Constitution of the Society of Hong Kong and Chinese Affairs

On June 3rd and 4th 1989, the Chinese government ordered a military crackdown on student protestors in Tiananmen Square, ending months of peaceful student demonstration. This incident drew the attention of a group of UC Berkeley students, who founded the Society of Hong Kong and Chinese Affairs (SHKCA) in commemoration of what has become known as 天安門事件 or the Tiananmen Square Incident.

ARTICLE I Name

The name of this organization shall be The Society of Hong Kong and Chinese Affairs (SHKCA), also referred to in the following document as The Organization. SHKCA shall also be known as 中港研討社 in Chinese.

ARTICLE II Purpose

The goal of SHKCA is to establish channels of information and hold discussions on world affairs for students with an emphasis on China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Primarily, SHKCA shall be a neutral forum for the discussion of cultural, economic, social and political issues concerning Chinese communities throughout the global Chinese diaspora. Additionally, SHKCA aims to provide an opportunity for students to meet other individuals with similar concerns and interests through social events. Through community engagement and service, SHKCA will increase the awareness for local and global cultural, economic, social and political issues concerning Chinese communities.

ARTICLE III Membership

Section One- Eligibility:

SHKCA membership is open to all current and former University of California, Berkeley (UCB) students, faculty and staff members, and the immediate family of any SHKCA alumnus. All others may be admitted by majority approval of the Executive Committee (EC). Only currently registered UC Berkeley students, faculty, and staff may be active members. Only active members may vote or hold office.

Section Two- Admittance Process:

Members may be admitted to The Organization at any official meeting or during tabling hours in the Lower Sproul Hall. All membership applicants must carry out the following procedures:

1. Fill out an application form.

2. Pay the appropriate dues as determined by the EC for the ensuing semester to the Executive Treasurer.

We will not haze according to California State Law; we will not restrict membership based upon race, color, national origin, religion, sex, physical and mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship or status as a covered veteran (special disabled veteran, Vietnam-era veteran or any other veteran who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized).

ARTICLE IV - Officers/Elections

Section One- Officers and Duties

The following positions of office will constitute the elected body of SHKCA. With the exception of the Public Relations Officer and the Webmaster, the following offers shall also constitute the SHKCA Executive Committee (EC).

1. President:
The President shall be the chief executive of The Organization. He or she shall preside over all officer meetings and club activities regulated and planned by the Executive Committee. He or she shall see that the constitution and all its laws are enforced.

2. Vice-President:

The Vice-President shall assist the President in the successful conduct of this Organization. He or she shall be responsible for the publicity of the organization and keeping members informed of upcoming meetings. He or she must be responsible for external communications with other organizations and act as a club representative in the absence of the President. This officer may serve as President in the event of a vacancy.

3. Executive Treasurer:
The Executive Treasurer shall keep detailed financial accounts of the Organization; liquidate all appropriations by SHKCA after they have been approved by the EC, and report in writing the state of finances whenever required by any member of the EC or collectively by five members of SHKCA. Additionally, he or she shall also submit a financial report including all income and expenditures to the executive committee at each officer meeting. He or she shall also submit necessary financial documents required by the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC). This officer will also assume the duties of the Fundraising Committee Chair in the event of a vacancy.

4. Fundraising Committee Chair:

The Fundraising Committee Chair shall be appointed and approved by the majority of the Executive Committee. He or she shall be responsible for organizing any fundraising events for the club and submitting a financial report of the aforementioned events, which shall include both the revenue and expenditures of the event and any other information that is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the event. He or she shall also assist the Executive Treasurer in maintaining the state of finances for the club.

5. Executive Secretary:

The Executive Secretary shall be responsible for conducting written correspondence of all club affairs, which shall include keeping minutes of all EC meetings and keeping all sign-in sheets in each club event. He or she shall also be responsible for updating and maintaining the membership roster for the club.

6. Executive Historian:

The Executive Historian shall be responsible for the creation of a scrapbook to document activities related to The Organization at the end of each semester. He or she shall also be responsible for the SHKCA library collection and documents.

7. Events Coordinator:

The Events Coordinator shall be responsible for the planning and organizing any club activities. He or she shall be responsible for creating a draft rundown or program for the upcoming events for discussion and revision during officer meetings. He or she shall also be responsible for the publication of all SHKCA events. This shall include the creation of fliers and other appropriate materials necessary for informing club members and the local community of the Organization's events.

8. Public Relations Officer

The Public Relations Officer shall be responsible for establishing communication between SHKCA and prospective dignitaries and honored guests. He or she shall be responsible for writing and sending invitations to prospective guest speakers. He or she shall assist the Events Coordinator in the publication and planning of any academic events.

9. Webmaster

The Webmaster shall be responsible for overseeing and maintaining the official SHKCA website. He or she shall post event notices on the website at least four days prior to the event. He or she shall also update the website no less than once every two weeks.

Section Two- Elections:

1. Eligibility
Only active members of SHKCA may vote or hold office. No more than two individuals can hold an office simultaneously. Officers shall be elected by a majority, which shall be defined as greater than fifty percent of the ballots. In the case of a lack of majority, the Executive Committee shall secede upon a suitable course of action to fill the vacancy, which shall include but not limited to holding a second election.

2. Duration of Office
Officers shall be elected to serve a term lasting one academic year, or two consecutive academic semesters. In the event that an officer is unable to serve the full duration of a term, the Executive Committee shall call a special election to fill the remaining terms of the vacant positions.

3. Date of Elections
Officer elections shall occur each year in May. A special election may be called to fill vacant positions when deemed necessary.

4. Procedure
Officer Elections shall be conducted by an Election Committee with a chairperson designated by the Executive Committee. It shall be the responsibility of the Election Committee to provide official ballots on the day of election. The election shall be held under anonymous ballot. A candidate must receive a majority of votes in order to be elected into office. It shall be the responsibility of the Election Committee to present the results of the election no later than two business days after the completion of the election.

Section Three- Line of Succession:

In the absence of the President, a successor may be appointed by the President, prior to his or her absence, to lead officer and club activities. If the President is unable to complete his or her elected term due to resignation, impeachment, illness or death, then the vacancy shall be filled according to the following chain of command: Vice-President, Executive Treasurer, Executive Secretary, Executive Historian, Events Coordinator, Public Relations Officer, and Webmaster.

Section Four- Removal and Replacement of Officers

1. Voluntary Resignation
An officer may voluntarily resign by submitting his or her reasons in writing to the Executive Committee. Voluntary resignation is subject to the approval of the EC. A final decision must be made by the EC within five business days of the submission.

2. Impeachment
The President, Vice-President(s) and all other executive officers of SHKCA shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of severe breaches of the constitution including, but not limited to private, unapproved usage of SHKCA funds, representing The Organization without prior approval of the EC, and violation of the constitution and bylaws of SHKCA.

3. In the case of impeachment, the number of votes required to impeach the officer must exceed two-thirds of the ballots of the active membership.

Section Five- Other Responsibilities

Primary signatories of SHKCA to the Campus Life and Leadership and ASUC shall be the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Events Coordinator. Other officers may also become primary signatories upon approval by the Executive Committee and completion of requirements dictated by the Campus Life and Leadership. There shall be at least four but no more than a total of eight primary signatories.

ARTICLE V Meetings

Section One- Frequency

1. Organization Meetings
Meetings of the Organization with SHKCA members shall be held at least once every two weeks. If it is deemed necessary, it may be increased, with the total number of meetings per month not exceeding five times per month.

2. Officer Meetings
Officer meetings shall be conducted at least once every week. An officer meeting must be held no less than three days prior to each scheduled event. A minimum of two officer meetings shall be devoted to the planning of each event.

3. Language
Without unanimous consent of the EC, the official language used in officer meetings shall be none other than English. With the unanimous approval of the EC, an officer meeting may be conducted in Mandarin or Cantonese. All official records shall be kept in English. When appropriate, a Chinese translation of the English document shall be made available and shall carry the same authority as documents written in English.

Section Two- Meeting Structure:

1. The Executive Committee shall call the meetings of SHKCA.

2. Additionally, at least one Master/Mistress of Ceremonies (MC) shall be appointed by the President for each event. The MC is responsible for the smooth proceeding of the events and a successful turnout.

3. Quorum
The Robert's Rule of Order, Tenth Edition, shall be the standard reference for all of parliamentary procedures. A simple majority forms a quorum, unless otherwise specified by the EC. The President will cast the tie-breaker if it becomes necessary. If the President decides to abstain, or in the case that a deadlock results from the co-officers' votes, the power of a tie-breaking vote will be delegated down the line of succession of EC.

Section Three- Special Emergency Meetings

1. Grounds for calling an emergency meeting may include, but shall not be limited to, the proposal of an amendment, the impeachment of an officer, a special election or a call for dissolution.

2. In the event that an emergency meeting is necessary, the Executive Committee shall notify club members of the situation forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting. Members shall be notified via electronic mail, telephone communications, or other electronic means.

ARTICLE VI - Constitutional Amendments

Section One- Proposal of Amendments

1. All current, active members of the organization may propose amendments.

2. Members wishing to propose an amendment must submit a written proposal to the Executive Committee and present it at the EC meeting. If the proposed amendment is approved by the EC, the member shall have the opportunity to present the proposal to the entire Organization for voting. All submitted proposals are subject to ratification by two-thirds of the EC prior to presentation to the active membership.

Section Two- Ratification of Proposed Amendments

1. Active members shall be notified by electronic mail or other necessary means if an amendment is to be voted upon.

2. The final vote regarding a proposed amendment shall take place within 45 days of ratification by the EC. The number of votes required to ratify an amendment must exceed two-thirds of the active membership.

3. All amendments, additions or deletions must be filed with both the Campus Life and Leadership, 102 Sproul Hall and the ASUC Office of Student Affairs, 400 Eshleman Hall within one week of adoption.

ARTICLE VII - Dissolution

Upon dissolution, all unspent ASUC funds shall remain the property of ASUC. Remaining privately-obtained funds may be donated to another nonprofit organization with prior approval of the ASUC Senate Finance Committee.

Approved by SHKCA Executive Committee, August 3^rd, 2008, in replacement of the former constitution drafted in 2007.