[The Constitution]
ARTICLE I
NAME
Section 1.
The name of this organization is Equestrian Club at
Section 2.
All Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) rules and regulations will be
strictly adhered and upheld.
ARTICLE II
OBJECTIVES
Section 1.
The objectives of the Equestrian Club at
a) to give student riders of any skill level and economic background an
affordable chance to expand their skills with friendly competition;
b) to promote the equine aspect of animal science;
c) to give equestrian students a recognized forum to meet and share ideas;
d) to promote equine welfare;
e) to promote good horsemanship and sportsmanship while minimizing the
competitive aspect
Section 2.
The achievement of said objectives will be seen as deemed practical through
workshops, lectures, and affiliation with professional instructors and other
members of the
ARTICLE III
BASIC POLICIES
The following are the basic policies of this organization:
Section 1.
The organization shall be non-commercial.
Section 2.
The name of the organization or the names of any of the members in their
official capacities shall not be used in connection with a commercial concern.
Section 3.
The organization shall cooperate with
Section 4.
The organization may cooperate with other organizations and agencies, but
persons representing the organization in such matters shall make no commitments
that blind the organization.
ARTICLE IV OFFICERS
Section 1.
To be eligible to be elected to, appointed to, or to hold an office or be a
standing committee chairperson, a student must:
1. Must be enrolled as a full-time student at LSU;
2. Must be in good standing with the University, have at least a 2.0 cumulative
GPA, and not on disciplinary or deferred suspension;
3. Must meet all other reasonable academic standards established by the student
organization and included in the organization’s constitution and/or bylaws.
Section 2.
Only members in good standing with the Equestrian Club at LSU may run for
office.
Section 3.
These officers shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer,
Agriculture Student Representative, and a Public Relations Representative.
Section 4.
The offices of President and Vice President may only be held by a showing
member who has been in the club for a minimum of two years (four semesters). It
is highly recommended that they have held a separate office prior to running
for President or Vice President.
Section 5.
Elections shall be held at the last meeting of the Spring Semester and shall
immediately take office.
ARTICLE V
DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1.
The President shall: a) preside at meetings; b) call for special meetings and
practices; c) call for special committees and appoint heads for such
committees; d) hold individual officers responsible for his or her assigned
duties; e) represent the club when needed; f) work closely with the coach.
Section 2.
The Vice-President shall: a) preside over the meetings in the absence of the
President; b) report on progress of committees both to the President and to the
member body at meetings; c) represent the club, as a whole, at Rec Sports
meetings and fill out all Rec Sports forms.
Section 3.
The Secretary shall: a) preside over meetings at which both the President and
Vice-President are absent; b) take roll at each meeting; c) record the minutes
of each meeting; d) handle all the correspondence, particularly with the
national office in a prompt and timely manner, unless otherwise notified; e)
create an Equestrian Club at Louisiana State University telephone directory at
the first business meeting of the fall semester. f) keep constitution up to
date; g) keep track of each members level of competition and points earned. h)
maintain LSU Equestrian Club website
Section 4.
The Treasurer shall: a) take responsibility for financial transactions; b)
present a financial report at each meeting; c) keep on top of upcoming
financial needs; d) draw up projected travel expenses at least two weeks prior
to a show; e) keep receipts and records of all expenditures. Section 5.
The Agriculture Student Association Representatives shall: a) attend all
Agriculture Student Association meetings; b) report back to the club and
discuss the events of the meetings. Section 6. The Public Relations
Representative shall: a) promote the club inside and outside of the university;
b) supervise all club fund raising activities.
ARTICLE VI
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Section 1.
The Executive Council shall consist of all present officers, and heads of all
committees.
Section 2.
The duties of the Executive Council shall be able to handle official business
transactions between regular meetings as well as the approval of actions taken
by committees. A report must be given of the actions of the Executive Council
at the next regular meeting.
Section 3.
The Executive Council shall meet thirty minutes before regular club meeting
during show season. In a voting situation, the majority shall be the deciding
factor. Special meetings may be called by the President of a majority of the
Council.
ARTICLE VII
STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES
Section 1.
Standing and special committees will be called for by the President or a
majority of the member body.
Section 2.
When such committees are deemed necessary, the President shall ask for
volunteers and appoint a Chairperson from those volunteers. The Chairperson
will then select an approved number of committee members. If there are no
volunteers, the President will appoint a Chairperson.
Section 3.
The Chairperson of such committees shall present plans to the Executive Council
in an organized and business like fashion. No work shall be executed until
approval is secured by the Executive Council.
Section 4.
All Committee Chairpersons will be required to submit a fully detailed report
in writing to the Vice-President within two weeks after the scheduled event.
Said report should include functions of committees and their members, the level
of success of the event, and possible suggestions for future improvement.
Section 5.
The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.
Section 6.
Any committee member including the Chairperson of said committee who fails to
perform their expected duties will be given a date to appear before the
Executive Council. There they will give both a written and oral report of their
reason of absence. If this report does not meet the Executive Council’s
approval, the member in question will then be asked to give the same report at
the next regular meeting, during which the Executive Council may suggest a vote
for dismissal.
Section 7.
Committees not fulfilling the expected results shall be called before the
Executive Council as a whole to report on their activities. The Council may
then vote to decide if the fault lay on the actions of the committee. If so,
parties deemed guilty may be brought up before the member body to plead their
case. A vote for dismissal may then be called.
Section 8.
For each new academic year, a tryout committee is to be elected to select new
members of the Equestrian Club at LSU. Four (4) members, who are currently
competing in Novice, Intermediate, or Open divisions are eligible to run to be
a part of this committee. To be a member of this committee a club member must
have been on the team for at least two years. The current coach is also
automatically included in this tryout committee. The tryout committee is to
supervise the tryout process, screening all students that tryout and make a
fair decision on who is to be added to the team. A voting process amongst the
five persons on the tryout committee will determine who will be the new
members. The members of this committee will be elected in a voting process
during regular officer elections in the spring.
ARTICLE VIII
MEETINGS
Section 1.
Parliamentary Procedure will be followed in all meetings.
Section 2.
Mandatory meetings will be held every other Thursday at 7:00pm.
Section 3.
Special meetings shall be called at least a week in advance by the President or
a majority vote of the members. Section 4. A deciding quorum shall consist of
the majority (one more than half) of all active members. Active members must be
in good standing with the University and the team.
ARTICLE IX
PRACTICES
Section 1.
Practices will be held weekly. Team members must attend one practice per week.
Section 2.
Members will be supervised and instructed by a qualified Coach.
Section 3.
Special practices shall be called by the President in cooperation with the
Coach at least one week in advance.
Section 4.
Members with absences deemed as unexcused by the committee may appeal the
decision at the next regular meeting of the club, but the majority decision is
final.
Section 5.
Practices will cost $25 per person, per lesson. Either one lump sum of all
eligible practice dates (accounting for holidays, absence of coach, etc.) is to
be paid or post-dated monthly checks are to be written and handed to the
treasurer. No one is allowed to ride a BREC horse until such payments are made.
Checks are to be cashed no earlier than the 5th of each month.
ARTICLE X
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1.
All members shall be required to be familiar with and follow National IHSA
rules and regulations as well as the bylaws of this chapter.
Section 2.
Potential members must be in good standings with the University. New members
must display their riding abilities at tryouts in the beginning of the fall
semester. Past members in “good standing” with the Equestrian Club at LSU (as
described in Section 6) are to be exempt from tryouts. If a member is found not
to be in good standing, then they must re-tryout to be considered as a part of
the team.
Section 3.
Any individual who subscribes to the purpose and basic policies of the
organization may become a member of this organization, subject only to
compliance with the provisions of the constitution. No students who meet the
other criteria for membership can be denied membership on the basis of race,
color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status,
veteran’s status, or sexual orientation.
Section 4.
Active membership is restricted to LSU students. Associate membership is
restricted to LSU faculty and staff. Associate members are non-voting members.
Section 5.
Tryouts will be conducted in front of the club Coach and elected tryout
committee.
Section 6.
Those not meeting qualifications may remain club members by attending all
meetings, practices, and special events.
Section 7.
The executive council will decide how many members will be on the team each
year before tryouts.
Section 8.
All members will be required to provide their own show clothing, which should
be in accordance with IHSA regulations.
Section 9.
Members must stay in “Good Standing” with the club. A member in “Good Standing”
shall be described as someone who: a) participates in non-riding activities,
including fundraisers, meetings, and promotional activities; b) regularly
attends practices and shows; c) displays appropriate sportsmanship to team
members and coach; d) is concerned with the well-being and advancement of the
team; e) pays club fees in a timely fashion. Good standing shall be determined
by the Coach and Executive Officers of the club (President, Vice-President,
Secretary, Treasurer).
Section 10.
Each member is required to participate in all club events of the team, such as
meetings, practices, fund-raising events, and shows (when called upon). If a
member fails to attend any one of these mandatory events they are assessed one
mark. Accumulation of three (3) marks by any showing member shall result in
his/her demotion to a non-showing member. He/she may not regain showing status
until the beginning of the following semester. If an alternate member has three
marks, they will be suspended from showing. If a member accumulates six (6)
marks (in one year) it will result in his/her expulsion from the club. Members
may appeal any marks they receive at the next meeting of the Executive Council.
The Executive Council is responsible for appointing and keeping track of marks.
Section 11.
If a member is given a date to appear before the Executive Council and fails to
appear, date is given at least one week in advance, that member may lose active
status. The severity shall be determined by a vote of the Executive Council.
Section 12.
Any member whose grades drop below a 2.0 grade point average will lose all
voting, showing, and office-holding privileges until said member presents proof
to the Executive Council that his or her grades are back up to par.
Section 13.
An active member may leave the club and gain alumnus status upon receiving a
Bachelor’s degree, maintaining good standing with IHSA during membership, and
receiving a majority vote of approval by the member body.
Section 14.
Transfer members of IHSA seeking acceptance into the Equestrian Club at LSU
shall be required to: a) provide a letter of recommendation from past coach; b)
demonstrate riding ability for approval by the Coach and tryout committee; c)
meet all requirements for existing members; d) be approved with a majority vote
of the member body.
ARTICLE XI
AMENDMENTS
Section 1.
This constitution may be amended in the case of a majority vote of the members.
In such case, the President will call for a special meeting in which the
proposed amendment may be explained and voted upon.
Section 2.
If there is a call by a majority vote for a revised constitution, the President
shall set up a committee to submit a revised constitution. A special meeting
will be called in which members will have the opportunity to read this proposed
constitution, hear a presentation by the special committee, and then have a
majority vote on its acceptance.
Section 3.
This constitution may be amended at any regular meeting of the organization by
a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting, providing that notice of
the proposed amendment shall have been given at the previous meeting and that
the proposed amendment shall be subject to approval of the Dean of Students or
his/her designee.
ARTICLE XII
SPECIFICATIONS
Section 1.
The Equestrian Club at Louisiana State University shall assist the College of
Agriculture, the Department of Animal Science, and BREC Horse Activity Center
whenever our assistance is needed.
Section 2.
In the event this organization becomes inactive, all monies left in the treasury
after all outstanding debts and claims have been paid shall be donated to the
Equine Health Studies Program (EHSP).
Section 3.
The Coach of the Equestrian Club at Louisiana State University must be approved
by the BREC Horse Center Facilities Manager, the Faculty Advisor, and a
majority vote of the club. All parties must be in agreement for a decision to
be final.
ARTICLE XIII
REGISTRATION RENEWAL
The Equestrian Club at Louisiana State University will apply to the Center of
Student Leadership & Involvement for registration on an annual basis two
weeks after the Equestrian Club at Louisiana State University’s new officer
election.