Constitution

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Article I: Name

  1. The name of this club shall be Queen’s Swing Dance Club, hereafter referred to as the Club.  It shall be a Queen’s student-run club based on campus.

Article II:  Objectives

  1. The objectives of the Club are:
    1. To provide a low-cost means of regular recreation through weekly Swing dances.
    2. To educate the Kingston and Queen’s community about old and modern Swing music and Swing dancing through playing relevant music and teaching beginner-friendly dance lessons.
    3. To expose the Kingston and Queen’s community to local talent, such as professional dancers, dance instructors, and musicians.
    4. To maintain the good image of Queen’s University by participating in outside events, by performing dance demonstrations, and helping to organize events where Swing dancing is encouraged.
    5. To promote and support the growth of the Swing dance scene at Queen’s and in Kingston so that it can be enjoyed for many years to come.

Article III: Affiliation with the Alma Mater Society (AMS)

  1. The constitution of the AMS shall take precedence over this constitution.  In particular, the following sections of the AMS constitution shall be recognized: 2.01.03, 7.01, and 7.02.

Article IV: Membership

  1. Members of the Club may consist of any student, faculty member or employee of Queen’s University and members of the Kingston community.
  2. All members are responsible for the payment of an annual or term-based membership fee prescribed by the Executive Committee. Non-members may participate in Club events, including regular lessons and dances, for a per-use fee.
  3. The Executive committee shall decide upon the fee schedule for weekly lessons and socials by September.
  4. If one’s membership fees are paid, Club members have the right to vote in Club elections, seek nomination and be elected to Executive office as defined by the procedures listed in Article IX: Elections.
  5. Members are required to abide by the Club’s Code of Conduct, which is presented and made available in the following places:
    1. Upon signing their membership card,
    2. At every club event by the door,
    3. On the Club’s website: www.queenssdc.ca
  6. One can be banned from the Club after receiving three verbal warnings of violating the Club’s Code of Conduct.
    1. A ban will result in loss of membership and not being permitted to attend any of the Club’s events. It is the President’s duty to inform the individual of their banned status and the revoking of their membership and loss of associated privileges.
    2. Bans are indefinite.

Article V: Structure of the Executive Committee

  1. The Executive Officers are listed as follows:
    1. QSDC Headquarters
      1. President
      2. Treasurer
      3. Secretary
      4. Events Coordinator
      5. Webmaster
      6. Promotions
    2. Lindy/Charleston Chapter
      1. Vice President LC
      2. Music and DJ Manager LC
      3. Dance Instruction Coordinator LC
      4. Swing Dance Representative LC
    3. West Coast/Blues Chapter
      1. Vice President WCB
      2. Music and DJ Manager WCB
      3. Dance Instruction Coordinator WCB
      4. Swing Dance Representative WCB
  2. The Executive Committee is lead by the QSDC Headquarters Executive Officers. These officers help maintain continuity and ensure smooth operations between the two chapters.
  3. The Vice Presidents, as heads of their respective chapters, lead the running of their respective social nights and events and represent their Chapter at the QSDC Headquarters Meetings.
  4. The purpose of having two chapters is to accommodate the different styles of dance. Lindy Hop/Charleston and West Coast Swing/Blues have very contrasting music and dance styles. Musically, the two Chapters differ in tempo and tone.
    1. Lindy Hop and Charleston originated from the Jazz/Swing era of the 1920s-1940s. Its music is:
      1. faster, ranging from 140-240 beats per minute (bpm);
      2. swung, meaning that the musicality does not have a ‘straight’ beat, but a syncopation; and
      3. staccato, featuring a bouncing, bubbly energy.
    2. West Coast Swing and Blues began in the 1940s and 1950s, and have continued to evolve today as contemporary dances. Its music is:
      1. slower, ranging from 60-130 beats per minute (bpm);
      2. set to straight beats without syncopation; and
      3. smooth, featuring an elastic, linear energy.
    3. To accommodate the needs of all of our dancers and allow the club space to grow, two chapters were created to ensure we could be as accommodating as possible to all of our dancers.
  5. Swing Dance Representatives may be elected either at the time of the general election or at another point in the year, at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
  6. The Executive Officers shall have such powers and duties as are assigned to them by the constitution and as may be delegated to or from them by quorum of the Executive Committee.
  7. The Executive Committee shall serve as such without remuneration, and no Officers shall directly or indirectly receive any profits from their positions as such. However Executive Officers, as well as any volunteers, may receive discounts (up to but not exceeding 100%) on QSDC events.
  8. The quorum of Executive Committee shall be half of its Officers, one of whom must be the President or Vice-President of one of the chapters; voting shall consist of a simple majority of those present.
  9. The Executive Committee may create special purpose sub-committees.  At least one Executive Officer shall sit on, or liaise with any such committee to represent the interests of the Executive Committee to the sub-committee and vice versa. The creation and authority of the sub-committee shall be determined by quorum of the Executive Committee.
  10. The term of office begins at 12:00 AM on May 1 of each year and shall end at 11:59 PM on April 30 of the following year.

Article VI: Duties of the Executive Committee

  1. The President shall:
    1. Officially represent the Club.
    2. Be responsible for communications within Queen’s, in particular liaising with the AMS, and for communications within the community.
    3. Define the agenda for and preside over all meetings.
    4. Lead the coordination of all activities and events of the Club and be responsible for venue bookings.
    5. Coordinate Elections and Executive Committee transition at the end of the year.
    6. Regularly inform the Executive Committee on the Club’s activities and events.
    7. May nominate an unofficial (and appropriate) alternative title, to be ratified by a quorum of the Executive Committee.
    8. Liaising with sub-committees.
    9. Any unnamed duties.
  2. The Vice-President (Lindy/Charleston) shall:
    1. Lead the coordination of all logistics (venues, teachers, music, etc…) of the Lindy/Charleston social night and liaising between the Lindy/Charleston Dance Instruction Coordinator and the Lindy/Charleston Music and DJ Manager.
    2. Assume the role of President in their absence.
    3. Assist the President as needed.
    4. Attend all executive meetings and represent the Lindy/Charleston Chapter
  3. The Vice-President (West Coast/Blues) shall:
    1. Lead the coordination of all logistics (venues, teachers, music, etc…) of the West Coast/Blues social night and liaising between the West Coast/Blues Dance Instruction Coordinator and the West Coast/Blues Music and DJ Manager.
    2. Assume the role of President in their absence, if the Vice-President (Lindy/Charleston) cannot.
    3. Assist the President as needed.
    4. Attend all executive meetings and represent the West Coast/Blues Chapter
  4. The Treasurer shall:
    1. Be the financial officer and be responsible for the Club’s bank account.
    2. Maintain all financial records and receive all money due to the Club.
    3. Present a financial statement every month to the Executive Committee.
    4. Make a final report to the Club at the end of their term of office.
    5. Approve any spending and ensure payments are made on time.
    6. Sign all cheques of the Club with permission of the Executive Committee.
    7. Be responsible for the financial aspect of weekly social nights and special events, including registration, handling of the cash box, expenditures, and provide financial updates at the regular executive meetings
    8. Enforce membership pricing and drop-in pricing.
    9. Shall be in charge of the Club PayPal account.
    10. Deposit all cash in excess of $200.00 CAD, belonging to the Club, to the Club bank account within 10 business days of discovering the excess.
    11. Attend all executive meetings unless advance notice is given.
  5. The Secretary shall:
    1. Keep minutes of all meetings and upload them to the designated folder in the Club’s Google Drive.
    2. Keep a record of all members of the Club.
    3. Make weekly door shift schedules, inform Executive Officers of this schedule beforehand and enforce the schedule during the evening.
    4. Shall regularly check the Club’s email and reply to the emails or forward to them appropriate Executive Officer(s).
    5. Assist the other executive officers in their duties.
    6. Attend all executive meetings unless advance notice is given.
  6. The Webmaster shall:
    1. Be responsible for the Club’s website and to update it within 5 days of any request made by the Executive Committee, in coordination with the rest of the Executive Committee.
    2. Deal with the domain registrar and web host.
    3. Ensure that contact information for the server (including the WHOIS contact information), passwords, server addresses, links, etc. are up-to-date.
    4. Be responsible to ensure a data recovery plan is in place for the Club’s online data.
    5. Be in charge of all technical aspects of the Club’s Google account(s).
    6. Attend all executive meetings unless advance notice is given.
  7. The Promotions Representative shall:
    1. Create promotional material (including but not limited to: flyers and posters) to advertise the Club, for all special events
    2. Create membership cards for the Club.
    3. Coordinate club clothing orders and design.
    4. Be responsible for leading and coordinating the distribution of promotional materials.
    5. Advertise the Club’s events in other Swing Dance scenes, a role that can be delegated without Executive Committee quorum and with the consent of the one to which the role is delegated.
    6. Responsible for the Club’s social media accounts.
    7. Attend all executive meetings unless advance notice is given.
  8. The Special Events Coordinator shall:
    1. Organize all logistics related to special events, such as Live Band Nights,  including but not limited to:
      1. Hiring dance teachers, with the mutual agreement of the respective Instruction Coordinator,
      2. bands,
      3. DJs, and
      4. venues

    1. Handle logistical items relating to events. This may be delegated without Executive Committee quorum and with the consent of the one to which the role is delegated.
    2. Report to the President and Executive at the regular meeting about logistical updates.
    3. Attend all executive meetings unless advance notice is given.
  1. The Dance Instruction Coordinator (Lindy/Charleston) shall:
    1. Coordinate the teaching schedule and general lesson content specific to Lindy/Charleston dance styles, ensuring variation in terms of moves and consistency in terms of technique.
    2. Coordinate and chair meetings with Lindy/Charleston instructors.
    3. Coordinate with the Music Manager so that DJs can plan their playlists according to the lessons.
    4. Attend lessons to observe teachers and provide feedback as well as to answer beginners’ questions.
    5. Help beginner dancers and encourage Executive Officers and other teachers to do the same.
    6. Be responsible for teaching when no instructors are available.
    7. Coordinate and run regular internal dance workshops.
    8. Coordinate teaching schedule and workshop content with hired teachers.
    9. Look out for new instructors and help them develop as instructors.
    10. Attend executive meetings only as required
  2. The Music & DJ Manager (Lindy/Charleston) shall:
    1. Be responsible for ensuring a reasonable quality of music specific to Lindy/Charleston dance styles during weekly lessons and dances.
    2. Coordinate weekly DJ schedule.
    3. Be responsible for DJing when there are no DJs available.
    4. Be responsible for keeping the sound system and wireless microphone(s) secure and in good condition, and setting these up for lessons, dances and special events.
    5. Book DJs for special events.
    6. Be responsible for recruiting and providing instruction and rules to DJs.
    7. Coordinate and lead internal DJ workshops and “New DJ nights”.
    8. Serve as the Club’s link to the Kingston’s jazz and live music scene.
    9. Attend executive meetings only as required
  3. The Dance Instruction Coordinator (West Coast/Blues) shall:
    1. Coordinate the teaching schedule and general lesson content specific to West Coast/Blues dance styles ensuring variation in terms of moves and consistency in terms of technique.
    2. Coordinate and chair meetings with West Coast/Blues instructors.
    3. Coordinate with the Music Manager so that DJs can plan their playlists according to the lessons.
    4. Attend lessons to observe teachers and provide feedback as well as to answer beginners’ questions.
    5. Help beginner dancers and encourage Executive Officers and other teachers to do the same.
    6. Be responsible for teaching when no instructors are available.
    7. Coordinate and run regular internal dance workshops.
    8. Coordinate teaching schedule and workshop content with hired teachers.
    9. Look out for new instructors and help them develop as instructors.
    10. Attend executive meetings only as required
  4. The Music & DJ Manager (West Coast/Blues) shall:
    1. Be responsible for ensuring a reasonable quality of music specific to West Coast/Blues dance styles during weekly lessons and dances.
    2. Coordinate weekly DJ schedule.
    3. Be responsible for DJing when there are no DJs available.
    4. Be responsible for keeping the sound system and wireless microphone(s) secure and in good condition, and setting these up for lessons, dances and special events.
    5. Be responsible for recruiting and providing instruction and rules to DJs.
    6. Coordinate and lead internal DJ workshops and “New DJ nights”.
    7. Serve as the Club’s link to the Kingston’s jazz and live music scene.
    8. Attend executive meetings only as required
  5. The Swing Dance Representatives (2) shall:
    1. Act as the voice of the Club to the Executive Committee.
    2. Generally assist the Executive Committee in its responsibilities.

Article VII: Duties of the Executive Committee

  1. The Executive Committee shall:
    1. Hold its first meeting before the end of term in April and thereafter every week or as deemed necessary.
      1. At this first meeting, the annual budget, and event details (bands, locations/venues, teachers) dates for events should be discussed and booked if possible.
    2. Carry on the business of the Club within the limitations of this constitution and its bylaws.
    3. Regularly seek the wishes of club’s members and strive to honour them faithfully.

Article VIII:  Provisions for the Constitution of the Club

  1. Executive Committee Transitions
    1. The outgoing Executive Officers shall provide the incoming Executive Officers all files and bank accounts of the Club before the 30th of April.
    2. All outgoing Executive Officers shall complete a transition report to aid new executives, which will be placed in the Club’s records, by the 29th of April of each year.
      1. It is crucial that the transition reports are worked on throughout the year to ensure the work and success of the predecessor is carried on to the successor.
      2. Anything that the predecessor would have found helpful going into the position should be included in the transition manual.
  2. Financial Records:
    1. All funds for the Club are located in an account at TD Canada Trust
    2. An electronic copy of financial records will be kept by the Treasurer, as described in Article VI Sec 4.

Article IX: Elections

  1. Election of Executive Officers
    1. The elections for each year shall be scheduled for such a time as will be convenient to as many members as possible after the flagship event (if possible) during March, in order to properly transition the executive. The elections for all positions of the Executive shall be held at the same meeting, which will be held during a regularly scheduled lessons/social night. This meeting will be the Annual General Meeting.
    2. Preferably three weeks’ notice will be given in advance of the election to give time for applicants to submit their applications.
    3. Officers shall be elected in the following order by club members (subject to reasonable change by the current executive):
      1. President
      2. Vice President (Lindy/Charleston)
      3. Music and DJ Manager (Lindy/Charleston)
      4. Dance Instruction Coordinator (Lindy/Charleston)
      5. Vice President (West Coast/Blues)
      6. Music and DJ Manager (West Coast/Blues)
      7. Dance Instruction Coordinator (West Coast/Blues)
      8. Treasurer
      9. Events Coordinator
      10. Promotions
      11. Webmaster
      12. Secretary
    4. The positions have restrictions as follows:
      1. President
        1. Must be a Queen’s Student
        2. Must have served on the executive committee previously without serving as president
        3. If there is no qualified candidate, any Club member that is a student may seek nomination.
      2. Treasurer
        1. Must be a Queen’s Student
      3. Vice President (Lindy/Charleston)
        1. Must be a Queen’s Student
      4. Vice President (West Coast/Blues)
        1. Must be a Queen’s Student
    5. A fifth Queen’s Student must serve on the executive committee in one of the  other executive positions (other than President, Treasurer, Vice President (Lindy/Charleston), and Vice President (West Coast/Blues)).
    6. Nominations for each office shall be accepted up until the time of the election for that position; once a position has been filled, nominations for that respective position will no longer be accepted.
    7. All candidates for each office shall be permitted to speak for a set amount of time prior to the voting for that office. The presiding election officer, delegated by the President, shall fix a time limit which shall apply to all candidates for the specific office.
    8. The voting shall be conducted by a show of hands. Each member receives one vote per round of voting.
    9. If there is only one candidate for any position, a vote of confidence shall be held.
    10. If one of the candidates has secured greater than 50% of the votes cast, they shall be declared the winner.  If no candidate has greater than 50%, the candidate with the least number of votes shall be eliminated from candidacy and all persons entitled to cast a vote shall recast their vote(s) given the reduced slate of candidates. Any remaining candidate who (if receiving all votes originally cast for the eliminated candidate) could have more votes than another candidate will remain for successive rounds of voting.
    11. In the situation where two candidates yield the same result, the member conducting the Election will be mandated to break the tie, and eliminate the losing candidate.
    12. In the week  following the election of each Executive, the presiding executive officer(s) shall instruct their respective elected officer(s) in their duties.
    13. Executive officers may only run for multiple positions if there are insufficient candidates running for a position.
  2. Elections for Swing Dance Representatives
    1. Elections will only occur if more than two applications are received. In this case, elections will follow the procedure outlined in Article IX: Elections subsection 1. Elections of Executive Officers.
    2. Swing dance representatives will be selected in October.
    3. Two weeks notice will be given for these positions.
    4. To seek nomination, swing dance representatives must:
      1. Be passionate about swing dance
      2. Have started their first year with the club at the time of their application for nomination.
      3. If, and only if, there are insufficient candidates available, nominations for Swing Dance Representatives will be accepted from any club member.

Article X:  AMS Assembly

  1. The AMS Assembly, as the highest legislative body representing students at Queen’s, constitutes the ultimate source of authority for the Club.  Moreover, it can set up committees as needed with specific terms of reference to investigate financial matters and report to its next meeting.

Article XI:  Funding

  1. In accordance with section 7.02 of the AMS constitution, the Queen’s Swing Dance Club recognizes it is eligible to receive either or both student activity fees and Assembly grants.  Eligibility for receiving Club Grants shall be restricted to those student organizations receiving funding from neither student activity fees nor Assembly Grants. Any funding received from the Society shall be spent for the purpose for which it was requested.
  2. The Queen’s Swing Dance Club shall be eligible to fundraise and to receive donations.  Fund raising efforts and donations in excess of $5,000 shall in all cases to be coordinated through the AMS Advancement and Development Officers and the Queen’s University Office of Advancement business office.

Article XI: Amendments

  1. The constitution shall be reviewed annually and any amendments shall be immediately presented to the AMS for approval, through the Commission of Internal Affairs.
  2. The proposed constitution shall be voted for approval at the Annual General Meeting.
    1. Any revisions to the constitution must be submitted in writing to the executive at least two weeks before the Annual General Meeting.