Constitution of the American Whig-Cliosophic Society

Name (I): The name of this organization shall be the American Whig-Cliosophic Society.

Organizational Purpose (II): The purpose of the Society shall be to educate its members in the practices of speaking, writing, politics, and administration, and to provide a forum for discussion and debate in the Princeton University community. 

Composition (III)

  1. The Assembly: The Assembly shall be composed of all undergraduate Members in Good Standing. The Assembly shall operate under the provisions stipulated in §V.
  2. Governing Council: The Governing Council is the instrument of the Assembly when the Assembly is not in session. The Governing Council shall operate under the provisions stipulated in §VI. 
  3. Executive Officers: The composition of the Executive Officers and their function shall be as stipulated in §VII.
  4. Subsidiary Organizations: Subsidiary Organizations are classified as groups that have a charter as approved by the Board of Trustees and are defined in §X.

Membership (IV)

  1. All members of the Undergraduate Community of Princeton University are eligible to be Members of the Society. 
  2. Members in Good Standing
    1. Members in Good Standing can vote in Elections and Assembly Meetings.
    2. In order to become a Member in Good Standing of the Society, an individual must first be a Member of the Society.
    3. An individual can become a Member in Good Standing by fulfilling either of the following standards:
      1. Being a member in good standing of a Subsidiary Organization and having attended two or more Society events in the last twelve months.
        1. The Criteria for determining Membership of a Subsidiary Organization is determined by Subsidiary Heads, as defined in §X.B, who shall provide the Secretary with an accurate list of Subsidiary Membership.
      2. Having attended three or more Society events in the past twelve months.
    4. Determining Attendance at Events 
      1. Society Events are defined as every publicized Event, except Assembly meetings, Elections, and Governing Council meetings, hosted by the Society.
      2. The Host of a Society Event shall maintain a sign-in sheet at every Society Event in order to determine attendance at that Event.
        1. The sign-in sheet must be visible and accessible throughout the duration of the Event. 
        2. The Host of a Society Event shall advertise the sign-in sheet during the Event. 
        3. The existence of the sign-in sheet shall be noted in all advertisements for Events.
        4. No other means shall be used to prove attendance at Society Events.
      3. The Secretary will maintain an updated membership list based on Event sign-in sheets.

Assembly (V)

  1. The President and Vice President shall call a meeting of the Assembly upon the receipt of a petition of at least one-fifth of the Members in Good Standing of the Society, or by the instruction of a decree of a previous meeting of the Assembly.
  2. The date of an Assembly meeting that has been called by a petition must be set by a one-half majority vote of the Governing Council.
    1. The CCC is responsible for overseeing this process. Should the CCC believe that an unreasonable time and date of the Assembly has been called by either party, it is permitted to intervene. 
  3. The Governing Council shall appoint by at least a simple majority vote a Member in Good Standing to Chair the Assembly.
  4. A Quorum of the Assembly shall consist of at least one-third of the Membership in Good Standing, as defined in §IV.B, present in person.
    1. No decision of the Assembly shall be binding unless a Quorum of Members in Good Standing is established.

Governing Council (VI)

  1. Meetings
    1. A Meeting of the Governing Council can be called at the will of either:
      1. The President of the Society.
      2. At least one-third of the Voting Members of the Governing Council. A Voting Member of the Governing Council is defined in §VI.B. 
    2. The Constitutional Compliance Committee is responsible for ensuring that Meetings of the Governing Council are called frequently, at appropriate times, and with enough notice.
  2. Voting
    1. All Executive Officers, as defined in §VII, and Subsidiary Heads with constituencies, as defined in §X.B, shall have a Vote on the Governing Council and be called Voting Members. 
      1. In the event that any Subsidiary Organization has more than one Executive Officer, only one Executive Officer from that Subsidiary Organization may vote in any given Governing Council vote.
      2. In the event that a Subsidiary Head is also an Executive Officer of the Society, the Subsidiary Organization should appoint a representative to the Governing Council for the purposes of that vote.
      3. An Executive Officer or Subsidiary Head may appoint a proxy to vote on their behalf at the Governing Council Meeting given sufficient notice.
    2. All voting shall be supervised by the Secretary of the Society and conducted under a secret ballot, unless at least a two-thirds majority of the Voting Members of the Governing Council request an open ballot for the purposes of that vote. In the event that the Secretary is not present at a Meeting of the Governing Council or is deemed by a simple majority of the Governing Council to be in a conflict of interest, voting shall be supervised by a Member of the Constitutional Compliance Committee.
  3. Composition
    1. All Executive Officers, as defined in §VII, shall be members of the Governing Council. 
    2. All Non-Executive Officers, as defined in §VIII, shall be members of the Governing Council.
    3. Any Society Member may attend regular Meetings of the Governing Council. 
      1. The Governing Council may close proceedings to non-Members of the Governing Council by at least a simple majority vote of the Voting Members. 
  4. Decisions
    1. No decision of the Governing Council shall be binding unless a Quorum is established.
      1. A Quorum of the Governing Council shall consist of at least half of the Voting Members of the Governing Council, present in person or by proxy. 
    2. All Publicised Events must be confirmed by at least a one-third majority of the Voting Members of the Governing Council. 
    3. For all other decisions, voting is not required unless at least one-third of the Voting Members, as defined in §VI.B, call for a vote, at which point a simple majority is required to pass a motion.
    4. A decision in that vote is binding, unless it is overturned by the Assembly, a subsequent vote of the Governing Council, or deemed in violation of this Constitution by the Constitutional Compliance Committee.

Executive Officers (VII)

  1. All Executive Officers except the office of Treasurer are elected in accordance with §XI. The Treasurer shall be appointed by the President and Vice President of the Society in January of each year.
  2. All Executive Officers except the Treasurer shall serve a term immediately following conclusion of annual elections until the next elections are held unless removed from office. The Treasurer shall serve a term from their appointment until the appointment of a new Treasurer unless removed from office.
    1. The President: The President shall be the head of the executive branch of the Society, which consists of all the Executive Officers, and shall preside at all meetings of the Governing Council. Whenever the Board of Trustees or the Assembly shall require, the President shall submit a written report of the activities and financial status of the Society during the administration. The President shall designate the Host of every Society Event. At the beginning of their term, the President shall, in consultation with the Vice President, set the guidelines for and be responsible for overseeing the appointment of the Treasurer and all Non-Executive Officers. The President is also the official liaison between the Society and the University and Press. 
    2. The Vice President: The Vice President shall advise and assist the President and perform the President’s duties whenever the President is unable to do so or whenever the President delegates them to the Vice President. The Vice President of the Society shall be responsible for oversight of visiting speakers, presentation of the James Madison Award, liaising with all subsidiary-held conferences, alumni affairs and Reunions, Society events hosted by a Non-Executive Officer, and traditional social functions such as the Senior Roast and Semesterly Galas, when appropriate.
    3. The Secretary: The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the Governing Council and Assembly meetings, shall supervise all correspondence conducted within the Society, and shall exercise general supervision over the Society’s records. The Secretary shall manage the reservations of rooms in Whig Hall, both for Society activities and by other campus organizations. The Secretary shall also be responsible for scheduling of the Society’s vans. The Secretary shall be responsible for overseeing the sign-in process at Events and maintaining the list of Members in Good Standing, as described in §IV.B.4. The Secretary shall be the official liaison between the Society and its subsidiaries.
    4. The President of the Senate: The President of the Senate is in charge of all aspects regarding public debates organized by Whig-Clio for the University community. The Senate President works with the Party Leaders and officer corps, appointed by the President of the Senate with consultation from the President and Governing Council. The President of the Senate is responsible for implementing a “Closed Press Policy” for all Senate Debates. 
    5. The Director of Program: The Director of Program shall be responsible for the administration of the Society’s Speaker, Seminar and other programs. The Director of Program shall coordinate such activities with the responsible Officers of the Subsidiaries. 
    6. The Speaker of the Whig Party, and the Chair of the Cliosophic Party, or “Party Leaders”: the Party Leaders are responsible for helping the Senate President organize Senate debates, and maintain the tradition of the Whig and Clio parties within the Society. The Party Leaders have jurisdiction over party events and meetings. 
    7. The Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be responsible for attending to all financial business and records connected with the Society and for submitting reports of the same whenever they may be required by the President, the Assembly, or the Board of Trustees.
  3. If the President is unable to complete the term of office, the Presidency shall be assumed by the Vice President. If any other executive officer is unable to complete their term of office, unless they are removed according to §XIV, the Governing Council shall confirm a replacement according to at least a two-thirds majority upon nomination of the President.

Non-Executive Officers (VIII)

  1. Non-Executive Officers of the Society shall be those deemed necessary by the Governing Council for the efficient and proper functioning of the Society.
  2. No person shall be appointed a Non-Executive Officer unless they are Members in Good Standing of the Society.
  3. The appointment of Non-Executive Officers is subject to an at least simple majority of a Governing Council vote.
  4. A Non-Executive Officer may be removed in accordance with §XIV. If, for any other reason, a Non-Executive Officer is unable to complete their term, the Governing Council may appoint a replacement, as described in §VIII.C.

Parties (IX): There shall be two official sections, or “Parties” in the Society: the American Whig Party and the Cliosophic Party.  Each Member of the Society may only be officially enrolled in one of the two Parties. 

  1. The organizational structure of each party will be governed, respectively, by the American Whig Party Speaker and the Cliosophic Party Chair.
  2. The respective Heads of the two Parties will maintain running lists of their Members.
  3. The respective Heads of the Parties may, at their discretion, appoint Deputies.

Subsidiary Organizations (X)

  1. The following are Subsidiary Organizations of the American Whig-Cliosophic Society:
    1. International Relations Council
    2. Princeton Debate Panel
    3. Princeton Mock Trial
    4. Princeton Model Congress
    5. Honorary Debate Panel
  2. The Subsidiary Heads are, respectively:
    1. President of the International Relations Council
    2. President of the Princeton Debate Panel
    3. President of Princeton Mock Trial
    4. Executive Director of Princeton Model Congress
    5. President of the Honorary Debate Panel
  3. Adding a Subsidiary 
    1. Any organization that has a Charter approved by the Board of Trustees shall become a Subsidiary of this Society.

Elections (XI)

  1. Elections shall be held in December of each year at a date of the President’s and Vice President’s choosing. They shall be announced no later than one month prior to the election. 
  2. The President, Vice President, and CCC shall distribute an elections packet no later than ten days prior to the Elections. 
  3. Eligibility to Run for Executive Office 
    1. No person may run for an Elected Office in Whig-Clio unless they are a Member in Good Standing of the Society.
    2. The Candidate must have attended one Meeting of the Governing Council in the six weeks prior to the Election.
    3. The Candidate must pledge to the Constitutional Compliance Committee that they have read this Constitution. 
  4. Only members of the American Whig Party and the Cliosophic party, as described in §IX, shall be permitted to vote in the election of their Party Leader. 

Constitutional Compliance Committee (XII)

  1. Composition
    1. The Constitutional Compliance Committee (henceforth CCC) shall be comprised of four Members in Good Standing. Although somewhat traditional, it is not mandatory for a Member of the CCC to have been a former Voting Member of the Governing Council. 
    2. No current Voting Member of the Governing Council shall also be a member of the CCC.
  2. Appointment Procedure
    1. At the first meeting of the Governing Council after January 1st in a given year, the President, in consultation with the Vice President, shall appoint two Members of the CCC.
    2. The Speaker of the Whig Party shall then appoint one Member of the CCC.
    3. The Chairperson of the Clio Party shall then appoint one Member of the CCC.
    4. The Appointment of the four Members of the CCC shall be overseen by the previous CCC, at which point those four Members shall assume the responsibilities of the CCC.
  3. In the event that the Governing Council does not have at least a two-thirds majority on an interpretation of this Constitution, the CCC will be tasked with deciding on an interpretation.
    1. This ruling will only have a binding effect if at least three-quarters of the CCC concur. 
    2. If a ruling cannot be agreed upon by at least three-quarters of the CCC, the issue will be forwarded to the Board of Trustees. 
  4. The CCC shall keep a record of their decisions, and shall publish their Opinion after each ruling.
  5. Elections shall be run in compliance with the elections packet and overseen by the CCC.

Constitutional Amendments (XIII)

  1. This constitution may be amended by an at least two-thirds majority of a vote of the Assembly.
  2. Any Amendment accepted by the Assembly will come into force upon the approval of the Board of Trustees.

Removal from Office (XIV)

  1. An Office of the Society is all Offices held by Executive and Non-Executive Officers as defined in §VII and §VIII respectively. 
  2. Any Officer of the Society may be impeached for any of the following:
    1. Gross Misconduct
    2. Violating any stipulation of this Constitution
    3. The Loss of the Assembly’s Confidence
    4. Bringing the Society into Disrepute
  3. Any Executive Officer may be removed from office by at least a two-thirds majority of a vote of the Assembly.
    1. Should an Executive Officer be removed from Office, the Assembly shall elect a replacement by at least a simple majority vote of the Assembly.
      1. This vote shall be immediate and not subject to the Elections stipulation from §XI.
  4. Any Non-Executive Officer may be removed from office by at least a two-thirds majority of a vote of the Governing Council.
    1. Should a Non-Executive Officer be removed from Office, the Governing Council must confirm a replacement by at least a simple majority vote.

Instruments of Organization (XV): There shall be established and maintained an Instruments of Organization to include this Constitution, the Charters and Constitutions of Society organizations, the packet governing Society elections, and other material necessary for the continuing governance of the Society which the Governing Council expressly includes. 

  1. The Instruments of Organization shall be updated annually by the President of the Society and reviewed by the Governing Council.
  2. The Governing Council is bound by all amendment provisions contained in the Instruments of Organization.
  3. Nothing in the Instrument of Organization shall in any way be construed to contradict or supersede this Constitution.
  4. The Elections Packet shall be reviewed by the Governing Council at the first meeting of each semester.
  5. The Instruments of Organization shall be made readily available to any Member of the Society by the Secretary.
  6. By-laws will be maintained by the Governing Council within the Instruments of Organization. They shall be amended by at least a two-thirds majority of a vote of the Governing Council.
  7. All published opinions by the CCC shall be maintained in the Instruments of Organization.

Ratification (XVI): This Constitution will become effective upon an at least two-thirds majority vote of the Governing Council and an at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, provided that all members shall have received reasonable notice of the time, place, and purpose of the meeting.