Article I:
Name
The
name of the organization shall be the Muslim Students Association. It shall be a
non-profit organization. It shall be a chapter of the Muslim Students’
Association of the U.S. and Canada.
Article II:
Purpose
SECTION 1 -
Goals
The
purpose of the organization shall be to: -
a) Bring the
Muslims of the Truman State University and KCOM together, and to help them in
their practice of Islam.
b) Make Islam
better understood by the Truman State University community and to promote
understanding between the Muslims and non-Muslims.
SECTION 2-
Means
In order to
reach its goals, the activities of the organization include, but are not limited
to: -
a) Arranging
religious activities including prayers, celebrations of Islamic occasions,
meetings, and discussions.
b) Organizing
educational, social, and athletic activities involving both Muslims and
non-Muslims.
c) Extending
help to Muslim students in pursuit of their educational and spiritual endeavors.
d) Issuing
publications and statements on Islam or regarding issues of concern to Muslims.
Article III:
Definitions
The
following terms are used in this constitution and pertain to the organization.
Allah -
the Arabic name for the One God, Creator and Sustainer of the Universe.
Islam -
the way of life, embodying peace and willing submission to Allah, which is
enjoined on us by Allah.
Muslim -
one who follows Islam. Muhammad - the last prophet of Allah after a line of
prophets including Adam, Abraham. -Moses, David, and Jesus, peace and blessings
of, Allah be upon them all.
Qur'an -
the final revelation of God to mankind, after the Torah and the Gospel.
Article IV:
Membership
Section 1 -
Eligibility
a) Muslim
students at Truman State University, their spouses, and Muslim faculty and staff
at Truman State University are eligible for Regular Membership. AT least one
half of the regular members must be Truman State University students.
b) All Muslims
who are alumni of Truman State or reside in the Greater Kirksville area are
eligible for Honorary Membership.
c) Non-Muslim
members of the Truman State University community are eligible for associate
Membership.
Section 2 -
Fees
All regular
members are required to pay a membership fee of ten dollars per annum to the
organization. Only those eligible for Regular membership and who have paid their
membership fee shall be eligible to vote and to be nominated for any office in
the Executive Committee.
Article V:
Executive Committee
Section 1 -
Definition The Executive Committee shall be the administrative body of the
organization and is elected from among the Regular Membership of the
organization. The Executive board members must be Truman State University student.
Section 2 -
Composition
The Executive
committee shall consist of the following elected members.
a) President
b)
Vice-President
c) General
Secretary
d) Treasurer
e) Social
Coordinator
f) External
Relations officer
Section 3 -
Function and Power of the Executive Committee
a) The
executive power shall remain in the Executive Committee and it may delegate any
of its powers to any specific officer(s) or subcommittee(s).
b) The function
of the Executive Committee shall be to discuss and deliberate on questions of
general policy and to vote upon matters of executive policy to be presented by
the President. The Executive Committee shall also collectively carry out the
policies formulated and assist the President in the fulfillment of his duties.
c) The
Executive committee shall present the annual budget within one month of the
election to the organization and shall carry on the activities of the
organization according to the approved budget.
d) The
Executive Committee shall present a written agenda to the present members at a
general meeting.
e) The
Executive Committee shall be responsible for the interpretation of this
constitution and enactment of policies of the organization, subject to overrule
by vote of the regular members present and voting at a general meeting.
Section 4 -
Voting and Quorum
a) The meeting
of the Executive Committee shall be called by the General Secretary with the
approval of the president with at least one week's notice.
b) Six members
of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.
c) Each member
of the Executive Committee shall have one vote.
d) In case of a
tie the President shall exercise the deciding vote.
e) Absences may
be excused by a majority vote of the Executive Committee in the following
meeting. The member who was absent cannot participate in the vote.
Section 5 -
Vacancies
If a vacancy
occurs in any office of the Executive Committee, it shall be filled by the
Executive Committee for the remaining term.
Section 6 -
Term of Office
The members of
the Executive Committee shall hold office until the following annual elections.
Section 7 -
Functional Committees
The Executive
Committee shall form functional committees, as deemed necessary, to assist it in
carrying out social, religious, and cultural activities. Any individual in any
of the classifications of the membership can be a member of a functional
committee.
Section 8 -
Removal of Officers
a) Voting
members of the Executive Committee who accumulate three or more unexcused
absences for Executive Committee meetings may be removed by a majority vote of
the Executive Committee.
b) Officers may
be removed by a two-thirds majority vote of the regular members present and
voting at a general meeting.
Section 9 -
Election of New Officers
a) The
out-going Executive Committee shall act as the Election committee and shall
supervise the elections.
b) The election
shall be by secret ballot.
c) To be,
elected to an office, the candidate must carry the votes of a majority vote of
the regular members present and voting. In the event that no candidate has a
majority, the candidate with the least number of votes shall be stricken from
the ballot and a new vote taken.
d) In case
there is only one nominee for a given position, that nominee must be confirmed
by a majority vote of the regular members present and voting.
e) The
out-going and in-coming Executive Committees shall work jointly for a period of
two weeks.
Article VI:
Functions of the Officers
Section 1 - The
President
a) Shall manage
and coordinate the affairs of the organization.
b) Shall
preside at the meetings of the Executive Committee and the general meetings of
the organization.
c) Shall be
responsible to promote its activities and to fulfill its objectives with the
cooperation of the other members of the Executive Committee.
d) Shall be
authorized to form special committees as deemed necessary.
e) Shall call
general meetings as necessary.
Section 2 - The
Vice-President
a) Shall assist
the president in his duties and shall take over his duties in case of his
absence.
b) Shall be
responsible for arranging prayers, celebration of Islamic occasions, and
religious meetings as approved by the Executive Committee.
c) Shall be
responsible to organize charitable and civic activities along with lectures and
discussions pertaining to the objective of the organization, as approved by the
Executive Committee.
Section 3 - The
General Secretary
a) Shall be
responsible for the records and files of the organization.
b) Shall be
responsible to record the minutes of all meetings and to make reports on
activities of the organization.
c) Shall handle
the correspondence and notify the members about meetings and other activities.
d) Shall call
Executive Committee meetings as necessary.
Section 4 - The
Treasurer
a) Shall, with
the sanction of the Executive Committee, administer the finances of the
organization and shall have the power to receive and make payments in the name
of the organization with the approval of the President.
b) Shall
maintain records of all financial transactions of the organization.
c) Shall make
periodic and annual reports of the finances of the organization to the Executive
Committee and the annual general meeting of the organization, respectively.
d) Shall
deposit the funds of the organization in a federally insured financial
institution.
Section 5 - The
Social Coordinator
The Social
Coordinator shall plan and organize social and athletic activities that involve
the members of the organization.
Section 6 - The
External Relations Officer
a) Shall
correspond with non-Truman State University Organizations.
b) Shall
organize activities that help the Muslims of Truman State University Community
be part of the solution for the problems of Muslims at large.
Article VII:
General Meetings
Section 1 -
Definition
A general
meeting is a business meeting of the organization in which the General Assembly
of the organization is invited to discuss, deliberate, and vote upon affairs
related to the organization. The General Assembly consists of all membership
classifications.
Section 2 -
Rules for Calling a General Meeting
a) General
meetings shall be called by the President.
b) General
meetings shall be held a held a minimum of once a semester.
c) For any
general meeting, the members must be notified at least two weeks in advance.
d) Emergency
meetings shall be called by the General Secretary, subject to the concurrence of
the President, at any time with at least twenty-four hours notice.
Section 3 -
Rules of Order
a) The
President is the chairman of the general meeting and shall recognize a member
before the member provides his input.
b) A written
agenda of the meeting must be presented by the Executive Committee before any
business occurs and it must be approved by the General Assembly. The chairman
shall ask for modifications to the agenda at the start of the meeting.
c) Any
modifications of the agenda must be approved by a majority vote of the regular
members present and voting.
d) No business
shall be in order unless it appears on the agenda for the meeting at which it is
brought forward. The agenda, for each meeting shall be considered closed after
it is approved by the General Assembly at the start of the meeting. Items to
appear on the written agenda may be submitted to the Executive Committee ten
days before the general meeting.
e) Any business
to be discussed or voted upon must wait until the pertinent item is reached on
the agenda.
f) Business not
mentioned on the approved agenda must wait until ``new business'' is reached on
the agenda.
Section 4 -
Quorum and Voting
a) Twenty
regular members or half of the Regular Membership, whichever is less, besides
the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.
b) Each regular
member shall have one vote.
c) Only regular
members who are present at the time of a vote may vote.
d) In case of a
tie, the chairman of the meeting can call for further discussion and a re-vote,
or, the issue may be tabled for a later meeting or until the end of the current
meeting.
e) A simple
majority vote of the regular members present and voting shall determine the vote
on any matter except revisions or amendments to the constitution and the removal
of officers.
Article VIII
- Constitutional Amendments and Revisions
Section 1 -
Requirements
Any amendment
of the constitution must not violate: -
a) Any laws in
Islam as derived from the Qur'an, authentic sayings of Muhammad (May peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him), and the consensus of Muslim scholars.
b) Any rules
imposed by the Muslim Students' Association of the U.S and Canada.
c) Any rules or
regulations of Truman State University, in letter and spirit.
d) Any laws or
rules of the Truman State University Association of Student Activities.
Section 2 -
Procedure
a) The proposal
for an amendment or revision must be made in writing by at least one of the
regular members.
b) The proposal
for the amendment or revision must be circulated among all the regular members
one week prior to the general meeting.
c) The
amendment or revision must be approved by a three- fourths majority vote of the
regular members present and voting at a general meeting.
Ratified
and revised on Monday, September 15, 2003