Constitution of Historic Preservation Association

 Of Southeast Missouri State University

Article I—Name

Section 1.  The name of this organization shall be the Historic Preservation Association of Southeast Missouri State University.  The abbreviated name shall be the Historic Preservation Association or H.P.A.

Article II—Purpose

Section 1.  The purpose of the Historic Preservation Association is to:

A.     To maintain a spirit of enthusiasm for historic preservation.

B.      To foster the study of and involvement in historic preservation.

C.     To acquaint students with careers in historic preservation.

D.     To promote closer affiliation between faculty (all departments), students, and community.

E.      To create an awareness of the rich historic environment and encourage the recognition and preservation of artifacts, sites, structures, and cultures within the community and surrounding areas.

F.      To maintain a listing of graduate programs in preservation for members and other interested parties.

G.     To maintain a working relationship with other academic or social organizations of the History Department of this university.

Article III—Officers

Section 1.  Officers serving as the Executive Board of the Historic Preservation Association shall be:  President, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, and Graduate Student Representative.  The office of Graduate Student Representative is optional as deemed by the current officers.

Section 2.  The terms of office for all officers shall be two semesters.

Section 3.  Officers shall be a declared historic preservation major, have at least a 2.5 GPA in the major and a 2.25 overall GPA and be a regular member of the Association.

Section 4.  The Advisor shall be a member of the Southeast Missouri State University faculty or staff and, preferably, a historic preservation faculty member.  The advisor does not have a vote in the organization.

Section 5.  An HPA member may only be nominated for one officer position.

Article IV—Membership

Section 1.  Types of membership:

A.     Regular membership is granted to any undergraduate or graduate student having an interest in the field of historic preservation, provided they are in good standing with the University and have satisfied the dues requirement.

B.      Charter membership is granted to those individuals who assisted in the creation of the original constitution.

C.     Honorary membership is granted to any graduate of the historic preservation program (undergraduate or graduate) who has satisfied the dues requirement.

Section 2.  Faculty membership may be granted by this organization to any faculty member.

Section 3.  Dishonorable dismissal from the University shall be due cause for immediate expulsion from this organization.

Section 4.  Dues will be set by the executive committee at the beginning of each semester, payable to the Association Treasurer.

Article V—Election of Officers

Section 1.  A simple majority of regular members are necessary for nominations that shall take place during the first meeting in April.

Section 2.  A majority of regular membership is necessary to elect officers by secret written ballot.

Section 3.  Only members who have paid dues are eligible to vote for officers.

Section 4.  The officers-elect shall be installed at the Spring Banquet.

Section 5.  Any vacancies throughout each semester shall be filled by a vote of the regular members present at the following regular meeting.

Section 6.  If the president is unable to fulfill his/her duties or graduates during his/her term, the vice-president shall become the president of the Association.  If this should happen, the vice-president position will be vacant.  In case the new president should be absent, the secretary will take his/her place during his/her absence.

Article VI—Meetings

Section 1.  Regular meetings of the Historic Preservation Association shall be held every other week.  All meetings shall be held at a time and place to be determined by the executive committee.

Section 2.  A motion can be carried by a simple majority of the regular members present.

Section 3.  All members must attend a majority of the meetings held during the year to be eligible to vote at officer elections.

Article VII—Anti-Hazing Statement

Section 1.  Hazing for the purpose of pledging, initiation, admission into, affiliation with, or as a condition for maintaining membership in a group, organization or team is prohibited.  Hazing is defined as any intentional, knowing or reckless act, whether on or off campus, which endangers the mental or physical health of safety of any person, regardless of consent, or which violates public law or University policy.  Hazing includes, but is not limited to a) any physical brutality such as whipping, beating, striking, paddling, branding, placing of a harmful substance on the body, or similar activity; b) any physical activity such as sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement, calisthenics, or other activity that subjects a student to risk of harm, or that adversely affects the mental or physical health or safety of a student; c) any activity involving consumption of food, liquid, alcoholic beverage, drug, or substance that subjects a student to risk of harm, or that adversely affects the mental or physical health or safety of the student; d) any activity that intimidates or threatens a student with ostracism, subjects a student to extreme mental stress, shame or humiliation, or adversely affects the mental health or dignity of a student, or that may reasonably be expected to cause a student to leave the organization or institution rather than submit to the acts described above; and, e) any activity in which a person solicits, plans, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid another in hazing or intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly permits hazing to occur and/or knowingly fails to report the incident.

Article VIII—Amendments

Section 1.  Amendments to this constitution shall be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members present at a regular meeting at which the proposed amendment was distributed.

This Constitution was revised on May 1, 2005 by the Historic Preservation Association Executive Committee:  Robyn Mainor, President; Travis Ratermann, Vice-President; Diane Riley, Secretary; Allison Marshaus, Treasurer; Catie Myers, Historian; Bill Gatlin, Graduate Representative; Garret Kremer-Wright, Past Vice-President;  and Lisa Graham, Graduate Representative.  The Historic Preservation Association voted and approved this Constitution on May 4, 2004.

By-Laws of Historic Preservation Association

Of Southeast Missouri State University

Article I—Objectives

To attain the purposes of the organization, the Historic Preservation Association will:

A.     Develop notebooks of information pertaining to careers in museology, archival employment, and site administration.

B.      Sponsor field trips to see and study artifacts, historic sites, structures, or districts.  To encourage—and help finance with ongoing fund-raising projects—attendance at national, state, district, or area conventions, seminars, and meetings.

C.     Keep a scrapbook of organizational activities; keep an active file of graduate catalogues in historic preservation that will be upgraded annually; maintain an information file pertaining to artifacts, sites, historic districts and museums.

D.     Work with community and area historic societies and groups in developing and preserving sites, artifacts, cultures, and structures.

E.      Encourage and work for development of a historic district in Cape Girardeau and any other town or village where warranted.

F.      Visit all Historic Preservation classes to invite and encourage student participation in H.P.A. meetings, events, and special functions.

Article II—Duties of Officers

Section 1.  It shall be the duty of the President to:

1. Preside at all meetings of the Association.
2. Appoint such committees provided for in these by-laws or as needed.
3. Call special meetings of the Association.
4. Be responsible for all executive reports required by these by-laws.
5. Generally promote the welfare of the Association.
6. Act as a good will ambassador to the general and academic community.
7. Pick up mail at the Student Government offices weekly and present to executive board.
8. Place signature on the H.P.A. checking account.
9. Register with Student Government the first week of the fall semester and see that responsible parties sign form.
10. Set examples of conduct.

Section 2.  It shall be the duty of the Vice-president to: 

A.     Preside at all meetings in the absence of the President.

B.      Coordinate the activities of various committees.

C.     Collect reports (written or verbal) from each committee and be prepared to comment on these reports at regular and/or executive meetings.

D.     And/or perform related duties.

E.      Set examples of conduct.

Section 3.  It shall be the duty of the Secretary to:

1. Keep all records except the financial reports.
2. Keep the minutes of each meeting.
3. Handle all written correspondence.
4. Prepare alumni letters and invitations.
5. Have possession of the copy card (usage of this card must be reported to the treasurer).
6. And/or perform other related duties.
7. Set examples of conduct.

Section 4.  It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to:

A.     Collect and deposit all funds in a bank approved by the Faculty Advisor.

B.      Make necessary expenditures when authorized by the executive board.

C.     Present a written financial report at the last regular meeting of each semester.

D.     Be prepared to give an oral report at each meeting.

E.      Place signature on H.P.A. checking account.

F.      Act as the chairperson of the Ways and Means Committee.

G.     Attend Student Government funding meeting the first week of the fall semester.

H.    And/or perform other related duties.

I.        Set examples of conduct.

Section 5.  It shall be the duty of the Historian to:

A.     Keep the H.P.A. scrapbook.

B.      Maintain a graduate catalogue file.

C.     Create an executive file at the end of the spring semester, which will contain office-related documents collected from each executive officer member.

D.     And/or perform related duties.

E.      Set examples of conduct.

Section 6.  It shall be the duty of the Graduate Representative to:

1. Act as a liaison between graduate and undergraduate students.
2. And/or perform other related duties.
3. Set examples of conduct.

Section 7.  It shall be the duty of all officers to make their best effort to attend meetings, functions, and activities.  In the event of an anticipated or unexpected absence, verbal notification should be given to another officer or faculty advisor.

Section 8.  If any officer repeatedly fails to complete their delegated duties, a special executive meeting (which includes the faculty advisor) may be called to present a list of grievances to the officer in question.  The officer must be given an opportunity to respond and address the grievances.

Section 9.  Continued failure to complete duties may result in impeachment of the officer.  A motion to impeach must pass a majority vote in the executive committee before it can be put before the regular membership.  Removal from office requires majority of the regular membership to take effect.  Any vacancy due to removal will be filled by a special election.

Article III—Membership Dues

Section 1.  Dues shall be set by the executive committee for the semester, payable either each semester or per academic year, to the Association treasurer.

Article IV—Standing Committees

Section 1.  Providing sufficient participating members, committees shall be in session.

Section 2.  Types of standing committees and responsibilities:

1. The Executive Committee will consist of the duly elected officers plus one former officer (if available) not serving concurrently in another office to act as a consultant.  This committee will meet once a week to prepare an agenda of business for the subsequent meeting.  A quorum of two-thirds members must be present to call meetings to order and to vote on executive decisions.
2. The Public Relations Committee will be responsible for promoting relations between the Historic Preservation Association and the University and the community at large.  The committee will also arrange media coverage of the Association’s activities and will maintain the H.P.A. website.
3. The Ways and Means Committee will coordinate and promote fund-raising activities.  The Treasurer will chair this committee.
4. The Social Committee will organize at least one social activity per semester and will also be responsible for inviting students in Historic Preservation classes to meetings.

Section 3.  Other committees may be created as deemed necessary by the executive committee.

Article V—Officers and Elections

Section 1. The officers of the Historic Preservation Association of Southeast Missouri State University shall be:  President, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, and Graduate Student Representative.  Officers shall be a declared historic preservation major, have at least a 2.5 GPA in the major and a 2.25 overall GPA and be a regular member of the association.

Section 2.   A simple majority of regular members are necessary for nominations that shall take place during the first meeting in April.

Section 3.  The terms of office for all officers shall be two semesters.

Section 4.  Voting will take place one week later following nominations at a place determined by the executive committee.  Ballots will be cast in a sealed box.  A printed list of all paid members names will be placed next to the ballot box.  Before each member casts their ballot, they must place their signature on the previously mentioned list next to their printed name.  Each ballot will have the option of a no confidence vote.

Section 5.  The officers-elect shall be installed at the Spring Banquet.

Section 6.  In the event of a tie, the current executive board will choose by majority vote who the next officer will be.

Article VI—Meetings

Section 1.  Regular meetings of the Historic Preservation Association shall be held on a day decided by the executive committee every other week.  All meetings shall begin at their scheduled time.

Section 2.  The President may call special meetings.  Notice of such meetings must be posted at least one day prior to their commencement.

Section 3.  A motion can be carried by a simple majority of the regular members present.

Section 4.  Parliamentary authority will consist or Robert’s Rules of Order.

Article VII—Requirements

Section 1. To be an active organization within the University community, the Historic Preservation Association of Southeast Missouri State University must have at least five members.

Section 2.  The Historic Preservation Association must meet at least twice per month during the academic year.

Article VIII—Amendments and By-laws

Section 1.  The constitution and its by-laws may be amended at any regular meeting or special meeting provided a two-thirds quorum of the total membership is present.

Section 2.  The members of the club may adopt any and all by-laws or standing rules necessary for the expeditious and orderly handling of routine club activities.  By-laws conflicting with any provisions of the constitution are null and void.