Constitution
Title
The Constitution of Indiana University’s Bloomington Campus Chapter of Habitat for Humanity
Preamble
Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian organization dedicated to eliminating substandard housing and homelessness worldwide and to making adequate, affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat for Humanity is founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a simple, decent, affordable place to live in dignity and safety.
The Habitat for Humanity chapter of Indiana University’s Bloomington campus will herein be referred to as HABITAT. It shall be comprised of alumni lifetime members, a general assembly of herein referred to as GA and a board of directors herein referred to as BOARD. HABITAT exists to eliminate substandard housing in Monroe County by partnering with the Habitat for Humanity affiliate of Monroe County, Indiana, USA herein referred to as MONROE and upholding the mission of Habitat for Humanity International based in Americus, Georgia, USA herein referred to as INTERNATIONAL.
Article. I. Membership
Section. I.
Participation in HABITAT will be without regard to arbitrary consideration of such characteristics as age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.
Membership in HABITAT shall be restricted to students currently enrolled at Indiana University’s Bloomington campus or Indiana University alumni of the Bloomington campus who have paid the dues required for a lifetime membership.
Membership in HABITAT shall not be denied on the basis of age, race, gender, national origin, religious beliefs, citizenship or physical disability.
Potential members will be given the option of choosing to pay membership dues for HABITAT of $35.00 for lifetime membership or $15.00 for membership for the remainder of the current academic year.
Membership in GA shall be restricted to HABITAT members currently enrolled at Indiana University’s Bloomington campus.
Section. II.
HABITAT shall hold a call-out meeting at least once per month during the school term for the purpose of recruiting new members and informing the campus community of its mission.
Article. II. Compliance
HABITAT shall comply with all Indiana University regulations, local, state, and federal laws.
Article. III. Mission
The foundation of HABITAT is based on I John 3:18: "Our love should not be just words and talk, it must be true love, which shows itself in action," and on the phrase, "Building in Partnership".
Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical and interfaith (all faiths working toward cooperation) Christian movement, but it is not a church or a doctrinal organization. All people are welcome to join in Habitat for Humanity's work.
HABITAT can be established in conjunction with the student government, a club, or other campus group, and it may operate as a project of any one club, but membership in HABITAT, as an autonomous organization or as a single project of a club, must be available to all students.
Article. IV. Objectives
It shall be the primary purpose of HABITAT to provide opportunities for its members to participate in all aspects of the work and ministry of Habitat for Humanity. In furtherance of this primary goal, HABITAT shall endeavor:
To assist and work with MONROE.
To organize and provide work camp groups and short or long term volunteers to work at Americus headquarters and/or North American or international projects.
To raise money for the overall work of Habitat for Humanity and the local affiliated or sponsored project.
To raise awareness on campus about the mission of HABITAT and raise the level of awareness regarding the need to provide decent shelter for everyone, and to encourage HABITAT members to continue their support of Habitat for Humanity’s ministry after graduation.
To embrace and promote the overall purposes of Habitat for Humanity.
Article. V. Board
BOARD shall consist of no more than 12 Directors and shall be advised by ONE or TWO campus faculty, administration or staff members.
All BOARD members must have lifetime membership dues paid to IU HABITAT by the first official board of directors meeting of the current school year.
Directors shall be members of GA.
The Executive Team shall be comprised of the President, Vice President Funding and Vice President Membership.
The President shall convene and preside over all meetings of BOARD. The President shall have no Vote, unless the Directors be equally divided.
Article. VI. Committees
There shall be three standing committees. There shall be no less than four and no more than nine mission committees. Mission committees will utilize the labor and talents of GA members to promote and carry out the mission and goals of HABITAT.
Each Executive Director shall chair a standing committee. Each standing committee shall be comprised of the chair and TWO or more non-Executive Directors.
Each non-Executive Director shall chair a mission committee or serve BOARD in a capacity unbefitting of a committee. Each mission committee shall be comprised of the chair and GA members. The chair shall have the power to nominate any outstanding committee member an Assistant Director subject to approval by BOARD.
Article. VII. Advisor(s)
ONE or TWO non-voting campus faculty, administration, or staff members shall serve to advise BOARD for a term no less than one year in duration. The advisor(s) shall serve as a resource liaison between HABITAT and the campus administration and faculty. Advisor(s) shall co-sign all campus related documents requiring the signature of such an advisor. ONE advisor shall serve as Administrator to HABITAT’s university-sponsored email account and website.
Article. VIII. Elections
Section. I.
A special election meeting shall be called for by BOARD prior to April to elect the BOARD of the fall of the same year. Quorum for election meetings shall be more than twice the number of director positions. Directors shall be voted into office by a simple majority of the votes cast. In the event a candidate runs uncontested, approval of said candidate shall require a majority vote in the affirmative of those voting. Failure to garner such approval shall result in the candidate’s failure to obtain office. The respective office shall then remain empty and subject to fulfillment by BOARD appointment.
Any currently enrolled Indiana University Bloomington student may run for any position on BOARD.
The election of any candidate to office by GA is subject to overturnment by a 3/4 vote of the exiting BOARD.
Section. II.
In the event of a vacancy on BOARD during the academic year and not within 30 days prior to elections, by power of appointment, BOARD, shall name a Director for the said office. A simple majority of votes cast by BOARD at a duly convened meeting of BOARD shall be sufficient for naming such Director.
Article. IX.. Hazing
Hazing is strictly prohibited. Hazing shall be defined as any conduct which subjects another person, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or psychologically, to anything that may endanger, abuse, degrade, or intimidate the person as a condition of association with a group or organization, regardless of the person's consent or lack of consent.
Article. X. Property
HABITAT shall hold and manage property and funds received by it in accordance with the general purposes of Habitat for Humanity and with the designated or announced purposes of such property and funds. HABITAT shall not use or disburse the property or funds received by it in any way that injures to the benefit of a private person or that is contrary to the purposes of Habitat for Humanity. At all times, HABITAT shall use the property or funds in furtherance of the charitable purposes of Habitat for Humanity. In the event of the dissolution of HABITAT, all funds or property of HABITAT shall be transferred or assigned to MONROE. If MONROE is not a recognized affiliate of INTERNATIONAL at the time of HABITAT’s dissolution, all property and funds of HABITAT shall be transferred or assigned to INTERNATIONAL.
All funds or property collected or raised for a designated or announced purpose by HABITAT shall be used by HABITAT for such purpose. If the funds or property have been designated for the use or benefit of an affiliated habitat project, then the funds or property shall be remitted or transferred promptly to such project. If the funds or property have been designated for the use of benefit of an INTERNATIONAL sponsored project or for the general work and ministry of INTERNATIONAL, they shall be remitted or transferred to INTERNATIONAL, in Americus, Georgia, for disbursement.
HABITAT shall not accumulate funds, monies or property in excess of dues collected for purposes other than announced or designated purposes which are consistent and in accordance with the purposes of Habitat for Humanity. HABITAT shall not establish or accept an endowment of any kind or form. Any specific fund raising project of HABITAT shall have an announced or designated purpose. The funds or monies raised from such a project shall be used solely for the announced or designated purpose.
The primary purpose of HABITAT is to promote and carry out the work and ministry of Habitat for Humanity through MONROE or INTERNATIONAL. Any building, construction, renovation, rehabilitation or repair work shall be performed in conjunction with, and under the direction of, MONROE or INTERNATIONAL.
Article. XI. Amendments
A petition to amend the Constitution or By-Laws must be presented to the President. Such a petition shall originate either from within BOARD or from any active GA member. Such a petition shall be considered a priority motion by BOARD and shall be discussed at the first BOARD meeting following presentation to the President. If the proposed amendment(s) is approved by a 3/4 vote by BOARD, it shall become subject to ratification by GA.
Voting procedure for the ratification of amendments shall be as follows:
An email shall be sent to GA with either the old Constitution or By-Laws AND the respective document’s proposed amendment(s) attached.
The polls shall remain open for a period no less than 24 hours and no longer than 96 hours. Votes shall be cast via reply email to the official HABITAT email account and shall be tallied by the President. The President shall inform the GA of the results in a timely manner.
Of the votes cast, a 2/3 majority shall be required for ratification.
Amendment I. Emergency Amendments
In the event this official voting procedure is deemed unfeasible by a 3/4 vote by BOARD, BOARD shall have the power to devise and implement an emergency voting procedure.
Amendment II. Emergency Amendments
HABITAT will tithe directly to INTERNATIONAL in an amount equal to 10% of all monies accrued during the year leading up to the second to last Monday of April.
Revised April 20, 2007