The name of this organization shall be The Rice Bridge Brigade.
Bridge is a mind sport with a long history. It involves speculation, calculation, and logical inference. It is our goal to promote and enjoy the game of bridge.
The purpose of this organization shall be:
This organization will recognize the primacy of the Student Association Executive Committee, the Student Association Senate, and ultimately, the Student Association.
This organization will follow the Student Association Constitution and By-Laws and any associated rules and regulations.
This constitution and any bylaws or policies adopted by this organization are subordinate to the Constitution of the Student Association.
There are two classes of members: student members, and community members. To become a student member, one needs to sign up on the club roster and come to three club meetings and maintain regular attendance. To become a community member, one has to be a non-Rice person who contributes significantly to the club and has attended three club meetings and maintains regular attendance. There is no membership fee. At no time shall fewer than half of the organization’s members be student members.
There are no membership dues. Students are fined if they damaged anything owned by the club or Rice University.
A budget is made at the beginning of each semester by the treasurer and other officers. It needs the approval of the faculty sponsor and club president.
All funds gathered by the organization must be deposited into a club account through Student Activities within one business day of receipt of funds.
For the case of Misused Funds: the sponsor shall refer to the relevant University office(s) any member reasonably suspected of spending club funds without authority, failing to deposit club funds appropriately, or otherwise misusing or abusing club funds.
The officers of this organization shall be a President, a Vice-President, and a Treasurer. The officers shall perform the duties listed in this constitution and in the parliamentary manual adopted by this organization.
Officers shall be elected from the student members. Officers shall serve until a replacement is elected. Elections shall be held at a regular meeting at least once per year, in April. An officer will be official after a majority vote.
No member may hold more than one office at a time.
Should an officer of the organization act in a manner unbecoming of the organization or fail to uphold their duties as outlined by this constitution, the officer in question may be called before the other officers and sponsor of the organization to present their side of the story. After hearing this, the officers and sponsors may vote to remove the officer. A majority vote and support of the sponsor are required for removal. The officer will be notified of their removal either in writing or by phone within 24 hours of the decision. Only student members who are not on Disciplinary Probation or otherwise prohibited from holding office in a registered student organization shall be eligible to seek and hold office.
The President shall:
The Vice-President shall:
Regular meetings of this organization shall be held at a time and place that is convenient for the membership. The membership may, at its discretion, change the time or place of meeting. Regular meetings shall be held at least biweekly. A reminder shall be given at least 24 hours in advance of each regular meeting.
Special meetings may be called by the President or the Executive Committee. Special meetings shall be called by the written petition of at least 10 members. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the call. At least 24 hours notice must be given for special meetings.
Four student members shall constitute a quorum.
The rules regarding electronic communication in the parliamentary authority shall be followed, unless this organization acts to make special exemptions.
The members of the Executive Committee are expected to attend all meetings.
The officers shall constitute the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee shall have general supervision of the affairs of this organization between its regular meetings, make recommendations to the membership, and perform other duties listed in this constitution, The Executive Committee shall be subject to the orders of this organization, and none of its acts shall conflict with action taken by this organization. As such, the Executive Committee shall be authorized to spend this organizations funds.
The Executive Committee shall select its own time and place of meeting. At the call of the President and Vice President, a special meeting may be called.
The business of this organization shall not be conducted in any manner that creates a conflict of interest or the reasonable appearance thereof.
No commitments or contracts shall be made by any member of this organization on behalf of this organization without the approval of both the sponsor and a majority vote of the Executive Committee.
The Faculty/Staff sponsor shall be decided by the club president, and must meet the training criteria set by Student Activities. The Faculty/Staff Sponsor shall serve until a replacement is selected. The Faculty/Staff sponsor must be a faculty or staff member of Rice University. Any updates to the club Faculty/Staff sponsor must be made through Student Activities.
The organization must have a sponsor who is a member of the Rice faculty or staff and who plans to be at Rice for the full academic year. If the sponsor resigns, is replaced, or is otherwise unable to continue serving as the sponsor for the remainder of the academic year, the organization shall select a new sponsor and notify the Office of Student Activities of the change within 15 class days.
This organization shall not discriminate on the basis of, but not limited to, race, sex, creed, color, religion, sexual preference, orientation or national origin.
This organization will not tolerate any form of hazing activities to members or potential members. Hazing activities are defined as, ”Any action taken or situation created, intentionally, whether on or off university premises to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment or ridicule.”
Proposed amendments to this constitution should be reviewed by the Student Association Parliamentarian. Amendments to the organization’s constitution can only be adopted by a 3/4 vote with prior notice having been given at the previous meeting. Before going into effect, the amendment must be approved by the Student Association Parliamentarian and ratified by the Student Association Senate. The Date of Last Revision on the title page of this constitution shall be updated to reflect the date of the Senates ratification.