Constitution

     

  

  MAGNIFICAT GOSPEL CHOIR

ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY – STATEN ISLAND CAMPUS

ARTICLE I – NAME                                                     

The official name of this organization is Magnificat Gospel Choir. The choir takes the name of what is also known as Mary’s Song of Praise based on the scripture, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!”[Luke 1:46-55]

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

The purpose of this organization is to provide the St. John’s University Staten Island community with a gospel choir that nurtures and nourishes the Christian values of prayer, faith, spirituality, and community through song. Our primary goal is to act as a Christian Ministry that builds community with a strong focus on faith and outreach on the Staten Island Campus. We shall nourish and utilize the various gifts and talents of students in a way that not only allows them to flourish in the performing arts, but also allows them to use their talents for the greater glory of God. Through unity, prayer, faith, and service, Magnificant shall stand as an active and vibrant ecumenical ministry that seeks to enhance spirituality for all members of the St. John’s University body regardless of religious standing and denomination.  

Section I. Unity, Faith, and Works

With unity through community being one of the main components of our purpose, Magnificat shall work to build partnership with other organizations on and off campus. Within the choir, Magnificat shall act as a family built on teamwork, friendship, hard work and responsibility.

Magnificat shall also act as a vibrant source of faith. Through the gift of song, members of the choir are spiritually nourished and are then called to share that spirituality with others on campus. It is our goal that we nourish the spiritual core of each member and the larger university.

Remaining true to our purpose as a ministry, it is required that Magnificat participates in several off-campus forms of Community Service and Outreach each academic year. Following true to James 2:14-16, “faith without works is dead”. It is the duty of Magnificat to work to bring to life the gospel through our actions of generosity to the needy and less fortunate in our community

In an effort to build our ministry on campus, Magnificat shall perform at University functions, including but not limited to talent shows, cultural celebrations and various campus-wide events sponsored by other organizations, as long as the purpose of the event coincides with the purpose set forth in this constitution. The organization shall also perform at off-campus events when invited. All performances are made at the discretion of the Director, Advisor, and Executive Board.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

            Section I. Eligibility

           

Any full-time student with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 is eligible to participate in the choir. Failure to maintain a GPA of 2.5 will result in a one-month probation period in which the participant must demonstrate and prove academic stability. Membership is inclusive to any faculty member, administrator or staff member who seeks to participate. We prefer members who share a passion and ability to sing, however, no vocal audition will be required.

Section II. Member in Good Standing

In order to remain a member in good standing the member must:

1.      Be in good standing with the university

2.      Show participation and commitment to the organization

3.      Pay dues (Outlined in Article VI, section III)

4.      Not miss more than three consecutive rehearsals without a valid excuse

5.      Be at all performances and events that the organization coordinates and participates in, unless a valid excuse is presented. The excuse should be expressed in advance to the Executive Board, who will determine the validity of the excuse at its discretion.

6.      Follow the general rules and guidelines of Magificat Gospel Choir

7.      Abides by the constitution’s purpose outlined in this document

Section III. Revocation of Membership

Membership of Magnificat Gospel Choir shall be revoked under the following conditions

1.      Member does not remain in good standing with the university

2.      Member does not show participation and commitment to the organization

3.      Member fails to pay dues (Outlined in Article VI, section III)

4.      Member misses more than three consecutive rehearsals without a valid excuse

5.      Member misses a number of performances without a valid excuse

6.      Fails to abide by the constitution’s purpose as stated in this document

Section IV. Nondiscriminatory Clause

Magnificat Gospel Choir shall not discriminate on the basis of race, nationality, ancestry, gender, age, handicap, or sexual orientation in the selection of its members unless federal or state laws allow for such exceptions.

ARTICLE IV – GOVERNANCE

            Section I. Governance

Magnificat shall be governed in an organized manner by an Executive Board and Advisor.

            Section II. Executive Board

           

A.    Titles

The Executive Board of Magnificat Gospel Choir must consist of the President, Vice President, Director, Secretary, and Treasurer. Other positions such as Historian, Parliamentarian, Chaplain and Public Relations Representative may be added at the discretion of the Executive Board and Advisor. Members of the Executive Board shall work together closely to assure proficient and goal-oriented activity. Members of the Executive Board not only act as the leaders and role models of the choir, but are the faces of the choir to the University body. Failure to act as a leader through good representation will result in removal from position.

Executive Board members are expected to participate in all Magnificat sponsored events as well as all performances in which the choir performs unless prior notice is given of his/her absence. It is mandatory that the Executive Board attend all Eboard meetings which are scheduled outside of rehearsal time. If unable to attend, a valid excuse should be represented to the President or Advisor in advance who will then determine the validity of the excuse at his/her discretion.

Each elected official is held responsible to uphold the task given and required. If an assignment is delegated to an official, it must be done by that official in a responsible and reasonable manner. If assistance is needed, one should consult the President or Advisor. Consecutive failure to complete assigned tasks will result in removal from position.

The structure of the organization may change over time as a result of periodic evaluation and reorganization.

B.     Powers and Duties

1.      President – Responsible for the overall management and coordination of the organization; presides over all meetings; decide on the musical selections with the Director and provide opportunities for other members to do so, as well; act as primary contact person for on- and-off campus performances; in the absence of the Director, carry out the duties of the Director; must have been a member of Magnificat for at least one academic school year prior to appointment

2.      Vice President – Carry out all operations in the absence of the president; act as liaison between members and the Executive Board; evaluate all events for strategies to be used for better event promotion and performance

3.      Director – Presides over all rehearsals and decides with the President the musical selection and provide opportunities for other members to do so; must have been a member of Magnificat for at least on academic year; plays a vital role as his/her input helps move the choir in a forward direction

4.      Secretary – Maintain attendance records for all meetings, rehearsals, and performances; reserve rooms for meetings, rehearsals, and on-campus events; keep a record of notations and documents from meetings, choral repertoire, and maintain sheet music

5.      Treasurer – Supervise and manage the budget, collect dues from members, maintain an accurate record of organization funds, and reconcile records with funds in the organization’s bank account

6.      Historian – Responsible for taking and developing photos from past and current activities along with maintaining a photo album or scrapbook of events

7.      Parliamentarian – Responsible for maintaining and updating this constitution. Makes sure that guidelines, purpose, etc. are in accordance with the University’s guidelines

8.      Public Relations Representative – Responsible for coordinating and implementing publicity for all Magnificat events (social, educational, and community events) through the distribution of flyers, emails, and word-of-mouth throughout the St. John’s community; and coordinating recruitment efforts for new members

9.      Chaplin- Responsible for providing spiritual counseling and support to the choir through prayer

10.  Advisor- a full-time Student Life Administrator designated to make purchases, order food, etc; also required to attend or find a person approved by the university to attend out-of-town events in which the student organization participates; the role is not to run the organization, but to give advice to members and officers and to facilitate an experience rich in opportunities for intellectual, cultural, and personal growth

Section II. Officer Elections

A.    Qualification

To qualify to be an officer, a student must be in good standing with the organization and university. If elected, he/she is expected to fulfill all the responsibilities of their respective office as well as those of standard membership. General choir members are able to run for all positions except Director which is appointed only by the Executive Board and Advisor. All elected officials must have been members of Magnificat for at least one academic year.

B.     Nominating Procedure

Nomination of officers for all positions except Director will take place at the first meeting in February; proceeded by a recommendation from the floor. Candidates must then either accept or deny nomination.

C.    Voting Procedure

1.      Voting will take place no less than three days (in order to give candidates ample time to put together their candidacy presentation) and no more than one and a half weeks from the day of nomination.

2.      In order for the votes to be valid a quorum of the members must be present to vote. A quorum will be represented by 75% of the members.

3.      In order for a nominee to be elected to a position, they must receive a majority of votes from the quorum of members present.

4.      The organization Advisor will count the votes and notify the members of the result of the election no later than the following day.

5.      Newly elected officers will shadow old officers and attend Executive Board meetings to prepare for the new term.

Section III. Terms of Office

A.    The terms of office shall be effective from June 1^st of the current year to May 31^st of the following year.

B.     After new officers assume office, they will present their budget packet to Student Government, Inc. no later than the first week in September. Goals for the organization for the upcoming year and planed activities for new membership recruitment for the fall should be made during the spring semester and summer before.

C.     Term Limitation – Elected officers, except Director, will be limited to one year terms and may then run for reelection or another position.

Section IV. Office Vacancies

Should vacancies occur before the completion of a term of office, the vacancy will be filled in the following manner:

A.    If, for some reason, the office of the President becomes vacant, the Vice President shall assume the position for the remainder of the term unless he/she prefers not to do so.

B.     If the Vice President chooses not to assume the position, the Executive Board and Advisor will select the interim president to fill the position for the remainder of the term. No formal elections shall be held.

C.     If any office becomes vacant due to resignation, the Executive Board and Advisor will select a member to fill the position for the remainder of the term. No formal elections shall be held.

Section V. Impeachment of Executive Board Members

A.    Executive Board members may only be removed through formal impeachment proceedings. Impeachment charges can be brought against any officer for the following reasons:

1.      A significant amount of unexcused absences.

2.      Violation of rules explained in the Student Handbook.

3.      Failure to abide by the policies as stated in this constitution.

4.      Failure to uphold the responsibility of position

B.     Impeachment Procedure

If a member of the organization feels an Executive Board member should be impeached, he/she must submit written charges to the President. If the officer in question is the President, then the charge should be submitted to the Student Life Administrative Advisor. The accused person shall be provided with the written charges and an opportunity to defend him/herself before the Student Life Administrative Advisor and Executive Board. The final conclusion will be made by the Executive Board and Advisor.

The replacement for the impeached member is selected by the remaining Executive Board and Advisor. The interim Executive Board member should hold the position until the end of the term.

ARTICLE V – MEETINGS AND REHERSALS

            Section I. Meeting Times

A.    At the beginning of each semester, the president shall create a rehearsal schedule based on the availability of the members. It may be changed at any time by a majority voted of the member. All organization business (event, promotion, potential events, recruitment efforts, etc.) shall be conducted at the beginning of rehearsals.

B.     Special meetings/rehearsals may be held at the discretion of the president. Email may be used to conduct this business.

C.     All Executive Board meetings are to be held outside of rehearsals in a separate meeting location. Rehearsals and meetings are to be separate.

Section II. Attendance Policy

A.    Officers and members are urged to attend all rehearsals, meetings, and on-and-off campus performances. Those who know they will not be able to attend a rehearsal, meeting, or performance should attempt to contact an Executive Board member at least three hours prior to the event if possible.

B.     Any member who misses three consecutive rehearsals, meetings and on-and-off campus performances without notice will be put on a month long probation period.

C.     If a member continues to miss rehearsals, meetings, and performances the member will be dismissed from the organization.

Section III. Quorum

A.    In order to conduct meetings and rehearsals, a quorum of a majority of the members is required. This number shall also apply to a quorum needed to make any decision in the organization. If this quorum is not present at any meeting, the organization cannot conduct official business that affects the other members.

B.     In order for an action to carry and be in effect, a majority of the quorum present must vote in approval of the action.

C.     The number of members needed to make the quorum for both the Executive board and choir shall consist of 75% of general body members present.

ARTICLES VI – FINANCES

            Section I. Funding Sources

Funds for the operation of the organization will be generated from allocations from Student Government, Inc., membership dues, and from fundraising events. These funds will be used to pay for various uniforms, travel expenses, donations to charities, and other purposes approved by the Student Life Administrative Advisor. At the first meeting of each semester, members will review the budget, set goals, outline any other potential events and decided how these activities will be financed.

Section II. Allocations

After the Executive Board has established a budget for the semester and been allocated funds by Student Government, Inc. they may not deviate from this budget without an affirmative majority vote of the Executive Board and approval of the Student Life Administrative Advisor.

Section III. Dues

Membership dues are to be paid to the treasurer at the first rehearsal of every month starting in October of current year. The Executive Board will determine this amount at the first general body meeting after the Activities Fair at the beginning of the fall semester.

Anyone who is unable to pay their dues must notify the treasurer to provide a time in which he/she will pay the amount due. Failure to pay dues without notification will result in a probation period of a month in which the member is responsible to pay all late dues. Failure to pay late dues will result in removal from the organization.

ARTICLE VII – ADVISOR

The advisor for the organization shall be a full-time administrator designated to make purchases, order food, etc. The advisor is also required to attend or find a person approved by the University to attend off-campus events in which the student organization participates. The advisor’s role is not to run the organization, but to give advice to members and officers and to facilitate an experience rich in opportunities for intellectual, cultural, and personal growth.

ARTICLE VII – AMENDMENTS

A.    Any proposed amendment to the constitution must be presented in writing to the Executive Board

B.     All Executive Board members shall discuss and vote on the proposed change in a meeting.

C.     The amendment shall become part of this constitution if the required quorum is present to vote and if a majority of the membership approves the changes.