The Happy Cart Project Constitution
Article I. Name, Purpose, and Non-Discrimination Policy of the Organization
Section 1- Name: The name of the organization will be The Happy Cart Project
Section 2- Purpose Statement: The purpose of The Happy Cart Project is to support Children's Hospitals in their endeavor to provide the highest quality of treatment available to any child that needs it. Medical treatment is a multi-faceted approach. One of the ways to provide a warm and comfortable environment to children is through arts and crafts to offer patients and their families a welcomed distraction. Any time spent in the hospital is a very stressful experience for a child and their family -- the purpose of The Happy Cart Project is to provide some relief.
Section 3- Non-Discrimination Policy: This organization abides by The Ohio State University’s non-discrimination policy as follows: “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.”
Article II. Membership: Qualifications and Categories of Membership and Removal of Membership
Section 1- Qualifications and Categories of Membership: The Happy Cart Project is open for general membership for any enrolled student, faculty or staff members. In order to be considered an “active” member of The Happy Cart Project they will have to have attended two-thirds of club meetings and/or events in the given semester. All members of the organization must conduct themselves in a way that reflects The Happy Cart Project in a positive light.
Section 2- Removal of Membership: If a member does not conduct him or herself in a way that reflects well on the organization, the exec board will review their conduct and either place them under a probationary membership or remove their membership from the organization.
Article III. Officer Positions and Duties
Section 1- Officer Positions: The Executive Positions of The Happy Cart Project shall be the President, the Secondary Leader (Vice President), and the Treasurer. These positions may be filled by enrolled undergraduate or graduate students who have been an active member of the organization for at least one semester. The term of each executive officer will be one school year, with one potential re-appointment.
President’s Duties
-Coordinate with the non-profit organization founding The Happy Cart Project
-Coordinate club meetings
-Be the primary leader of the organization
-Be the spokesperson of the student organization
-Ensure smooth executive officer transitions with correspondence to the University
-Work actively with The Ohio Union Student Organization officials to ensure that the organization is functioning within the policies of the university
-Ensure members act within the policies of both the organization and the university
-Maintain and monitor any of the organization’s social media sites
-Prepare and distribute club announcements
Secondary Leader/Vice President’s Duties:
-Assist the president in fulfilling his or her duties
-Create committees within the organization when necessary
-Support the development of activities that are planned through the organization
-Ensure members act within the policies of both the organization and the university
-Work with the Treasurer in order to establish budgets
Treasurer’s Duties:
-Record all financial transactions
-Meet with the organizations advisor in order to review the account balances and transactions
-Prepare budgets, financial budget requests, appeals, etc.
-Maintain membership records, especially including the amount of dues collected
Article IV. Officer Selection and Removal Criteria
Section 1- The Election Process: The Happy Cart Project will use the following three-step process when electing officers – 1. Submit an Application 2. Review of Applications by the Executive Board 3. Selection of members to fill positions. Individuals who have previously held executive board positions and/or committee chair positions will have preference in becoming President or Secondary Leader.
Section 2- Updating the Application Process: When The Happy Cart Project becomes an established organization on campus and is no longer new the officer selection process shall shift to become an organization wide vote. This will occur once the organization has at least 50 active voting members.
Section 3- Officer Removal: If an Executive Officer or a Committee chair is not fulfilling their duties as decided by the entirety of the other Executive Officers, Committee Chair people, and the organization’s advisor. The organization’s advisor will oversee the removal process of the officer or committee chair in order to ensure its fairness.
Article V. Advisor Criteria
Section 1- Advisor Qualifications: The advisor will act as the university’s connection to the student organization, providing guidance to the exec board when it is needed. The advisor of The Happy Cart Project can be any faculty member, lecturer, administrative or professional staff member.
Section 2- Advisor Responsibilities: The advisor will assist in key registration responsibilities, review the organizations annual goals, approve space reservations, and review the organizations finances.
Article VI. Amendments to the Constitution
Section 1- Proposing an Amendment: A proposed amendment should be present via email to all active club members at least a week before the meeting where the amendment in question will be discussed.
Section 2- Approving an Amendment: An amendment must receive two-thirds vote in order to be approved. Once the amendment is passed the organizations president will submit the revision in writing to the Student Activities office in order to be reviewed and ultimately approved.
Article VII. Affiliation with The Happy Cart Project Non-profit Corporation
Section 1- The Happy Cart Project’s Relationship with the Non-Profit: The Happy Cart Project is affiliated with The Happy Cart Project Non-profit Corporation. The Happy Cart Project has spread to over 20 campuses across the country, and the chapter at The Ohio State University will put its best effort to spread to word in hopes of creating more chapters nationally.
Article IIX. Dissolution of the Organization
Section 1- How to Dissolute the Organization: In order for the Dissolution of The Happy Cart Project to take place there must be a vote for the dissolution supported by at least two-thirds of the voting active members. The dissolution must be proposed in writing at least a week in advance & the organization’s president may veto the proposal.