Pitt Outdoors Club Constitution
Revised and Submitted: May 2004

Preamble to the Constitution
    The Pitt Outdoors Club is founded with the intent of providing the students, faculty, alumni, and staff of the University of Pittsburgh with an opportunity to experience and appreciate the outdoors. Our club presents to its members a chance to get away form the noise and bustle of the city while teaching them about nature and the various sports related to the outdoors. Experienced and educated hands help to guide our members through outings, including rock climbing, spelunking (caving), backpacking, rafting, skydiving, and a host of other activities on both day-trip and extended basis. We stress education in safety operations, and a familiarity with both planned and unanticipated situations that may be encountered while experiencing nature. The planning and purposes of our group are well designed to support the goals that we have set for ourselves.

    Our goals are rather ambitious, but achievable. We stress education in both our design and intent, education on three levels.

1.) The individual and himself.

Many of our outings are strenuous, thereby pitting the member in competition against himself. Such activities help to foster the development of one self-dependence by strengthening respect for ones own abilities and limitations. Can a person develop a greater pride in himself than by knowing that he has just scaled a cliff, backpacked through the wilderness, or conquered the rapids, and by knowing that they did it themselves? Of course, but such growth of mind and body is rarely available in the hills of Oakland.

2.) The individual and nature.

Obviously, since we are a wilderness-related organization, we enable the students, faculty, alumni, and staff of the University of Pittsburgh to experience the outdoors in a meaningful, fun-filled, friendly and free-spirited manner. We hope to instill a knowledge of the beauty of nature in our members, while instructing them in the delicate balance between man and nature.

3.) The individual and their relationship with society.

Our activities help to develop one’s concern for the well being of others through experience and teamwork. We aid in the development of attitudes and principles that will guide responsible behavior both in and out of the wilderness. Opportunities for the development of a mutual understanding and respect around students, faculty, administrators, and community members are also presented to members of the organization.

    The Outdoors Club is more than just a mere outing club. We have enjoyed the experiences that this club has provided; and we would like to make these, as well as many other opportunities, available to the present and growing membership of the University of Pittsburgh.

Article I: Name
    This organization, through authority of the Office of Student Activities and the Student Government Board of the University of Pittsburgh will be named the Outdoors Club herein referred to as the P.O.C.

Article II: Purpose
    The purpose of the P.O.C. shall be for the students, faculty, alumni, and staff of the University of Pittsburgh to gain a greater understanding in, and to have an opportunity to participate in wilderness related recreational activities.

Article III: Membership
Section 1 - Membership is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, alumni, and staff of the University of Pittsburgh.

Section 2 - Active membership is granted pending completion of the membership requirements determined by the constitution and the outgoing executive board. Three membership requirements are dictated by the constitution.

Clause 1 - Active members must pay dues per semester in the amount determined by the outgoing executive board at the end of their term.

Clause 2 - Active members must sign the waiver issued by the University of Pittsburgh that waives the University of any Liability for accidents or loss that occurs during participation in activities sponsored by the P.O.C.

Clause 3 - Active members must be a University of Pittsburgh student, faculty, alumni, or staff member in good standing.

Section 3 - Active member status entitles the individual to all P.O.C. acquired discounts and permission to attend all trips, regardless of level of university funding.

Section 4 - Non-active member status only entitles the individual to attend meetings and receive updates via email.

Article IV: Executive Board (Officers)
Section 1 - An executive board of four (4) co-presidents will be elected by a majority of the active members present at the election meeting as is prescribed by the articles of elections.

Section 2 - All executive board members must have the intent of being matriculating students, and be taking classes at the University of Pittsburgh – Oakland campus, for the following Fall and Spring Terms.

Section 3 - Co-president terms will last for one (1) full calendar year following the University’s fiscal year from July 1st to June 30th.

Section 4 - No co-president may be part of the executive board for more than three (3) years.

Section 5 - The four (4) co-presidents will determine their individual duties in compliance with the constitution and the present needs of the club.

Section 6 - The executive board will determine the need and extent of supporting committee chairs such as but not limited to, climbing, caving, rafting, hiking, fundraising, special events, equipment, or webmaster. These committee chair positions are not mandated by the constitution.

Article V: Duties of the Executive Board
Section 1 - Uphold the Constitution and the organization’s responsibility to the University Community.

Section 2 - Maintain certified status with the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Student Activities.

Section 3 - Preside over all P.O.C. meetings and keep accurate records of events and business that transpires during the meetings.

Section 4 - Facilitate and plan trips for the members to participate in.

Section 5 - Keep an accurate and public active member and member list.

Section 6 - Maintain an email distribution list of all members and periodically update members via email of all business pertaining to the general membership.

Section 7 - Keep accurate records of the club’s funds, spend them in the members’ best interest, and make balances and expenditures public.

Section 8 - Develop a budget to be submitted to the Student Government Board of the University of Pittsburgh on a yearly basis that caters to the best interests of the P.O.C. general membership and that is in no way biased.

Section 9 - Take care to ensure that the equipment owned by the P.O.C. is stored correctly and well maintained.

Section 10 - Keep the P.O.C. well publicized and in good standing with the University community and strive to increase the membership and quality of the organization.

Article VI: Elections
Section 1 - Nominations for executive board positions will be held five (5) weeks from the end of the Spring Term as is dictated by the University of Pittsburgh’s academic calendar. The nomination of an individual must be seconded by at least two (2) members of the present executive board for that individual to be nominated. In the event the executive board does not second the nomination, the present active members can second the nomination by having greater than 50% of the present active members vote in favor of the nomination. Only active members may nominate individuals for the executive board.

Section 2 - Election of the executive board will be held four (4) weeks from the end of the Spring Term as is dictated by the University of Pittsburgh’s academic calendar by a majority vote of active members present. The four (4) nominees who receive the highest number of votes become the four (4) co-president executive board members for the following year beginning on July 1st of that calendar year.

Section 3 - All nominees for executive board positions must have been an active member for the past two (2) academic terms.

Section 4 - It is the duty of the outgoing executive board to train and assist the incoming executive board within the last four (4) weeks of the present term.

Section 5-In the event of the loss of an officer of the club, for any reason, the remaining officers in accordance with the articles of elections shall call a new election. There will be two (2) weeks notice of the election unless a three-fourths majority of the active members vote otherwise.

Section 6 - Individuals wishing to fill the chair positions as determined by the incoming and outgoing executive boards must meet application requirements as the incoming executive board determines them the week following the election of the officers. The incoming executive board will decide, along with the recommendations of the outgoing executive board, who fills the chair positions and levy their decision by the second week before the end of the semester.

Article VII: Resignation and Impeachment
Section 1 - Resignation from an executive board position must be done in writing to the executive board. Upon approval of the executive board, the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Student Activities must be informed and an election must be called by the executive board to elect a replacement. Normal election procedures will be followed for this election.

Section 2 - Impeachment

Clause 1 - An officer of the club may be impeached or removed from office only for gross non-participation or for gross misconduct harmful to the general welfare of the club.

Clause 2-A motion from the general membership or executive board must be passed by a three-fourths majority of the active membership in order to initiate an impeachment.

Clause 3 - The vote to impeach shall then no occur for a period of two (2) weeks following the motion and vote to begin the procedure.

Clause 4 - In the event that any officer is impeached and the club votes to end that term of office, a new election shall be scheduled according to the articles of elections.

Clause 5 - A final vote for impeachment must pass by a three-fourths majority of the active members present.

Clause 6 - No impeachment procedure or vote for impeachment shall be initiated or completed during Summer Term, but must be done during the Fall or Winter Terms of the academic year at a regularly scheduled general body meeting.

Clause 7 - Committee Chairs can be removed from their position by a majority vote of the executive board.

Article VIII: University Compliance
Section 1 - The P.O.C. will refrain from any illegal discrimination, hazing, and all other activities that are contrary to University regulations.

Section 2 - The P.O.C. will agree and comply with the Assumption of Risk, Certification Limitations, and Publications Code for Student Organizations as laid down by the Office of Student Activities.

Article IX: Meetings
Section 1 - Meeting of the executive board will occur on a weekly basis at a place and time determined by an agreement of the board members.

Section 2 - General body meetings of the P.O.C. will be held on a weekly basis during the fall and spring terms, every Tuesday at 8:30 PM in a location agreed upon, reserved, and publicized by the executive board.

Article X: Amendment
Section 1 - Amendment of the constitution is a serious matter as it effectively changes the future of the P.O.C. As this is the case, in order for an amendment to be placed in front of the general body it must first be written as a proposal with justification and one-quarter of the active members signatures. The following meeting the proposed amendment will be voted on by the active members and can only be approved by a three-fourths majority of present active members. This amendment to the constitution must be submitted to the Office of Student Activities of the University of Pittsburgh the following week.