C onstitution and B y-L aws of the C lub S wimT eam

I. Statement of Purpose…………………………………………………………….......... 2
II. Membership Requirements…………………………………………………………….. 3
III. Officers and their Duties and Responsibilities………………………….. 4
i. Co-Presidents…………………………………………………………….. 4
ii. Advisor…………………………………………………………………………. 5
iii. Coach…………………………………………………………………………… 5
IV. Procedure for Maintaining Continuity………………………………………… 7
i. Elections………………………………………………………………………… 7
ii. Resignation…………………………………………………………………….. 8
iii. Replacement of impeached or resigned officers……….. 8
iv. Impeachment of officers………………………………………………… 8
V. Finances……………………………………………………………………………………………. 9
VI. Constitution Amendments and Interpretations……………………....... 10
i. Amendments to the Constitution……………………………….. 10
ii. Precedents and Constitutional Vagueness………………. 10
iii. Implied Powers………………………………………………………………… 10
VII. Dissolution Clause…………………………………………………………………………. 11

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I. Statement of Purpose
T his swim team was created in order to offer interested Yale students the
opportunity to meet to improve their swimming skills and to compete at an
intercollegiate, non-varsity, level. We are an inclusive group, welcoming male and
female swimmers of all levels. The Club Swim Team is committed to being a
transparently run organization.

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II. Membership Requirements
o Members must be students of Yale University.
o Members are defined as persons who attend at least one practice a
month.
o Competition is not mandatory but regular attendance and payment of
dues are required for eligibility to compete.
o Non-payment of dues will result in removal from the roster and inability
to compete in meets. It will also result in ineligibility to run for
administrative positions or to vote in any elections.

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III. Officers and their Duties and Responsibilities
o Officers are held accountable to the members of the Club Swim
Team and are required to provide information on the status of the
organization upon request by any member of the organization.
i. Co-Presidents
o There will be two co-presidents who will share, as determined by
these two, all administrative duties involved in the efficient
running of this team. Their duties include, but are not limited to,
the following:
To serve as liaisons between the club and the Club
Sports Office
To ensure compliance with all regulations and guidelines
To attend or assign someone to attend all club sports
meetings
To ascertain that the club’s financial commitments are
met
To maintain a current budget balance
To submit all forms, scores and reports on time
To complete and submit accident reports
To be responsible for rental vehicles and their legal and
safe use
To keep the club advisor apprised of all club activities
To conduct safe practice sessions during the coach’s
absence
To check the club mailbox and email regularly
To transact all financial matters with the Club Sports
Office, including reimbursements
To ensure that all drivers have taken Yale’s Driver
Awareness Course
To ensure that all travel policies are adhered to
To follow all guidelines set forth in the Club Sports
handbook
To organize competitions

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 To organize regular gatherings of team members outside
of practice to ensure development of a cohesive team
To ensure that the team always has a coach and advisor

ii. Advisor
o There will be an advisor whose duties are as follows:
To attend club meetings (not Club Sport Council
meetings unless student officers are unavailable)
To assist the club in decisions, scheduling and budgets
To attend and support home games and matches as
personal time allows
To inform others at the University of the Club Sports
Program
To work with the co-presidents
To be aware of all club activities
To be aware of the club’s traveling schedule and away
contacts
To attend practices at least occasionally
To serve as a source of information
To accompany the team if traveling abroad
To enforce all Club Sport and University policies
To act in a mature and responsible manner
To check all club travel plans and enforce all school
policies

iii. Coach
o There will also be a coach, who may or may not also serve as the
advisor. The duties of the coach are as follows:
To offer instruction and training in fulfillment of the
club’s Statement of Purpose, in order to help members
improve in their swimming and to help prepare the club as
a whole for competitions.

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To attend and support home games and matches as
personal time allows
To work with the co-presidents
To be aware of all club activities
To be aware of the club’s traveling schedule and away
contacts
To attend practices at least occasionally
To accompany the team if traveling abroad, if personal
time allows
To enforce all Club Sport and University policies
To act in a mature and responsible manner

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IV. Procedure for Maintaining Continuity
i. Elections
o Co-presidency positions will be assigned by democratic
election at the end of every academic year and newly
elected officers will assume their roles at the beginning of
the successive academic year. Only regular dues-paying
members are eligible to vote.
o Candidates must be regular attendees for at least one
semester immediately prior to the elections to run for
these positions and must not be in debt to the club team
at the time of running. Exceptions, for instance in the
case of study abroad, shall be considered under the
discretion of the co-presidents.
o Candidates are not nominated. They must choose to
run and must submit candidacy statements to co-
presidents. The deadline for submission of statements
will be set by the co-presidents.
o Officers must be currently enrolled undergraduates of
Yale University.
o All voting for Club Swim Team official positions shall
be conducted by a closed ballot simple plurality system.
For each position, members must submit exactly two
names on the same ballot sheet to prevent one person
voting for the same candidate twice.
o Elected officers must have a minimum of 33% of the
votes to hold office.
o In the event that there is a tie in the voting, there shall be
a run-off between the tied candidates. If there is still a tie,
the tie-breaking vote shall be cast by the presiding
members.
o The co-presidents shall serve a term of one school year
(fall semester followed by spring semester). The co-

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 presidents shall be eligible to run for reelection at the
end of their term.
o The process shall include speeches, and voting for each
office. Speaking time shall be determined by the co-
presidents, who will preside over the entire process.
o In the event that both co-presidents run for reelection,
the election process will be presided over by the advisor
or coach.

ii. Resignation
o All Club Swim Team officers wishing to resign shall
present a formal letter of resignation to the other officers
stating their reason(s) for resigning. The letter shall be
read publicly at the next practice and a general email will
be sent out to the members.

iii. Replacement of impeached or resigned officers

o Upon vacancy of any officer positions, emergency
elections will be held within two weeks to fill the position.

iv. Impeachment of officers

o A Club Swim Team officer may be removed from office
by a democratic two-thirds majority vote of eligible
members at a meeting convened for this purpose.

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V. Finances
o The Club Swim Team is a non-profit organization and cannot, under
any circumstances, function to make a profit.
o A record of all income and expenses and supporting documentation is
to be maintained at all times by the current co-presidents. This
information is to be passed onto newly elected officers before the end
of the term of the former co-presidents.
o Dues are to be determined by the co-presidents and must be paid by
the second swim practice of the month. Refunds for persons not
wishing to join will be available until the 4th swim practice of the month.
o Non-payment of dues will result in removal from the roster and inability
to compete in meets. It will also result in ineligibility to run for
administrative positions or to vote in any elections.
o Financial information should be accessible to any member of the Club
Swim Team on request.
o Only the co-presidents shall have access to Club Swim Team bank
accounts and have the right to sign checks in the name of the Club
Swim Team.
o The co-presidents shall make all decisions regarding disbursement of
funds so as to best achieve the organization's purpose.

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VI. Constitution Amendments and Interpretations
i. Amendments to the Constitution
o Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws may be
made only by democratic vote. A general meeting must
be called by the co-presidents and a minimum of a two-
thirds majority of regular dues-paying members present
at the meeting is required for amendments to be made.
Amendments shall serve as permanent changes to the
constitution.

ii. Precedents and Constitutional Vagueness

o The co-presidents shall serve as the primary interpreter
of the constitution.
iii. Implied Powers
o The co-presidents shall be empowered to perform all
acts deemed necessary and proper in order to fulfill the
goals of the Club Swim Team.

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VII. Dissolution Clause
o In the event that the Club Swim Team should dissolve, any remaining
assets shall be distributed to Yale College.

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