Anime Clubs Unite Constitution
Preamble:
We, the representatives of Anime Clubs around the world, establish Anime Clubs Unite, a web-based organization designed to support anime clubs all over the world.
Article I: Name of Organization
The name of this organization shall be Anime Clubs Unite.
Article II: Purpose of Organization
To help anime clubs all over the world start, run, or maintain their own anime clubs.
Article III: ACU Logo
Anything that relates to Anime Clubs Unite will have the ACU Logo on it. This includes ACU T-shirts, the ACU forums, the website, etc.
Article IV: Membership
Anime Clubs Unite will have members. In order to be a member of Anime Clubs Unite a candidate must be an officer or president(or former) of an Anime Club with at least 4 members or the representative of an anime club support program by a licensor such as FUNimation or Aniplex. For anime club officers, Presidents are encouraged to be their club’s ACU representative but another officer is permissible. Assuming they do not engage in any actions justifying dismissal, existing members that are no longer club officers are allowed to remain due to their anime club experience, but are encouraged to get a current officer to become their club’s representative.
Article V: Officers
ACU will be run by officers. This will be in order to ensure that a proper system of checks and balances remains in place at all times, and to ensure fair treatment and judgment of all matters concerning ACU.
The officers of Anime Clubs Unite will be the Administrator, Moderators, Website Master, Budget Officer, and Public Relations Liaison. The duties of these officers are detailed in turn below. In order of hierarchy, the Administrator shall be the highest level of authority, the Moderators the second level of authority, and the Website Master, Budget Officer, and Public Relations Liaison will all be of equal authority with respect to hierarchy.
A. Administrator
The Administrator is in charge of ACU and approves of all administrative or representation requests. These include budget requests, member removal, and so forth. When Administrators step down, they shall appoint their replacement. If an Administrator steps down without an appointed replacement, the other officers detailed below shall appoint or run an election for one. Usually, an existing Moderator will be made the new Administrator.
The Administrator operates in this organization as president or C.E.O. The Administrator must be present at all meetings (see Article VI), and holds the right to call meetings at any given time. The Administrator approves all ACU events and officer proposals, and is responsible for ensuring rules and regulations are followed accordingly. However, if there are members or officers who feel a decision/change/etc. should have been made that the Administrator is against, a meeting will be arranged to discuss the situation, and a simple majority vote will be needed to determine what course of action ACU will follow.
B. Moderator
Moderators maintain peace and order on the Forums, IRC Chat, Mailing List, and any other forums by which ACU conducts discussion and business. In the event that the Administrator cannot be present at a meeting, a Moderator can be assigned to carry out his/her duties in his/her stead. Should the Administrator resign without appointing a replacement, Moderators and other officers shall appoint or run an election for a new Administrator, but usually the new Administrator will be one of the existing Moderators, as discussed in section A of this Article. Moderators are also required to assist the Administrator in the general organization and running of ACU.
C. Website Master
The Website Master is in charge of all Internet protocol related materials, including but not limited to the removal of obscene posts, the addition or removal of any ACU documents, maintenance of all related hyperlinks so that they are in proper and working order, and debugging of the website. Their work is answerable to and regulated by Moderators and the Administrator. For example, no major changes shall be made on the website by the Website Master without the approval of an officer higher in the hierarchy.
D. Budget Officer
The Budget Officer will act both as a treasurer of club funds and assist in all financial protocol matters, including but not limited to supervising the raising of funds for a needed expenditure, approving such expenditures in tandem with the Administrator, and maintaining ACU finances for the organization.
E. Public Relations Liaison
ACU will be interacting with outside entities and will have much interaction between members internally. The Public Relations Liaison will help be a face and voice for the interaction of ACU as an organization with other entities, including promotion and public relations matters. The Public Relations Liaison can also importantly serve as a useful bridge between current officers and other membership, to make sure the organization is cognizant of its members’ needs and issues. The Public Relations Liaison is also responsible for all materials that are to be sent to companies or ACU members, pending Moderator or Administrator approval.
F. Election of Officers
Officers generally hold their position for one year, with the exception of the Administrator, who holds his/her position until he/she chooses to step down or becomes unable to carry out their required duties (see sections A and B of this Article for details on procedure). Elections are to be held in the format decided on by the standing officers in consultation with the members. Any ACU member may apply for an officer position; however, applicants are not permitted to vote in the election itself. Candidates are expected to submit a short essay in lieu of a speech, as ACU is a web-based organization. All current officers and ACU members except for the candidates are allowed to vote. Simple majority vote is all that is required to elect an officer.
Article VI: Meetings
ACU meetings will be conducted regularly on a schedule dictated by the direction of the Administrator and Moderators. Such meetings can be online. The format of these meetings will be decided by the ACU officers in consultation with the members. These meetings are for discussion and policy meetings, and all present members are welcome to come and propose items to discuss and decide on for addition to the agenda of the meeting. Minutes and/or transcripts of these meetings will be shared with the organization membership at large so that policy and other decisions made are communicated to the members.
Article VII: Regulations
- No single person or club is better than any other person or club. Such attitudes will not be tolerated in ACU.
- Constructive comments and criticism are appreciated and welcome; however, unnecessary comments and criticism meant to belittle and humiliate others will absolutely not be tolerated. All members and officers alike should give respect to both club officers and industry representatives.
- ACU is a place for anime clubs and club heads to gather and grow; ACU reserves the right to deny membership to those they do not believe belong here. Please see Article IV of this Constitution for details on individuals valid for membership.
- ACU is an organization created solely for the betterment of the anime community; we’re all here to help one another, and every member of ACU is expected to do so to the best of their ability.
- Off-topic posts are not permitted in ACU forums of discussion, including but not limited to the Mailing List and the Forum. This organization’s discussions cover all things anime, manga, and anime club related.
- Providing false information (to the best of your knowledge) to ACU will result in an individual’s immediate removal from ACU. Such information includes but is not limited to email addresses, all other forms of contact information, websites, and credentials.
- Projects and changes will be commonplace here at ACU. Should you come up with a project you would like to take on yourself, please consult with at least two officers before doing anything on which you plan on putting ACU’s name. ACU’s name should only be used on projects or materials of which ACU has knowledge and approves of, due to the implied endorsement and the spread of the organization.
- ACU reserves the right to revoke membership at any given time, for whatever reason we see fit. Any blatant refusal to conform to the above regulations is grounds for the immediate abolishment of membership benefits and rights.
- These regulations are to be enforced by the Administrator and other officers of ACU. They are within their rights to enforce these regulations on the organization at large.
Article VIII: Impeachment of Officers
If an elected officer disobeys the rules and regulations set forth by this Constitution, an impeachment hearing will be held by the remaining officers regarding that officer’s immediate removal from the organization, as well as stripping of their powers and rank. Following the hearing, an election following the guidelines outlined in section F of Article V will be conducted to fill the vacancy.
Article IX: Amendment or Revision
Anime Clubs Unite reserves the right to amend or revise this Constitution. Any ACU member may propose an amendment or revision to this document to one of the officers. A meeting will be arranged to discuss the amendment/revision, and a simple majority vote will be needed to determine whether the amendment or revision will be recognized and implemented into this Constitution.