The UPAC Lights bylaws can be downloaded here.
Bylaws of the Union Programming and Activities Committee -
Lights
Approved 17 February 2003 by the Voting Members
The purpose of the Union Programs and Activities Committe - Lights, hereafter referred to as UPAC Lights, is to provide the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute community with quality and affordable lighting reinforcement. UPAC Lights is a committee of the Executive Board of the Rensselaer Union and abides by all laws and policies determined by the Executive Board.
The Administrative Chairperson is responsible for membership records and lists, payroll, staffing shows, meeting and show attendance records, preparing the budget, and in cooperation with the Equipment Chairperson and Facilities Chairperson, arranging for the training or members. The Administrative Chairperson is also responsible for running general meetings and keeping minutes and collecting any fees from contracting organizations as well as submitting these fees to the Rensselaer Union Administration Office.
The Equipment Chairperson is responsible for the maintenance, acquisition, repair, and construction of UPAC Lights' equipment. The Equipment Chairperson is also responsible for the removal of equipment from the UPAC Lights closet and allocation of equipment from the UPAC Lights closet. The Equipment Chairperson is also responsible for maintaining a list of equipment availible for rental, helping to prepare the budget, and in cooperarion with the Administrative Chairperson and Facilities Chairperson, arranging for the training of members.
The Facilities / Recruitment Chairperson is responsible for checking contracts for possible rentals, confirming rentals, submitting money transactions to the Administrative Chairperson, and in cooperation with the Equipment Chairperson confirming equipment availability. The Facilities / Recruitment Chairperson is to arrange for the recruitment of new members and to provide training opportunities for new members. This person is also responsible for maintaining the Public Safety key list and for issues regarding UPAC Lights venues. The Facilities / Recruitment Chairperson is also responsible for helping to prepare the budget, and in cooperation with the Administrative Chairperson and the Equipment Chairperson, arranging for the training for members.
It will be announced early in the spring semester at a general meeting when nominations will be accepted for the Chairperson positions. After a period of two weeks (or the span between one general meeting) voting will be held for the positions.
At the designated general meeting of the spring semester voting will be held. The nominated parties will be presented to the UPAC Lights membership and questions may be asked of the nominees. Voting will take place by secret written ballot with each member receiving one ballot and one vote. The canidates will be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the UPAC Lights membership present at the election meeting.
The terms of office will begin in the fall semester and continue until the following fall semester. During the spring term, the exiting Equipment Chairperson, Administrative Chairperson, and Facilities Chairperson will retain their positions and train the newly elected Chairpersons until the end of their term, when the newly elected Chairpersons will assume responsibility.
A current officers list including names, addresses and phone numbers must be maintained and kept on file as prescribed by the Rensselaer Union Administration Office within one week of an election.
In the event of the temporary absence of the Administrative Chairperson, the Equipment Chairperson and Facilities Chairperson will assume the responsibilities of the Administrative Chairperson.
In the event of the temporary absence of the Equipment Chairperson, the Administrative Chairperson and Facilities Chairperson will assume the responsibilities of the Equipment Chairperson.
In the event of the temporary absence of the Facilities / Recruitment Chairperson, the Administrative Chairperson and the Equipment Chairperson will assume the responsibilities of the Facilities / Recruitment Chairperson.
In the event of an officer vacancy occurring during the middle of a term a special election will be held to fill the vacant office. The vacancy will be announced at the first general meeting after the vacancy occurs and nominations will be accepted to fill the vacant office at that meeting, if nominees have not be elected. The election for the vacant office will be held at the next general meeting following the procedures outlined in section III-C. If member has been newly elected, the newly elected candidate will assume the duties of the absent officer as soon as the vacancy occurs.
A Crew Chief is the person in charge of running a show. The Crew Chief must be accessible during the entire show. The Crew Chief is responsible for the conduct and assignment of appropriate jobs to all UPAC Lights personnel working the show, collecting outstanding fees from contracting organizations, ensuring all contracts are signed and the return of the attendance sheet to the Administrative Chairperson. The Crew Chief is also responsible for locking the storage closet at the end of a show and the return of the key ring to where he/she borrowed it. A more detailed description of the Crew Chief responsibilities is contained in the "UPAC Lights Personnel Policies."
Crew Chiefs will be appointed by the joint decision of the Equipment Chairperson, Administrative Chairperson, and the Facilities Chairperson. Crew Chiefs will be those voting members of UPAC Lights that the Equipment, Administrative, and Rental Chairpersons feel have the experience and knowledge necessary to run a show and are capable of running a show.
In the event of all Crew Chiefs not being able to work a specific show, an Honorary Crew Chief may be assigned to the show. Any UPAC lights member is eligible to become an Honorary Crew Chief. A UPAC Lights member will become an Honorary Crew Chief for a specific show if he or she has the experience and knowledge to run that show. An Honorary Crew Chief will have all the responsibilities of a Crew Chief.
In the event of the number of Crew Chiefs becoming less than four or encountering difficulties in the scheduling of Crew Chiefs, a Crew Chief shortage has occurred. New Crew Chiefs will be selected in the manor stated above in section IV-B with the training sessions being altered to fit the needs at that time.
Policies and standing rules may be proposed by any voting member in a general meeting. Policies and standing rules shall be drafted by the three officers, approved by a plurality of voting members at a regularly scheduled general meeting and attached to this document or in a separate UPAC Lights document.
The removal of an officer can be initiated by one of the officers, a petition signed by one half of the Crew Chiefs, or by a petition signed by one half of the voting membership within fourteen days of the presentation of the petition to an officer or the UPAC Lights advisor. The officer in question must be notified no less than three days prior to the meeting. If the officer in question fails to be present at the meeting without notification to an officer or the UPAC Lights advisor prior to the beginning of the meeting, the meeting will continue as scheduled and any vote taken will be considered binding. After all relevant testimony is submitted a secret ballot vote will be taken. A two-thirds (2/3) majority of voting members is needed for the removal of an officer.
General meetings will be held biweekly with a minimum of five a semester with quorum being fifty percent of the voting members present. Procedure at these meetings shall be determined by the Executive Committee, using Robert's Rules of Order as a reference. The authority to make decisions on behalf of UPAC Lights rests with the membership at a general meeting for which a quorum has been met. A voting member can call a special general meeting by presenting the Administrative Chairperson with a petition signed by a minimum of three voting members. UPAC Lights general meetings shall be conducted in English unless all voting members at a general meeting agree to conduct the general meeting in a different language.
UPAC Lights shall have an executive committee comprised of the three officers that may act on the behalf of UPAC Lights between general meetings. Their actions are subject to review and approval by a majority vote of the voting members present at a general meeting.
UPAC Lights will follow all Rensselaer Union financial policies. The Facilities Chairperson is responsible for collecting all rentals revenue. The Equipment Chairperson is responsible for all purchases and sales of equipment and materials. The Administrative Chairperson is responsible for all payroll disbursement, and all monetary transactions between renting organizations and UPAC Lights.
UPAC Lights' by-laws shall be effective immediately upon ratification by a majority of voting members of UPAC Lights and subsequent approval by the Rensselaer Union Executive Board.
In the event that UPAC Lights' by-laws comes in conflict with any Rensselaer Union or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute rule or standard, then the by-laws will be superseded by that rule or standard.
We, the voting members of UPAC Lights for the Spring Term of the year 2003 believe that the above stated By-laws best reflect the ideals of this club.
Signatures of Voting Members may be seen in UPAC Lights By-laws original copy, which is on file in the UPAC Office