Smith College Rugby Club Constitution

Article II: Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this organization shall be to teach and improve rugby skills to female players, to promote team spirit through competitive games with other women's rugby clubs, to provide athletic conditioning as well as the conditioning of the players' aggression in a sportsman-like manner on and off the field, and to recognize and promote the national growth and interest of women's rugby.

Article III: Membership

1. Membership in the Smith College Rugby Club shall be open to any Smith College Student.
2. Members are expected to pay seasonal dues.
3. Members are expected to attend practices regularly.
4. Members shall follow Smith College policies and conduct themselves responsibly in this and other rugby communities.
5. Contingent upon fulfilling the aforementioned guidelines, members are eligible to play in games and tournaments and to participate in Club social activities.

Article IV: Meetings

1. The Club plays two seasons a year
   1. The fall season lasts from mid-September to mid-November.
   2. The spring season lasts from the beginning of February to the beginning of May.
2. Practices occur Monday through Thursday from 4:00pm to 6:00pm and Friday from 3:30pm to 5:30pm.
3. There are regularly scheduled Saturday games throughout both seasons.
4. Attendance at practices is required of all Club members, with potential conflicts with academic and work schedules taken into consideration.

Article V: Executive Board
The executive board shall meet weekly to discuss administrative concerns and details and shall call relevant matters to the attention of the Smith College Athletic Association, the Head of Club Sports, the coach and the Athletic Department. The members of the executive board will record for future holders of their offices the details of their responsibilities and actions over their terms of office, to be compiled and passed down to each new board member. If a member of the executive board does not fulfill her responsibilities to the satisfaction of the majority of the executive board, or does not meet the obligations of active team members described in Article III: Membership, she may be asked by that majority to resign her position which would become open to re-election by the team at the earliest opportunity.

1. President
   1. Moderates board and team meetings.
   2. Deals with coordination of matters between the club, the administration, the Head of Club Sports, the Student Government Association and the Athletic Association.
   3. Works with the treasurer to establish a budget with the advice and consent of the executive board.
   4. Shall appoint committees and committee chairs when necessary.
   5. Shall serve as club liaison to the training room and be in charge of administering training room protocol and information to the club.
   6. Responsible for arranging Smith College space for practices, games, and meetings.
   7. Shall distribute copies of the constitution to the executive board members at the beginning of each season.
   8. Shall run Club elections in the fall and spring.
   9. Shall be responsible for receiving petitions and requests from the student body and directing the questions to the appropriate body for action.
   10. Shall preside over weekly board meetings.
   11. Shall serve a term of one year.

2. Vice President/Treasurer
   1. Shall take charge of the Club's funds and shall keep account of all receipts and expenditures.
   2. Shall meet with the President to draft the Rugby Club budget for the following year subject to the advice and consent of the board.
   3. Shall submit and provide support for the Rugby Club budget with the president at the Senate Finance Committee Meetings and/or the Athletic Association Meeting.
   4. Shall meet with the president weekly to discuss budgetary matters.
   5. Shall serve to assist the President in the administration of the Rugby Club.
   6. Shall attend weekly executive board meetings.
   7. Shall submit monthly budget updates to the president and to the executive board.
   8. Shall serve a term of one year.

3. Secretary 
   1. Shall be responsible for keeping minutes of all meetings involving the Rugby Club.
   2. Shall distribute minutes to the Executive Board and the team from Executive Board meetings.
   3. Shall be responsible for taking and keeping records of members' attendance.
   4. Shall be in charge of ordering/keeping track of team merchandise.
   5. Shall attend weekly executive board meetings..
   6. Shall serve a term of one year.

4. Fundraising Chair
   1. Shall be in charge of fundraising the required amount according to the Club's budget and working in close coordination with the Treasurer.
   2. Shall submit requests to the Senate Finance Committee for each fundraiser.
   3. Shall attend weekly executive board meetings.
   4. Shall submit monthly updates on fundraising projects to the executive board.
   5. Shall serve a term of one year.
5. Match Secretary
   1. Responsible for scheduling the number of matches specified in the Club's budget with area rugby clubs.
   2. Shall secure the schedule for the season as early as possible.
   3. Shall coordinate the game schedule with NERFU (New England Rugby Football Union) in the Fall.
   4. Responsible for submitting a copy of the schedule to all team members.
   5. Responsible for directions to all away games/tournaments.
   6. Responsible for transportation (SGA Vans) for all away games/tournaments.
   7. Responsible for hiring EMT's and Referees for all home games.
   8. Shall attend weekly executive board meetings.
   9. Shall serve a term of one year.

6. Field Captains
   1. There shall be two field captains each season: Captain of the Scrum and Captain of the Backs.
   2. Shall be responsible for establishing a professional working relationship with the coach(es).
   3. Shall be responsible for leading team practices in conjunction with the coach.
   4. Shall sit on the Selection Committee, and with the Committee be responsible for creating team line-ups by the Wednesday practice preceding each game which allow all regularly attending players adequate playing time.
   5. Shall attend weekly board meetings.
   6. Shall serve a term of one semester.

7. Mamakara (B-side Liaison)
   1. Shall be responsible for representing the interests, requirements, and desires of the B-side returning players and rookies to the executive board.
   2. The Mamakara must remain on the B-Side of the club for the duration of her term.
   3. Shall be responsible for organizing whatever activities necessary to aid in smooth acclamation of new team members with the assistance of the team at large, the PIC's and executive board.
   4. Shall act as a representative of the Captains whenever necessary, i.e. leading B-side warm-ups while Captains are playing A-side game.
   5. Shall sit on the Selection Committee, and with the Committee be responsible for creating team line-ups by the Wednesday practice preceding each game which allow all regularly attending players adequate playing time.
   6. Shall attend weekly board meetings.
   7. Shall serve a term of one semester.

8. Tournament Chair
   1. Shall act as head of the Tournament Committee, ensuring that continuity of vision is maintained throughout the planning process and that all responsibilities are delegated among committee members and members of the executive board.
   2. Shall secure lodging for away games/tournaments.
   3. Shall make all possible efforts to organize tournament for the Spring Semester.
   4. Shall recruit three to five members for the Tournament Committee.
   5. Shall attend weekly board meetings and report on the progress of the committee to the executive board.
   6. Shall serve a term of one year.

9. PIC's
   1. There shall be two PIC's elected for each season.
   2. Shall be responsible for finding locations for all parties.
   3. Shall be responsible for the organization of all rugby social events.
   4. Shall organize the banquets which occur at the end of each season in conjunction with the president and executive board.
   5. May appoint committees and committee chairs to aid in planning of social events.
   6. Shall attend weekly board meetings.
   7. Shall serve a term of one semester.
10. Public Relations Chair
    1. Shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining a Smith Rugby alumnae network
    2. Shall be responsible for maintenance and appearance of the Smith Rugby Club website.
    3. Shall be in charge of recruitment for both seasons.
    4. Shall be responsible for the image of Smith Rugby Club to the general public.
    5. Shall be responsible for all advertising, flyering, and publicity of the Smith Rugby Club.
    6. Shall attend weekly executive board meetings.
    7. Shall serve a term of one year.

Article VI: Committees and Officers Not on the Executive Board
The President and the Executive Board will appoint any additional committees and committee chairs required for special circumstances and/or events.

1. The Selection Committee
   1. Shall consist of: the Captain of the Backs and the Captain of the Scrum, the Mamakara (B-side Liaison), and two non-board representatives, one from the backs and one from the scrum, to be elected by the team prior to the first game of each season.  If the Selection Committee extends an invitation to the coach, then she/he may attend that meeting of the Selection Committee.
   2. Shall be responsible for making the line-ups by the Wednesday practice prior to each game.
   3. Shall take into account when making the line-ups such factors as players' skill, talent, fitness, attendance, participation, and contribution to the team.

2. The Tournament Committee
   1. Shall be led by the Tournament Chair and include three to five non-board team members recruited or appointed by the tournament chair and the board.
   2. Shall, with the help of the board, be responsible for all aspects of the Annual Spring Tournament, including but not limited to: inviting and confirming attending teams, budget and revenue, scheduling, concessions, T-shirts, and associated fundraising events.

3. Historian
   1. Shall be responsible for recording for future generations the activities, personalities, and accomplishments of the Smith College Rugby Club. This may include photographs, personal recollections, or contributions by team members, news pieces related to the team, audio or video recordings, or any other media relevant to the preservation of the record.
   2. Shall be allotted a portion of the budget with which to perform her duties.

Article VII: Elections

1. Elections will be held at the end of each season for the following season, that is at the end of the fall season for spring officers and at the end of the spring season for year-long positions.
2. Team members may run in consecutive seasons or years.
3. A Majority vote of team members is necessary to win all offices.
4. If a majority is not won by a single candidate, a runoff shall be held between the two top candidates.
5. Nominations shall be vocally announced and followed by the acceptance of the nominated.
6. Voting shall be by secret ballot.
7. Any vacancies shall be filled by another club vote.
8. If a runoff is necessary there will be another club vote.

Article VII: Funds

1. The Club will apply annually to the SGA for yearly funds to cover the cost of equipment, transportation, referees, EMT's and publicity.
2. The Club will supplement SGA funding with membership dues and the proceeds from its own fundraising.

Article IX: Affiliations

1. The Club will participate in NERFU each fall season with the approval of the Executive Board.

Article X: Coach

1. Funds for the payment of the coach shall be budgeted with the SGA.
2. The coach shall have played rugby extensively and have adequate coaching skills.
3. The coach must establish a professional working relationship with the team through the captains.

Article XI: Ratification / Amendments

1. The Constitution and/or amendments will be presented to the Executive Board and must be passed by a 50% plus one vote.
2. Amendments must also be passed by 2/3 SGA Senate membership.

Constitution last revised 9/98