Tech Squares Constitution

Adopted 22 May 1984
Amended 19 January 1988
Amended 1 March 1988
Amended 16 August 1994
Amended 13 August 2002
Amended 23 April 2013
Amended 3 September 2013
Rewritten 28 April 2015
Amended 29 November 2016
Amended 25 October 2022

Article I. Name and Purpose

Section 1. This organization shall be called Tech Squares, the Square and Round Dance Club of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, hereinafter referred to as the club and MIT, respectively.

Section 2. The club shall regularly hold Modern Western Square Dances.

Section 3. The club shall hold classes to introduce beginners to square dancing.

Article II. Membership

Section 1. Upon graduation from the class, a person becomes a club member.

Section 2. A person who has not graduated from the class must dance club level to become a club member. Other requirements may be stated in the standing policies.

Section 3. Membership shall include the right to wear the club badge. No one but club members may wear the club badge.

Section 4. Any club member who has attended at least four recent weekly dances shall be a voting member. For this purpose, a recent weekly dance shall be any since the fifteenth most recent non-summer (not including June, July, and August) weekly dance, inclusive.

Section 5. Only voting members may vote at club meetings or join the Executive Committee.

Section 6. The club shall not discriminate based on any characteristic listed in the MIT Nondiscrimination Policy for membership, officer position, or in any other aspect.

Section 7. The Executive Committee may revoke club membership by two-thirds majority of those voting.

Article III. Dances

Section 1. The club shall choose a club level for its square dances.

Section 2. The club shall hold weekly dances year-round allowing exceptions for holidays, weather, and similar occasions. Weekly dances shall be at club level, except as required for the class.

Section 3. The club may hold additional dances and workshops at club level or other levels.

Article IV. Class

Section 1. The club shall hold a class during each Fall and Spring academic term at MIT to introduce beginners to square dancing. The class shall teach club level.

Section 2. At least one class per year shall be open to the general public.

Section 3. The class shall be coordinated by the Class Coordinator.

Section 4. The club caller shall be responsible for teaching the class.

Section 5. The standing policies shall state criteria for graduation from the class.

Article V. Employees

Section 1. The club caller(s) shall be defined as the employee(s) who are hired to be primarily responsible for calling square dances at weekly dances. The club cuer(s) shall be defined as the employee(s) who are hired to be primarily responsible for cueing round dances at weekly dances.

Section 2. No person may be an Executive Committee member and club caller or cuer concurrently.

Section 3. The club caller and the club cuer shall be ex officio members of the club, but not voting members, for the term of their employment. They may wear the club badge. They may attend club or Executive Committee meetings only at the invitation of the Executive Committee.

Section 4. The selection of a club caller or club cuer must be approved by the club.

Section 5. The Executive Committee may hire other callers and cuers. Such employees do not become club members by fact of their employment by the club.

Article VI. Club Meetings

Section 1. The club shall regularly hold meetings, called club meetings, to review the club status and conduct club business.

Section 2. Club meetings shall be open to all club members except as otherwise noted in the constitution or standing policies.

Section 3. A quorum shall consist of one-quarter of the total voting membership and one-quarter of the voting members who are MIT students.

Section 4. At club meetings, no business other than reports and discussions shall be carried on unless a quorum is present.

Section 5. Abstentions count toward quorum, but do not count as voting.

Section 6. If fewer than 50% of those voting are MIT students, then the votes of the MIT students shall be scaled so as to collectively constitute 50% of the resulting total voting power.

Section 7. A “two-thirds vote” refers to at least two-thirds of the voting power of those present and voting being cast in favor. Similar language applies with other fractions. A majority vote shall mean more than half the voting power of those present and voting being cast in favor.

Section 8. Decisions of any club meeting shall be binding upon the Executive Committee and the club officers.

Article VII. Executive Committee

Section 1. The club shall have an Executive Committee (EC). The EC shall be responsible for the affairs of the club and is empowered to make such decisions as it feels are necessary to efficiently carry out the business of the club, except as otherwise governed by this constitution or the standing policies.

Section 2. The members of the Tech Squares Executive Committee shall be the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Vice Treasurer (if applicable), Class Coordinator, Publicity Coordinator, and Members-at-Large.

Section 3. A majority vote of the Executive Committee shall be necessary for any official decisions it makes.

Section 4. The Executive Committee may appoint and remove other, non-EC, club officers, as it feels appropriate or as dictated by the standing policies. Appointment shall not grant membership on the Executive Committee.

Section 5. The Executive Committee may overrule any officer, but shall exercise restraint in doing so.

Section 6. Responsibilities

Section 6.A. The President and Vice President shall be responsible for the overall operation of the club.

Section 6.B. The Treasurer and Vice Treasurer shall be responsible for the finances of the club.

Section 6.C. The Class Coordinator shall be responsible for the organization of the class.

Section 6.D. The Publicity Coordinator shall be responsible for organizing all class and club publicity.

Section 6.E. Members-at-Large shall facilitate the business of the club, assist the other officers, and take on other duties as appropriate.

Section 7. Vice Treasurer

Section 7.A. The position of Vice Treasurer will exist if requested. The Treasurer may request one immediately upon election or at any later point. The Executive Committee may also request a Vice Treasurer at any time by majority vote.

Section 7.B. If a Vice Treasurer is requested during the election, the position will be filled as usual in that election. If a Vice Treasurer is requested at any other time, the position is filled as with any other vacancy on the Executive Committee.

Section 8. Composition Restrictions

Section 8.A. The President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Vice Treasurer (if requested) must be distinct people. However, they may also serve as Class Coordinator or Publicity Coordinator.

Section 8.B. Each distinct person shall have one vote as a member of the Executive Committee, even if they hold multiple officer positions.

Section 8.C. The Executive Committee shall contain eight distinct people (unless there is no Vice Treasurer, in which case it shall contain seven). Enough Members-at-Large shall be elected to fill the Executive Committee. Accordingly, Members-at-Large may not hold other Executive Committee positions.

Section 8.D. The President and Treasurer must be MIT students, and a total of at least four Executive Committee members must be MIT students.

Article VIII. Elections and Vacancies

Section 1. Normal Elections

Section 1.A. Elections of Executive Committee members shall be held each year in the spring. Executive Committee members shall take office on the earlier of five full calendar days after the spring class ends or June 1. Elections shall be held four to eight weeks prior to the start of their term of office.

Section 1.B. An Executive Committee member may serve until their successor's term begins in the next spring (about one year), or they may choose to vacate their office at the end of fall term. Fall elections shall be held for positions that are being vacated. Executive Committee members elected in the fall take office on the earlier of five full calendar days after the fall class ends or January 1.

Section 1.C. Executive Committee members must be voting members at the time of elections and have been club members for at least three months. The latter requirement may be waived by a two-thirds vote of the club. Advance notice is not required.

Section 1.D. Elections must occur at a club meeting.

Section 2. Vacancies

Section 2.A. If there is a vacancy in the office of President, the Vice President temporarily assumes the President's role.

Section 2.B. In the case of a vacancy in another Executive Committee position, the President appoints a temporary officer. Such temporary officers may exercise all powers of the officer they replace, except that they shall not be an EC member or be able to vote with the EC. Such temporary officers need not satisfy the normal eligibility or EC composition requirements.

Section 2.C. If the office of President and Vice President are simultaneously vacant, the Executive Committee shall appoint a temporary President by majority vote.

Section 2.D. In all cases, an election is to be held within four weeks to appoint a replacement who will serve the remainder of the original term of office.

Section 3. Removals

Section 3.A. Upon petition by at least 20% of the voting members of the club or one-half the members of the Executive Committee, the Executive Committee shall call a club meeting to discuss the removal of an officer.

Section 3.B. The officer may be removed by a three-fourths vote.

Article IX. Amendments

Section 1. This constitution may be amended at a club meeting by a two-thirds vote.

Section 2. A proposed amendment to the constitution must be submitted in writing to the Executive Committee. The EC shall publicize the proposed amendment to the club at least four weeks before it will be voted on.

Section 3. Changes to the amendment can be made during those four weeks, including at the meeting, so long as the changes preserve the essential nature of the amendment.

Article X. MIT Recognition

Section 1. The club shall be a recognized MIT student organization.

Section 2. This constitution is the governing law of the club, except where it conflicts with the rules of MIT.

Section 3. The club agrees to abide by the rules and regulations of the Association of Student Activities, and its executive board. This constitution, amendments to it, and the standing policies of this organization shall be subject to review by the ASA Executive Board to ensure that they are in accordance with the aforementioned rules and regulations.

Section 4. At all times, the club will have at least 5 MIT student members and be at least 50% MIT students.