent in the decisions he/she makes for the club. Executives represent the General Body and must therefore exhibit exemplary behavior and uphold the trust that the voting members instilled in him/her at election.
The executive board must also assemble the quarterly schedule of events for the club , and act as club’s representative and liaison to other collaborative organizations, and being the executive advisor to the Marketing Committee as well as the face of the club to Ohio University’s staff and faculty.
All executives and committee chairs are expected to make and give budget proposals to the treasurer as soon as possible.
Section 4: Terms
The term for an executive office begins and ends on the
last showing of spring quarter. An individual can only hold the same
Executive Committee position for no more than two years (consecutive or
not) unless a special circumstance warrants. If the Executive Committee
sees such a circumstance arise, a special vote must be conducted. A
“constitutional majority” (as detailed in the Constitution, Article VIII,
Section 1: Proposals) coupled with a simple majority vote of the
Executive Committee (with the executive in question exempt from voting) is
needed in order to extend a member’s term another year. This process must
be repeated for any term above two.
Section 5: Vacancy
In the event that an executive must step down, is removed, or is involved in any other activity that causes him/her to abandon his/her post on the Executive Committee, an election will be held as soon as possible to fill in the position as detailed in the JCON Bylaws, Article II, Section 2: Nominations & Elections.
Section 1: Responsibilities
An advisor is responsible for acting with the President as a liaison between the club’s members and the staff/faculty at Ohio University. It is the duty of the advisor to answer, or get answers to any questions the club has about university policy or procedure. It is also requested that the advisor participate as much as reasonably possible by attending General Body/Executive Committee meetings or coming to/giving advice on club events.
Section 2: Term
The advisor’s position is considered “permanent” unless the advisor steps down from his/her office or a simple majority vote in the Executive Committee or a constitutional majority General Body vote is reached.
Section 3: Vacancy
A vacancy, for any reason, in the advisor’s position must be filled immediately by the President and Vice President. Both executives will make a list of probable advisors, in conjunction with recommendations from other executives and General Body members, to research the possible candidates. The President and Vice President will then sort through the list of candidates, and, using their best judgment in working closely with the university and its staff/faculty/policies, agree unanimously on who will best serve the club, its goals, and its way of doing things. This agreement, along with a small report on why the new advisor was chosen, must then be presented to the General Body at the following meeting.
Section 1: General Body Meetings
The club must hold at least one General Body Meeting every week in the standard school year. The purpose of this meeting will be to allow the General Body and Executive Committee time to work out the logistics of the club. This includes planning, voting, or any other function necessary to the club’s continual operation. It also allows social interaction and the ability to share thoughts and suggestions throughout the club. The Executive Committee shall sit facing the General Body and conduct the meeting as using the following as a suggested outline:
In the event an executive is missing, the President shall give the absent executive’s report (or the Vice President should the President be the one absent). All executives must also give a Committee Report for any committee which he/she is an executive advisor for. A motion to adjourn a meeting cannot be made until the first six segments of the meeting agenda are met in a satisfactory manner to the Executive Committee. The President can then suggest a motion to adjourn. Any General Body Member can make and obtain a second for the motion. The President then calls for a simple majority vote in the General Body to adjourn the meeting.
Section 2: Executive Committee Meetings
Executive meetings are held as needed in a general fashion.
Section 3: Special/Emergency Meetings
A special or emergency meeting of the Executive Committee or General Body may be called upon by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. Special meetings must be announced at least three days in advance and attendance is highly encouraged.
Section 1: Proposals
A motion to amend a part of the Constitution or its Bylaws can be made by any member of JCON and must be seconded before a vote can proceed. If seconded, the amendment must be voted on by a “constitutional majority”. Voting during any restructuring of the Constitution then occurs in the same manner as described above. An approved proposal must allow at least a week to pass before conducting a vote to adopt it.
JCON shall have a Constitutional review session that extends from the beginning of winter quarter through the end of spring quarter.
Section 2: Voting Process and Adoption of Proposal(s)
After at least a
week has passed, the new amendment(s) will be presented before the club
for review. Another constitutional majority is required to institute
the amendment.
Article I: Membership
Article II: Executives
Article III: Advisors
Article IV: Committees
Article V: Dues
Article VI: Amendments
Article VII: Alumni
Article VIII: Programming
Section 1: Attaining Membership
Membership in JCON is attainted through the payment of dues per quarter or year. As a dues-paying member you receive the following:
Entitlements
As a member, you have the right to: borrow media/equipment made available to members in the club library, receive member pricing on snacks, beverages, or trips, have the ability to go on club-sponsored trips, make nominations, motions, and seconds at meetings, and vote in executive elections, general decisions/motions, constitutional amendments, planning of events, and selection of programming.
Benefits
Benefits are defined as anything extra in addition to club entitlements that the constitution and club cannot guarantee, but can be available to members. Examples may include discounts at restaurants or retailers.
The meetings are free and open to all who wish to attend.
Section 2: Payment of Dues
Dues for membership are $20 for a year or $10 per quarter. Quarterly dues can be paid at any time during the quarter in which a person wishes to be a member. A yearly membership must be paid in full no later than the showing of the seventh week of fall quarter unless a special arrangement is made directly with the Treasurer and approved by the President.
Members who pay dues for only one quarter cannot vote on club issues pertaining to the following quarter(s), though they retain the right to vote on everything else from the opening day of the paid quarter until the closing day of the quarter as scheduled by Ohio University. Voting for subsequent quarters can be granted if the next quarter’s payment is received by the Treasurer no later than the showing of seventh week of the current quarter.
Section 3: Non-Members
Non-members should always be welcomed to attend meetings and showings,
however, they are not allowed to vote, make motions or seconds, be
nominated to or hold a position as an executive or committee member, or
attain special pricing for simply showing up. Non-members are allowed and
encouraged to share their input at meetings or showings, upon which a
vote may be taken later, but must pay dues before being able to access
the above entitlements and benefits.
Section 4: Member Impeachment
Membership in JCON can be questioned if a majority of the Executive Committee finds a member guilty of any of the following: disrespectful or discriminatory acts against person or property, harassment or offensive behavior to fellow members or program attendees or meeting guests, behavior that hinders the learning, enjoyment, and participation of others in club activities, or any other behavior that a majority of the executive committee feels is inappropriate for a member of JCON to do. Members’ actions can be brought before the Executive Committee by either a member, a non-member participant in a club activity, or an executive. The Executive Committee will then gather information from and talk to the witness about the behavior in question.
If deemed necessary, the offending member’s behavior will be reviewed by the Executive Committee solely, outside the normal meetings, with an opportunity for that member to discuss or defend his/her behavior with the Executive Committee privately and directly. The Executive Committee will discuss punishment and conduct disciplinary meetings on a person-to-person basis if a group of members was involved in improper conduct. A member has the right to not appear before the Executive Committee if he or she so wishes, but the Executive Committee must be reasonably flexible time wise in order to accommodate a member’s desire to appear before the committee. The member will be informed by the President when the meeting regarding his/her actions will occur at least a week in advance of the disciplinary meeting.
After discussing (either with or without the member present) the member’s behavior, a majority vote is needed in the Executive Committee to determine how the member should be reprimanded. If a majority is not reached, the member is acquitted of the accused improper behavior. If a majority is reached, however, options for punishment include, but are not limited to: warnings, a change in membership to inactive status, some type of required service to the club to maintain membership, or in the most extreme cases, revocation of membership and expulsion of the member from any and all JCON activities without refund of dues.
Section 1: Eligibility
To be an executive, a member must fulfill the following criteria:
Section 2: Nominations & Elections
Potential executives in the General Body will require a nomination (can be made by self or other General Body member) and a second by another non-executive members of JCON during the last General Body meeting of winter quarter. An incumbent executive may nominate him/herself to a position (without violating term limits), however he/she can only be seconded by a General Body member. Nominees must meet the eligibility requirements listed above in Article II, Section I. Elections will be held the at third General Body meeting of spring quarter, however, the constitutional review shall always take place before it. The second week’s meeting in spring will be used to nominate any candidates that have dropped out of the election race, and for current nominees to state their experience, intents, and assessment of the club etc. A nominee can also make a motion to place him/herself on the ticket (as a “second choice”) of another race if seconded by a fellow non-executive member. This will allow for more candidates running per position and the ability of a candidate to get elected if not already elected to his/her first choice.
At the third spring quarter meeting, the nominees per race will be allowed to vote via secret ballots that are passed to present voting-eligible members. Current executives may not nominate or second a vote, however they have the right to vote in the actual election per position. The order of the elections shall be: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Webmaster, and finally Librarian.
Should a position not be filled on Election Day, nominations (as conducted above) will be held after the other executive positions have been filled. At the next meeting, the candidate(s) will have an opportunity to say what they want then proceed to vote. The process is accelerated in order to quickly fill any vacancies the executive committee has.
Incumbent executives are not required but should consider taking the seven weeks between elections and the inauguration at the last show of the year to train the new executive in his/her future position. This allows the upcoming executive to gain valuable pre-term experience as well as lighten the load of the incumbent executive during the last quarter of the year.
Section 3: Executive Impeachment
If an executive participates in any of the behaviors mentioned in Article I, Section 4, a motion by a member or executive can be made to hold a disciplinary meeting. If the motion passes, the offending executive has the right to attend the meeting between the other executives and the members of the club. The executive in question will be given an opportunity to explain, clarify, or discuss his/her actions with the members before the rest of the Executive Committee takes a vote to punish the offending executive. A constitutional majority is needed via secret ballot to send the offending executive to the Executive Committee for punishment. If a majority of the rest of the Executive Committee is not established, then the executive is cleared of the allegations against him/her and returns to his/her normal duties.
If an executive is found by the General Body to be guilty of inappropriate behavior, it will be up to the rest of the Executive Committee to determine a fitting punishment. A majority vote in the rest of the Executive Committee is required to carry out the chosen form of punishment. Punishment can include but is not limited to: warnings, a change to inactive status, some type of required service to the club, or in the most extreme cases, revocation of membership, the stripping of the executive title, and expulsion of the executive from any and all JCON activities without refund of dues.
Section 1: Installment & Requirements
JCON’s advisor shall be selected by the unanimous decision of the President and Vice President. Suggestions for advisors can be made to them by any member or executive, however. Advisors have full membership without paying dues or having to attend meetings. The only exception to this is that JCON’s advisor cannot vote, make motions, or second motions. The advisor chosen must fulfill the following qualities:
Section 2: Revocation of Advisor Status
An advisor deemed by a majority vote of the Executive Committee to be disadvantageous to the club’s functions or has acted in a way unbefitting of a faculty advisor shall be removed from the position of advisor. The advisor will have the opportunity to defend or explain his/her actions before the Executive Committee before the vote to remove him/her from office takes place. The advisor has the right to waive this opportunity. If the position is vacant, the President and Vice President need to fill the advisor’s chair as soon as reasonably possible.
Section 1: Committee Involvement
Executive members of JCON by default sit on the Executive Committee, chaired by the President. In addition to the Executive Committee, an executive member may sit on only one other committee at any given time.
General Body members may sit on no more than three committees at any given time and cannot chair more than one at a time. If a member of a committee, chair or otherwise, doesn’t reasonably participate in that committee, he/she will be asked to step down by the committee’s executive advisor. The executive advisor must then find a replacement for the removed member. It is a committee chair’s responsibility to report the status of the committee to its executive advisor so that he/she will be able to share the information at the next Executive Committee and General Body meetings. The position of executive advisor is described below in the Bylaws, Article IV, Section 2: Permanent Committees.
Section 2: Permanent Committees
JCON shall always have five permanent committees: the Executive Committee, the Marketing Committee, the Japanese Culture Committee, the Fundraising Committee, and the Sister Club Committee.
The Executive Committee is always chaired by the President and serves to update and disseminate information to and from the six executives of JCON. Each executive will pass information from his/her position and committees participating in to the President in order to be included in the weekly Presidential Letter.
The Marketing Committee shall be divided into two subcommittees: the Flyer & Banner Committee and Paint & Chalk Committee. Each shall have its own chair who reports directly to the President, the permanent executive advisor.
The Flyer & Banner Committee shall be responsible for the creation and posting of club events in flyers as well as the acquisition, creation, and submission of vinyl banners to be hung at College Gate. Both the flyers and banners must get the President’s approval before being posted on campus and uptown.
The Paint & Chalk Committee’s duties include tastefully advertising club events and times throughout the campus and anywhere else they can legally chalk or paint. All members are individually responsible for their messages when chalking.
The Japanese Culture Committee shall be responsible for preparing and presenting cultural reports, as well as handling all responsibilities deemed 'cultural' by a constitutional majority of JCON, including handling JCON's presence at the annual Sakura Festival.
The Fundraising Committee shall be responsible for preparing fundraisers, presenting fundraisers the approval of a constitutional majority of JCON, and carrying these fundraisers out.
The Sister Club Committee shall be responsible for acting as a liason to the sister clubs of the Japanese Connection.
It is the duty of the President to assemble these committees and appoint chairs to each no later than the second meeting of fall quarter. He/she must also ensure the quality of content and information used in club advertisements.
Section 3: Formation of Ad Hoc Committees
Any executive can motion to form an ad hoc committee at any time during a meeting (even if suggested by a General Body member). This motion must be seconded by another executive. The executive who motioned for the committee to be formed is then responsible to find members, appoint a chair, and oversee the operations of the new committee as its executive advisor. If the executive is already the advisor for another committee, that position can be taken up by another member of the Executive Committee. The chair of the committee must then report the status of the ad hoc committee to its appointed executive on a weekly basis, as well as appoint the duties that the committee is responsible for among its members.
Section 4: Dissolution
The permanent committees cannot be dissolved except by a constitutional majority and a subsequent majority vote in the Executive Committee. Ad hoc committees can be dissolved once its purpose has been served or by a unanimous vote of its members, including chair and executive advisor. This ensures that the purpose of the club has been met and there are no loose ends left.
The dues of club members are only to be used on such events and purchases that fulfill member entitlements, club and committee needs, or any reason that parallels the goals of JCON as described in the Constitution, Article II: Purpose. The use of dues may be questioned at any time during a General Body meeting by either an executive or General Body member, with a constitutional majority vote deciding whether the dues are usable for that specific purpose.
Section 1: Voting
Voting for Bylaw amendments shall be carried out using the same process detailed in Article VII of the Constitution
Section 2: Ratification
The old Bylaws will stay in place until a constitutional majority vote is made to replace one or more the amendments developed and approved by the General Body members. Upon unanimous consent from the Executive Committee, some bylaws or properties of bylaws may be “grandfathered” under the new amendment(s). It takes a constitutional majority of the General Body to overrule grandfathered bylaws.
Section 1: Alumni Status Requirements
JCON members who meet the following requirements will be granted the title of JCON Alumni with all the benefits and responsibilities thereto:
Members graduating the first year they join:
Members graduating with two or more years in the club:
Section 2: Alumni Benefits & Responsibilities
Alumni of JCON are entitled to the following:
Alumni of JCON are responsible for the following:
Section 1: Program Guidelines
All media presented by JCON must meet the following requirements:
Section 2: Quarterly Programming Voting Process
1. Nomination: Every member is entitled to nominate one series (except in cases where sufficient programming cannot be nominated). He/she may pass if so wished. All nominations will be written on the board for later review.
2. Presentation: Members must present a brief overview of the series to the General Body and Executive Committee in order to familiarize the club to the proposed series.
3. Voting: Every member is given 10 positive points to distribute to 4 series they wish to vote for in a scale of 4 points, 3 points, 2 points, 1 point. The first round votes are tallied. Another round of voting follows, using the method described above if there are still too many series left.
4. If there are any ties relevant to the quarter’s programming, a hand vote will be taken among all members at the meeting.
Section 3: Viewer's Choice
A member chosen for Viewer's Choice may show anything time- and
age-appropriate, however, it does not have to be Japanese. Paid members of
JCON are picked at random once per year to fill open "Viewer's Choice"
spots. A raffle shall be used to choose which member shall have Viewer's
Choice. Viewer's Choice must be picked 2 weeks in advance (except for
the first two weeks of fall quarter). The members chosen give their media
to the library as soon as possible after being chosen to assure that
JCON has the necessary media.
Section 4: Ad Hoc and Special Programming
If for some reason a quarterly series must be replaced or time must be filled in a showing, any ad hoc material must be presented to the Vice President for approval and play. Special programming (for events such as All-Day-Anime or Anime Overnight), however, may be voted upon in a similar fashion to Section 2 above but is not restricted to do so as every special event is different and may require varying methods to determine program content. Unless the President is called in by both the Vice President and the program-nominating member to resolve a programming dispute, the Vice President is the final authority for all ad hoc and special event programming.
Material deemed "mature" can be shown before 10 p.m. in the case of special programming