Team Constitution

Article I. Name of organization

Stanford Ballroom Dance Team

Article II. Statement of purpose

The purpose of the Ballroom Dance Team is to generate an appreciation and love for various competitive ballroom dance styles and to improve dancing skills through competitive performance and spirit, and to foster a love of ballroom dancing in the Stanford community through high-quality social dance classes.

Article III. Eligibility for membership

  1. Joining the team

    1. Registered Stanford students are automatically accepted to the team.

    2. Non-student partners of students are likewise permitted to participate on the team; should the partnership break up after dues are paid, the non-student is free to look for a student partner, and will be able to use SBDT space and pay the member rates for SBDT-taught classes (but not benefit from team-subsidized off-campus lessons) until the end of the academic year. Should the individual find a non-student partner, competition fees will not be covered. A few non-students who have shown exceptional dedication to the team may receive full benefits based on their own merit, independent of their partner status. This status is given by a majority vote of the Executive Board.

    3. Non-students looking for a student partner in order to take part on the team may use SBDT space and practice for their first quarter. After that point the individual may continue to take SBDT classes (at the non-member rate), but not use SBDT practice space or incur expenses for SBDT. A non-student is eligible, if s/he wishes, to participate on the team if he/she partners with a student at any point in the academic year. The non-student is then required to contribute to the team based on his/her ability to do so. Should a non-student dancing with an SBDT member opt not to participate on the team, SBDT will pay only the member’s half of team benefits. Because the mission of SBDT is to promote quality dancing, SBDT will not interfere with a viable and successful partnership because of one of the partners' student status.

  2. Responsibilities of team members

    1. Prospective and returning team members must

      1. submit an application containing their goals for the year and their ability to contribute to the team.

      2. pay membership dues, which are due before monetary team benefits are granted. Team member class discount payments can be applied retroactively for the quarter when team dues are paid, such that the amount to be paid by dues will be decreased by the amount of the applicable class discount.

    2. For the three quarters of the main academic year, team members are required to take 1 SBDT class per quarter from the approved DanceSport Menu (to be determined each quarter), or to be taking regular private lessons. Exceptions can be made on an individual basis, and generally require some form of regular ballroom dance instruction as a substitute. Team members are not required to dance during the summer and other holidays, but the board and other advanced dancers should help encourage dancers to take lessons if possible and help them locate instruction while away from the Stanford area.

    3. Dancers of a particular level may be required to take a particular class, except in the case of scheduling difficulties, in which case they must take a substitute class.

    4. Team members must attend the designated weekly team practices to receive full team befits as specified in the bylaws.

    5. Members are expected to contribute to the team based on their ability to do so. All members should assist in team operations, at the very least volunteering at Cardinal Classic, and also endeavor to help with any occasional tasks that might arise. Those who are more familiar with team policy are expected to participate more in the administration of the team, and advanced dancers should aid in teaching beginners. If it is believed that a member is not contributing sufficiently, he or she will be requested to do more, and if such a request is refused disciplinary action will be taken resulting in the loss of team benefits in a manner proscribed by the Executive Board. If the team feels an individual has not contributed sufficiently, but gives them no task or opportunity to become more involved, core team benefits may not be infringed upon.

  3. Team benefits

    1. Core team benefits include

      1. use of SBDT practice space

      2. access to team member workshops

      3. members' rate for classes specified in bylaws

      4. attention during supervised practice times

      5. opportunities to sign up for coaching slots in a manner to be determined on a quarterly basis

      6. paid competition fees to official team competitions (but not necessarily admission to the ballroom for NDCA events, which while official for subsidy purposes are not required for team members). Team members may apply to have the fees for other competitions paid for by the team if the team members are competing to represent SBDT, not solely for their own amusement.

      7. use of shoes and costumes.

    2. Special team benefits include

      1. subsidized workshops or supervision/lessons from coaches

      2. free practice at Imperial Dance Club for a quarter at a time

      3. subsidized travel to competitions

      4. Special privileges are awarded according to the supplemental benefits schedule listed in the bylaws or at the discretion of the Executive Board

      5. Executive Board members receive a specific set of team benefits for the year of their service. Teachers for the team receive specific benefits for the quarter of their service. The particulars of these benefits are determined in the bylaws.

    3. Should the team’s financial situation develop so that all benefits cannot possibly be awarded to all team members, non-students will be the first to have their benefits cut, only to the degree necessitated by team finances. Decisions to cut benefits will be made based on the individual's contributions. Cutting team benefits does not necessitate that the member be removed from the team, and should finances improve benefits may be reinstated.

  4. Causes for discipline and removal

  1. Should a team member’s conduct be found detrimental to the team, disciplinary action may be taken resulting in a loss of team benefits, in a manner proscribed by the Executive Board. The team member in question may defend her/his case before the entire board before a decision is made. The same process applies if a member's conduct is found objectionable to the point that it might merit dismissal from the team or rejection of the subsequent year's application.

  2. Causes for dismissal include, but are not limited to, harassment, fraudulent activity, or negligence of team responsibilities to a degree causing a team emergency. Causes for rejection of the subsequent year's application include all of the above as well as a consistently low standard of contribution despite requests for improvement.

  3. The Executive Board may, at its discretion, set conditions for the acceptance of a returning member if they feel it necessary to the successful running of the team.

Article IV. Officers

  1. Titles and responsibilities

    1. The official team government consists of the Team Captain and Financial Officer, both of whom must be registered Stanford students. The team government is responsible for establishing policy to insure that the team operates smoothly, equitably assists its members in pursuing their dancing, and maintains good relations with outside organizations, including other schools' ballroom teams and the greater dance community.

    2. Captain

      1. Must be a Stanford student

      2. Works closely with all board positions to make sure tasks are completed

      3. Ensures new board members know how to complete their responsibilities

      4. Facilitates any number of board members working together on tasks which relate to both/all of their positions

      5. Seeks to establish fair, open, and consistent team policy

      6. May delegate decision-making authority to another Executive Board member for a brief interval

    3. Financial Officer/Treasurer

      1. Must be a Stanford student

      2. Arranges honoraria for professionals

      3. Processes and delivers reimbursements to individual team members

      4. Works with ASSU to obtain General Fund money for Cardinal

      5. Gives the board financial updates at 1st week of the quarter, after 3rd week of classes, and 2 weeks before the end of the quarter. The Financial Officer is obligated to provide full and complete financial information to the Executive Board at its request.

      6. Has authority over all case-specific monetary transactions, and is responsible for approving all specific commitments of funds. The Executive Board as a whole establishes long-term/large-scale fiscal policy.

      7. May, with the approval of the Executive Board, give certain members (especially the Executive Board) moderate allowances for contingencies. The Financial Officer and Captain shall have extra financial decision-making power (especially for contingencies), determined by the bylaws.

    4. Advising and assisting the team government is the Executive Board, whose positions and responsibilities will be determined each year and described in the bylaws.

    5. Decisions on team policy are reached by a consensus of the executive board. In the case a consensus cannot be reached, decisions will be made by a simple majority vote. Any board member may move for a vote to decide a matter, once all board members feel there has been adequate opportunity for discussion.

    6. The Executive Board shall hold at least two meetings in the calendar year open to the entire team to discuss members’ satisfaction with team policy, members’ suggestions for team management, volunteering opportunities, and other topics that might arise.

  2. Elections and removal process

    1. The Executive Board is elected in the beginning of spring quarter of the previous year. The benefits and responsibilities of a position will be delineated for the team to the best of the current board’s ability when the application period opens.

    2. All team members in good standing may submit an application for one or more board positions, ranking them in order of preference.

      1. The board then reviews the applications and may accept or reject applications, and may accept a prospective board member for some of their desired positions but not others.

      2. All board candidates who apply must be approved for at least one position, or the board must provide a written statement describing the reasons for the rejection of the application and give the applicant the chance to respond.

      3. In the event that more than one application for a specific position is accepted, the position will be filled based on a vote of a majority of the general team membership either present at a designated team practice or via email by a set deadline.

      4. Board positions may not be shared unless there are clear written delineations between the two members’ responsibilities.

      5. If no application for a position is accepted, the Executive Board may decide to invite a team member to fill a position. If there still exists a vacancy, the outgoing and incoming Executive Board shall collaborate on how to allot the responsibilities of the unassigned positions.

    3. The newly elected board members are trained by the current position holders until the end of spring quarter, when the positions officially change hands.

    4. Criteria for removal for team members also applies to team officials.

    5. A board member may be removed from his/her post independent of being removed from the team.

      1. Any team member (and in the case of (i), a prospective team member) may submit a motion to censure an officer to the Executive Board. Grounds for censure include, but are not limited to:

        1. Unfairness in granting or withholding of team benefits or membership.

        2. Conduct toward a team member that jeopardizes the successful functioning of the team or that team member's ability/desire to remain on the team.

        3. Repeated implementation of policy or procedure that is detrimental to the team if the board member is found to be more responsible than the board at large.

        4. Failure to report information deemed necessary by the Executive Board in the bylaws.

        5. Making misleading or intentionally untruthful statements to the Executive Board about a team member or the progress of team activities.

        6. Committing funds beyond one’s jurisdiction without notice or approval. If the board finds that suitable approval was not obtained, the board member who committed said funds, no matter what the amount, will be personally responsible for paying them.

        7. Unethical use of funds at ones’ disposal, including failure to comply with any conditions on which money was appropriated. Accepting or spending money is considered full acceptance of the conditions on which it was granted. Any objections must be settled before money is accepted. A polite request must be respected as a condition—if in doubt, clarify before money is accepted. This includes, but is not limited to, funds appropriated by the Executive Board and donations (of money, supplies, or services) or financial arrangements with outside parties.

        8. Threatening to cancel services to which one has already committed as a means of negotiation.

        9. Failure to fulfill major responsibilities of one’s position. Failure to fulfill any responsibility stated in the bylaws defining one’s position without prior dispensation from the board necessitates a loss of privileges. The degree of the loss of privileges is at the discretion of the Executive Board.

        10. Misrepresenting the team’s position or policy to a team member or outside party.

      2. Both the plaintiff and the board member shall then present his/her case in detail to the Executive Board, who will decide whether or not to censure by a majority vote, in which the board member and the plaintiff (if on the Executive Board) shall abstain from voting.

      3. If censure passes, the Executive Board may, at its discretion, curtail privileges (which may include special or core benefits) and/or mandate a public apology.

      4. Should three censures pass in any 12-month period, the board member will be automatically removed for the remainder of the current year and the next year. The Executive Board may initiate the usual application process above to select a new position-holder, who will be trained by the Executive Board. The Executive Board may temporarily reassign responsibilities as it sees fit during the training period.

      5. The following shall be cause for automatic and immediate expulsion from the Executive Board:

        1. Willfully ceasing to fulfill a responsibility without giving notice.

        2. Demanding money to undertake services to the team while an active team member.

        3. Demanding money or other compensation for giving the Executive Board or some of its members information or advice on team programs or activities.

  3. Length of term

    1. For Executive Board members, one calendar year, from the spring when they are elected until the conclusion of the next spring’s elections.

    2. All board members may, if they wish, continue in their incumbent position as long as they are eligible without re-election with a vote of confidence from the Executive Board each year prior to elections. They may also apply for other positions by the usual application process.

      1. Votes of confidence for incumbent board positions will take place before the announcement to the team of board positions available for application. Votes of confidence are handled anonymously, with the Captain and Assistant Captain both receiving everyone’s votes and announcing the numerical result to the board. For the incumbency of each of those two positions, the individual’s role in the vote of confidence is taken by the Financial Officer.

      2. Board members may vote:

        1. “Confidence.” The board member continues his/her position.

        2. “Hold Elections.” The board member submits an application and runs for election with any other applicants and will receive equal consideration.

        3. “No Confidence.” The board member will not continue in his/her position.

      3. Both the “Confidence” and “No Confidence” positions require majority votes to pass. If neither passes, elections are held.

      4. All “Confidence” votes for incumbent board members must be approved by a majority of the general team membership either present at a designated team practice or via email by a set deadline. After all “Confidence” votes are finalized, available board positions for application (see IV.B.1) are announced.

Article V. Dissolution of organization (Please note that organization property and uncommitted funds must be designated to a Stanford University organization or department)

  1. Disposition of uncommitted funds

    • Stanford Shakespeare Society

  2. Disposition of property

    • Stanford Shakespeare Society

Article VI. Procedure to amend constitution

This constitution may be amended first by a 2/3 vote of the Executive Board, and then must be ratified by a majority current members who have participated on the team for one academic year (three academic quarters) or more. The bylaws may be amended by a simple majority vote of the Executive Board, and any changes must be announced and displayed for the team to provide opportunity for comment.