CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE I - NAME
Section I
The name of this organization shall be Philippine-Americans Reaching Everyone (P.A.R.E.) on the Queens campus of St. John’s University as of September 11, 2005, recognized by the St. John’s University’s administration as Filipino Society (FS) since the organization’s inception in December of 1985.
Section II
The Mission of Philippine-Americans Reaching Everyone (P.A.R.E.) on the Queens campus of St. John’s University shall be to foster unity and pride within its members and surrounding community through educational, cultural and social advancement.
ARTICLE II - PURPOSE
Section I
The main purpose of this organization shall meet the Cultural, Educational, and Social needs of P.A.R.E. Members and its surrounding community.
Section II
It shall be the purpose of this organization to encourage discussion and seminars in order to promote greater awareness of Filipino/Filipino American history, and cultural heritage for the edification of its members.
Section III
To provide information, advice, counseling, and such other services to the new members.
Section IV
To provide a forum in which different issues and ideals may be discussed, defined, and acted upon, and strive to represent the interest of Filipino/Filipino American students as a whole in the University’s political processes and society at large.
Section V
To sponsor such social functions as may be appropriate to increase cohesion, identification, and fellowship among members; their families, and the academic community.
Section VI
To support and promote understanding through Educational, Cultural exchanges, and Social activities among Filipino/Filipino American students, and other student organizations.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Section I
This organization shall consist of official members and sporadic guests.
A.) Members are defined as actively involved students that meet the criteria of an official P.A.R.E. member. Official members are defined as actively involved students who have registered as a member of P.A.R.E. on "OrgSync" and "SJU connect", have attended two (2) general body meetings, two (2) cultural events (including, but not limited to: Mr. Philippines, Ms. Philippines, Battle of the Barrios, etc.) and one (1) community service event. Through these requirements, official members are recognized by St. John's University and their names will appear on any printed material recognizing P.A.R.E. Members (i.e. programs or awards). (Amended 2/28/22)
B.) Sporadic guests are defined as students who show up to events for the events sake and not because of their affiliation with P.A.R.E. as an organization. (Amended 3/25/14)
C.) An event is defined as a school-approved organized activity, both on and off campus (Added 4/28/11)
D.) Unless you are a new member, you do not need to fill out the membership information form again. However, if your information has changed since the last time you filled out the form, you must update it on OrgSync. (Added 4/28/11)
E.) Being an active member of any P.A.R.E. Athletics team or Performance Committee may count as two (2) general events. For example, participation in Battle of the Barrios or Sportsfest may count towards membership. (Added 3/19/15)
Section II
Membership shall be open to undergraduate students and graduate students of St. John’s University, and others who promote, support, and work for the purpose of this association as provided for in Article II of this constitution.
Section III
The majority of the organization’s members must be St. John’s University students, matriculated on the Queens campus.
Section IV: Recruitment
New membership shall be drawn from, but not restricted to, the student population on the Queens campus of St. John’s University.
Section V: Rights and Responsibilities of Membership
A.) Members shall have full democratic rights.
B.) Members shall have the right to attend any of this organization’s general meetings, participate in politics, and participate in the process of planning events, programs, and any other activities.
C.) Official members are allowed to vote in which they must be present on Election Day.
D.) Membership must abide by the constitution of this organization, and carry out decisions and plans of this organization.
E.) Members shall have the right to tactfully criticize leadership or any member if mistakes or errors are made, in order to correct and prevent a re-occurrence.
ARTICLE IV - LEADERSHIP
Section I
The leadership of this organization shall consist of an executive and committee board, made up of elected and/or appointed members who are St. John’s University students.
A.) The executive board must consist entirely of St. John’s University undergraduate students. (Amended 4/1/19)
B.) The committee board must consist entirely of St. John’s University students. (Amended 4/1/19)
Section II
A.) The Executive Board shall consist of at least a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, two (2) Events Coordinators, an Internal Public Relations Officer and External Public Relations Officer, and Historian.
B.) The Committee Board shall consist of Programming Chairs (2), Fundraising Chairs (2), Social Chair, PR/Design Chair, Service Chair, Social Chair, Outreach Coordinator Chair, Performance Chair, and Sports Chair. Each chair has an appointed echo from the executive board to oversee their duties. Executive board appoints new committee chairs with input from the previous term's committee chairs. (Amended 4/1/19)
C.) All committee chairs are required to serve their full term of an entire academic year, except under extenuating circumstances. Study abroad students are allowed to apply to become a committee chair; however, it is ultimately up to the next year's e-board to determine if they are the best applicant for the board. (Added 4/1/19) (Amended 3/27/20)
D.) Programming Chair: Responsible for overseeing and conducting meetings with subcommittee on all topics related to events held on campus. This includes, but is not limited to, dance workshops, cultural workshops, Simbang Gabi, Barrio Fiesta, etc. Committee chairs are in charge of the AKA program and are allowed to pick up an ading, with trust that they will not have bias. Chair will be in charge of communicating with the Events Coordinators about finalizing agendas for all ON-campus events. Members of this subcommittee are encouraged to attend the agenda-writing meetings led by Events Coordinators. Chair will also be in close communication with Internal/External PR and PR/Design subcommittee to ensure events are being effectively promoted. (Amended 4/1/19) (Amended 3/27/20)
E.) Social Events Subcommittee Chair: Responsible for overseeing and conducting meetings with subcommittee on all topics related to events held OFF-campus, including District 3 events. The Chair will not be responsible for going to every single social event, but can instead delegate a committee member to do so. Chair will be in close communication with Internal/External PR and PR/Design subcommittee to ensure events are being effectively promoted. (Amended 4/6/17)
F.) PR/Design Subcommittee Chair: Responsible for overseeing and conducting meetings with subcommittee on topics related to advertisement and any designs related to P.A.R.E. Chair is responsible for communicating with Internal/External PR regarding any suggestions related to promoting P.A.R.E. Promotions can include, but are not limited to, flyer design, ideas for events, social media, apparel designs, promo videos, etc. Chair is responsible for attending other organizations’ events both on-campus and off-campus. (Added 3/19/15)
G.) Fundraising Subcommittee Chair: Responsible for overseeing and conducting meetings with subcommittee on topics related to raising money for P.A.R.E. Chair will be in close communication with the Treasurer regarding all events related raising funds. Fundraisers include, but are not limited to, bake sales, social events, P.A.R.E. apparel, etc. (Added 3/25/14)
H.) Service Subcommittee Chair: Responsible for organizing service events for PARE’s general body members. This includes working with his or her Executive Board point person in organizing and promoting University Service Day and Relay for life, PARE with Benefits, as well as coordinating with campus ministry to participate in service activities, such as midnight runs and plunges. Service chair is required to plan a minimum of three (3) service events per semester. (Added 4/1/19)
I.) Outreach Coordinator Chair: Responsible for bridging the gap between members, within PARE itself. Also acts as outreach for alumni. Duties include reaching out to alumni (including, but not limited to, emails, Facebook, etc.), and being in charge of an alumni Facebook group. Also acts as a point person in the case that Internal PR or External PR cannot be present. (Added 5/22/19)
J.) Performance Chair: Responsible for finding rooms, making schedules and posting them in a timely manner (between Friday night and Sunday Morning no later than 12 noon), and notifying members of schedules/rooms. Can be liaison to on-campus organization performances. (Added 4/1/19)
K.) Sports Chair: Responsible for overseeing the sports committee under PARE. (Added 4/1/19)
Section III: Duties and Responsibilities of the Officers
A.) All current and potential executive board members must be proactive in the organization and attend more events and meetings than is required of the general body members.
B.) President will preside over general and executive board meetings, construct agendas, and will serve as the spokesperson for the organization. If the chair wishes to debate, he/she relinquishes the chair to the organization’s vice-president and resumes the chair after the question has been resolved. The President may vote when it could affect the final outcome (to break a tie) or when the vote is by ballot. Responsible for overseeing committee chairs alongside the Vice President. (Amended 4/1/19)
C.) Vice President must be familiar with all the responsibilities of the president and must be ready to preside when called on (when president is absent, president wants to debate, or when a personal motion about the president is made). He/She will work in close cooperation with the President in regards to logistical aspects. He/She should oversee the progress of general meetings and communicate to the Committee Chairs with the help of the President. (Amended 4/1/19)
D.) Secretary maintains the records and sits close to the presiding officer during general and executive meetings to assist, take notes, and record the minutes of all general and executive meetings. The secretary must be able to explain the pending business when called on. The Secretary also keeps committee reports on file, maintains the official membership roll (such as keeping attendance of attendees during P.A.R.E. sponsored and/or supported events), keeps track of what comes in and out of the e-mail account, and delegates of their election or appointment. He/She is also responsible for sending out weekly newsletters to the general body and other persons of interest. (Added 3/19/15)
E.) Treasurer takes care of the transactions and financial statements by keeping an accurate record of all money received and disbursed, depositing all money received in the account of the organization, and collects dues, granted that dues are deemed a requirement. They are also in charge of communicating with P.A.R.E. alumni. (Added 3/19/15)
F.) Events Coordinators plan out events that promote student interaction by providing activities for P.A.R.E. He/She will also help other committees with their projects as well. (Amended 4/1/19)
G.) Internal Public Relations Officer promotes the events of P.A.R.E. to the St. John’s community. He/She will be responsible for informing the members by circulating flyers and programs, creating on-line invitations, as well as networking with Student Campus Relations, the St. John's University Newspaper, and The Torch. The Internal Public Relations Officer is also in charge of maintaining the P.A.R.E. Facebook page, Facebook group, Weebly page, and other online networking. (Amended 4/1/19)
H.) External Public Relations Officer will attend all meetings held by District 3, which consists of other Filipino organizations in the New York Metropolitan Area of New York City, Northern New Jersey, and Long Island. He/She will promote the events of P.A.R.E. to D3 and will promote D3 events to P.A.R.E. He/She will make information about P.A.R.E. available to the rest of D3 and will share information regarding D3 with P.A.R.E. He/She will also be responsible for attending other schools’ events within D3. He/She will also be in charge of updating and maintain the P.A.R.E. Twitter account. (Added 3/19/15)
I.) Historian records and documents all events/activities that occur throughout the year. He/She is in charge of updating a scrapbook and the webpage, taking pictures at every P.A.R.E. event, creating promotional videos for designated events, creating slideshows when needed, updating the online picture album, as well as keeping a record of all flyers, brochures, programs, and newsletters distributed within that academic year. (Added 3/19/15)
ARTICLE V - MEETINGS
Section I
Regular general meetings of this organization shall be held monthly excluding holidays and finals week.
Section II
Executive board meetings shall be held bi-monthly aside from general meetings.
Section III
Special meetings may be held at any time when called by the Executive Board upon notifying members.
A.) A special meeting may include, but is not limited to, FIND interest meetings and nomination/audition meetings. (Added 3/19/15)
ARTICLE VI - ELECTIONS
Section I
A.) Nominations of all positions will take place at the 1st general meeting in March. Elections shall be held on the last meeting in March, or on the meeting before the date on which organization re-registration is due. All dates are subject to change. The current secretary will take proper documentation of the nomination process for record purposes.
B.) Nomination Process:
1) Any general body member may move to nominate another member. Self nominations are permitted.
2) The motion to nominate a member for an executive board position must be seconded before the nominee accepts his/her nomination. The nomination will be void if there is a third motion.
3) Candidates may be nominated for more than one position, but he/she may only run for one. (Amended 4/1/19)
C.) In the event that a candidate is not present at the nomination meeting due to class or work schedule conflicts, the candidate may send in advance an official nomination letter to the current president.
D.) Nominations must come to a close when the moderator (usually the President or Vice President) officially closes at the general body meeting. All nominations made after the close will not be recognized.
(See Amendment for f)
E.) Executive Board Member Requirements:
1) The position of President and Vice President is reserved only for those members who have served on the P.A.R.E. executive board for one calendar year or more. Exceptions can be made depending on the nominee's circumstances. (Amended 3/27/20)
2) All executive board members are required to make the same general body requirements as general body members during their term. (Added 4/1/19)
3) All other positions are open to general body members who have been active for one full academic year(see Article III: Membership, Section I, bullet ‘a’), as well as existing executive board members.
4) To be qualified as an e-board member nominee, you must be an active student at St. John’s University in one of the New York campuses. If an e-board nominee has prior knowledge of an extended absence for the intended serving year (i.e. study abroad), they may not run for election. (Added 4/28/11)
F.) Election Process:
1) Nominees must prepare a speech to present to the general body. Nominees are also required to have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA.
2) Positions with multiple candidates will present their speeches one by
one while the other candidates are asked to leave the room with the exception of the events coordinator position and any other position that requires two officers.
3) Nominees may submit a video recording of their speech if there are extensive circumstances that prevent them from attending the elections. (Added 3/19/15)
4) President and vice president nominees are allotted seven (7) minutes for their speech; all other officer nominees are allotted five (5) minutes for their speech. (Added 3/19/15)
5) After the speeches are completed, the candidates must be open to answer questions. This includes submitted questions the general body wants to ask; all final questions asked of the candidates are decided upon by the President and Vice President. (Amended 4/1/19)
G.) Voting Process:
1) Voter must be an active general body member (an active member is defined in Article III: Membership, Section I, bullet ‘a’).
2) A member is prohibited to participate in the voting process if he/she arrives to the elections general body meeting after the majority of the speeches have been presented and/or leaves before all the speeches have been presented. (Amended 3/25/14)
3) In case of a discrepancy, Secretary should be ready with attendance as proof.
4) General body members are allowed to submit questions to the president or facilitating executive board member for the Q&A portion of elections. These questions will be presented anonymously. (Added 3/19/15)
Section II
Term of office shall start first week of Summer Quarter, and last one calendar year.
Section III
Should a vacancy occur in office, it shall be filled by election or appointment if deemed necessary by the presiding executive board.
Section IV
A.) In order for elections to take place, 30% of the official general body members must be present. The amount of present official general body members required for the voting process is up to the discretion of the presiding executive board. (Added 3/19/15)
B.) All ballots must be completed properly in order be accounted for. Any ballots that are not completed will be voided and unaccounted for.
C.) Ballots will be weighted as follows: Full general body members' ballots count as 5 votes, half general body members' ballots count as 3 votes, and non-general body members' ballots count as 1 vote. Half general body members consist of general body members whom have only attended 3 events out of the required 5. (Added 4/16/18)
D.) Ballots will be counted by graduating and or departing members of the current E-board. (See Amendment below)
E.) In the event of a tie for any e-board position, an odd number of current e-board members who are not running for e-board the following year will break the tie. If none are present, ballots will be counted by former and/or current executive board members who will not be returning next year to the executive board. (Added 4/29/10) (Amended 4/26/12) (Amended 02/28/22)
F.) The announcement of the new executive board shall first be made via phone call by the current president to the newly elected executive board member.
G.) Then an announcement will be made via social media to the general body. (Added 4/1/19)
ARTICLE VII - SECTORS
Section I
Sectors shall be set up by the Executive Board as the need may arise.
A.) The sectors should consist of four (4) distinct committees. These committees shall be Events Committee, Sports Committee, Performance Committee, and Barrio Committee. (Added 3/19/15)
Section II
Anyone interested in a particular sector may so join.
Section III
The chairperson of a sector shall be selected by the coordinating officer of the position.
A.) There must be an executive board correspondent for each chairperson. (Added 3/19/15)
B.) The executive board correspondents are as follows; treasurer – fundraising committee; internal public relations officer – pr/design committee; one (1) events coordinator – programming committee; one (1) events coordinator – social events committee; external public relations officer – sports committee; appointed executive board member – performance chair. (Added 3/19/15)
C.) Special sectors may be formed as deemed necessary by the executive board. These sectors may include, but are not limited to, Barrio Committee. (Added 3/19/15)
1) Barrio Committee should include, but is not limited to, props committee and script-writing committee. (Added 3/19/15)
ARTICLE VIII - EVENTS COMMITTEES
Section I
There will be eight distinct committees that will be under the jurisdiction of specific Executive Board Members. These committees are as follows: Social Events Committee, Public Relations/Design Committee, Fundraising Committee, Programming Committee, Sports Committee, Performance Committee, Outreach Committee, and Service Committee. (Amended 4/1/19)
Section II
These committees will be headed by the Events Coordinators, Public Relations Officer, Treasurer, and E-board appointed committee head respectively.
Section III
There will be no maximum to the amount of members in each committee. General Body Members are allowed to be part of these committees in the form of signup sheets that will be handed out at the first general body meeting.
Section IV
Being part of this committee is a year-long commitment. At the end of which, the committee chairperson will decide whether or not to revamp the committee roster.
A.) A committee chairperson may exempt from this year-long commitment if they choose to study abroad. (Amended 3/19/15)
Section V
The function of the committee is to assist the executive board in assuring that goals are met in relation to the nature of the committee.
ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENT
Section I
A.) The constitution may be amended by a vote of 50% + 1 of the attending regular membership at any regular or special meeting.
B.) At least 30% of the active general body members must be present at the "Amendments Meeting" in order for any amendments to be passed.
Section II
All active members will prepare the necessary amendments prior to the regular or special meeting where such amendments shall come up for approval by the body for the purpose of timeliness and efficiency.
ARTICLE X - RATIFICATION
Section I
This constitution shall be adopted upon ratification by an attending majority vote of this organization of 50% +1.
ARTICLE XI - RESIGNATION
Section I
Any member of the Executive or Committee Board, or sector/committee chair can resign. Any elected or appointed officers may resign.
Section II
Officer resigning must construct a letter of resignation and formally present/read to the attending officers at a scheduled meeting for that purpose.
ARTICLE XII - IMPEACHMENT
Section I
Any member of the Executive or Committee Board, officer or sector/committee chair can be impeached; leading to resignation of position.
Section II
An officer may be impeached due to failure of fulfilling their duties/responsibilities as stated in ARTICLE IV LEADERSHIP, Section II.
Section III
The proposed impeached officer has an allotted time determined by the Executive Board in order to redeem themselves.
Section IV
A.) Impeachment hearings shall be held internally between elected/appointed officers.
B.) If the proposed impeached officer fails to redeem themselves during their probationary period, then they are subject to resignation.
C.) To be impeached 50% +1 of attending officers will constitute the majority.
Section V
The impeached officer cannot hold office for the next year after his or her resignation, but can run after this period.
ARTICLE XIII - SETTING PRECEDENCE
Section I
In the event that an ambiguity is found in the constitution, and that ambiguity is to be exploited by any member of P.A.R.E., then and only then, the matter will be immediately discussed by all members of the executive board. A decision will be made regarding the ambiguity through a majority vote. The decision will then hold the same authority as the constitution itself and will be added to the "Appendix".
Appendix Format:
A.) The appendix is defined as the collection of decisions that have previously occurred that will help supplement the constitution.
B.) An example of an appendix entry is as follows:
DISPUTE:
On XX/XX/20X8, General Body Member, John Smith, brought his self-nomination for the position of District 3 Representative to the attention of the executive board via e-mail. Despite the meeting for nominations having taken place two (2) weeks prior to the date that the email was sent, he argued that the constitution did not specify an exact time nominations were not being accepted, thus encouraging the executive board to consider his nomination.
SOLUTION:
The matter was immediately discussed by the executive board. After weighing out the pros and cons of the matter, the executive board decided not to recognize John Smith’s self nomination on the grounds that it would be seen as unfair to the other candidates, who adhered to the rules as they were presently interpreted, and that the general body may lose faith in the executive board's ability to serve the general body by showing favoritism to one particular member, however well suited he may be for the position.
APPENDIX
DISPUTE:
On 03/17/2008, General Body Member, XXXXX, brought his self-nomination for the position of District 3 Representative to the attention of the executive board via e-mail. Despite the meeting for nominations having taken place two (2) weeks prior to the date that the email was sent, he argued that the constitution did not specify an exact time nominations were not being accepted, thus encouraging the executive board to consider his nomination.
SOLUTION:
The matter was immediately discussed by the executive board. After weighing out the pros and cons of the matter, the executive board decided not to recognize XXXXX self nomination on the grounds that it would be seen as unfair to the other candidates, who adhered to the rules as they were presently interpreted, and that the general body may lose faith in the executive board's ability to serve the general body by showing favoritism to one particular member, however well suited he may be for the position.
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Section I
A.) Members are defined as actively involved students that meet the criteria of an official P.A.R.E. member. Official members are defined as actively involved students who have filled out the required membership form, registered as a member of P.A.R.E. on "OrgSync," have attended at least three (3) general body meetings AND three (3) events, and have attended at least one (1) community service event. Through these requirements, official members are recognized by the St. John's University and their names will appear on any printed material recognizing P.A.R.E. Members (i.e. programs or awards). (Amended 4/28/11)
A.) Members are defined as actively involved students that meet the criteria of an official P.A.R.E. member. Official members are defined as actively involved students who have filled out the required membership form, have attended at least three (3) general body meetings AND three (3) events, and have attended at least one (1) community service event. To be recognized as an official member by St. John's University they must fill an “Orgsync” application online and their names will appear on any printed material recognizing P.A.R.E. Members (i.e. programs or awards). (Amended 4/26/12)
A.) Members are defined as actively involved students that meet the criteria of an official P.A.R.E. member. Official members are defined as actively involved students who have filled out the required membership form, have attended at least three (3) general body meetings, two (2) events, one (1) cultural workshop, AND have attended at least one (1) community service event. To be recognized as an official member by St. John's University they must fill an “Orgsync” application online and their names will appear on any printed material recognizing P.A.R.E. Members (i.e. programs or awards). (Amended 3/25/14)
A.) Members are defined as actively involved students that meet the criteria of an official P.A.R.E. member. Official members are defined as actively involved students who have registered as a member of P.A.R.E. on "OrgSync," have attended any five (5) events; two (2) of which must be general body meetings and one (1) must be a cultural workshop. In addition, students must attend one (1) community service event. Through these requirements, official members are recognized by St. John's University and their names will appear on any printed material recognizing P.A.R.E. Members (i.e. programs or awards). (Amended 3/19/15)
B.) Sporadic guests are defined as students who show up to events for the events sake and not because of their affiliation with P.A.R.E. as an organization. Involvement in P.A.R.E. Athletics and Performance Crew shall count as two events in regards to membership status. (Amended 3/25/14)
ARTICLE IV – LEADERSHIP
Section I
B.) This section shall now be null and void. (Amended 4/26/12)
Section III
B.) The duties of communicating to the committee chairs shall be removed due to the previous amendment. Added to the responsibilities of the vice president will be the following: To enforce executive board member’s positions, to relay information between president and executive board, assisting the president to plan general body meetings as well as executive board meetings, and to review all of the president’s paper work. (Amended 4/26/12)
B.) The Committee Board shall consist of the Events Committee, Performance Crew, and P.A.R.E. Athletics. The Performance Crew and P.A.R.E. Athletics chairs will be appointed as heads of these committees by executive board. The vice president will head the Events Committee which consists of four sub-committees. These subcommittees are Social Events Committee, Fundraising Committee, PR/Design Committee, and Programming Committee. The co-chairs of these committees will be selected after submitting an application to executive board. (Amended 3/25/14)
ARTICLE VI – ELECTIONS
Section I (Nominations Process)
A.) In the event that a nominee was nominated for multiple positions, the nominee MUST accept only one position to run for by the end of the nominations meeting. (Amended 4/28/11)
F.) Both the president and the vice president may not run unopposed. In the event that a nominee for either of these positions is running unopposed, then all nominees for both president and vice president must run for president. The majority vote shall become the president; the second majority vote shall become the vice president. (Amended 4/26/12)
Section IV
C.) In the event of a tie, the nominees for that position will address questions and answers on another day and a re-vote will occur. (Amended 4/26/12)
Section I (Voting Process)
B.) A member is prohibited to participate in the voting process if he/she arrives to the nomination general body meeting after the majority of the speeches have been presented and/or leaves before all the speeches have been presented. However, all nominees will be able to vote whether or not they are present for the speeches. Study abroad nominees may participate in the voting process. (Amended 3/25/14)
ARTICLE VIII - EVENTS COMMITTEES
Section IV
Being part of this committee is a year-long commitment. At the end of which, the committee chairperson will decide whether or not to revamp the committee roster.
A.) A committee chairperson may be exempt from this year-long commitment if they choose to study abroad. (Amended 3/19/15)
Section I
The name of this organization shall be Philippine-Americans Reaching Everyone (P.A.R.E.) on the Queens campus of St. John’s University as of September 11, 2005, recognized by the St. John’s University’s administration as Filipino Society (FS) since the organization’s inception in December of 1985.
Section II
The Mission of Philippine-Americans Reaching Everyone (P.A.R.E.) on the Queens campus of St. John’s University shall be to foster unity and pride within its members and surrounding community through educational, cultural and social advancement.
ARTICLE II - PURPOSE
Section I
The main purpose of this organization shall meet the Cultural, Educational, and Social needs of P.A.R.E. Members and its surrounding community.
Section II
It shall be the purpose of this organization to encourage discussion and seminars in order to promote greater awareness of Filipino/Filipino American history, and cultural heritage for the edification of its members.
Section III
To provide information, advice, counseling, and such other services to the new members.
Section IV
To provide a forum in which different issues and ideals may be discussed, defined, and acted upon, and strive to represent the interest of Filipino/Filipino American students as a whole in the University’s political processes and society at large.
Section V
To sponsor such social functions as may be appropriate to increase cohesion, identification, and fellowship among members; their families, and the academic community.
Section VI
To support and promote understanding through Educational, Cultural exchanges, and Social activities among Filipino/Filipino American students, and other student organizations.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Section I
This organization shall consist of official members and sporadic guests.
A.) Members are defined as actively involved students that meet the criteria of an official P.A.R.E. member. Official members are defined as actively involved students who have registered as a member of P.A.R.E. on "OrgSync" and "SJU connect", have attended two (2) general body meetings, two (2) cultural events (including, but not limited to: Mr. Philippines, Ms. Philippines, Battle of the Barrios, etc.) and one (1) community service event. Through these requirements, official members are recognized by St. John's University and their names will appear on any printed material recognizing P.A.R.E. Members (i.e. programs or awards). (Amended 2/28/22)
B.) Sporadic guests are defined as students who show up to events for the events sake and not because of their affiliation with P.A.R.E. as an organization. (Amended 3/25/14)
C.) An event is defined as a school-approved organized activity, both on and off campus (Added 4/28/11)
D.) Unless you are a new member, you do not need to fill out the membership information form again. However, if your information has changed since the last time you filled out the form, you must update it on OrgSync. (Added 4/28/11)
E.) Being an active member of any P.A.R.E. Athletics team or Performance Committee may count as two (2) general events. For example, participation in Battle of the Barrios or Sportsfest may count towards membership. (Added 3/19/15)
Section II
Membership shall be open to undergraduate students and graduate students of St. John’s University, and others who promote, support, and work for the purpose of this association as provided for in Article II of this constitution.
Section III
The majority of the organization’s members must be St. John’s University students, matriculated on the Queens campus.
Section IV: Recruitment
New membership shall be drawn from, but not restricted to, the student population on the Queens campus of St. John’s University.
Section V: Rights and Responsibilities of Membership
A.) Members shall have full democratic rights.
B.) Members shall have the right to attend any of this organization’s general meetings, participate in politics, and participate in the process of planning events, programs, and any other activities.
C.) Official members are allowed to vote in which they must be present on Election Day.
D.) Membership must abide by the constitution of this organization, and carry out decisions and plans of this organization.
E.) Members shall have the right to tactfully criticize leadership or any member if mistakes or errors are made, in order to correct and prevent a re-occurrence.
ARTICLE IV - LEADERSHIP
Section I
The leadership of this organization shall consist of an executive and committee board, made up of elected and/or appointed members who are St. John’s University students.
A.) The executive board must consist entirely of St. John’s University undergraduate students. (Amended 4/1/19)
B.) The committee board must consist entirely of St. John’s University students. (Amended 4/1/19)
Section II
A.) The Executive Board shall consist of at least a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, two (2) Events Coordinators, an Internal Public Relations Officer and External Public Relations Officer, and Historian.
B.) The Committee Board shall consist of Programming Chairs (2), Fundraising Chairs (2), Social Chair, PR/Design Chair, Service Chair, Social Chair, Outreach Coordinator Chair, Performance Chair, and Sports Chair. Each chair has an appointed echo from the executive board to oversee their duties. Executive board appoints new committee chairs with input from the previous term's committee chairs. (Amended 4/1/19)
C.) All committee chairs are required to serve their full term of an entire academic year, except under extenuating circumstances. Study abroad students are allowed to apply to become a committee chair; however, it is ultimately up to the next year's e-board to determine if they are the best applicant for the board. (Added 4/1/19) (Amended 3/27/20)
D.) Programming Chair: Responsible for overseeing and conducting meetings with subcommittee on all topics related to events held on campus. This includes, but is not limited to, dance workshops, cultural workshops, Simbang Gabi, Barrio Fiesta, etc. Committee chairs are in charge of the AKA program and are allowed to pick up an ading, with trust that they will not have bias. Chair will be in charge of communicating with the Events Coordinators about finalizing agendas for all ON-campus events. Members of this subcommittee are encouraged to attend the agenda-writing meetings led by Events Coordinators. Chair will also be in close communication with Internal/External PR and PR/Design subcommittee to ensure events are being effectively promoted. (Amended 4/1/19) (Amended 3/27/20)
- i.) It is hereby stated that adoptions are now allowed within the official AKA program of P.A.R.E. All adoptions that follow after the academic year of 2021-2022 shall be recognized. Moving forth, the AKA program will adopt a program created by the president, events coordinators, and programming chairs to develop a plan for the AKA pairings to be supervised. To amend this, there will be a spring AKA program introduced as of the 2021-2022 academic year and all rules concerning the program are under the discretion of the programming chairs. (Amended 2/28/22)
E.) Social Events Subcommittee Chair: Responsible for overseeing and conducting meetings with subcommittee on all topics related to events held OFF-campus, including District 3 events. The Chair will not be responsible for going to every single social event, but can instead delegate a committee member to do so. Chair will be in close communication with Internal/External PR and PR/Design subcommittee to ensure events are being effectively promoted. (Amended 4/6/17)
F.) PR/Design Subcommittee Chair: Responsible for overseeing and conducting meetings with subcommittee on topics related to advertisement and any designs related to P.A.R.E. Chair is responsible for communicating with Internal/External PR regarding any suggestions related to promoting P.A.R.E. Promotions can include, but are not limited to, flyer design, ideas for events, social media, apparel designs, promo videos, etc. Chair is responsible for attending other organizations’ events both on-campus and off-campus. (Added 3/19/15)
G.) Fundraising Subcommittee Chair: Responsible for overseeing and conducting meetings with subcommittee on topics related to raising money for P.A.R.E. Chair will be in close communication with the Treasurer regarding all events related raising funds. Fundraisers include, but are not limited to, bake sales, social events, P.A.R.E. apparel, etc. (Added 3/25/14)
H.) Service Subcommittee Chair: Responsible for organizing service events for PARE’s general body members. This includes working with his or her Executive Board point person in organizing and promoting University Service Day and Relay for life, PARE with Benefits, as well as coordinating with campus ministry to participate in service activities, such as midnight runs and plunges. Service chair is required to plan a minimum of three (3) service events per semester. (Added 4/1/19)
I.) Outreach Coordinator Chair: Responsible for bridging the gap between members, within PARE itself. Also acts as outreach for alumni. Duties include reaching out to alumni (including, but not limited to, emails, Facebook, etc.), and being in charge of an alumni Facebook group. Also acts as a point person in the case that Internal PR or External PR cannot be present. (Added 5/22/19)
J.) Performance Chair: Responsible for finding rooms, making schedules and posting them in a timely manner (between Friday night and Sunday Morning no later than 12 noon), and notifying members of schedules/rooms. Can be liaison to on-campus organization performances. (Added 4/1/19)
K.) Sports Chair: Responsible for overseeing the sports committee under PARE. (Added 4/1/19)
Section III: Duties and Responsibilities of the Officers
A.) All current and potential executive board members must be proactive in the organization and attend more events and meetings than is required of the general body members.
B.) President will preside over general and executive board meetings, construct agendas, and will serve as the spokesperson for the organization. If the chair wishes to debate, he/she relinquishes the chair to the organization’s vice-president and resumes the chair after the question has been resolved. The President may vote when it could affect the final outcome (to break a tie) or when the vote is by ballot. Responsible for overseeing committee chairs alongside the Vice President. (Amended 4/1/19)
C.) Vice President must be familiar with all the responsibilities of the president and must be ready to preside when called on (when president is absent, president wants to debate, or when a personal motion about the president is made). He/She will work in close cooperation with the President in regards to logistical aspects. He/She should oversee the progress of general meetings and communicate to the Committee Chairs with the help of the President. (Amended 4/1/19)
D.) Secretary maintains the records and sits close to the presiding officer during general and executive meetings to assist, take notes, and record the minutes of all general and executive meetings. The secretary must be able to explain the pending business when called on. The Secretary also keeps committee reports on file, maintains the official membership roll (such as keeping attendance of attendees during P.A.R.E. sponsored and/or supported events), keeps track of what comes in and out of the e-mail account, and delegates of their election or appointment. He/She is also responsible for sending out weekly newsletters to the general body and other persons of interest. (Added 3/19/15)
E.) Treasurer takes care of the transactions and financial statements by keeping an accurate record of all money received and disbursed, depositing all money received in the account of the organization, and collects dues, granted that dues are deemed a requirement. They are also in charge of communicating with P.A.R.E. alumni. (Added 3/19/15)
F.) Events Coordinators plan out events that promote student interaction by providing activities for P.A.R.E. He/She will also help other committees with their projects as well. (Amended 4/1/19)
G.) Internal Public Relations Officer promotes the events of P.A.R.E. to the St. John’s community. He/She will be responsible for informing the members by circulating flyers and programs, creating on-line invitations, as well as networking with Student Campus Relations, the St. John's University Newspaper, and The Torch. The Internal Public Relations Officer is also in charge of maintaining the P.A.R.E. Facebook page, Facebook group, Weebly page, and other online networking. (Amended 4/1/19)
H.) External Public Relations Officer will attend all meetings held by District 3, which consists of other Filipino organizations in the New York Metropolitan Area of New York City, Northern New Jersey, and Long Island. He/She will promote the events of P.A.R.E. to D3 and will promote D3 events to P.A.R.E. He/She will make information about P.A.R.E. available to the rest of D3 and will share information regarding D3 with P.A.R.E. He/She will also be responsible for attending other schools’ events within D3. He/She will also be in charge of updating and maintain the P.A.R.E. Twitter account. (Added 3/19/15)
I.) Historian records and documents all events/activities that occur throughout the year. He/She is in charge of updating a scrapbook and the webpage, taking pictures at every P.A.R.E. event, creating promotional videos for designated events, creating slideshows when needed, updating the online picture album, as well as keeping a record of all flyers, brochures, programs, and newsletters distributed within that academic year. (Added 3/19/15)
ARTICLE V - MEETINGS
Section I
Regular general meetings of this organization shall be held monthly excluding holidays and finals week.
Section II
Executive board meetings shall be held bi-monthly aside from general meetings.
Section III
Special meetings may be held at any time when called by the Executive Board upon notifying members.
A.) A special meeting may include, but is not limited to, FIND interest meetings and nomination/audition meetings. (Added 3/19/15)
ARTICLE VI - ELECTIONS
Section I
A.) Nominations of all positions will take place at the 1st general meeting in March. Elections shall be held on the last meeting in March, or on the meeting before the date on which organization re-registration is due. All dates are subject to change. The current secretary will take proper documentation of the nomination process for record purposes.
B.) Nomination Process:
1) Any general body member may move to nominate another member. Self nominations are permitted.
2) The motion to nominate a member for an executive board position must be seconded before the nominee accepts his/her nomination. The nomination will be void if there is a third motion.
3) Candidates may be nominated for more than one position, but he/she may only run for one. (Amended 4/1/19)
C.) In the event that a candidate is not present at the nomination meeting due to class or work schedule conflicts, the candidate may send in advance an official nomination letter to the current president.
D.) Nominations must come to a close when the moderator (usually the President or Vice President) officially closes at the general body meeting. All nominations made after the close will not be recognized.
(See Amendment for f)
E.) Executive Board Member Requirements:
1) The position of President and Vice President is reserved only for those members who have served on the P.A.R.E. executive board for one calendar year or more. Exceptions can be made depending on the nominee's circumstances. (Amended 3/27/20)
2) All executive board members are required to make the same general body requirements as general body members during their term. (Added 4/1/19)
3) All other positions are open to general body members who have been active for one full academic year(see Article III: Membership, Section I, bullet ‘a’), as well as existing executive board members.
4) To be qualified as an e-board member nominee, you must be an active student at St. John’s University in one of the New York campuses. If an e-board nominee has prior knowledge of an extended absence for the intended serving year (i.e. study abroad), they may not run for election. (Added 4/28/11)
F.) Election Process:
1) Nominees must prepare a speech to present to the general body. Nominees are also required to have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA.
2) Positions with multiple candidates will present their speeches one by
one while the other candidates are asked to leave the room with the exception of the events coordinator position and any other position that requires two officers.
3) Nominees may submit a video recording of their speech if there are extensive circumstances that prevent them from attending the elections. (Added 3/19/15)
4) President and vice president nominees are allotted seven (7) minutes for their speech; all other officer nominees are allotted five (5) minutes for their speech. (Added 3/19/15)
5) After the speeches are completed, the candidates must be open to answer questions. This includes submitted questions the general body wants to ask; all final questions asked of the candidates are decided upon by the President and Vice President. (Amended 4/1/19)
G.) Voting Process:
1) Voter must be an active general body member (an active member is defined in Article III: Membership, Section I, bullet ‘a’).
2) A member is prohibited to participate in the voting process if he/she arrives to the elections general body meeting after the majority of the speeches have been presented and/or leaves before all the speeches have been presented. (Amended 3/25/14)
3) In case of a discrepancy, Secretary should be ready with attendance as proof.
4) General body members are allowed to submit questions to the president or facilitating executive board member for the Q&A portion of elections. These questions will be presented anonymously. (Added 3/19/15)
Section II
Term of office shall start first week of Summer Quarter, and last one calendar year.
Section III
Should a vacancy occur in office, it shall be filled by election or appointment if deemed necessary by the presiding executive board.
Section IV
A.) In order for elections to take place, 30% of the official general body members must be present. The amount of present official general body members required for the voting process is up to the discretion of the presiding executive board. (Added 3/19/15)
B.) All ballots must be completed properly in order be accounted for. Any ballots that are not completed will be voided and unaccounted for.
C.) Ballots will be weighted as follows: Full general body members' ballots count as 5 votes, half general body members' ballots count as 3 votes, and non-general body members' ballots count as 1 vote. Half general body members consist of general body members whom have only attended 3 events out of the required 5. (Added 4/16/18)
D.) Ballots will be counted by graduating and or departing members of the current E-board. (See Amendment below)
E.) In the event of a tie for any e-board position, an odd number of current e-board members who are not running for e-board the following year will break the tie. If none are present, ballots will be counted by former and/or current executive board members who will not be returning next year to the executive board. (Added 4/29/10) (Amended 4/26/12) (Amended 02/28/22)
F.) The announcement of the new executive board shall first be made via phone call by the current president to the newly elected executive board member.
G.) Then an announcement will be made via social media to the general body. (Added 4/1/19)
ARTICLE VII - SECTORS
Section I
Sectors shall be set up by the Executive Board as the need may arise.
A.) The sectors should consist of four (4) distinct committees. These committees shall be Events Committee, Sports Committee, Performance Committee, and Barrio Committee. (Added 3/19/15)
Section II
Anyone interested in a particular sector may so join.
Section III
The chairperson of a sector shall be selected by the coordinating officer of the position.
A.) There must be an executive board correspondent for each chairperson. (Added 3/19/15)
B.) The executive board correspondents are as follows; treasurer – fundraising committee; internal public relations officer – pr/design committee; one (1) events coordinator – programming committee; one (1) events coordinator – social events committee; external public relations officer – sports committee; appointed executive board member – performance chair. (Added 3/19/15)
C.) Special sectors may be formed as deemed necessary by the executive board. These sectors may include, but are not limited to, Barrio Committee. (Added 3/19/15)
1) Barrio Committee should include, but is not limited to, props committee and script-writing committee. (Added 3/19/15)
ARTICLE VIII - EVENTS COMMITTEES
Section I
There will be eight distinct committees that will be under the jurisdiction of specific Executive Board Members. These committees are as follows: Social Events Committee, Public Relations/Design Committee, Fundraising Committee, Programming Committee, Sports Committee, Performance Committee, Outreach Committee, and Service Committee. (Amended 4/1/19)
Section II
These committees will be headed by the Events Coordinators, Public Relations Officer, Treasurer, and E-board appointed committee head respectively.
Section III
There will be no maximum to the amount of members in each committee. General Body Members are allowed to be part of these committees in the form of signup sheets that will be handed out at the first general body meeting.
Section IV
Being part of this committee is a year-long commitment. At the end of which, the committee chairperson will decide whether or not to revamp the committee roster.
A.) A committee chairperson may exempt from this year-long commitment if they choose to study abroad. (Amended 3/19/15)
Section V
The function of the committee is to assist the executive board in assuring that goals are met in relation to the nature of the committee.
ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENT
Section I
A.) The constitution may be amended by a vote of 50% + 1 of the attending regular membership at any regular or special meeting.
B.) At least 30% of the active general body members must be present at the "Amendments Meeting" in order for any amendments to be passed.
Section II
All active members will prepare the necessary amendments prior to the regular or special meeting where such amendments shall come up for approval by the body for the purpose of timeliness and efficiency.
ARTICLE X - RATIFICATION
Section I
This constitution shall be adopted upon ratification by an attending majority vote of this organization of 50% +1.
ARTICLE XI - RESIGNATION
Section I
Any member of the Executive or Committee Board, or sector/committee chair can resign. Any elected or appointed officers may resign.
Section II
Officer resigning must construct a letter of resignation and formally present/read to the attending officers at a scheduled meeting for that purpose.
ARTICLE XII - IMPEACHMENT
Section I
Any member of the Executive or Committee Board, officer or sector/committee chair can be impeached; leading to resignation of position.
Section II
An officer may be impeached due to failure of fulfilling their duties/responsibilities as stated in ARTICLE IV LEADERSHIP, Section II.
Section III
The proposed impeached officer has an allotted time determined by the Executive Board in order to redeem themselves.
Section IV
A.) Impeachment hearings shall be held internally between elected/appointed officers.
B.) If the proposed impeached officer fails to redeem themselves during their probationary period, then they are subject to resignation.
C.) To be impeached 50% +1 of attending officers will constitute the majority.
Section V
The impeached officer cannot hold office for the next year after his or her resignation, but can run after this period.
ARTICLE XIII - SETTING PRECEDENCE
Section I
In the event that an ambiguity is found in the constitution, and that ambiguity is to be exploited by any member of P.A.R.E., then and only then, the matter will be immediately discussed by all members of the executive board. A decision will be made regarding the ambiguity through a majority vote. The decision will then hold the same authority as the constitution itself and will be added to the "Appendix".
Appendix Format:
A.) The appendix is defined as the collection of decisions that have previously occurred that will help supplement the constitution.
B.) An example of an appendix entry is as follows:
DISPUTE:
On XX/XX/20X8, General Body Member, John Smith, brought his self-nomination for the position of District 3 Representative to the attention of the executive board via e-mail. Despite the meeting for nominations having taken place two (2) weeks prior to the date that the email was sent, he argued that the constitution did not specify an exact time nominations were not being accepted, thus encouraging the executive board to consider his nomination.
SOLUTION:
The matter was immediately discussed by the executive board. After weighing out the pros and cons of the matter, the executive board decided not to recognize John Smith’s self nomination on the grounds that it would be seen as unfair to the other candidates, who adhered to the rules as they were presently interpreted, and that the general body may lose faith in the executive board's ability to serve the general body by showing favoritism to one particular member, however well suited he may be for the position.
APPENDIX
DISPUTE:
On 03/17/2008, General Body Member, XXXXX, brought his self-nomination for the position of District 3 Representative to the attention of the executive board via e-mail. Despite the meeting for nominations having taken place two (2) weeks prior to the date that the email was sent, he argued that the constitution did not specify an exact time nominations were not being accepted, thus encouraging the executive board to consider his nomination.
SOLUTION:
The matter was immediately discussed by the executive board. After weighing out the pros and cons of the matter, the executive board decided not to recognize XXXXX self nomination on the grounds that it would be seen as unfair to the other candidates, who adhered to the rules as they were presently interpreted, and that the general body may lose faith in the executive board's ability to serve the general body by showing favoritism to one particular member, however well suited he may be for the position.
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Section I
A.) Members are defined as actively involved students that meet the criteria of an official P.A.R.E. member. Official members are defined as actively involved students who have filled out the required membership form, registered as a member of P.A.R.E. on "OrgSync," have attended at least three (3) general body meetings AND three (3) events, and have attended at least one (1) community service event. Through these requirements, official members are recognized by the St. John's University and their names will appear on any printed material recognizing P.A.R.E. Members (i.e. programs or awards). (Amended 4/28/11)
A.) Members are defined as actively involved students that meet the criteria of an official P.A.R.E. member. Official members are defined as actively involved students who have filled out the required membership form, have attended at least three (3) general body meetings AND three (3) events, and have attended at least one (1) community service event. To be recognized as an official member by St. John's University they must fill an “Orgsync” application online and their names will appear on any printed material recognizing P.A.R.E. Members (i.e. programs or awards). (Amended 4/26/12)
A.) Members are defined as actively involved students that meet the criteria of an official P.A.R.E. member. Official members are defined as actively involved students who have filled out the required membership form, have attended at least three (3) general body meetings, two (2) events, one (1) cultural workshop, AND have attended at least one (1) community service event. To be recognized as an official member by St. John's University they must fill an “Orgsync” application online and their names will appear on any printed material recognizing P.A.R.E. Members (i.e. programs or awards). (Amended 3/25/14)
A.) Members are defined as actively involved students that meet the criteria of an official P.A.R.E. member. Official members are defined as actively involved students who have registered as a member of P.A.R.E. on "OrgSync," have attended any five (5) events; two (2) of which must be general body meetings and one (1) must be a cultural workshop. In addition, students must attend one (1) community service event. Through these requirements, official members are recognized by St. John's University and their names will appear on any printed material recognizing P.A.R.E. Members (i.e. programs or awards). (Amended 3/19/15)
B.) Sporadic guests are defined as students who show up to events for the events sake and not because of their affiliation with P.A.R.E. as an organization. Involvement in P.A.R.E. Athletics and Performance Crew shall count as two events in regards to membership status. (Amended 3/25/14)
ARTICLE IV – LEADERSHIP
Section I
B.) This section shall now be null and void. (Amended 4/26/12)
Section III
B.) The duties of communicating to the committee chairs shall be removed due to the previous amendment. Added to the responsibilities of the vice president will be the following: To enforce executive board member’s positions, to relay information between president and executive board, assisting the president to plan general body meetings as well as executive board meetings, and to review all of the president’s paper work. (Amended 4/26/12)
B.) The Committee Board shall consist of the Events Committee, Performance Crew, and P.A.R.E. Athletics. The Performance Crew and P.A.R.E. Athletics chairs will be appointed as heads of these committees by executive board. The vice president will head the Events Committee which consists of four sub-committees. These subcommittees are Social Events Committee, Fundraising Committee, PR/Design Committee, and Programming Committee. The co-chairs of these committees will be selected after submitting an application to executive board. (Amended 3/25/14)
ARTICLE VI – ELECTIONS
Section I (Nominations Process)
A.) In the event that a nominee was nominated for multiple positions, the nominee MUST accept only one position to run for by the end of the nominations meeting. (Amended 4/28/11)
F.) Both the president and the vice president may not run unopposed. In the event that a nominee for either of these positions is running unopposed, then all nominees for both president and vice president must run for president. The majority vote shall become the president; the second majority vote shall become the vice president. (Amended 4/26/12)
Section IV
C.) In the event of a tie, the nominees for that position will address questions and answers on another day and a re-vote will occur. (Amended 4/26/12)
Section I (Voting Process)
B.) A member is prohibited to participate in the voting process if he/she arrives to the nomination general body meeting after the majority of the speeches have been presented and/or leaves before all the speeches have been presented. However, all nominees will be able to vote whether or not they are present for the speeches. Study abroad nominees may participate in the voting process. (Amended 3/25/14)
ARTICLE VIII - EVENTS COMMITTEES
Section IV
Being part of this committee is a year-long commitment. At the end of which, the committee chairperson will decide whether or not to revamp the committee roster.
A.) A committee chairperson may be exempt from this year-long commitment if they choose to study abroad. (Amended 3/19/15)