MEDIEVAL CLUB CONSTITUTION

Article 1: Name

• Section 1: The name of this organization shall be The Worshipful Company of Our Lady of the Lake, or The Medieval Club.

Article 2: Purpose

• Section 1: The purpose of this organization shall be to promote an interest and awareness of medieval civilization to the students of the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College and Holy Cross College.

Article 3: Membership

• Section 1: Membership is open to all interested undergraduate and graduate students and faculty of the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College and Holy Cross College.
• Section 2: Members are expected to pay the knight's fee, to attend monthly meetings, and to participate in a minimum of one club function.
• Section 3: Membership is open to those students who studied abroad first semester, provided that they pay the knight's fee, attend monthly meetings, and attend a minimum of one club function.
• Section 4: Membership extends to those students who study abroad second semester. They will continue to receive club emails regarding information of what is going on, shall be allowed input for campus activities and shall have absentee voting rights, done through email.
• Section 5: Members who study abroad, and wish to have a club activity while abroad, must first approach the executive board with the idea for approval. Once approved, the students may partake in what was approved.
• Section 6: Alumni, community members and parents of current students may not be members.
• Section 7: Any faculty wishing to be apart of the club shall be classified as "Associate Members." These members will not have voting rights and cannot be elected as an officer of the club.

Article 4: Membership Fees

• Section 1: The entire body of membership shall be required to pay an annual knight's fee of an amount deemed appropriate by the executive board, the amount of $5 in modern currency, to be turned in within the first month of the academic year after the University Activities Night.
• Section 2: Those students who study abroad first semester and request membership for second semester shall be required to pay the knight's fee within the first month of the second semester of that academic year.
• Section 3: Associate members of the club shall not be required to pay a knight’s fee.

Article 5: Club Government and Officers

• Section 1: The government of The Worshipful Company of Our Lady of the Lake shall be composed of an executive board.
• Section 2: The executive board shall be the main administrative body of the organization.
• Section 3: The executive board shall be composed of the High Steward (President), Under Steward (Vice-president), Chancellor (Secretary), Chamberlain (Treasurer), Courtier to Saint Mary’s College (Liaison) and Courtier to Holy Cross College (Liaison).
• Section 4: An advisory council shall be appointed by the executive board, should the need arise. The advisory council shall be composed of the Prelate, the Sovereign of Arms, the Master of the Works, and the Herald of Arms.
• Section 5: The duties of the advisory council shall be to offer advice to the executive board, and to assume any duties given by the executive board.
• Section 6: The duties of the High Steward shall be to convene all meetings, direct all levels of club activities, and to serve as chief administrator of club activities.
• Section 7: The duties of the Under Steward shall be to serve the club in an administrative capacity, assuming any duties assigned by the High Steward, and assuming the duties of the High Steward in his absence.
• Section 8: The duties of the Chancellor shall be to maintain written records of all club activities, assemble and collect the minutes of all club meetings, maintain a record of all club members, to keep the council, the Lord Great Patron and members informed of club activities through email, telephone messages and the webpage of the Medieval club, and to assume any duties given by the High Steward.
• Section 9: The duties of the Chamberlain shall be to maintain club funds, record and report all financial transactions, to supervise the disbursement of club funds, to communicate transactions with the Lord Great Patron and the board, and to assume all duties given by the High Steward.

Article 6: Election and Appointment of Officers

• Section 1: Only students of the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College and Holy Cross College, may be elected to these posts.
• Section 1.1: The executive board must have a majority of University of Notre Dame students.
• Section 1.2: The executive board must be composed of at least half Notre Dame undergraduate students in order to receive funding from the Club Coordination Council (CCC).
• Section 2: An annual election shall be held in February for all club offices. Election to these posts shall be accomplished by the largest tally of votes among club members.
• Section 3: A quorum for election and conduction of official business shall be the presence of one half of the electorate (paid, non-Associate Members) and one officer.
• Section 4: Should the quorum for election and conduction of official business not be present at the time of the election, then the executive council and the Lord Great Patron will convene in a special meeting and call another meeting of the entire membership. If the membership still does not convene, the nomination and voting of officers will occur electronically via email under the supervision of the executive board.
• Section 5: An election may also be held at a monthly meeting for a vacancy occurring in an office.
• Section 6: Those elected into office shall begin their duties as officers as of 1 April of the academic year and shall remain in office until the 31 March of the following academic year.

Article 7: Impeachment of Officers

• Section 1: An elected officer found deficient in his duties may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the club members.

Article 8: Role of the Lord Great Patron (Advisor)

• Section 1: The advisor must be voted for by the executive board and his title shall be the Lord Great Patron.
• Section 2: The duties of the Lord Great Patron shall be to advise the organization, consent to and help facilitate all club activities, and to help the club act in conjunction with the Medieval Institute, the College of Arts and Letters, and the University administration.
• Section 3: The Lord Great Patron shall be a full-time faculty or administrative staff member at the University of Notre Dame.
• Section 3.1: The advisor would preferably be a member of the staff of Undergraduate Studies for the Medieval Institute.
• Section 4: The Lord Great Patron must authorize any disbursement of funds.
• Section 5: The advisor must be an ex-officio member and cannot have voting rights.
• Section 6: The Great Lord Patron will advise and give his opinion to the executive board should it be dead-locked in vote. This is not a tie-breaking vote, but shall have sway in the decision.

Article 9: Meetings

• Section 1: The club shall meet at least once every month of the regular academic year.
• Section 2: Additional meetings may be called by the High Steward and shall be announced a minimum of one week in advance.
• Section 3: A quorum shall consist of the presence of two-thirds of the club members.

Article 10: Club Sponsored Events

• Section 1: An event which is sponsored solely by the Medieval club, and is in no way publicized to be in co-sponsorship with the Medieval Institute or any other academic department, shall be constituted as a club event.
• Section 1.1: An event which is co-sponsored with a student organization or another club shall be constituted as a club event.
• Section 2: An event sponsored or co-sponsored by the club shall be decided upon in the executive board.
• Section 3: A majority vote or consensus of the executive board is needed to determine if an event shall be sponsored.
• Section 4: If there is only a minority of the officers available to decide on a club event, a minimum of half of the membership must be in attendance and of that half, two-thirds must vote in favor of the activity.
• Section 5: All events must be legitimized through the Student Activities Office (SAO) in a reasonable amount of time BEFORE the event takes place.
• Section 6: All events will be advertised on campus through posters and for members through email.
• Section 7: To attend a club event, one must be a member.
• Section 8: Any trips must be verified through the SAO and the executive board before they occur and may not be verified after said trip has started.
• Section 8.1: Any expenses accrued during any such excursion which has not been aforehand verified will not be reimbursed.
• Section 8.2: Members of the Medieval Club may not sponsor an event while abroad.
• Section 8.3: Members who try to sponsor said-type of event will not be reimbursed for any expenses.

Article 11: Disbursement of Funds

• Section 1: All disbursements must be authorized by the High Steward, the Chamberlain, and the Lord Great Patron.
• Section 2: Any disbursements of over $50 must be approved by three members of the executive board.
• Section 3: If, during an event, there are receipts, they should be submitted to the Chamberlain the first business day after the event.
• Section 3.1: The Chamberlain will submit the receipts to the Executive board for consideration and reimbursement.
• Section 4: For any event in which members pay with credit for something which has been approved, they must include a copy of their most recent statement with their receipts and said paperwork must be given to the Chamberlain.

Article 12: Amendments

• Section 1: Amendments of this constitution may be made at any time by a two-thirds vote of the membership, or a unanimous vote by the club government.
• Section 2: All amendments to this constitution, once made by the club government, must be submitted directly to the Student Activities Office, both in writing and electronically.

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