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CONSTITUTION

of the

Syracuse University Outing Club

LAST UPDATED SPRING 2024

Syracuse University, Syracuse New York, 13210

Article I — Name

This organization shall be known as the Syracuse University Outing Club. Within this document, reference to ‘a club’, ‘the club’, or “SUOC” is a reference to the Syracuse University Outing Club.

Article II — Mission Statement

As students of Syracuse University, we establish this constitution for the government of the Syracuse University Outing Club to:

Offer an outing program to satisfy a need for outdoor recreation other than formal athletics.
Bring students together in congenial friendships through outing activities.
Offer a program that is healthful, valuable, yet inexpensive.
Build certain fine and integral traditions at Syracuse.
Provide a program of such excellence that these experiences shall form a part of the cherished memories of the Alma Mater.
Instill an appreciation for our natural environment and promote a wilderness ethic.
Educate students on the safe and ethical execution of their chosen activities, fostering their capability to become advocates for their respective pursuits in the future.

Article III — Membership

Sect.1 Eligibility

Membership shall be open to all registered students at ESF and SU.

Sect.2 Fees

The membership fee shall be set by the Executive Council with approval by the Patch Council.

The membership period shall be one calendar year, beginning in September.

Semester and summer memberships will also be offered.

Sect.3 Privileges

To gain membership, you must complete all forms required by the club/the university and pay dues. Membership shall be recorded by the Executive Council in a yearly roster, after which each member is entitled to all the privileges of general membership. These include:

Access to gear that the E-Room Chair deems appropriate as stated in Article VII Sec.3.
The ability to vote and run in officer elections.
The ability to go on all trips with the approval of the trip leader.
Membership can be revoked by a majority vote of the Executive Council.

Article IV — Election of Officers

Sect.1 Officers

The following officers shall be elected: President, Vice President, Treasurer, DEIA Chair and Secretary.

Sect.2 Qualifications for Holding Office

All elected officers must be registered undergraduate students at the time of the election.

The President, Vice President, and Treasurer shall have been a club member(paid dues) for at least three semesters, with exceptions granted by a majority Patch Council vote during nominations.

Sect.3 Nominations

At the second meeting after spring break, officers are nominated by members at the general meeting.

Absentee nominations shall be accepted only with the submission of the ballot to an Executive Council member. Self-nominations are accepted.

All nominations must be seconded by another club member for the nomination to be official.

Names of nominees shall be listed under each office and posted publicly.

Sect.4 Election

All members shall be given at least one-week advance notice regarding the time and place of elections, which shall be held one week after the nomination meeting.

Absentee ballots shall be accepted only with the submission of the ballot to an Executive Council member.

There will be no write-ins.

The officers are to be elected in this order, but may be changed as the President sees fit:

President
Vice President
Treasurer
DEIA Chair
Secretary

For the election of President and Vice President, formal slideshow presentations are to be given for their positions. All other Executive Council/member-at-large positions will give verbal presentations. After each presentation, there will be an open questioning period where members may ask relevant questions to each candidate. After this, the candidates will exit the room, and active members may discuss and provide constructive comments on the candidates.

The presiding President shall not have a vote during elections unless there is a tie vote, in which case the President may add his or her vote to the final tally.

Elections shall be decided by a majority vote of all present club members.

All present club members may vote for as many candidates as they please.

At the discretion of the President, votes may be collected in the form of a raised hand count or the submission of a paper ballot.

Sect.5 Term of Office

The term of office shall be from election until the next regular election.

Outgoing officers shall act as advisors to their successors until the end of the school year.

Article V — Duties of Officers

Sect.1 President

The President shall have the authority and responsibility to:

Preside at all meetings of the club.
Appoint positions whose appointment is not otherwise provided for.
Direct all committees in their duties.
Direct and assist other officers in the fulfillment of their duties.
Act as the main point of contact between the club and the university community, as well as uphold the reputation of the club within the broader community.
Act as or appoint a member to act as the official representative of the club at all University and inter-club functions such as advisory councils, sports club meetings, etc.

Sect.2 Vice President

The Vice President shall have the authority and responsibility to:

Be the general assistant to the President in the performance of their duties.
Have the full title, powers, and responsibilities of the President if the President is no longer qualified or capable of performing their duties, including in the instance of impeachment.
Be responsible for planning all SUOC-sponsored events.
- Ensure all safety measures for long overnight trips have been met. Responsible for risk management during long overnight trips.
- Ensure all members & attendees have been met with, and briefed on expectations of maintaining positive club culture and preventing peer pressure.
- Ensure all members have correctly registered, met membership requirements, and possess a travel plan.
- Be transparent with Patch for event budgets, and show estimated costs of events when Patch approves events, as well as a final budget report afterward.

Sect.3 Treasurer

The Treasurer shall have the authority and responsibility to:

Keep permanent records of all income and cash disbursements.
Present a financial report whenever requested by the President.
Have their records available for inspection at all times.
Be personally responsible for all money received.
Pay out all necessary and proper sums.
Create financial reports for the Executive Council and Patch Council at the end of club-wide trip(s), for the end of each semester and whenever requested.
Track and distribute the usage of the club fundraising account.
Keep a clear record of income, expenses, and profit from club trips when applicable.
Appoint an acting Treasurer in the event the Treasurer is not available over the summer.

Sect. 4 Member of Executive Council: DEIA Chair (Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, Accessibility)

Ensuring that the culture of SUOC is aligned with the outcomes of diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility.

Subsection 1: Responsibilities

Making an intentional effort to reach underrepresented communities through recruitment
Works with activity chairs, leaders, and campus partners to cultivate inclusive activities and trips.
Coordinate certified DEIA trainings through an accredited organization for Executive Council and leaders.
Available to discuss accommodations with individuals confidentially.
Contact leaders to ensure accommodations are met for trips as needed based on the accommodation form.
Maintain a feedback loop with club members through regular open dialogues at least once a semester about issues in the club.
Conduct monthly check-ins with the executive council about DEIA initiatives, responsibilities, and progress.
Creates a network of professional support systems regarding DEIA outside of the club.

Subsection 2: Assistant DEIA Chair

The DEIA chair shall have the power to appoint up to two Assistant Chairs that can provide additional experience and perspective. No confidential information associated with this position or the position’s role in the executive council can be shared with the assistant DEIA chairs. The Assistant DEIA Chairs’ responsibility will be to assist in managing extra-organizational outreach, accessibility management, and other duties deemed necessary by DEIA chair. These appointments shall be confirmed by a majority vote of the Executive Council.

Sect.4 Secretary

The Secretary shall have the authority and responsibility to:

Keep a permanent record of all meetings.
Maintain a file of the minutes from all Patch Council meetings.
Maintain a file of the minutes from all Executive Council meetings.
Maintain all correspondence with affiliated organizations as stated under Article XIII.
Keep a record of all new members.
Maintain all other correspondence as directed by the President.
Perform other duties as prescribed by the President.
Register weekly trips with Syracuse University through approved channels.
Send weekly emails through the listserv to announce registered trips and events.
Review the treasurer’s books at least once a semester to examine for discrepancies.
Responsible for registering the club for student involvement fairs and updating the listserv with the obtained student contact information.

Article VI – MEMBERS AT LARGE

Sect. 1 Member at Large: Leadership Chair

The Member at Large Leadership Chair shall have the authority and responsibility to:

Promote and encourage those members who have leadership traits to become new club activity leaders.
Maintain and improve the high level of leadership qualities already held among the present club leaders.
Take record of signed ghost lead sheets, file them in the E-Room, and scan a copy to be stored in a shared folder with the Executive Council. Only activity chairs will maintain access over these records. They can grant access to a potential ghost leader or the ghostee.
Keep a record of all current leaders.
Promote discussion and collaboration between leaders regarding leadership requirements to maintain a high standard of safety
Plan club-wide leadership events at least once a semester to hold an open forum for all leaders to come together and talk about advancing leadership in the club and allow the executive council to give a safety talk.

Sect.2 Member at Large: Publicity Chair

The Member at Large Publicity Chair shall have the authority and responsibility to:

Handle all advertising needs for club meetings, trips, and events.
Run club social media accounts
With the supervision of the president, network with people and organizations who reach out through social media.
Advertise the club within the university community.

Sect.3 Member at Large: First Aid Chair

The Member at Large First Aid Chair shall have the authority and responsibility to:

Maintain first aid kits and supplies regularly, the maintenance of which includes the taking of an updated record of all first aid gear owned by the club in usable or better condition no less than once per academic year. Any and all records of supplies shall be shared with the E-Room Chair, and accessible at request to any inquiring members within the club. Any materials in need of purchasing shall be communicated either to the budget chair or patch council depending on the circumstance.
Arrange for Red Cross Standard First Aid certification of members (particularly for leadership).
Run (or delegate the act of running in the event of anticipated absence) the “safety side chats” during each meeting as a way of maintaining awareness within the club of common situations to be prepared for or strategies for proper assessment and treatment of common injuries.
Arrange for Wilderness First Aid certification and Wilderness First Responder certification courses whenever feasible.
Keep records of leaders’ First Aid certifications and expiry dates, and share this information with the leadership chair.
Work with Executive Council to create a First Aid action plan for club-wide trip(s)

Sect.4 Member at Large: Budget Chair

The Member at Large Budget Chair shall have the authority and responsibility to:

Coordinate the spending of the club’s budget for equipment in all activities.
Submit the following academic year’s operations budget proposal to the Department of Club Sport with the approval of the executive council.
Determine how the operations budget is distributed between activities with the input and approval of the Executive Council.
Work with companies to obtain a tax-exempt status when purchasing gear. All correspondence should be sent through the club email and with prior approval of the executive council.
Collect and submit purchase orders to the Department of Club Sports for all gear purchases through the operations budget with the approval of the executive council.

Article VII — Equipment Chair

Sect.1 Appointments

The President shall appoint the Equipment Chair (otherwise called E-Room) with the approval of the Executive Council one week after regular elections.

The President shall appoint an assistant Equipment Chair with the approval of the Executive Council including the newly appointed E-room chair.

Sect.2 Duties

The Equipment Chair shall have the authority and responsibility to:

Oversee the distribution, collection, and maintenance of equipment.
Facilitate yearly gear inventory with the Activity Chairs.
- Hold a record of what gear is currently taken out by members, and what gear is currently in the equipment room.
- Ensure all new gear gets SUOC markings.
Ensure Equipment Room access for scheduled weekly Equipment Room Hours.
- Assist members who need help gearing up for trips.
Facilitate patchwork duties.
Hold a record of Patch Council Members.

Section.3 Equipment Room Policy

Leaders have the right to take out gear for registered SUOC activities in which they have leadership.

SUOC rents out limited types of gear to members and reserves the right to charge a rental fee and hold a deposit, which is reimbursed when the gear is returned in the same condition. This gear is always nontechnical and certain nontechnical gear is not rented out because it is easily broken or damaged during regular use. To rent gear, you must pay the treasurer the fee and deposit and check the item of gear out with the e-room chair.

Current leaders can take out SUOC gear in their activities and other nontechnical activities without paying a rental fee or deposit. They must gain the approval of the e-room chair and activity chair. The activity chair has the right to deny the leader the use of gear if it interferes with a registered SUOC trip, is deemed unsafe, or could damage the equipment. If a certain piece of gear does not fall clearly into one activity or the other, the equipment room chair will decide what activity it falls under.

The leader borrowing gear must fill out a form within which they must provide evidence that they have received the necessary approval from the Activity Chair and E-Room Chair. Leaders may only rent gear after Tuesday, once trips have been announced, and only for the period of one week.

Article VIII — Impeachment and Replacement of Officers

Sect.1 Impeachment

An officer may be impeached at a Patch Council meeting by any member of Patch Council and shall be removed by a two-thirds vote of Patch Council at a subsequent meeting with majority approval of the general membership.

Activity Chairs and Members-at-large may be removed from their position by the President with the majority approval of the Executive Council.

Sect.2 Replacement

In the case of resignation or removal of any officer except the President:

The Executive Council must notify all members that there will be a designated election meeting and call for nominations for the empty position.

Nominations may be made as per the protocol of a regular election as described in Article IV Sect.3.

Voting shall take place at a subsequent meeting and be publicized at least one week in advance.

In the event of the resignation, removal, or impeachment of the President:

The Vice President will assume all of the presidential duties as specified in Article V Sect.2.

The Executive Council may also reorganize itself to fill the required positions, except for the E-Room Chair because it is an appointed position. At the discretion of the Executive Council, a special election may be held to replace the remaining position.

Article IX — Executive Council

Sect.1 Membership

Shall consist of the officers elected at the general election, plus the E-Room Chair.

Sect.2 Duties

The Executive Council shall have the authority and responsibility to:

Determine club policies listed in Article XII, subject to veto by a majority of the Patch Council.
Approve Club Activities.
Aid the President in the selection of appointed positions.
Oversee activities of the club.
Select members to serve as temporary acting officers or members at large when needed, pending a special election as outlined in Article VII, Sect.2.
Provide constructive criticism of the activities and conduct of elected or representative members when it is related to the club.
Select a Club Advisor from university faculty and staff members who are interested in such a position when needed as stated under Article XI Sect.2 as explained under Article XI Sect.2.
Generally, assist and advise the president with the running of the club.

Sect.3 Meetings

Executive Council meetings shall be held at the call of any Executive Council member.

Sect.4 Ties

In case of a tied Executive Council vote due to abstentions or an even number of Executive Council members, the Assistant E-Room Chair will cast the tie-breaking vote.

Article X — Patch Council

Sect.1 Membership

Patch Council shall consist of Patch members and the Executive Council, with Patch membership qualifications set by the Executive Council. To attain Patch membership, the member must complete the Patchwork designated by the E-Room Chair. Patch members are recognized by receiving a physical SUOC Patch from the E-Room Chair.

Sect.2 Domain

The Patch Council is responsible for approving large events. The Executive Council is responsible for providing the estimated overall costs of the event before the Patch Council’s approval vote. The Executive Council is also responsible for providing a financial summary of the event after it has taken place and presenting this summary to the Patch Council.

The patch council is responsible for approving spending through the fundraising budget (see fiscal policies).

Sect.3 Meetings

Patch Council meetings must be announced one week in advance during a regular club meeting.

Those Patch Council members present at the Patch Council meeting shall be considered a quorum.

Meetings are open to the general membership, but only patch council members can vote.

At least 1 Patch meeting per semester is scheduled in advance to view that semester’s financial report, developed and presented by the Treasurer. This meeting is only open to Patch members.

Article XI — Leadership

Sect.1 Definition

A leader is someone in the club who has been certified in CPR/first aid, completed the certified DEIA training as organized by the DEIA chair, passed one or two ghost leads depending on the activity (see Article XVII sec 3), and has been officially recognized by the chair of said activity via the leadership form which is filed in the equipment room.

Sect.2 Leadership Privileges

All members are allowed the opportunity to become leaders. This privilege of being a leader can be revoked by the Executive Council with a majority decision, or by the activity chair of an activity.

Sect.3 Privileges & Responsibilities

A leader is allowed to take out trips in the activity they have a leadership in, as well as day hikes. They may also use gear for a trip with approval from the Activity Chair and E-Room Chair (see Article VII, Section 3). If a trip requires equipment or skills from another activity to do said trip, they will need a leader in the additional leadership if they do not possess it. When on a trip, the leader is responsible for creating a safe and inviting atmosphere for everyone on the trip regardless of skill level, background, and identity.

Article XII — Ghostleads

Sect.1 Definition

A Ghost lead is a test trip that is used to ensure that a potential leader knows all the required skills, possesses the right attitude, and can take command on a regular trip. The ghost lead is administered by a ghost leader(current leader in the activity) who has taken out a certain number of trips in the activity and has the approval of the activity chair to give ghost leads. The ghost leader must fill out a ghost lead form for their activity and give comments on trip performance, including feedback from trip participants. The form must be submitted and approved by the activity chair before the ghost leader can pass the potential leader.

Sect.2 Ghost Leader Requirements

To become a ghost leader, a leader must be approved by the current activity chair and have taken out a minimum of one trip for nontechnical activities and two for technical activities after having attained their leadership. An activity chair can set an additional number of required trips taken out (and specifications for location) before approval to become a ghost leader.

Sect.3 First Aid Certification

First Aid certification: As stated above to be a current leader, one must possess a CPR/first aid certification. Potential leaders/ghost leaders are permitted to take out their ghost leads without having a CPR/First Aid certification but must obtain the certification to become a leader and take out trips as one.

Sect.4 Technical & Non-technical leaderships

Technical vs nontechnical ghostleads: The number of ghost leads required for an activity depends on two factors. If this is a member’s first leadership in the club, they are required to pass two ghost leads. Additionally, if the activity is considered a technical activity, it requires two ghost leads no matter how many leaderships a member has. If a leadership requires two ghost leads, they must complete them with different leaders (if two leaders are available to give ghost leads) and in different locations.

Sect.5 Ghost Lead/Leadership Revocation

The Activity Chair has the right to revoke a ghost lead/leadership if:

The leader is deemed to have done something unsafe on a trip for the activity they are a leader in (their trip or otherwise)
The leader demonstrates a lack of respect for others, if this is the case it should be reported to the DEIA chair and Executive Council (especially in the form of sexist, racist, homophobic, xenophobic, ableist, classist, or other discriminatory comment)
The leader creates an unwelcome environment as part of the club (towards beginners or otherwise)
The leader is deemed to have misused club gear

Article XIII — Activities

There are six activity categories with six corresponding activity chairs. Within each activity there are different leaderships members can obtain. They are listed below with the title technical or nontechnical. Technical meaning they are deemed to require extensive knowledge and require more consideration. Nontechnical activities require two ghost leads to obtain.

Climbing

Toprope climbing (technical)
Sport climbing (technical)
Trad climbing (technical)
Ice climbing (technical)
Bouldering (non-technical)

Caving

Horizontal caving (technical)
Vertical caving (technical)

Paddling

Flat water padding (nontechnical)
White water padding (technical)

Skiing

Cross-country skiing (nontechnical)
Backcountry skiing (technical)

Backpacking

3 season backpacking (nontechnical)
Winter backpacking (technical)

Mountain biking

Mountain biking (nontechnical)

Article XIV — Activity Committees

Sect.1 Definition

The club shall maintain committees for each activity in which it participates. Each committee shall consist of all qualified leaders in the activity for which the activity was formed.

Sect.2 Duties

It shall be the duty of each committee to:

Elect a Chair from its ranks post a regular election. If an activity chair goes abroad or is determined to be inactive, they must inform the executive council and vote to elect their replacement chair.
Determine qualifications for leadership in its activity by majority vote of current leaders of said activity.
Promote its activity within both the club and University communities, and aim to extend both participation and leadership in its activity to all club members.

Sect.3 Activity Chairs

It shall be the duty of each Activity Chair to:

Organize knowledge clinics with leaders in their Activity Committee regularly so that their activities are led by qualified leaders and conducted safely and properly
Be responsible for the activities gear and space within the E-room.
Keep detailed records of gear within their care, including, but not limited to a current inventory.
Be responsible for the maintenance and improvement of their activity’s gear and space within the Equipment Room.
Coordinate with the Budget Chair to spend the club’s budget for club gear within their activity.
Maintain a folder of knowledge and resources that can be passed down to the next activity chair.
Inform the patch council and Executive Council of any changes to the requirements of an activity or activity policy that has been approved by the activity committee.
If the Activity Chair goes abroad or is unable to participate in their position, they must step down so that a replacement chair can be elected by the Activity Committee.

All activity chair directives are subject to being overruled by the executive council with a unanimous vote.

Article XV — Faculty Relations

Sect.1 Meetings

There will always be an open invitation to all university faculty members to attend any meeting of the Outing Club.

Sect.2 Club Advisor

The Executive Council is responsible for selecting a Club Advisor when needed from university faculty and staff as stated in Article IV Sect.2.

Article XVI — Policies

Sect.1 Political and Religious Affiliations

The club shall not be aligned with any political or religious group. It shall be known as a non-political group and shall endorse no candidate in any election.

Sect.2 Campus Issues

It shall maintain a neutral attitude regarding all questions and problems subject to discussion on campus, except where it concerns the Outing Club.

Sect.3 Name Usage

The consent of the Executive Council must be obtained by any group using the name “SUOC” or “Syracuse University Outing Club”.

Article XVII — Affiliated Organizations

The Outing Club may join other organizations as is consistent with its Mission Statement. The Secretary shall maintain correspondence with affiliated organizations as stated in their duties, listed under Article V Sect.4.

Article XVIII — Amendment Procedure

Sect.1 Requirements

Any Patch Council member may propose amendments to this Constitution.

All club members must be notified of the proposed Constitutional amendments at least one week before the vote to pass them is to take place. The substance of those proposed amendments must be provided within that notification.

Sect.2 Voting

This Constitution may be amended by a majority vote of the present voting members at the regular meeting when the vote is taken.

Article XIX — Ratification

To ratify a new Constitution, it is required to have unanimous approval of the Executive Council and a majority vote among the Patch Council.

At least every 3 years, the Constitution must be revised and ratified. This constitution supersedes all previous constitutions.

Article XX — Fiscal Policies

Sect.1 Operations Budget

The operations budget is defined as the money given to the club each year from the university to be spent within the fiscal year on gear and permanent club improvements. The budget is distributed to each activity and any other necessary areas of financial strain. The budget is set by the Budget Chair and approved by the Executive Council.

Sect.2 Fundraising Budget

The fundraising budget is defined as the money that stays with the club from year to year and is sourced from dues, donations, and fundraising events. The fundraising account must be maintained to keep future generations of SUOC funded and running smoothly. Patch Council has the direct control over the use of the fundraising account

The Executive Council can control finances and dues for a large event(s) without the approval of the Patch Council. However, the patch council must approve such events after being presented with estimated costs and dues. After the completion of the event, the patch will be presented with a financial report from the vice president.