Constitution

OUTLaws Constitution

 ARTICLE I        NAME AND PURPOSE
 Section 1       Name

This club shall be known as the “Outlaws”.

Section 2       Purpose

The purposes of the Outlaws are:

A. To educate ourselves and our fellow students about queer issues as professionals in and subjects of the law

B. To promote awareness, study and understanding of these issues within the law school and the larger community

C. To encourage communication and cooperation among law students, legal professionals and legal academics

D. To provide a forum for community involvement and activism on current political issues

E. To liaise with faculty and administration on queer roles and concerns within the University of Victoria’s Faculty of Law

Section 3       Affiliations

Outlaws is a member of the Law Student’s Society (LSS) of the University of Victoria.

 ARTICLE II       MEMBERSHIP
 Section 1       Eligible Members

All current students in the University of Victoria’s Faculty of Law are eligible to be active members of Outlaws.

Section 2       Active Members
  1. A list of interested students will be compiled through informational sessions organized by Outlaws’ parent organization, the Law Student’s Society (LSS), held in September of each year.
  2. No fewer than 5 active members are required to maintain club status.
  3. Students on the List will be notified of Outlaws’ activities and of meetings open to all members via email.
  4. All active members shall be eligible to hold leadership positions within Outlaws
 ARTICLE III      ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
 Section 1       Consensus Model

Outlaws’ decision-making and leadership selection is based on a consensus model which seeks to ensure that all voices are heard before decisions are taken.  The model encourages discussion and compromise to formulate action plans which are in alignment with the goals and interests of all participants.  While voting is used to solicit majority decisions on time sensitive issues, it is the goal of the group that discussion and consensus form the foundations of decisions on the group’s leadership roles and community activities.

Section 2      Executive

A. The following coordinator positions will be filled for each of the semesters commencing in September and January:

  • President/ Co-Presidents
  • Treasurer
  • Secretary
  • Event Coordinator
  • Members at Large

B. Other coordinator positions may be created as required.

C. In the interests of continuity, coordinators who are unable to act for both semesters will provide an update on activities to new coordinators.

D. Coordinators will be selected by application.  In the event that more than one member applies for a given coordinator position, a lottery will be held or it will be held jointly.

Section 3       Secretary Duties

A. The Secretary is responsible for, inter alia,

  • Ensuring minutes are taken at each meeting
  • Ensuring a list of active members is maintained
  • Submitting a list of active members to the LSS VP Internal
  • Submitting an annual report on club activities to the LSS VP Internal
  • Ensuring UVic Law LGBTQA* Students and Allie Club’s meetings and events are published through deposit in the Outlaws private Facebook Group and are updated to the OUTLaws Google Drive.

B.  The Treasurer is responsible for, inter alia,

  • Maintaining adequate and correct accounts of Outlaws’ receipts, disbursements and assets
  • Providing coordinators and active members with access to updated financial information
  • Preparing Outlaws’ budget and grant requests subject to the approval of the collective
  • Disbursing funds as decided by the collective
  • Transferring all accounts to successor treasurers

C. The Event Coordinator is responsible for, inter alia,

  • Co-coordinating with other club representatives to develop events within the ambit of the club’s mandate
  • Developing and implementing OUTLaw social and educational events.
  • Reporting to club members with updates concerning events.

D. The President or Co-Presidents is/are responsible for, inter alia,

  • Calling and chairing meetings
  • Overseeing administrative details and committee activities
  • Corresponding with the LSS on behalf of the club
  • Maintaining transition documents for club continuity
  • Helping executive members with their duties and ensuring new members have access to transition documents and that club information is updated regularly and maintained on the OUTLaw google drive.
ARTICLE IV     MEETINGS
 Section 1       President/ Co-Presidents

The president or co-presidents hold(s) no more responsibility than that of every member to ensure that tasks are carried out.  In the interests of facilitating decision making, the president or co-presidents is/are responsible for ensuring that:

  •  All voices are heard and people do not speak over each other
  • Meeting agendas are created, adhered to and new topics recorded for future consideration
  • A person or committee is assigned and timelines established for each topic discussed
  • A time is set for the next meeting, if required
Section 2       Annual General Meeting

An annual general meeting open to all members will:

  1. Be held at least once per year
  2. Be advertised via email to all interested members
ARTICLE V      FINANCIAL STRUCTURE
 Section 1       Budget

A. The Treasurer or an agent appointed by the Treasurer shall submit a proposed budget of anticipated revenues and expenditures for the approval of members present prior to submission to the LSS in October

B. In the event that the Members do not approve a proposed budget, the Treasurer shall make subsequent changes until approval is obtained.

C. The Treasurer shall not budget for a deficit.

D. The Treasurer shall complete an actual budget for records purposes at the end of the year.

E. The budget year shall be from September 1st to August 31st of the following year.

Section 2       Funds

A. Funds shall be kept in an account with the Faculty of Law

B. The Treasurer and President/CO-President’s shall have signing authority over Outlaws’ funds.

 ARTICLE VI     CONSTITUTIONAL OPERABILITY
 Section 1       Interpretation

A. Nothing in this Constitution shall be interpreted in a manner repugnant to the Constitution, By-Laws or General Policies of the Law Student Society

B. This Constitution shall be given a fair, broad and liberal interpretation which best effects the attainment of its purpose.

 Section 2       Amendments

A. This constitution shall be ratified or amended according to the needs of the club at the annual general meeting

B. Any amendments shall be made by full consensus of the members present at the annual general meeting