Purpose:

The purposes of the Society are to sponsor activities of a geographical nature for the general student body, stimulate interest in the science of geography, and provide a variety of activities for members to enhance their educational and social experiences while attending Salisbury University. Members of the Geographic Society also act as student representatives for the Department of Geography and Geosciences.

Membership:

The Geographic Society is open to all students.

To maintain good standing in the Society, a member must:

1.) Attend at least 3 regularly scheduled meetings each semester.

2.) Be actively involved with at least 1 committee.

3.) Do at least 5 hours worth of fundraising activities and/or volunteer work per semester. This may include, but is not limited to, participation in Geography Awareness Week or other campus wide activities which promote geography and geosciences, set-up and/or clean-up for a Society function, or participation in homecoming activities.

4.) Comply with all SGA, department and University guidelines and rules.

5.) Conduct themselves in a mature, responsible manner at all meetings and functions, including complying with requests made by the faculty advisors.

Members in good standing will have priority over those members not in good standing when there are a limited number of open spots for trips and activities. Only members in good standing will have the ability to vote.

Meetings:

During the regular semester, meetings will take place at least once per month. The times of these meetings will be determined by members at the beginning of the semester. Executive officers are expected to meet prior to a Society meeting to discuss the agenda. Special meetings may be held if there is an upcoming major event, trip, or activity taking place the following weekend. Members planning to participate in trips and activities MUST be at those special meetings. If the member does not attend the meeting, the member will not be able to participate in the event unless a valid excuse is given. Acceptable excuses for missing an event meeting include work, classes, sports and medical problems.

Procedure for Meetings:

1.)  Attendance: The secretary will take attendance at all meetings. If the secretary is not available, one of the other officers will take attendance and record the minutes.

2.)  Report of the Secretary: The secretary will review the minutes from the last meeting. Additions or corrections will be made at this time. Discussions that were tabled at the previous meeting will also be brought up at this time.

3.)  Report of the President: The president will go over any new or important information concerning the Society. Past event and activities will be talked about at this time. Upcoming dates of importance will be noted.

4.)  Report of the Treasurer: There will be a report of the treasurer at all meetings. Any change in the SGA account balance will be noted. All Society account withdrawals and deposits will be recorded.

5.)  Report of Committees: The heads of the committees will say announce upcoming events that Society members need to know about, or if they need assistance in their committee. They will keep members up to date with progress on their activity or event.

6.)  New Business: New business can be introduced by any member, advisor, or officer and discussed as needed.

7.)  Other Business: Any questions, comments, or concerns about the Society will be addressed. This is the time when members that are in good standing have an opportunity to discuss possible future Society activities.

Officers:

The offices of President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary are executive positions and all members in good standing can run for these positions*. However, the position of Historian is an appointed position. Up to 2 people may be appointed as Historians. Officers must keep a record of their activities while in office. When their term is up, they will give copies of this information to the person succeeding them.

A minimum of 2 executive officers and a faculty advisor must approve all expenditures. The president and the vice president deal with public relations. Each executive officer must attend at least 1 SGA Forum per semester and head at least one committee. Officers are also responsible for knowing and complying with SGA requirements to keep the Society in good standing with SGA.

(*see voting procedures for eligibility for becoming president.)

The President:

1.) Will direct Society meetings.

2.) Will be responsible for contact info pertaining to the Society.

3.) Will keep travel and trip information.

4.) Will make sure the website is kept up to date.

5.) Will approve all final decisions except for purchases, which need approval from two executive officers and a faculty advisor.

The Vice President:

1.) Will keep track of the total hours and attendance at Society events and activities in compliance with SGA guidelines. Total hours include set up and clean up times.

2.) Will also act as the liaison with the SGA and keep the Society up to date with SGA information.

3.) Will be responsible for contact info pertaining to the Society.

The Treasurer:

1.) Will keep members up to date on all finances at each meeting. The Treasurer may make purchases for the Society providing there has been approval from either the President or the Vice-President.

2.) Will record all financial matters, and have them available to be viewed at all meetings. As needed, the treasurer will make a report to the Society of what has been deposited into or withdrawn from the SGA account.

3.) Will get purchase orders for the SGA account and have the authority to write them as needed providing another executive officer is present.

The Secretary:

1.) Will take minutes and attendance at all meetings.

2.) Will e-mail the members with an overview of what was discussed at the last Society meeting after each meeting. This e-mail must be sent within 2 days of the meeting.

3.) Will be responsible for generating and updating the Society membership list, including e-mail addresses.

4.) Will keep track of each member’s standing within the Society.

Role of the Historian:

1.) Will attend society activities for the express purpose of photographing members.

2.) Will post these photos on the Society bulletin board, on the Society web site and in the Society photo albums.

3.) Will converse with other Historians to make sure that someone will be available for an event. If none of the Historians will be available, it is their responsibility to bring it to the attention of an executive officer.

The Society Advisors:

The primary function of the Geography Society faculty advisor(s) is to assist student members in any way possible. Advisors have the ability to override any decision made by the members of the Society because the Geographic Society represents and is supported by the Department of Geography and Geosciences. Advisors can require students to leave the Society or a Society event for conduct which does not comply with Department or University rules and guidelines.

 Committees:

Committees will be headed by at least one officer. All members must be actively involved in at least one committee. This means attending 75% of committee meetings and attending the committee function(s). It is the responsibility of the committee head to keep track of attendance for committee meetings and functions and report this information to the Secretary.

Annual Committees will be:

1.)   Geography Awareness Week

2.)   Homecoming

3.)   Fall Activities – (for example, the Department of Geography and Geosciences picnic)

4.)   Spring Activities – (for example, an International Dinner at the end of the semester)

Voting Procedures:

For Election of Officers:

1.) Elections will be held during the second meeting in April.

2.) The title of president may only be pursued by current officers. If no current officers are available for the following school year, only members that have been in good standing for at least 2 consecutive semesters can run for the position.

3.) To be declared the winner of an election for a selected position, you must have received the greatest number of votes from voting members.

For Activities and Events:

Decisions for large trips or events will be voted on by the members. A simple majority of members will decide what events the Society will participate in or sponsor. If there is a tie, the topic will be tabled and brought up at the next meeting.

For Amendments to the Constitution:

1.) Only members in good standing may vote on amending the Society constitution.

2.) At least 75% of the active members must vote on the amendment.

3.) Amendments must be approved by at least 75% of the voting members.

4.) The amendments must be posted on the Society web site for at least one month prior to voting.

5.) Voting must be open for one week.