Organization Name: The Ohio Student Service Society
Mission/Goal:
Through service,The Ohio Student Service Society (TOSSS) will do its part in bettering the OSU community and the city of Columbus, Ohiowhile getting other students excited about service both on and around campus.
Meeting Time & Day:
General member meetings will be held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month from 5:30-6:30pm. Executive board meetings will be held on alternating Thursdays.
Meeting Place: Enarson Classroom Building 204
Dues & Membership:
The club will be open to anyone who has a passion for service. There is no application process, and no dues will be collected unless otherwise stated at the beginning of the year.
Advisor: Ana Hill
Officers/Executive Board Members:
President: Logan Smith
Vice President:Ally Goldman
Treasurer: Hannah Sutton
Secretary: Isabel Hall
Historian: Morgan Johnson
Proposed Activities:
-Volunteering at 5Ks -Animal Shelters -Food Banks
-Operation Christmas Child-Relay for Life- Dog Walk
-Work with School Kids - 30Hr Famine -Skyview Ranch Volunteering
- Food/Clothing/Can Drive- Soup Kitchen- Make blankets for donation
-Clean Streets/Parks- Cards for Soldiers- Helping with Projects on Campus
Constitution
Article I: Name, purpose, and nondiscrimination policy of the organization
Section 1: Name
The Ohio Student Service Society (TOSSS)
Section 2: Purpose
Through service,TOSSS will do its part in bettering the OSU community and the city of Columbus while also getting other students excited about service both on and around campus.In addition, ensuring accessibility and transportation to volunteer opportunities for anyone interested will be a top priority.
Section 3: Non-discrimination policy
This organization and its members shall not discriminate against any individual(s) for reasons of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. It will strive to bring all students together through service to the university and the students of the college itself.
Article II: Membership: Qualifications and categories of membership
Membership shall be open to all students of The Ohio State University, including part time students and students from regional campuses.Faculty, alumni, professionals, etc. may be voted by the board to become “honorary members.”
Article III: Organization Leadership: Titles, terms of office, type of selection, and duties of the leaders
The organizationTOSSS shall always have at least four officers: the president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. Historian, webmaster, and such positions are not required,but those offices may be desired. The officers will go through an election process at the end of each yearor semester, whichever the executive board decides is best for the organization. Election shall include a nomination process, a voting process, and a finalization by the current board. The responsibilities and duties of the officers include, but are not limited to: the secretary shall be in charge of recording the minutes of the meetings (both board and general meetings), emailing the members of the organization with updates and news from the previous meetings, maintaining the organization e-mail account and replying to messages received, with input from other officers as necessary; the treasurer will be fiscally responsible for the club’s wellbeing through the collection of dues (if applicable at any point), purchasing of orders, handling of checks, financial requests, audits, appropriate reimbursements, and the bank account, as well as presenting a financial report to the board at least once a semester (this does not include the summer semester, during which the club will be in hiatus); the role of the vice president is to be the head of public relations in regard to sponsorship and donations (it is his/her responsibility to confirm plans made by the social chair and treasurer), and he/she will also assist the president with the running of general meetings, as needed; it will be the responsibility of the historian and secretary to keep the club website current and updated, to the extent this is possible, and to make sure the website and web-based communications are consistent with university policy; the role of the historian will be to help the secretary record service hours for each member, take charge of visual documentation via pictures or video of the club’s service activities (the historian can receive pictures or help from any group member regarding media records), and keep an accurate book of records which will include current/past officers’ dates in office, any notable awards received by the organization or member of the organization, and detailed reports on the projects and services performed by TOSSS; the president’s duty will be to run meetings smoothly, approve purchases and service projects, verify dates and times of said service projects, maintain good communication with the organization advisor, keep an eye out for potential students who may be potential nominees for the TOSSS presidency, serve as the liaison with the College and University student activity boards, and instigate discussion about new service projects that the club can organize; it will be the duty of all officers to maintain good communication, evaluate the standing of the organization and the service projects in which it is participating, encourage new ideas, and aid in the general planning of events in ways that are not explicitly detailed as their responsibility but are agreed upon at a board meeting.
Article IV: Methods of selecting and/or removing officers and members
In the selection process of elected members, any person is allowed to submit his/her own name or the name of a fellow member for nomination, as long as the nominee meets the criteria of having participated in over half of the volunteer opportunities/hours made available through TOSSS. If these criteria are met, his/hername will then be added to the end-of-year ballot (assuming his/her behavior over the course of the year reflects well on the organization; student’s behavior will be assessed by the current board and all board members must agree that the nominee has shown exemplary behavior). Unlike the other offices, the office of presidency will be selected in a slightly different process [see By-Laws for process of presidential nomination]. In an effort to uphold the club’s non-discrimination policy, no member will be denied a nomination due to gender, race, or sexual orientation. In the case of general members,TOSSS is an open door organization,welcoming as members all those with a true passion for service and community. If the conduct of any member, general or elected, reflects poorly on the club, at the board’s discretion, said member may be removed or put on probationary member status. Probationary member status shall consist of the individual attending a meeting with the board and current advisor; during that meeting, the board, advisor, and member will determine a time frame, dependent on the charges, for the member to change his/her behavior, lest he/she be removed from the club.
Article V: Advisor(s) or advisory board: Qualification criteria
The responsibilities/expectations of the TOSSS advisor are: providing his/her schedule permits,the advisor shall attend at least one board meeting per month, unless otherwise specified. The advisor may attend general meetings if they so desire or if specifically requested by the board. The advisor will be the club’s liaison tothe college/university. He/she will suggest possible projects for the organization and, if available, attend some of the club’s service projects. Once an advisor steps down and another takes his/her place,the former advisor becomes an honorary TOSSS member.
Article VI: Meetings of the organization: Required meetings and their frequency
The general meetings of TOSSS will be held on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from5:30 – 6:30PM. As a student organization, we understand that the first priority for members is education; therefore, there will be no required number of meetings or projects one must attend in order to participate in a future event. The payment of dues (if applicable) and a sincere effort on the part of the member to come and be committed to service will constitute the full membership of a student. A member will be considered anyone who has participated in a service event organized by TOSSS and/or has attended more than two general member meetings.
Article VII: Method of Amending Constitution: Proposals, notice, and voting requirements
If a member wishes to propose an amendment to the Constitution, it must be submitted to the board, in writing,at the beginning of a general meeting. The submitted proposal will then be read and reflected on during the meeting in which it is submitted. It will be discussed by the officers during the following board meeting and once more by the entire club during the next two general meetings. On the third meeting of its discussion, the proposal shall then be voted on if, and only if, over 80% of the organization members are present (an email will be sent out in order to notify all active TOSSS members of the meeting during which this voting will take place). If over 80% are not present, an online poll will be sent via email to members by the secretary in order for votingto occur. The online poll will remain open for a week, after which time the votes will be counted. In order for the proposed amendment to be finalized as part of the Constitution, it must pass with a minimum approval rating of 75%.
Article VIII: Method of dissolution of organization
In the event thatTOSSS is disbanded, certain measures will be taken to ensure that the assets or debts of the organization are resolved in the appropriate manner. If liquid assets remain after the dissolution of the club, they will be donated to a charity of the current board’s choice. A portion of TOSSS’s funds, 20%, will be set aside at the beginning of each semester as an emergency fund to be retained in the event that the organization falls into debt and/or mustbe disbanded during that year. If, at the end of the year, the emergency fund is still intact, then the executive board members can decide to donate that amount to a charity or cause, decided upon in a manner deemed appropriate by the current TOSSS board.
By-Laws
Article I: Parliamentary Authority
Robert’s Rules of Order shall be the official governing authority of the organization TOSSS except when these rules are inconsistent with the Constitution or By-Laws of the club.
Article II: Membership
The membership procedures for the organization are: any student will have the ability to attend TOSSS meetings and participate in service projects organized and sponsored by the organization. To be considered an official member, the individual must pay the club dues (if/when applicable) and participate in at least one service project hosted by the organization or attend at least two general meetings. Attendance of a specific number of meetings or events is not required to participate in other events. Members may be terminated if their actions/behaviors reflect poorly on TOSSS or the University itself, as determined by the current TOSSS board. The termination will not take place until after the member in question goes through a prescribed probationary period. The probationary period will consist of the board, advisor, and student meeting to discuss the issue at hand, then, depending on said issue, a tentative time period will be set for the student during which he/she will have to correct or mend his/her behavior. If the corrections are not made, the student will be removed from the club permanently.
Article III: Election/Appointment of Government Leadership
The election of officers will occur at the end of each year or semester (as determined most beneficial for the organization by the current officers). Eligibility of students to run for office will be based on their participation in the club’s meetings/events. Participation in a minimum of 51% of the service activities (this includes time spent in preparation for the activity) and meetings set by the organization by each prospective nominee is required. The behavior of said student must also be of high merit; the privilege to run will be reserved for those who have never been put on probationary status. All prospective nominees will also be required to attend three board meetings during the spring semester in order to have an understanding of the position and responsibilities each office entails; voting will take place at the end of spring semester. In the election processes for the positions of Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, and Social Chair, any current member who meets the requirements to hold office can submit his/her name to be nominated for a board position; students will also have the opportunity to nominate fellow members provided that the prospective nominee meets the requirements. After all nominations are collected, the voting process can commence. Time will be allotted during predetermined and advertised meetings to give nominees the opportunity to share their views, club ideas, and reasons for nomination, if they so desire. During the second to last meeting of the academic year, members of the TOSSS organization will vote on those five offices. The tallying of ballots for all elections excluding that which concerns the Presidency will be assigned to the President and advisor. The nominee who receives the most votes will be selected to hold that position for the following academic year. If the voting results in a tie between nominees, the final decision will be made by the existing board, excluding the officer who currently holds that position. The selection process for the President will be executed in a different manner. Students may make a request to the board if they wish to be nominated for President, and the board will decide on a group of no more than four nominees. On the second to last general meeting following the nominations, all members will have a fair and equal vote in deciding who will be the next TOSSSofficers will be (all offices will be voted on at this meeting). Ballots will be in paper form. To vote, members must be present at the election general meeting. The appointment of office shall be handed down to the next officer at the culmination of the school year or last general meeting of the semester. There will be a trial period at the beginning of each year for new officers to test their ability to handle the pressures of a leadership role. If, by the end of the second week of fall semester, any officer wishes to step down, no disciplinary actions will be taken. The Vice President may choose to become President (if that is the office in question) or designate a qualified member who is unanimously supported by the remaining board. If the decision is made by an officer to step down after the first two weeks, he/she will be removed from the TOSSS board for the remainder of that semester. Impeachment of any officer may occur if the members as well as the board believe the said officer is performing his/her job at a low standard that does not reflect well on the organization. To impeach an officer, the board must first consult the current advisor and then have the officer placed on probation. If his/her performance does not change within adetermined timeline, that individual will be removed from office.
Article IV: Advisor/Advisory board responsibilities
Schedule permitting, the responsibilities of the advisor would be to attend at least one board meeting per month where he/she could suggest projects for the board, check on the club’s progress, answer questions regarding the running of the organization, and possibly accompany TOSSS on one of its major projects of the year. The advisor may also attend general meetings. He/she would also be the second signer of checks to ensure financial accountability for the club. Along with being a liaison for the organization to the college/university, he/she would also be a liaison to regional campus advisors along with the board, if applicable. Once an advisor steps down, the board will award him/her honorary TOSSS membership status and be officially recorded as such in the TOSSS record book.
Article V: Meeting Requirements
The general meetings of the organization will be held in Enarson Classroom Building Room 246 from 5:30 – 6:30pm on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month. These meetings are open to all students. A general agenda for meetings includes the following components. The first15 minutes will consist of the president and other officers presenting various announcements and other information pertaining to TOSSS. This 15-minute informational period shall be presented via media interactive material in an effort to fully involve and engage all members. In the last section of the informational period, general members will be given an opportunity to voice opinions, ask questions, and submit proposals to the Constitution or By-Laws. A proposal or amendment may only be voted on if over 80% of the entire membership is present; otherwise, an online poll will be sent to the members. A second section of the meeting will last approximately 30 minutes, consisting of either project battles or discussions about the previous service project. Project battles are an activity created by the TOSSS board where the club will be split into two groups and for the first 20 minutes these two groups will discuss and come up with a service project or activity in which they believe the club should participate next, along with reasons to back up their ideas. In the last 10 minutes of the project battle, the two teams will present their plans and the members present will discuss which one should be carried out next. If present, the advisor will help make the final decision. Otherwise, the board will decide. In the meetings directly following service projects, an organization-wide forum discussing the previous project will be open to the floor. The last 15 minutes of the meeting can be used to socialize and play an icebreaker.