Brown Freethought Constitution

Article I Name and Purpose

Name

The name of this organization shall be "Brown Freethought".

Purpose

Brown Freethought is dedicated to promoting and defending reason, science and freedom of inquiry in education, freethought, secular humanism, skepticism, secularism, philosophical naturalism, rationalism, and atheism at Brown University

It shall therefore be Brown Freethought's purpose

  • To establish a positive social environment for Brown University students who are rationalists, non-theists, secular humanists, or skeptics.
  • Advancing the public understanding and appreciation of science and reason.
  • Debating various philosophies of science, skepticism, and theism.

Article II Membership

Eligibility to Brown Freethought is open to all full-time undergraduate members of the Brown community and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex. Majority Membership consists of full-time undergraduate students. Brown Freethought welcomes members of all faiths and beliefs.

Article III Officers

The officers of Brown Freethought include the President, Vice-president, Secretary, and Treasurer. The term of office shall be one year, beginning at the first meeting of each academic year.

The President shall:

  1. preside over meetings.
  2. organize activities, speakers, &c.
  3. have the final word in all organizational policies (but is encouraged to favor the desires of the majority of the organization's members).

The Vice-President shall:

  1. assist the President in any and all of his or her duties.
  2. preside over meetings and activities in the absence of the President.
  3. advise the President on all organizational policy matters.
  4. serve as informal Parliamentarian.

The Secretary shall:

  1. assist the President and Vice-President.
  2. take minutes of each meeting and make them available to members.
  3. type letters and other related items for distribution.
  4. advise the President and Vice-President on all organizational policy matters.

The Treasurer shall:

  1. assist the President and Vice-President.
  2. keep track of Brown Freethought account balance.
  3. advise the President and Vice-President on all organizational policy matters.

Article IV Elections

Officers shall be elected during the latter part of the second semester of each academic year. To be elected, a candidate must receive a majority of votes cast. Runoffs shall be conducted between the top two vote-getters, if no candidate receives a majority on the first ballot. There shall be no limit on the number of terms an officer can fill.

Article V Finances

All expenses of Brown Freethought shall be paid through the Office of Student Activities, and all funds collected by the group from any source shall be deposited with the Office of Student Activities. Brown Freethought agrees to follow all regulations regarding ll financial transactions as set forth by the Office of Student Activities.

Article VI Amendment Procedure

An amendment shall be brought before the group by a majority vote. The President shall notify all current members of the group that an amendment to the group's constitution is considered. The amendment will then be considered at the meeting following its announcement to the group. To be accepted, an amendment must gain support from two-thirds (2/3) of the group membership. Once an amendment has been accepted by Brown Freethought, it shall be given to the UCS Coordinator of Student Activities at least two (2) full days before the next regularly scheduled full council meeting. Upon receipt of a simple majority from UCS, the amendment shall be considered a formal part of Brown Freethought's constitution.