The Constitution of the Ohio University College Republicans

(Last updated April 11, 2023)

Article I. Organization

Section 1: Name

The name of this organization shall be the Ohio University College Republicans, which will hereafter be referred to as the OUCR.

Section 2: Membership

Members shall consist of all OUCR certified students. Certifications shall be awarded to any student, who in joining the OUCR, provided the Executive Board with a valid name, email address, and phone number. Active membership can be achieved by meeting the following requirements:

  1. Attending at least half of the regularly scheduled meetings per semester.
  2. Participation in club activities.
  3. Pay semesterly or yearly dues.
  4. Signing the Code of Ethics.
  5. Completion of mandatory hazing prevention training.
    1. In Summer 2021, The Ohio Legislature passed Senate Bill 126, a bill intended to address the problem of hazing that is affecting college and University students across Ohio, and to put an end to behavior that may cause injury or death. A provision of the bill includes that all student organization members and advisors will complete hazing education training. 
    2. In addition to abiding by the guidelines set forth in Ohio University’s Hazing Prevention policy, Policy 23.010, members of our organization will complete Ohio University’s mandatory hazing prevention training. Any advisor, member, or potential member who has not completed training will be removed from the organization by Ohio University and prohibited from participating in organization events.

Active membership will begin after dues are paid and the Code of Ethics is signed. To maintain active membership, the requirements above must be met. 

Section 3: Purpose

The purpose of the OUCR is: 

  1. To promote the Republican message at Ohio University, in Athens, and in general.
  2. To recruit new members into the Republican Party.
  3. To assist in the election of the best possible candidates for federal, state, county, city, and student offices.
  4. To assist and serve the community.

Article II. Meetings

Section 1: Frequency of Meetings

Meetings of the general student body will be held weekly, at a time determined by the Executive Board.

Section 2: Format

All meetings shall be held in accordance with the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, with the exception of any changes made by the Chairman.

Article III. Executive Board

There shall be an Executive Board consisting of the Chairman, Co-Chairman, Treasurer, Communications Chairman, Secretary, and Social Chairman, each of whom shall have one vote in the executive decision making. The duties of the board shall include:

  1. Administrating the club.
  2. Meeting weekly and coordinating the efforts of the club leadership.

Executive Board eligibility includes:

  1. Holding active membership status. 
  2. Enrollment as a part or full-time student at Ohio University. 

Article IV. Officers

Section 1: Chairman

There shall be a Chairman whose duties shall include:

  1. Preside over meetings of the general student body and the Executive Board.
  2. Serve as a representative to the Ohio College Republican Federation.
  3. Represent the OUCR in all events, including in the club and events in which the club participates.
  4. Oversee the efforts of the OUCR and its officers.

Section 2: Co-Chairman

There shall be a Co-Chairman whose duties shall include:

  1. Assist the Chairman in his/her endeavors.
  2. Plan and host an annual fundraiser in the spring for the benefit of the Conservative Political Action Conference trip attended by dues-paying members.
  3. Plan and coordinate all Conservative Political Action Conference travel and events.

Section 3: Treasurer

There shall be a Treasurer whose duties shall include:

  1. Oversee the necessary fiscal responsibilities of the OUCR.
  2. Collect dues.
  3. Be responsible for keeping record of any signed and dated Code of Ethics. 
  4. Document and fulfill all OUCR debts.
  5. Ensure that all expenditures exceeding $25.00 are brought before the Executive Board for approval. Treasurer may use his/her discretion in approving expenditures less than $25.00.

Section 4: Communications Chairman

There shall be a Communications Chairman whose duties shall include:

  1. Contact members prior to an OUCR meeting or event.
  2. Be responsible for the club’s promotion.
  3. Ensure that the OUCR is represented at the Involvement Fair.
  4. Update and maintain all OUCR social media accounts.

Section 5: Secretary

There shall be a Secretary whose duties shall include:

  1. Compile an active member database and provide each active member with an updated copy on a regular basis.
  2. Take minutes at each regular or special club meeting and make minutes available to each member prior to the next regular or special club meeting.
  3. Take attendance at each regular or special club meeting.

Section 6: Social Chair

There shall be a Social Chairman whose duties shall include:

  1. Plan and coordinate a minimum of three OUCR social activities per semester.
  2. Plan at least one community service activity in addition to the three activities discussed above.

Article V. Elections

Section 1: Date of Elections

OUCR officer elections will be held during the first meeting of April, except in the case of an extraordinary circumstance.

Section 2: Process

  1. Candidates must be nominated and seconded. Candidates may decline nomination. 
  2. All candidates must be present for their nomination and election.
  3. The Chairman and two other voting members, approved by a majority vote, shall oversee the electoral process. Chairman may only vote in the event of a tie. 
  4. Elections must be by secret ballot.
  5. No member may proxy a vote.
  6. Votes for each office will be held individually.
  7. Eligibility to be considered an active member to vote in the election involves attending half of the semesterly meetings leading up to and including the election, in addition to the requirements listed in Article I. 

Article VI. Impeachment

Section 1: Reasons for Impeachment

Any officer can be impeached for direct violations of the OUCR Constitution, blatant abuses of power, or if personal ethics are relevant in a manner that affects the well-being of the OUCR.

Section 2: Impeachment Process

The Impeachment process will be as follows:

  1. A written formal grievance outlining the actions of the executive board member(s) in question must be filed with the Executive Board.
  2. A judiciary board consisting of five members, nominated and approved by a majority vote, will evaluate the merit of the grievance and determine whether it warrants an impeachment hearing.
  3. In the event the judiciary board rules an impeachment hearing is necessary, a club vote will be held. A ⅔ majority vote is needed for the impeachment of an officer.
  4. If an officer is impeached, the office position is vacated immediately. 

Article VII. Vacancies

Section 1: Vacancy of the Chairman

In the event that the Chairman is vacated, the Co-Chairman shall assume the office immediately.

Section 2: Vacancy of other Executives

Vacancies of the offices other than that of the Chairman shall be filled in the following manner:

  1. An active member will be appointed by the Chairman to temporarily fill the office.
  2. A date on which to hold a special election in order to permanently fill the office will be chosen by a majority vote in the first general body meeting after which the office is vacant. 

Article VIII. Amendments to the Constitution 

Section 1: Proposal

A formal written amendment will be presented to the Executive Board one week prior to the vote on the said amendment.

Section 2: Approval

The OUCR Constitution may be amended by a ⅔ majority vote.

Article IX. Resolutions

Section 1: Proposal

A formal written resolution shall be submitted to the Executive Board and the general student body one week prior to voting on the said resolution.

Section 2: Approval

A resolution may be approved by a ⅔ majority vote.

Ohio University College Republicans

By-Laws

  1. Meetings shall be conducted according to the most recent text of Robert’s Rules of Order except for any changes in the OUCR Constitution or by-laws.
  2. Resolutions must be designed in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.
  3. Endorsements shall be handled as resolutions.
  4. Dues may be paid at any time throughout the semester, but benefits can only be granted once dues are paid. The amount of dues will be set by the Executive Board, not exceeding the cap set by our state affiliate, the Ohio College Republican Federation.
  5. Voting in ALL cases is restricted to active members. A majority vote is required for all voting except in instances where ⅔ majority is needed.
  6. There shall be a Political Director appointed by the Executive Board, whose duties shall include:
    1. Being a member of the Executive Council with full voting privileges.
    2. Being coordinator for political discussion within the organization.
    3. Completing all other duties as assigned by the Chairman.
  7. Protocol for Family Grievances: If an immediate family member or close friend of an active, dues paying member passes, OUCR can cover grievance costs up to $50.
  8. If deemed appropriate by the executive board, a Recruitment Chair may be appointed to carry out activities involving membership outreach. The Recruitment Chair would not be a voting member of the Executive Board, but will still be involved in executive discussion and meetings. 

Code of Ethics